Backgammon For Blood

Only in Russia.

Some people take backgammon way too seriously.   Read this news story about a guy in Russia who staked his life on a game of backgammon.  Unfortunately, he lost both the game and his life.

The person who won the game and did the murder is named Smirnitsky, and when he was arrested he said to the police the following:

“Boss, judge for yourself, how could I do otherwise?” Smirnitsky later reportedly told police. “My word is my word.”

The story reminds me of a scene in “A Hero of Our Time” written by the Russian author Lermontov, in which the main character Pechorin is challenged to a rigged dual by the character Gruzhinsky.

I guess the moral of the story is never play backgammon for stakes you cannot afford to lose.

Chouette Backgammon

One of the fascinating things about backgammon is that it has a lot of variations.  Once you learn the basic game – and master it, I must add – you should really try the other variations.  This will not only increase your passion for the game but keep your mind and skills sharper than ever.  One of the popular variations of backgammon is chouette backgammon.

Chouette backgammon allows for three or more players.  That simple fact already gives you an idea of how much more exciting it can be to play this game.  This variation is also paced at a much faster rate, makes use of the doubling cube, and allows for discussion of strategies while the game goes on.  More so, players can dispute the possible moves in the game.

How is chouette backgammon played?  The basic game play involves one player, designated as the box, playing against the team – the rest of the players.  The team assigns a captain, who makes the final decision as to what move is made.  Of course, the rest of the team has a say as to what the captain does.  The board used is the standard backgammon board and the play pretty much goes on in the same way.  The position of the players, however, change after each game.  In general, though, if the box wins, he or she remains the box.  If the captain wins, then he or she takes over the box position.  One big difference is that sometimes, each player has his own doubling cube.

Board Game Haven

In this day and age, the default entertainment options of many people have something to do with technology. It is not surprising as this has been the trend for many years now, coupled with all the convenient possibilities available. However, there seems to be a resurgence in an interest in the traditional board games, including backgammon.

Take for example the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff in Dallas. They offer board game nights, which have attracted a good number of people. The Dallas News ran a feature on this:

Perhaps the shaky economy has led people to stay home and cuddle up with Clue or a deck of cards for cheap entertainment. Or, maybe, exhausted by over-wired, tech-driven times, we’re simply drawn to the old-school amusement of a Twister or Jumbling Tower.

“At a certain age, board games become the fun thing to do, especially when bars aren’t so cool anymore,” says John Lendvay, a Dallas Museum of Art employee and game enthusiast. “My friends and I have weekly board-game nights. We take it seriously, although we can get pretty silly too.”

There are other venues offering similar activities as well:

On Tuesday nights, Tillman’s Roadhouse in Oak Cliff’s Bishop Arts District offers dominoes and Jenga’s wood-block tower as siders to its casual-grub menu. Nearby hole-in-the-wall Barbara’s Pavilion keeps a stash of oldies-but-goodies at the bar, including chess, backgammon and Trivial Pursuit.

I do not know if establishments in other cities or states are following suit but I seriously would not be surprised if they do.

More Good Backgammon Manners

Let me reiterate once again how important good manners are in the game of backgammon.  Though it is not forbidden to show emotion, it is always pleasant to play with people who do not get too rowdy.  In the previous post, we took a look at how you begin and end a game.  Let us look at some other things that you would want to put into practice when playing backgammon.

On the cube
When you double, don’t do it rashly.  Instead, place the cube gently in the middle of the board and say double.  If you want to take, place the cube on your side and say take.  When dropping or passing, make sure that you put the cube in its rightful place and utter the right term (drop or pass).

Shaking the dice
There is no rigid rule as to how many times you should shake the dice before you roll but for some reason, shaking them at least 3 times is deemed good manners by a lot of people.  You might want to follow this advice if you want to be seen as good mannered.  More so, if your opponent is still thinking about his move, do not be so impatient as to shake the dice.  This will not only show that you cannot wait for your turn but it also is a sign of disrespect for the other player.  Think about it, how would you feel if your opponent does that to you? (In addition to this, do try to be quiet while your opponent is still thinking.)

Good Backgammon Manners

Backgammon is a game of skill more than chance – that is a universally accepted fact.  One thing that may be overlooked, however, is that backgammon is also a gentleman’s game. It is a game where good manners are very much appreciated.  I f you find yourself fascinated by the game – and I cannot imagine who would not – then you should also learn how to be good mannered while playing the game.  Here are some tips to help you become a master in this respect.

Greet your opponents in a friendly manner. You can always just say hi or hello, you can even shake their hand – just make sure you actually go through the social niceties and that you do not simply sit there and start rolling the dice.

End the game graciously. Whether you win or lose, being gracious is always appreciated.  We could all learn something from John McCain regarding this point.  He fought a long hard fight and in the end, graciously conceded to the winner.  This is not an easy thing to do – especially in a game such as backgammon but people will look up to you if you do so.  Though it may be hard on you when you lose, it is always better to be nice about it.  Same thing goes for when you win – gloating may be fun for you buy when you are on the receiving end, you just might think differently.  It would not kill you to be nice about it.

(to be continued)

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