Kenneth Sloan wrote:
David Richerby wrote:
I've played a bit of backgammon but mostly against the computer. I
can't see any circumstances under which one might agree a draw --
if the game looks level, you'd just wait and not double, since
it'll surely unbalance itself after a while. Since the men can
only move forwards in Backgammon, progress of a sort must be made
all the time so I don't see a situation comparable to the sort of
honest draw in chess where neither player can make progress by any
means other than a gross blunder from the opponent. I've not
played backgammon except socially and against the computer -- am I
missing something?

Yes. To address your last point first - OF COURSE backgammon
checkers can move backwards!

Well, they can be sent backwards. I can't elect to move one of my men
backwards; I can merely leave it somewhere where my opponent can
choose to hit it and send it back to the bar.

In backgammon, I've *often* been in positions where the cube has
(legitimately) gone back and forth and the position on the board is
now dead even....except that one player or the other will win based
on the next roll of the dice. In that position, I'd much rather
agree to a draw.

Fair enough -- I hadn't realised that was such a common occurrence.


Dave.

--
David Richerby Fluorescent Sushi (TM): it's like a
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~davidr/ raw fish but it'll hurt your eyes!