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Clocks & Recruiting new BG Players

Posted By: Marty Storer
Date: Friday, 12 September 2008, at 1:44 p.m.

In Response To: Clocks & Recruiting new BG Players (Jason Lee)

It's true that the use of chess clocks is the norm, required for any halfway-serious level of competition. Why is backgammon any different?

When I was playing chess, I observed that as a population, the players were pretty geeky. Few of them had much hope of being great players or of making money at the game. Most just loved chess. Many loved it to the point of obsession. They'd be willing to overcome great obstacles just in order to play in some chess tournaments.

I think backgammon players are a different bunch as a group, emotionally much closer to the general population+, and less willing to put up with clocks, which at least initially would be an annoyance.

Also, I would argue that clocks serve much more of a practical purpose for chess than they do for backgammon. In chess, you have to plan your strategy extensively and look ahead. Without clocks, slow chess play would be the norm. I don't think the problem is as severe in backgammon. That's not to say it wouldn't be a good idea to introduce them more widely; I just don't know at this point.

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