This is partly because of the chance element and partly due to other elements involved in the mastery of the game. Without overcomplicating it, you can be number one in the world with the lowest error rate in play and still loose to a novice player. This is the thrill and excitement that makes the game so compulsive and yet, frustrating. Some would care to suggest it is all luck, but that is a foo
lish notion. There are good moves and bad moves depending on the roll of the dice. Not every move is equal in strength. Choices are made and games are won or lost on those choices. The element of cube action adds to the pressure already heavy in checker play. The cube can be thrown at you mid game and you need to decide whether you can win the game or not. This action is one of the hardest elements to master as you try to decide what the possibilities are; the PIP count, the size of the bridge, the number of crossovers, the position of your opponents checkers, the number of games you may be playing in a match. The maths of the game is supplemented by the instinct you have for your position on the board. These all come together to make you a player. The more you play, the more you have, to inform your play. I have seen new players come along slowly, but then they play in a real tournament and their play improves exponentially. It is in the fire of real battle that the skills are honed and refined. At Worcester backgammon club we try to encourage keen competitiveness and sporting play. We want all to improve their game no matter where they start from. We discuss positions and moves, we play in groups, watch live games, travel to tournaments around the country and the world. Some are content to play backgammon as a social activity and this is acknowledged and respected at Worcester Backgammon Club. We play at the level we are happy with. We play in leagues that means we play people at a similar standard. Their is a proviso in this that the club has grown so rapidly that the leagues are still ironing themselves out as people are promoted and relegated. So what has been achieved. We have, with help from the UKBGF, purchased lots of boards and clocks. We have now represented Worcester twice at the UK Club Championships. We have had members get as far as the final of the Irish Open. We have organised an open Charity Tournament to which players from outside of Worcester Club have come and taken part. We have arranged transport for people to attend different tournaments-e.g. Coventry Open, UK Open, UK Clubs Championships, Bristol Open and many others. We have attended youth groups to try and inspire young people to play the game. We took part in the UKBGF’s Backgammon in the Sun tournament which was very successful bringing in a couple of new players. We have a membership of around forty players and looking to grow further. At times it has been a bit hectic as we attempt to figure out how to run the club. We are now in a position to get new players and to grow the club even more. We are looking to various groups of people to achieve the goal of a membership of seventy five. It is up to all members to try and stir the backgammon bug in their friends, family, colleagues and associates. It is a relatively inexpensive past time and has a great social aspect. If any of this appeals to you, please message us and we will get back to you promptly.
