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Opening Rolls Table 1743

Posted By: Rick Janowski
Date: Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 1:49 a.m.

Edmond Hoyle in his 1743 Treatise on Backgammon recommends the following opening rolls when backgammons are active (ie equivalent to modern day unlimited games or gammon go):

6 5 _____ 24/13

6 4 _____ 24/14

6 3 _____ 24/15

6 2 _____ 13/5

6 1 _____ 13/7 8/7

5 4 _____ 24/15

5 3 _____ 8/3 6/3

5 2 _____ 13/8 13/11

5 1 _____ 13/8 6/5

4 3 _____ 13/9 13/10

4 2 _____ 8/4 6/4

4 1 _____ 13/9 6/5

3 2 _____ 13/10 13/11

3 1 _____ 8/5 6/5

2 1 _____ 13/11 6/5

During this period it was possible to commence the game with doublets so for this case the following moves were recommended:

6 6 _____ 24/18(2) 13/7(2)

5 5 _____ 13/3(2)

4 4 _____ 13/5(2)

3 3 _____ 8/5(2) 6/5(2)

2 2 _____ 13/11(2) 6/4(2)

1 1 _____ 8/5(2) 6/5(2)

Typically, the format of play was three or five point cubeless matches (of course no cube for another 180 years yet). Hoyle gives advice for the winner of the opening roll in the special case where only one point is required to win the match (equivalent to modern day double match point or gammon save) by suggesting the following modifications to the opening rolls:

5 1 _____ 24/23 13/8

4 1 _____ 24/23 13/9

2 1 _____ 24/23 13/11

4 4 _____ 24/20(2) 13/9(2)

3 3 _____ 24/21(2) 6/5(2)

2 2 _____ 24/22(2) 6/4(2)

This appreciation of the subtle changes in strategy caused by a change in the value of gammons is also evidenced in the treatise by the inclusion of what must be the first match equity chart. Interestingly, Hoyle was born in 1672, so this work was first published when he was in his early 70s. You may view a later edition of the work on the following link:

<http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZU4EAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA214&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q&f=false>

In my view, this level of sophisticated thinking in backgammon was not equalled until Walter L. Richard’s “Complete Backgammon” was published in 1931, and not surpassed until the classic texts by Cooke, Crawford/Jacoby, Dwek and Magriel were released in the 1970s.

Messages In This Thread

• Opening Rolls Table 1743
  Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 1:49 a.m.
  • Opening Rolls Table 1743
    Stick -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 8:13 a.m.
    • Opening Rolls Table 1743
      Joe Russell -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 8:48 a.m.
    • Opening Rolls Table 1743
      Rick Janowski -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 9:47 a.m.
      • Equus africanus asinus
        Strato -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 2:49 p.m.
        • Equus africanus asinus
          Stick -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 2:54 p.m.
          • Equus africanus asinus
            Strato -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 4:11 p.m.
        • Equus africanus asinus
          Daniel Murphy -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 4:11 p.m.
          • Equus africanus asinus
            Strato -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 4:27 p.m.
        • Time for a poll.
          higonefive -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 4:32 p.m.
          • Time for a poll.
            Daniel Murphy -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 4:38 p.m.
          • Time for a poll.
            Strato -- Sunday, 30 September 2012, at 6:45 p.m.
    • Opening Rolls Table 1743
      Rick Janowski -- Monday, 1 October 2012, at 1:50 a.m.
      • Opening Rolls Table 1743
        David Levy -- Monday, 1 October 2012, at 2:37 a.m.