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If you want other variations of backgammon, here are a few (mostly not in
the archive):
1) It's Essentially A Race: The board is set up at a 400m track. When you
complete a lap, you get to move, even if you were the last one to move, and
you have to move at least once every 5 minutes (walking speed) or lose a
backgammon. Some people are better at non-contact positions than others,
and a good sprint is extremely useful for blitzing.
2) Misere: The object is to lose, which is different from what BG2Lose
plays. It probably makes sense to ignore gammons and backgammons, although
one variant I have heard people play is that one must lose a gammon to win;
single wins are draws. The games take much longer than ordinary backgammon
games though the proof that the game ends with probability 1 still works.
Timing and pipcounts are essential as is holding high defensive anchors
(which your opponent can't slot) before breaking contact. Primes are still
extremely useful. Since this is a longer game with a lot of the same
concepts, I think there might be more skill involved than in ordinary
backgammon.
3) Bad Advice: This is modelled after Fred Galvin's Compromise Chess. After
rolling, the player offers two legal moves, and the opponent decides which
to accept, or if there is only one legal move, this is simply made.
Unfortunately, I haven't found anyone willing to play this yet for
backgammon. I believe blitzing and containing a single checker would be
extremely difficult, and bearing off against contact should be humorous. I
chose the name "Bad Advice" for this operator on games since it can be
played by asking your opponent for advice, and by offering bad advice with
absurd justifications. ("Should I take your queen or run with Ke6?" "The
important thing is to get another piece controlling the center of the
board. I recommend that you advance your king.")
2) and 3) have the advantage that they produce legal games, hence can be
played on backgammon servers. There should be added points for confusing
kibitzers.
4) Short Backgammon: If I figure out how to play ordinary backgammon
decently, I'd like to play on a larger board, with more pieces, and perhaps
8-sided dice. It is difficult to find a good starting position, but there
would be new ways to win, perhaps with multiple primes cutting one's
opponent in 3. Instead of doing that, shorten the dice: Any die which turns
up a 6 must be rerolled. It should be easier to prime, easier to roll
doubles, easier to hit if something is within range, and harder to blitz.
5) Play other games with a doubling cube. This even works for spectator
sports with, say, cube actions allowed during commercial breaks; which team
you back initially is chosen by the winner of a 1-point match of
backgammon.
As you might be able to tell, I don't mind distorting the game, but I think
one should recognize the changes and make sure that they do not warp one's
play of the real thing.
Douglas Zare
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