Forum Archive : Learning

Reference positions From:   Chuck Bower Address:   bower@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu Date:   11 July 1999 Subject:   Re: Readers vs. Woolsey Forum:   rec.games.backgammon Google:   7manrd$8io$1@flotsam.uits.indiana.edu A 'reference position' is one which you "know" the "correct" action (doubling decision or checker play). The idea is to memorize the exact position and use it in the future. No one (that I know of) who believes in reference positions expects these to come up EXACTLY in real play, unless they occur either in the first couple of rolls or late in the bearoff. There are so many BG positions that most will never recur in your lifetime. (Surely some have never recurred in the history of backgammon!) If a position is close to a reference position, see if you can deduce the best move by imagining how the situation changed between the reference position and the actual one. For someone with a photographic memory and good analyzing skills, reference positions might be quite useful in general. For the typical player, I'm not so sure. First you must remember the details of the reference position (location of checkers and cube, match score, equity, etc.) EXACTLY. Then the position must come up which is identical or very close to the reference position. Finally you must make the correct deductions in the differences of the positions in order to reach the correct conclusions. Sure, it is easy to create some reference positions (again, mostly from the first couple rolls or the bearoff) which an expert can show to be useful. But how many refernence positions can your brain hold? And if the answer is 'a lot', are you capable of making the subtle adjustments in equity to find the right choice in an over-the-board decision? Chuck bower@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu c_ray on FIBS   Did you find the information in this article useful?           Do you have any comments you'd like to add?

 

Learning

Advancing beyond intermediate  (James Eibisch, July 1998) 

Beginners' mistakes  (Alan Webb+, Nov 1999) 

Best way for a beginner to learn  (Koyunbaba+, July 2007) 

Committing to memory  (RobertFontaine+, Feb 2011) 

Getting better than "awful"  (Morph+, May 2004) 

How to excel in backgammon  (Max Levenstein+, Aug 2011) 

How to improve  (N Merrigan, Jan 2007) 

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How to improve cube handling  (RealNick+, Jan 2011) 

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Matchqiz and Jellyfish  (Gilles Baudrillard, May 1997) 

Missing candidate plays  (Klaus Evers+, Apr 2009) 

Most efficient way to learn  (Stick+, May 2007) 

Practice and preparation  (Ian Shaw+, Mar 2004) 

Practice/study plan  (Marcus Brooks+, Nov 1995) 

Reference positions  (Chuck Bower, July 1999) 

Study Methodology  (Phil Simborg, Dec 2012) 

Study method  (Jason Lee+, Jan 2012) 

Study plan  (Tenland+, Nov 2012) 

Taking your game up a level  (CW+, Aug 2002) 

Taking your game up a level  (Ron Karr, Aug 1996) 

The backgammon cake  (Daniel Murphy, Nov 1997) 

The best way to learn  (Chuck Bower+, Oct 2003) 

Three steps to better play  (David Montgomery, July 1998) 

Using Jellyfish tutor  (Stephen Hubbard, Sept 1997) 

What more can I do?  (Alison Wylie+, Apr 2000) 

Zen in the art of backgammon  (Robban+, Aug 2009) 

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