Syllabus

1. Getting started…

• Introduction
• Backgammon notation
• Gammons and Backgammons
• The Doubling Cube
• Match Play vs. Unlimited Games
• Checker play basics

2. Playing safe

• Introduction
• Don’t play loose in your inner board
• Points win prizes
• Avoid direct shots
• The danger of higher points
• Clear from the rear
• Bear off safely

3. Game plans

• Introduction
• Racing
• Holding games
• Priming games
• Blitz attacks
• Backgames

4. Intermediate checker play

• Introduction
• Board strength
• Just make the 5-point
• Anchor up
• Point on head
• Opening rolls
• When up in the race, race
• Module in progress…

5. Doubling for beginners

• Introduction
• The doubling window
• Cubeful and cubeless equity
• Market losers
• Recube vig
• Doubling in racing positions
• Doubling in N-roll positions
• Doubling in holding games
• Doubling in bear-off racing conditions (intro to iSight)
• Opening blitz doubles
• Doubling in closeout positions
• Score-based cube actions

6. Pip counting

• Introduction
• 321 colourless pip count
• Criss-cross pip count
• Unit adjustments
• Mental shift method
• Running pip count
• Kangaroo count
• Cluster counting 1: 10 checkers
• Cluster counting 2: home board
• Cluster counting 3: outfield points
• Cluster counting 4: mental shifts
• Cluster counting 5: examples