Backgammon Books
An essential way to gain knowledge on any subject is through reading. A few decades ago, if people needed to research a topic, they would have to go to the library or consult encyclopedias which they may have had at home. These days, however, since the explosion of the internet generation, people tend to rely on online searches in order to gain up-to-date information. Books are often considered obsolete. This however, is not true for classic books. Books that were written a few decades, or even a century ago, often hold treasured information that is not found in cyberspace. This is the case with backgammon books.
Backgammon books are a great way to improve your backgammon skills when you are not busy playing the game. By reading the strategy and tips that were written by other players, even if they were written decades or a century ago, a player is able get a different perspective on the game and to find an avenue of play that they might never have considered.
Backgammon books are generally divided into three categories. Introductory books are for players who are not yet familiar with the game and who need the basic rules and strategy explained to them. Backgammon books for intermediate players are for those players who know the rules but who feel they want to advance in their playing level. These players will read backgammon books in order to get more serious about the game. Books for advanced players are for those who have been around long enough to write basic books themselves! A solid grasp of the fundamentals of backgammon are needed to understand these books.
One classic example of an introductory book is “The Backgammon Book” by Oswald Jacoby and John R. Crawford who were two of the top players in the 1970s. The book is an excellent introduction and overview to the basics of the game, with sections on the backgammon’s history, etiquette, settlements and backgammon tournament information. Another book which provides invaluable information to the newer player is Bill Robertie’s “Backgammon for Winners” which was published very recently in 2002. This book provides a complete overview of the backgammon from a modern perspective and provides the reader with plenty of graphic samples.
A classic book for the intermediate player is Walter Trice’s “Backgammon Book Camp”. This publication is considered a “must-have” for any serious player and guides the reader through the game’s fundamental concepts in an advanced manner. It covers a wide range of topics, but is still quite detailed.
For advanced players, another book by Bill Robertie, published in 2001, is “Modern Backgammon”. This book focuses on skills and strategies which can be learnt from backgammon computer programs. It takes the skill guide of the game one step further into the modern computer generation.
For whatever your level of play, there are dozens of great backgammon books out there. All you have to do is look.
