[ View Thread ] [ Post Response ] [ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ]

BGonline.org Forums

Curious question: What is the difference between backgammon players?

Posted By: Phil Simborg
Date: Thursday, 4 August 2011, at 12:43 a.m.

In Response To: Curious question: What is the difference between backgammon players? (Max Levenstein)

I have studied and pondered this very question for many, many years. The BEST explanation I have read about people who have attained greatness in Chess, which I believe requires much of the same skills and paths to greatness as backgammon, is in the book called "Think Smart" by Dr. Richard Testak. By the way, the book also examines those who have become great at Golf, Bridge and other forms of serious competition.

I will not try to summarize the entire book for you, but there are primarily two keys: 1) deliberate practice--usually for a, minimum of 10 years; and 2) the ability to access long-term memory quickly, easily and efficiently.

Both qualities require time, effort and study, but also study in the right manner. You can spend years playing backgammon and not learn a thing, or very little, if that's all you do. But study properly, learn the reasons behind the answers, learn the right methodology to solve problems, and you can learn more in 1 hour than you could in 10 hours of play or 10 hours studying the wrong things the wrong way.

The book is far more vague as to how we develop the skills to access long term memory (access thousands of reference positions, for example) except to say that this is also a matter of training the brain through practice.

Hope this helps.

Messages In This Thread

 

Post Response
Your Name:
Your E-Mail Address:
Subject:
Message:

If necessary, enter your password below:

Password:
 

 

[ View Thread ] [ Post Response ] [ Return to Index ] [ Read Prev Msg ] [ Read Next Msg ]

BGonline.org Forums is maintained by Stick with WebBBS 5.12.