Any Backgammon book recommendations?

[Clarkmeister]

Clarkmistress is playing quite a bit of backgammon lately and I'd like to get her a book. Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks

[Terry]

There's a recent thread in this very forum in which my 30 year old recommendations were (quite nicely [and correctly]) brought up to date. A search should find it.

[clovenhoof]

"Backgammon" by Paul Magriel is the Super/System of Backgammon.

Danny Kleinman has written a series of books (studies?) on backgammon that are probably available online somewhere. They get a little esoteric (do we really need to know what a hyperpoint is?) but are probably the most advanced stuff that's out there.

'hoof

[Al Mirpuri]

Magriel's Backgammon is as outdated as Brunson's Supersystem but that is not to deny both books are valuable. However, they are no longer state of the art.

There seems to be no denying Danny Kleinman's genius.

[Al Mirpuri]

I really do urge you to perform the search that Terry suggested.

As a specific recommendation for Clarkmistress, as she already knows how to play, I would suggest two-time World Backgammon Champion Bill Robertie's 501 Essential Backgammon Problems.

[Rick Nebiolo]

Clarkmeister,

I used to be a serious student of the game and kept up my studies through about ten years ago. Robertie's stuff is very good but some of the books assume quite a bit of knowledge.

I stumbled upon this site of BG book reviews.

http://www.gammoned.com/bookreviews.html

For the ones I have, I'd generally agree with the assesments. An old copy of the original Magriel book would be great if you can find one.

You also can get some backgammon software. Snowie was probably the best last time I checked but the older version of Jellyfish still plays a reasonably strong game. Snowie probably doesn't have a free download but Jellyfish does. Check out http://jelly.effect.no/ and download Jellyfish Lite 3.5.

~ Rick

[Clarkmeister]

Thanks Al.

I am ordering Robertie's 501 problems from Amazon. Thanks for the recommendation.

I looked at some Kleinman stuff and in addition to being pricey, its probabaly a bit more mathematically oriented thatn Clarkmistress wants to read. Meaning, with that much math, she wouldn't read his work at all.

[Clarkmeister]

Thanks Rick.

Gamblers Book Shop has a softcover reprinting of Magriel's book for $45 so I'm going to scoop that one up this week. As I told Al, I'm also ordering Robertie's 501 problems as a supplement. If she makes it through both those, I'll consider getting her more of Robertie's works.

I'll get her set up with that program shortly. Thanks again.

[Clarkmeister]

Thanks clovenhoof.

I'm going to pick up a copy of Magriel's book this week. I did some reading about Kleinman and I strongly suspect he takes a more mathematical approach than Clarkmistress would appreciate. I'm going to see how she handles Magriel and Robertie's writing before I shell out cash for Kleinman's stuff.

[Clarkmeister]