David Richerby wrote:

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.

There are positions where the opponent's only move hits one of
your men, and entering such a position is electing to move one
of your men backwards.

This is an important part of playing a back game; when playing
against inexperienced players, they often don't know that such
a thing as a back game exists, and thus don't know to avoid
hitting your men, but against an experienced player you need
to give him no choice in order to have your man sent back
where it can become part of your prime.

http://www.bkgm.com/gloss/lookup.cgi?back+game
http://www.bkgm.com/gloss/lookup.cgi?holding+game

I have been mentally playing around with ways of adapting a
doubling cube to Chess, and the only way I can see to make
it work is to bet on the outcome of each individual game.
I prefer to play for a Faberge egg whenever possible...


--
Guy Macon
http://www.guymacon.com/