Back Checker Strategy (Backgammon Odyssey) by Michihito Kageyama

Back Checker Strategy (Backgammon Odyssey) Reviews

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  DodderingBGVeteran

  Michy Kageyama, always the creative Giant of Backgammon, deals with the problem of whether and how to play safely or boldly. He divides the game into stages of back checker development and explores how these stages affect checker play. This book will be most helpful to intermediate players who love simple rules, or proverbs as Michy calls them (following usage for the game of Go, I understand). But advanced players can also learn a few things.
  
  This third book of the Backgammon Odyssey series is the best written. Michy seems to have enlisted the help of several native speakers of English! Not only that, the cover is a beautiful work of art.
  
  Nono the Intelligent Alien is back, of course, this time with a friend alien, Yaya. I wonder if someone forgot that Nono was hanging around with Yeye in the past, or whether Nono has moved on to a new relationship? Maybe someday we can learn the interstellar gossip about that.
  
  Michy shows many positions where the proverbs are not enough to find the best move. This is a good thing. Some intermediate players may be confused as a result, but they must get used to the fact that backgammon is a difficult game. If Michy had gone into detail than he did, the average reader would probably have been even confused while the book length may have become unwieldy.
  
  Michy introduces some new terms: "butterfly anchor," "glued back checkers," and "double falcon" among them. He even has a meta proverb cautioning us not to follow the main proverbs slavishly.
  
  Another five star effort!
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  Ian Copley

  Another wonderful book from Michy and Roland. They explain backgammon strategy in terms of the situation of the back checkers. There are five stages: where both back checkers have escaped, where one back checker has escaped and three different kinds of anchor. I am learning a lot from reading and re reading it especially about the stage they call the "butterfly" anchor which really took me by surprise. I highly recomend it!
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  lee wilkinson

  Michi's books are the best for the intermediate players out there. I know il never be a grandmaster but his books have improved my game immensely. Highly recommended series of books and worth every penny.
• 
  Kindle Customer

  Another excelleny book from Michy.