Beginner's books?
Yann
I'm new to bakcgammon and want to learn a lot about this game,
improving my game.
Unfortunately I have no local backgammon club unless I go in Paris,
France, or in Germany.
I've tried to read Paul Magriel book in french but it seems too high
for my level.
Can someone give me some pieces of advice of goods beginners books?
I do not care about the prices, I just want to improve my game and be
in the Giant List in 2040. ;-)
Thanks to all!!!
Yann
up to date: http://www.bkgm.com/rgb/rgb.cgi?menu+booksuggestions.
Thanks a lot!
Stick
updates things frequently enough. The first two books you should read
as a beginner is the aforementioned Backgammon, by Paul Magriel.
After that I'd suggest Backgammon Boot Camp by Walter Trice. You can
read my own personal short reviews of these excellent books on my site
under the book review tab, http://www.bgonline.org
Also feel free to join my forums (free), http://www.bgonline.org/forums/
, and post any & all questions you may have. There are world class
players who regularly post there, even a few you may recognize from
the Giants list, Neil Kazaross, John O'Hagan - Even if you only read
you'll soak in a lot of free information from some of the world's best
bg players.
T'es francais? Ton niveau d'anglais est pal mal du tt - je me demande
si tu le trouves trop difficile a lire ces bouquins en anglais? Si tu
habites a Paris je connais qqs endroits a jouer, tournoi et $$$.
(wenn Sie deutsch sind, es tut mir leid, ich spreche nicht gut
Deutsch)
Stick
Yann
> BKGM is pretty up to date. Tom Keith, the webmaster of the site,
> updates things frequently enough. The first two books you should read
> as a beginner is the aforementioned Backgammon, by Paul Magriel.
> After that I'd suggest Backgammon Boot Camp by Walter Trice. You can
> read my own personal short reviews of these excellent books on my site
>
> Also feel free to join my forums (free),http://www.bgonline.org/forums/
> , and post any & all questions you may have. There are world class
> players who regularly post there, even a few you may recognize from
> the Giants list, Neil Kazaross, John O'Hagan - Even if you only read
> you'll soak in a lot of free information from some of the world's best
> bg players.
Thanks for your answer, I sent u an email.
Does soemone got more advices on books cause the Magriel's is maybe to
hard for me?
Grunty
> Does soemone got more advices on books
> cause the Magriel's is maybe to hard for me?
'The Backgammon Book' by Oswald Jacoby and John Crawford.
Those guys were top players in their time (60's), Jacoby a bg legend.
The book is technically outdated (from an advanced point of view), but
it's very good for a beginner like you.
Once you read it, then you can get back to Magriel's book, and in
third place get Trice's book.
If you find some point obscure to understand, just post the question
here.
Good reading.
michael...@gmail.com
You should definitely read Backgammon Boot Camp by Walter Trice. It
will easily take your understanding of the game to a much higher level
in very little time.
You can buy it from Carol Joy Cole, who is based in the USA, through
her online store at:
http://www.flintbg.com/boutique.html
Or if you're in Europe, you can get it from Chris Ternel's online BG
Shop at:
http://www.bgshop.com/v120390_Backgammon_Boot_Camp_by_Walter_Trice.htm
I also suggest you download GNUbg and play against it in the Tutor
mode, you can find a tutorial on how to get and use GNUbg at:
http://www.gammonlife.com/gnu/index.htm
Good luck in your Backgammon career, hope to see you on the Giants
list much sooner than 2040!
Best regards,
Michael Strato
Editor - GammonLife
www.gammonlife.com
Peter Schneider
"Yann" wrote
> I've tried to read Paul Magriel
> book in french but it seems too high
> for my level.
>
> Can someone give me some pieces
> of advice of goods beginners books?
I started with an old book by Tim Holland (ex world champion) that happened
to be in the shelf of my local library. Today it's considered not one of
the best and outdated; but the funny thing is that that probably doesn't
matter very much for a beginner's book. He explains some basic concepts and
comments on a few matches that illustrate what can happen in different
types of games, very hands-on. Helped me to get started.
Paul Magriel's book is highly highly recommended. Often a translation makes
books less readable; if your English is only halfways sufficient by all
means stick to the original. It's one of the first systematic outlines of
the principles that govern backgammon, and it is very well done. It is
stuffed with important insights -- while it is well and comprehensible
written, it's still lots of information. Suggestion: Just read slowly,
playing a lot (e.g. against gnubg) to see whether you recognize in play
what you have read. Make a mental (or paper!) note about things that are
too remote and just skip them for now. You'll remember some when you
encounter situations they refered to, or they'll suddenly make sense when
you re-read them some time later. Ask here, too! Comments by humans are
invaluable, gnubg unfortunately doesn't talk much. Backgammon questions
here are always welcome, nothing is too simple or too stupid (except,
perhaps, complaining about gnubg's luck).
Magriel's book is to be read multiple times, and it would be astonishing if
a beginner would read it cover to cover and say "ok, now I know how to
play". That's just not how it works, and there's nothing wrong with
building knowledge incrementally.
Michael Strato recommended gnubg, and I concur. Just playing the bot will
improve your skill a lot, without knowing much theory. One warning: Play it
at the highest setting your computer performance permits (world class or
higher). Playing at lower levels will give you wrong ideas about what works
and does not work against strong opponents.
Have fun with bg, it's a great game.
Peter aka the juggler
Raccoon
wrote:
> "Yann" wrote
>
> > I've tried to read Paul Magriel
> > book in french but it seems too high
> > for my level.
>
> to be in the shelf of my local library. Today it's considered not one of
> the best and outdated; but the funny thing is that that probably doesn't
> matter very much for a beginner's book. He explains some basic concepts and
> comments on a few matches that illustrate what can happen in different
> types of games, very hands-on. Helped me to get started.
>
> a beginner would read it cover to cover and say "ok, now I know how to
> play". That's just not how it works, and there's nothing wrong with
> building knowledge incrementally.
That is good advice. But if Magriel's Backgammon and Trice's Boot Camp
are more instruction than Yann wants to digest now, he might consider
Bill Robertie's two short beginner books, "Backgammon for Winners" and
"Backgammon for Serious Players."
djinn
Like many french my English is very poor.
Do you knows, if some of these books francais are translated in
french?
Thanks
abla...@sunrise.ch
> Hello ,
> Like many french my English is very poor.
> Do you knows, if some of these books francais are translated in
> french?
> Thanks
>
Yann
The only book that is in French is the Magriel's book "Backgammon".
Yann
Peter Schneider
> Like many french my English is very poor.
> Do you knows, if some of these
> books francais are translated in
> french?
You need English. As a native speaker of French you know the harder part of
English already anyway! And reading "technical" literature in any language
is much simpler than poetry. Don't be afraid.
Peter aka the juggler
Tomawaky
I just have sent to you a personnal email if you want to discuss more
about BG in French, if it's easier for you. (it is for me ;-))
Franck aka Tomawaky
Grunty
> On Jun 30, 10:32 am, Raccoon <racgam...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Does someone agree?
hey Yann, this thread's getting real funny!
Consider this:
Bill Robertie, Walter Trice, Paul Magriel are still alive, so it's
likely some of the posters here are friends with them (or with their
distributors) and just want to promote selling their books.
Therefore, only unsuspectly objective recommendation is my own, since
Oswald Jacoby's dead long ago!
Now go buy Oswald's book and start off a successful bg career!!
Regards,
Grunty Jacoby.
Michael Crane
Michael
"Grunty" <grunti...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:d27c83cd-c5a9-4e7e...@l64g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
Grunty
yep Michael, just checked it. and... uhh... ehhhmm...
(kid caught on a prank...)
EthicalBackgammon
I strongly recommend you contact Carol Cole at C...@tir.com. She not
only has an inventory of every good book that she sells, she can tell
you which are best and which are available in different languages and
where to get them if she doesn't have them.
Yann
> hey Yann, this thread's getting real funny!
>
> Consider this:
>
> Bill Robertie, Walter Trice, Paul Magriel are still alive, so it's
> likely some of the posters here are friends with them (or with their
> distributors) and just want to promote selling their books.
>
> Therefore, only unsuspectly objective recommendation is my own, since
> Oswald Jacoby's dead long ago!
>
> Now go buy Oswald's book and start off a successful bg career!!
>
> Regards,
> Grunty Jacoby.
Oh yes that's a great piece of advice! They will win 2$ - or less -
for a book that will make them so rich! What a great plan!
Seriously can someone give me a real piece of advice?
Yann
I answer to you quickly!