Many millions of people played backgammon during its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. Backgammon was everywhere: hotels, bars, restaurants, clubs, and living rooms. And lots of money was at stake: 1st place prize money could be $500,000 or more.
Two major events changed the course of backgammon:
- In 1994, the introduction of Jellyfish, the first neural-net backgammon program; and
- In October 2006, the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act a/k/a UIGEA, which prohibited banks from doing business with online gaming sites
Neural Net Programs
Before Jellyfish, there was considerable debate about which checker or cube play was correct, and there was no reliable authority to settle it, unless Paul Magriel happened to be in the room.
Fish, rookie backgammon players with big egos and big money, found themselves losing lots of the latter and occasionally some of the former.
But once the bots became available, poor players realized that they were playing badly and stopped losing money. Many went to poker.
In 2009, with the introduction of eXtreme Gammon, backgammon now had a bot that could outplay virtually all humans. Arguments about which play is correct could be settled easily and quickly.
By and large, there are two types of players today: those that play for fun and could care less what the bot thinks, and those that use bots to become better players. Backgammon is fun either way.
The UIGEA
After the passage of the UIGEA, without USA players and money, backgammon was no longer a major gambling sport. Folks who wanted to play either played in local clubs for local recognition or in under-the-radar big money games.
With the recent Supreme Court decision, individual states may now authorize gaming activities that were formerly prohibited. This may trickle down to backgammon and encourage larger prizes.
What Hasn’t Changed
- The rules of backgammon can be learned in 5 minutes. Many modern variants exist, including Nackgammon, PaskoGammon, and HyperGammon, and those rules are similar and easy to learn.
- Backgammon still takes a lifetime to master. Even Mochy, the only current Super Grandmaster and #1 player in the world, regularly makes blunders in major tournaments.
- Backgammon is a metaphor for life. Players learn never to give up: Watch top 5 player, twice World Championship winner, and cancer survivor Akiko Yazawa and you’ll be inspired by her survival instinct and her never conceding when there is the tiniest sliver of hope. Even the average player learns that, as in life, sometimes you can do your best and still fail, and sometimes you get outplayed and still win, but overall the odds favor those that are more competent and well-prepared.
What’s New
The number of local clubs is up sharply as is the number of young players coming into the game. And why not? Backgammon is an intellectual, social, and competitive activity that people can enjoy at their favorite pub over their favorite brew. It’s perfect for people in their 20s to meet people of like intellect who may become lifelong friends if not spouses. These young people are backgammon’s farm system, from whose ranks future tournaments will be populated.
Lots of people who love the game have come onto the scene to share their passion. As Voice of Backgammon, I attend most major tournaments throughout the world sharing my enthusiasm with an audience of tens of thousands on YouTube and twitch.tv. I recently created the GammonPoints reward system, which provides players with fame and bragging rights – and also monetary rewards (stay tuned for more on this!). Phil Simborg is helping to promote GammonPoints.
And speaking of Phil Simborg, arguably no one has had a greater impact on the recent growth of the mind-sport of backgammon. He helped found the USBGF and co-founded backgammon’s largest and most prestigious learning center at bglearningcenter.com. He works with celebrities and common folk alike to spread his infectious love of the game. And there is no one funnier, except possibly Falafel.
A new breed of director, exemplified by Arda Findokoglu, runs tournaments with 100s of players that are smoother, than, uh, butter (always the tournaments and sometimes the players). Joining these ranks are Candace Mayeron, Lynn Ehrlich, Carol Joy Cole, and several more. These tournaments are fun and are growing by double-digits every year.
Besides bots, modern technology provides an experience unimaginable just a few years ago. Software is coming on board that lets players see the photo of their next opponent, get instant analysis from a photo of a position, and much, much more. For example, GammonPoints already has an event-specific chat feature that directors may use to announce pairings, results, and other important information during the actual event, without cost to player, director, or club.
One thing is for sure: Backgammon is BACK! Subscribe to VoiceofBackgammon.com and stay informed on the latest developments in this incredible mind-sport. And visit us on YouTube and Twitch.tv to see major matches from across the globe.
I look forward to seeing you at the next tournament or online.
In 2014, Akiko Yazawa of Tokyo, Japan won the 39th World Championship. Yesterday she did it again, beating Philip Kazamieh of Germany 19-10.