XcitingGames Bright'n'Breezy Backgammon Tournament

January 12-14, 2007; Bristol, UK

OPEN (80): 1-John Hurst, 2-Stuart Mann, 3/4-Mike Heard / Rachel Rhodes; 1C-Julian Fetterlein, 2C-Uldis Lapikens, 3C/4C-George Miltiadou / Ann Pocknell; 1LC-Adrian Jones, 2LC-Fanika Petkovska.

TIDAL WAVE (64): 1-Mark Heidenfeld, 2-John Slattery, 3/4-Mike Main / Nick Valley.

FRIDAY 500 KNOCKOUT (38): 1-Mardi Ohannessian, 2-Rogier van Gemert (NL), 3/4-Matthew Franklin / Jerry Limb.

POKER (25): 1-Andy Bell, 2-Matthew Franklin, 3-Ann Pocknell, 4-Rosey Bensley, 5-Eamon Keogh.

DOUBLES (8 teams): 1-No Idea, 2-MC's Secret Lovers.

The Gammonhead is alive in Second Life!

The Gammonhead now has an even more virtual existance in the sim-world "Second Life" under the name "Player Tone". Feel free to come up and say hi if you want to talk about the blog! If you haven't joined yet - you should do it with our promotion code right here :)

Are you a non-believer? Have you checked out what goes on?

ABT - CALIFORNIA STATE BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIP

December 1-3, 2006; Los Angeles, California

OPEN (53): 1-Ken Fischer (CA), 2-Saul Meir (CA), 3-Steve Sax (CA); 1C-Azzam Masarani (CA), 2C-Bill Kennedy (CA), 3C/4C-Jeb Horton (NC) / Richard Munitz (NY).

ADVANCED (37): 1-Paul Armbruster (CA), 2-Frank Ley (CA); 1C-Justin Nunez (CA), 2C-Edward Donigian (CA), 3C/4C-Matt Armbruster (CA) / Albert Lee (CA).

LIMITED (6): 1-Jennifer Faulk (CA), 2-Denise Bonfilio (CA); 1C-Christina Cooley (CA)

CHILDREN'S EVENT: 1-Lindsay Mattig (IL).

SUPER-32 (32): 1-Zafer Yasa (CA), 2-Stepan Nuniyants (WA), 3/4-Doug Mayfield (CA) / Joe Russell (CA).

2-PT QUICKIES: 1-Ted Chee (CA).

DOUBLES (16 teams): 1-Mark Antranikian (CA) & Ted Chee (CA), 2-Niel Borden (CA) & Matthew Miner (NY).

OVERFLOW DOUBLES (4 teams): 1-Claudia Imatt (CA) & Howard Markowitz (NV).

18th CITY OF VENICE BACKGAMMON TOURNAMENT

November 30-December 3, 2006; Venice, Italy

CHAMPIONSHIP (42):
1-Massimo Moretti (Italy)
2-Maya Peycheva (Bulgaria)
3/4-Piergiorgio D'Ancona / Fabrizio Lo Surdo; 1C-Giuseppe Rigon, 2C-Philip Vischjager (Netherlands), 3C/4C-Mike Heard (England) / Richard Persson (Sweden); 1LC-Giorgio Castellano, 2LC-Giuseppe Ricciardi.

INTERMEDIATE (28):
1-Sandro Mescola
2-Filippo Vincesilao
3/4-Luca Boni / Christian Zenkner (Germany); 1C-Udo Geib (Germany), 2C-Andrea Riebler (Austria); 1LC-Dino Visentin.

AMATEUR (32):
1-Thomas Althaus (Germany)
2-Dierk Lemke (Germany)
3/4-Ricardo Bernascone / Sergio Riboldi; 1C-Stefano Battain, 2C-Marco Conte; 1LC-Michele Comerci.

UISP "NO MONEY" (28) #1: 1-Michele Comerci, 2-Angela Plebani. #2: 1-Shadi Azizian, 2-Nathalie Henry. #3: 1-Umberto Vianello, 2-Sergio Riboldi. FIDELITY: 1-Jessica Gabbai, 2-Claudia Angeletti.
"DAVIS CUP" DOUBLES (18 teams): 1-Mattia Ballarin & Sergio Fragiacomo (Italy), 2-José Salema (Portugal) & Chiva Tafazzoli (Iran/Germany), 3/4-Georgy Balkandjiisky (Bulgaria) & Dobromir Kyurkchiev (Bulgaria) / David Boldini (Switzerland) & Maya Peycheva (Bulgaria).
SWING (24): 1-Hamzar Nar (Turkey), 2-Stefano Chiosi, 3-Marc Steyvers (Spain).ITALIAN CIRCUIT PLAYOFF: 1-Giorgio Castellano, 2-Alfonso Sara, 3/4-Guido Flamigni / Francesco Mauri.

DANISH CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006

November 18-19, 2006; Copenhagen, Denmark
CHAMPIONSHIP (160):
1-Allan Westermann
2-Christian Skjæran
3/4-Andreas Becher / Søren P. Olsen
5/8-Finn Bahn / Claus Elken / Marinos Hindkjær / Mark Lillelund Larsen; 1C-Steen Grønbech, 2C-Kim Valeur, 3C-4C-Pia Jeppesen / Erik Sommer.

Free backgammon software:

GNUBG - a world class computer program that lets you analyze saved online games

BackGames.org (shareware) - a great Web site for directors of money clubs to track tournament results. Automatically calculates ratings for all players.

Free backgammon playing sites:

# Daily Gammon - "postal chess meets backgammon meets the internet"
# FIBS - First Internet Backgammon Server
# NetGammon - Provides a very nice interface that can be downloaded for free.

Chouette Rules - Multiplayer

A chouette is a form of backgammon for more than two players. Chouettes offer many advantages over one-on-one play in a club situation. They are fun, sociable, and exciting. And it is easy for players to join a game or take a brief break when they want to.

To start, each player throws one dice and in the event of a tie there is a reroll. The player rolling highest becomes the box and plays against all the others who form a team. The second highest becomes the captain of the team. The captain rolls the dice and makes the plays for the team.
When the box wins a game, he collects from each member of the team. Then the captain goes to the back of the line and the next player on the team becomes the captain. When the team wins, the box pays off to each team member. Then he goes to the back of the line and the captain becomes the new box.

Chouettes of eight or more players often permit the box to take a partner. The partnership is offered in rotation, starting with the captain and moving on down the line. If no one offers to be the box's partner, a partner may be chosen by lot from among the team members other than the captain.

Players can leave or join a chouette at any time. A new player starts at the bottom of the rotation.

A chouette may be played with either a single doubling cube or multiple cubes. In a single-cube game, the only decision that the members of the team make individually concerns takes. If the box doubles, each team member can decide on his own whether to play on or drop out. Those who drop out each pay off to the box and no longer participate as team advisers. If the captain drops out while there are others on the team who wish to play on, the captaincy is assumed by one of these players and the previous captain drops to the bottom of the rotation.

Most chouettes today use multiple cubes. Each member of the team has his own doubling cube. The box can double the individual team members, and each team member can decide whether and when to double the box.

With multiple cubes in play, it is possible for the box to win against some players while losing against others. So the question arises, when does a player get to keep the box? The usual rule is that a player retains the box if he defeats the captain.

PartyGammon.com $1 Million Backgammon Tournament Gains Momentum

GIBRALTAR - The much anticipated PartyGammon.com Million takes place in January, with some seats still remaining. The tournament, which offers the largest guaranteed prize pool in the history of backgammon, will take place at the famous Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, from the 21st-25th January, 2007. The field will feature a maximum 128 players and consist of online qualifiers and players who directly buy-in to the tournament.

The $500,000 minimum guaranteed first prize of the PartyGammon.com Million is estimated to exceed this year's World Championship top prize five times over, with the remaining minimum $500,000 being distributed to other finishers in the main and consolation event.

Players have the chance to qualify for this fantastic event online at Partygammon.com for as little as $2.50, with qualifiers for the $1 Million tournament winning a superb package worth $12,500. This includes a $10,000 buy-in for the main event, a 5-night stay in the luxurious Atlantis resort, as well as $800 to cover travel expenses.

Anticipated to become the game's most glamorous event, many of the globe's top champions and invited international celebrities will attend the PartyGammon.com Million. 2006 World Champion Philip Vischjager already has his seat whilst World number one elect, Nack Ballard has also confirmed his participation.

The PartyGammon.com Million will be filmed for television and then distributed to key television networks around the world.

Players will arrive on January 21 2007 to a Welcome Cocktail Party and Calcutta Auction. Besides the Main Event and consolation tournament, there will be plenty of side action. The Grand Finale on January 25 2007 will be followed by a lavish Gala Dinner and the Awards Ceremony .

"The PartyGammon.com Million is a milestone in the game of backgammon. It takes the game to a new level," said a PartyGammon.com spokesman. "For veteran players and champions, there will finally be a tournament worthy of their talents and with prize money to match. For new players, they are coming to the game just as it makes a huge leap onto the worldwide stage with this $1 million televised event."

Even for those going home without any prize money, the experience is sure to be a memorable one thanks to the tournaments glorious setting. Atlantis Paradise Island is a luxurious, exotic and renowned resort which features a 34-acre waterscape, the world's largest outdoor aquarium, 11 exhibit lagoons with over 200 species of tropical fish, cascading waterfalls with a rope suspension bridge, Predator Lagoon with sharks, barracudas and stingrays, including a 100-foot viewing tunnel, and a lazy river ride for rafting. Atlantis Paradise Island is one of the Bahamas' most spectacular resorts, filled with activities sure to thrill and delight everyone.
PartyGammon.com, the newest offering in PartyGaming Plc's growing suite of online games that includes PartyPoker.com, burst on the scene in June and has quickly moved to become the favorite of online backgammon players. The PartyGammon.com Million will set the new world standard for backgammon tournaments.

Backgammon software for Mac

Backgammon Deluxe
OS 8.6 - 10.2.8
16 MB hard drive space
Internet Connection for Online Play

GamesGrid Backgammon
OS X 10.2.8 or later.
4.3MB in .DMG format
(Go to 'download' section)

Glossary!

Ace Point - Ace point is the first point in either of you or your opponent home board. Its also known as 'the one point'. An ace point game is a position in the game where you have a checker waiting to be hit on your opponent ace point.

Ahead in the count - (also known as ahead in the race) When you have a lower pip count than your opponent (pip count is the total number of points you have to move your checkers into your home board, in order to bear them off first). Remember that the checkers are always moved forward, to a lower-numbered point on the board.

Air ball - When you have a poor throw of the dice.

Anchor - A point held by two of your checkers (or more) positioned in your opponent home board area or the bar.

Backgame - In Backgammon you can win a game even when at some point it looks like your chances of wining are small.In a case like that, when you are behind in the game but you have two anchors (or more) in the other player home board; You choose the strategy holding the two anchors in his home board as long as you can and by that trying to force him to bear in or bear off.

Back man - A player's farthest checker.

Bar - The bar is an elevated part dividing the board into two separate areas.The players use it to place their checkers on, after these checkers have been hit.(Anytime a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his mission is to enter that checker back into the board through the opposing home board).

Bear in - moving one of your checkers into your home board. It is a step before all of your checkers are gathered and you begin to bear them off (take them out of the board).

Bear off - occur when you have gathered all of your checkers in your home board, and you begin to remove them out of the board (on your way to win the game).

Beavers - A player that agreed to a double, accepts an immediate redouble by his opponent. The game continues with twice the stakes and no limit to the number of redoubling in one game.

Blot - When a point is occupied by a single checker. If your opponent checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on the bar.

Blots - When you or your opponent have a single checker located alone on a point, where its an easy target to hit.If you have been hit, you must re-enter in the opposing home table and you are not allowed to make any moves until he has brought the checker on the bar - back into the game.

Bump - The common term to "hit a checker".

Checkers - Backgammon playing tools.You move the checkers according to the numbers on the dice.

Count (pip count) - the total number of points that a player has to move his checkers, in order to bring them into his home board and than bear them off.

Crawford rule (also known as Crawford game) - A standard rule that is usually implemented in tournaments (named for John R. Crawford). The rule says that when one of the players is one point short of winning a set, the doubling cube cannot be used in the next game (only in the match after).After the next game (called a Crawford game), the doubling cube is brought back into the game.

Double - One of the players has been offered to continue playing the game with double the current stakes. The offer is made by the other player during the game, right before the he is ready to roll the dice.The player must think very quickly whether to accept or refuse the double.If he accepts the offer, the game continues at double the stakes. If he refuses he has to looses the present stakes and resign the game.

Gammon - winning a game, while your opponent still has all his checkers on the board.
Hit - moving your checker to a point occupied by your opponent's blot (one checker only), sending it to the bar.

Hit and cover - hitting your opponent's blot, sending it to the bar and continue the move with that same checker, to cover your blot (and thereby make a new point).

Home base - The last quadrant of the Backgammon boards that your checkers are moved into before you begin to bear them off.

Open point - A point that isn't occupied by two or more opposing checkers.

Prime - A sequence of minimum four consecutive made points (each point has two checkers or more of the color you are playing).

The Crawford Rule

The Crawford rule is designed to make match play more equitable for the player in the lead. If a player is one point away from winning a match, his opponent has no incentive not to double; whether the game is worth one point or two, the outcome of the match is unaffected. To balance the situation, the Crawford rule requires that when a player first reaches a score one point short of winning the match, neither player may use the doubling cube for the following, called the Crawford game. After the Crawford game, normal use of the doubling cube resumes. The Crawford rule is normally used in most match play.

The Jacoby Rule

The Jacoby rule allows gammons and backgammons to count for their respective double and triple values only if there has been at least one use of the doubling cube in the game (not including automatic doubles). This encourages a player with a large lead in a game to double, possibly ending the game, rather than to see the game out to its conclusion in hopes of a gammon or backgammon. The Jacoby Rule is widely used in money play but is not used in match play.

Game Theory: Rubenstein model gets flak again

from conclusion:

These findings add support to the growing suspicion that the uniqueness and efficiency results of the standard Rubinstein model are the product of its temporal monopoly assumption and do not survive when it is lifted. When the timing of decisions is returned to he players, the cost of waiting a additional period, upon which the Rubinstein model fixed depends, evaporates thus allowing a wider range of optimal bargaining choices. These are generically inefficient regardless of whether information is complete or not.

Non-secret encryption = no sharing of secret information between sender and receiver

complete article:

A NOTE ON 'NON-SECRET ENCRYPTION'
by C C Cocks

A possible implementation is suggested of J H Ellis's proposed method of encryption involving no sharing of secret information (key lists, machine set-ups, pluggings etc) between sender and receiver.

Note on "Non-Secret Encryption"

1. In [1] J H Ellis describes a theoretical method of encryption which does not necessitate the sharing of secret information between the sender and receiver. The following describes a possible implementation of this.

a. The receiver picks 2 primes P, Q satisfying the conditions
i . P does not divide Q-1.
ii. Q does not divide P-1.

He then transmits N = PQ to the sender.

b. The sender has a message, consisting of numbers C1, C2, ... Cr with 0 < Ci < N

He sends each, encoded as Di where Di = CiN reduced modulo N.

c. To decode, the receiver finds, by Euclid's Algorithm, numbers P', Q' satisfying
i. P P' = 1 (mod Q - 1)
ii. Q Q' = 1 (mod P - 1)
Then Ci = DiP' (mod Q) and Ci = DiQ' (mod P) and so Ci can be calculated.

Processes Involved

2. There is an algorithm, involving work of the order of log M, to test if M is prime, which usually works but can fail to give an answer. Hence as the density of primes is (log M)-1, picking primes is a process of order (log M)k where k is a small integer.

3. Also, computing CiN (mod N) is of order (log N)k' and the computation of DiP' and DiQ' even smaller; hence coding and decoding is a process requiring work of order (log N)k where k will be about 2 or 3.

4. However, factorising N is a process requiring work of order N1/4 (log N)k, where k is a small integer (alternatively computing C from CN (mod N) requires work of order N if the factorization of N is not known); so decoding for an interceptor of the communication is a process of order about N1/4.

Reference [1] The possibility of Non-Secret digital encryption. J H Ellis, CESG Research Report, January
1970.
Note: There is no loss of security in transmitting C1 ... Cr all using the same N. Even if the enemy can guess a crib for eg C1 ... Cr-1, this gives no information of use in decoding Dr etc. He could in any case provide himself with as many pairs (Ci, Di) as he pleases, since the encryption process is known to him as well as to the transmitter!

Multi-lingual Backgammon

Ifranjiah, Arabic

Portes, Greek

Shuang lu (双陆), Chinese

Sugoroku (双六), Japanese (descriptive of all “racing games”)

Takhte nard, Persian

Tavla, Turkish

Shesh Besh, Hebrew

Predecessors of Backgammon

Senet, Ancient Egypt

The Royal Game of Ur, Mesopotamia

Ludus duodecim scriptorum ("game of twelve lines"), Ancient Rome

Tabula, Byzantine Empire

Nard, Ancient Persia

Jeux de tables, 11th century France

Advice to backgammon players

If you want to play backgammon online for money,
please consider the following:

USE SECURE METHODS OF PAYMENT
By using premium payment providers like PayPal or Neteller, that allow
you to withhold your main bank information from gaming operators, with
easy access to your money.






USE TRUSTED AND RECOMMENDED GAMING OPERATORS
View our “Backgammon Rooms” section for a list of tried, tested &
recommended backgammon rooms.

Biggest online backgammon room -> Play65.com