Backgammon: The Lessons of War
chris.bray@btconnect.com
Requirement: A Reason
Backgammon and War (sadly) are Timeless
“There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.”
Sun Tzu
Planning and Leadership are Paramount
“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”
Alexander the Great
“Ten soldiers led wisely will beat a hundred without a head.”
Euripedes
“Ponder and deliberate before you make a move.”
Sun Tzu
Everything Matters
“Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.”
Sun Tzu
Be Bold
“Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity.” Carl von Calauswitz
“The worst calamities that befall an army arise from hesitation”
Sun Tzu
A Lack of Courage
Correct Play: 8/7, 5/1*
Money Game. How should Red play 41?
Apply Pressure
“Lack of skill, discipline or fitness are common among all but the top layer of sportspeople.
Once you get to the top, it is pressure, the influence of the opposition or mental toughness.”
Matthew Pinsent
One more roll?
Correct Play: Double/Take
Money Game. Cube action?
Courage on both sides?
Correct Play: Redouble (just)/(easy)Take
Money Game. Cube action?
In War Assets are like Gold Dust
“All armies prefer high ground to low, and sunny places to dark.”
Sun Tzu
Asset 1
Correct Play: Bar/20(2), 7/2(2)*
Money Game. How should Red play 55?
Asset 2
Correct Play: 8/2*, 6/2
Money Game. How should Red play 64?
Never Fight a War on Two Fronts
(Never invade Russia in Winter!)
War on Two Fronts I
Correct Play: 13/10(2), 8/5(2)*
Money Game. How should Red play 33?
War on Two Fronts II
Correct Play: 13/8, 6/4
Money Game. How should Red play 52?
War on Two Fronts III
Correct Play: 13/11, 13/9
Money Game. How should Red play 42?
Dead Men Tell No Tales
It is difficult to fight a war when outnumbered numerically
Dead Men - The End Result
Match Play. Red leads 3-2 to 7. How should Red play 41?
Correct Play: It doesn’t matter! (but 13/9, 10/9 is best)
Dead Men - The End Result II
Money Play. Cube Action?
Correct Play: Double/Huge Drop
Analyse Your Strengths & Weaknesses
“You celebrate the victory but analyse the defeat.”
Unattrib.
Oversight
Correct Play: 5/2, 3/2
Money Game. How should Red play 31?
Technical Knowledge
Correct Play: 8/2*/1
Money Game. How should Red play 61?
Strategy and Tactics
“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is noise before defeat.”
Sun Tzu
Planning
Correct Play: Bar/22*/21*
Money Game. How should Red Play 31?
Strategy 1
Correct Play: 20/15, 13/10
Money Game. How should Red play 53?
Strategy 2
Correct Play: 24/15
Money Game. How should Red play 54?
Doubling
“Good checker play will never compensate for serious errors of judgement in doubling.”
Paul Magriel – Backgammon (1976)
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.” Sun Tzu
O’Hagan’s Law of Doubling
Where you have 9 out of 36 (25%) market losing sequences and the rest of the time you are doing OK then you probably have a double from the middle.
O’Hagan’s Law Example
Correct Action: Double /Take
Money Game. Red on roll. Cube Action?
Pressure
“I will often redouble what I am pretty sure is not a redouble on the chance that my opponent will pass. This is a big key to winning matches about which the bots are clueless.”
Nack Ballard (2004)
Match Play Doubling I
Correct Play: Huge Double/Take
Match Play. Red trails 1-2 to 5. Cube Action?
Match Play Doubling II
Correct Play: Huge Double/Huge Pass
Match Play. Red leads 3-2 to 7. Cube Action?
New Technology
New technology and new ideas
win wars
Levels of Complexity I
Correct Play: bar/24, 22/17
Money Game. How should Red Play 51?
Levels of Complexity II
Correct Play: 12/7, 8/5
Money Game. How should Red Play 53?
Races are Volatile
“The race may not always be to the swift nor the victory to the strong, but that's how you bet.”
Damon Runyan
Patience is a Virtue
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”
Leo Tolstoy
Vary your Opponents
“You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war.”
Napolean Bonaparte
The Futility of War…….
“I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
Albert Einstein
“In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.” Herodotus
“War does not decide who is right, only who is left.”
Bertrand Russell
…. and the pleasure of Backgammon
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.”
George Bernard Shaw
“Life organised too well becomes monotonous; too
much peace and security breed boredom.”
A. A. Brill (1929)
“The most exciting thing in life is winning and the
second most exciting is losing.”
Simon Barnes
“Backgammon, like love, like music has the power
to make people happy.”
Siegbert Tarrasch (paraphrased)
Any Questions?
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