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BGonline.org Forums
Touch moves
Posted By: Henrik Bukkjaer In Response To: Touch moves (Phil Simborg)
Date: Tuesday, 9 March 2010, at 3:42 p.m.
Hi Phil, some of the examples you mention are very good, as to why touch move would be too rigid a rule and cause more issues and twists compared to your current rulebook.
However, you are not limited to "current rules unchanged" or "touch moves" rule. You have a third option (at least):
DBgF rules state that you must move your checkers in very clear manner, and using only one hand. The rule wording is open, so if you think your opponent are shuffling between moves and it's hard to follow, then you let him know he's not moving according to the rules because YOU find it hard to keep up. You can ask him to accentuate the checkers when considering a move, just leaving them a few millimeters above the base of the point or existing checkers on a point.
The Swedish rules (SBgF) explicitly states that players must move in this manner when "looking" at various options.
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To compared Chess and Backgammon on this point is no good. You only move one piece in chess, where as in backgammon you move up to 4. Backgammon is also much more a "visual" game or "pattern" game if you like, it makes more sense to "look" at an option compared to chess. I bet most of you who are good chess-players find it easier to play blinded in chess than backgammon, and I guess that's for the very same reason.
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Marv Potten: You don't really need several rule sets to accommodate the needs of different flights/level. Again I'd refer to the DBgF rules as an example, where both clock and bafflebox usage, is left to the Tournament Director to decide - the rules are open to: "Obligation" (player MUST use the equipment), "Preference" (if just ONE of the players prefer they must use the equipment), "Option" (if both players agree to...) and finally there's an option that the Tournament Director can "Force" players to start using the equipment, during a match (let's say, if he's asked for a ruling, because one player don't think the opponent shakes his dice enough, the TD can force the remainder of the match to be played with a bafflebox).
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Re: Bafflebox. Good or bad? Let me put it this way, it's hard to find a good argument for NOT using one (assuming that it is properly constructed). Such arguments are always "feel" arguments or "aesthetic" arguments.
Especially in SpeedGammon events (with 10 sec. per turn or less on the clock), I think baffleboxes should be used. A lot of players will not shake at all, just pick up and throw the dice, and you avoid the dice going overboard, etc. (you'll have fewer re-rolls). Also using a bafflebox without dice cups is faster than just using dice cups - by a second or so per roll.
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