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BGonline.org Forums
Changes in backgammon over the years
Posted By: Joe Russell
Date: Wednesday, 8 July 2009, at 2:48 a.m.
After a long hiatus from tournament backgammon, I returned about 16 months ago. I found several things had changed: The people are nicer; information is more freely dispersed; and clocks are becoming the standard.
As has been stated on this forum by Chuck, tournament players are nicer than they were years ago. When I started playing backgammon, far too many years ago, it was not uncommon to see macho, arrogant, abusive, and insulting behavior at tournaments. I am not sure why that was or why for the most part it does not exist today. It could be that prior to the bots, no one really knew how they truly stacked up against other players and the insecurity that came with that influenced their behavior. The bots now tell you how good you are and there is no room for false bravado and false arrogance. That is a big improvement. Unfortunately, the bots also told a number of bad players who thought they were 'the unluckiest player ever' that they were really just bad. I think this drove some of the weaker players away and had a negative effect on tournament attendance.
Information is much more freely dispersed today than it was in the past when there was a smaller group of strong players and the information was more tightly held and traded amongst them creating an even further divide between them and the next tier. Today you have young stars like Stick tirelessly organizing rollout groups, studying the game, and sharing his information with everyone. There are too many people to mention to give credit to everyone but it is a much more open and friendly environment. Sites like this one and GammonVillage keep people involved, informed, and entertained and promote the game. I think it helps get more people 'hooked' and leads to increased attendance at tournaments. It is also good to see people thinking about how to promote the game and get more players involved. Phil Simborg is one person that deserves credit for seeing the big picture.
The last major change is the use of clocks. I for one prefer not to use a clock, but I am starting to come around. The major thing I like about them is that it prevents: arguments over rolls; fast rolling; and three hour 11 point matches. What I don't like is the current time controls. I am sure I am in the minority on this site, but I think I may be part of the silent majority. The majority of people I spoke with in Michigan said that they would prefer to not play with clocks but that if they are used the time needs to be increased. Too many matches are ending up with someone having to play one or more games with little reserve. I have seen at least a dozen examples of this in the last three tournaments. It happened in finals in two of the last three tournaments. As Rich has pointed out, it is dangerous to alienate any segment of our playing population, whether they be a majority or a significant minority. The better players will adjust, if they have to, but what about the weaker ones or the ones with physical handicaps? I know of a few players that will not play in clocked events. I talked to several, at least 4, of the seeded players in Michigan that agreed the time settings were too little. The purpose of the clocks is to stop slow play. More relaxed settings would achieve this and not alienate as many players. I think 2 1/2 minutes per point and a 12 second delay or 2 minutes per point and a 15 second delay would be a compromise that everyone could live with. Another proposal is two minutes per point plus an additional two minutes with a 12 second delay. I know they have used 2 minutes per point and a 12 second delay successfully in Denmark but does that mean it is the 'best' of all possible settings?
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