The English Rules and my first Tourno


This was the first Official Backgammon Tournament I've ever attended.

My more usual venue for backgammon is beside a beach, under the shade sheltering from the midday sun, drink and ashtray by my side. The doubling cube, if present at all, would generally remain idle. Usual arrangements would be Winner stays on, thereby leaving time for other just as important things like chatting and drinking. I'd be organised enough to agree rules of play before play actually started - I have this down to as good a routine as I did sitting my Maths O level, which I did six times before I gave up. Hence, moves were based on the "Um, yer, that looks good" School of Slightly Drunkard Thought.

On the basis that I am now 'In the Backgammon Industry' I thought it right and proper to join the relevant Organisations. I'm an Englishman, so I joined B.I.B.A. I e-mailed them my application form in which, as requested, I described myself as 'a better than average player of 20 + years experience'. I also informed them that I am the maker of Backpacker Backgammon Boards. I asked if I could bring my Stall up to their next Tourno (Yes, I used that backgammony term - well, I didn't want to appear a complete rookie) and also suggested we could have Web Site links. I put a B.B.B. set in the post so they could see what they might be letting themselves in for. Pushy (but polite) for a new member I agree, but, well, I was in a let's get on with this mood.

To my delight Michael Crane (The B.I.B.A. Director no less) answered my e-mail within just a day. A double yes was the answer. I was over the moon. Exposure to a Hotel full of Backgammoners.

Let me take you back a bit now and explain something that had happened before all this. When I was making the B.B.B. Sets one item needed as part of the pack were the Rules of Backgammon. Come on, be fair, you cannot sell a game without the rules. Backgammon has been around for something like 5000 years. Hundred of folk have written the rules down. The version I needed had to be small enough to fit on one side of an A4 sheet of paper for backpackers. They also needed to be quickly understandable for the 'I've never played before, but like the look of the game' and for the impatient excited players checking up on a minor rule. So I read through about 10 versions of How to play Backgammon, drew on my experience of teaching others the game, used rules I've learnt whilst on my travels and complied my own 'How to play Backgammon.' In it I made various suggestions and hints to players. I also suggested that novices should learn the game by starting with 'The Maximum 5 up Rule' which I said would make them a better player quicker.

Now for years I've know this rule as the 'Max 5 up rule.' This I'd always found strange, for backgammon is littered with wonderful terms to describe possible situations. 'Lovers Leap' for 6 & 5, 'Beavers' for something to do with the doubling cube, 'To Dance' when unable to play and too, too many more to list. What had always puzzled me was why was there no nice easy backgammony term for the ungainly sounding 'Max 5 up rule.' So imagine my delight, only last year, when I found on the Internet 'the max 5 up rule' called 'English Rules.' I adopted it. It sounds backgammony.

One day after receiving the double yes letter from Michael Crane, after he had received his B.B.B. set, I got another very different e-mail. Dear Mr Main was it's tone. We cannot condone your product and our two offers must be withdrawn. For years and years we have tried to find out where this max 5 up thing comes from - to no avail. It is not a rule at all. The only place we know that it's played is in prisons ! It ruins the game. You will not find it played in any Tourno anywhere. It is not played in Turkey or Greece. We, grudgingly, spend our lives trying to suppress this '(non)rule' and folk like you just make it all the harder. Further where on earth did you come up with this term 'English Rules' ? We, The British Isles Backgammon Association, have never heard of it.

Obviously I'd touched a raw nerve here !
What to do ? What to do ?

I wrote back thanking him for pointing out my errors, doffing my hat, generally bowing to their superior knowledge and saying changes would be made. I also made points such as backpackers will learn on their travels different forms of the game, so it is better to send them out with some knowledge of them. I informed him where I had found the term 'English Rule' and said I would write to that Web Site inquiring where they found it and would pass that information onto him.

B.I.B.A.s next e-mail to me was: 'As long as you do make the changes - drop the term 'English Rule', don't list the 'max 5 up' as a 'Rule' but, if you really must put it in at all, list it as a 'Regional Variation' - You're back in the Club - There's a good chap !'

As promised I did write to the Web Site who uses the term 'English Rules.' They wrote back very promptly explaining where they had found it, stating no insult was intended to British Isles B.A. and that they would be willing to alter the term if B.I.B.A. would like to discussed the matter with them. You can't say fairer than that !

So, having stirred up a hornets nest, we went to the hive. We were made very welcome by Michael Crane et al and set up our Stall. And on, the players started to arrive. It was like Business Execs checking in for a flight. All with briefcases in hand, hand shaking and cordial behaviour. A good number looked like my expected Old Men players, but there was the Card Sharp, the swarthy bewiskered Mediterranean, the Maths Teacher, the tall slender Norse and a Leather Jacketed Bleached Blonde Maverick who looked like he had come to the wrong bash.

I was fascinated to see how you organise a tournament of some 80 players. We were gathered together and split into about 6 teams. Then an auction started. As usual when at an auction, I didn't have a clue what was going on. As a 'O.k. I'll play for maximum a penny a point player' I found the figures being shouted were not small. And a doubling cube had not yet been touched ! Then I learnt that was just a little bit of betting on the side ! I'd never seen side betting so high up on an Organisers agenda !

We were to play 6 matches of 11 points each. A marathon. I lost the first, but put on a half decent performance. I was flustered by being on a long table, next to 5 other matches happening. All players very silent and you could have cut the air with a knife. I could not believe some of the moves my opponent played, but he won. It seemed he knows the numbers side of the game far better than I. The next match I don't want to talk about too much. If fact I don't want to talk about it at all. But, I'm not too proud to admit I lost 11 - 0. Match 3 we played downstairs in the Bar area. At last, I could have a cigarette and a drink with my match. I won it !

On the Sunday morning various cups were awarded. A kindly elderly Gentleman picked up the first and photos were taken. The Leather Jacket was still around; still not found his buddies I thought. Then he was awarded the cup for 'Best Ranked Player in Britain 1999.' Wow, never trust appearances!


Photo Dod Davies - Best Rated Player British Isles 1999

A few more cups and bottles awarded and we were back into the matches. Match 4 I lost to another kindly looking elderly Gentleman. I'm sure the Battle of the Somme was in his mind as he beat me. I had thought up until 24 hours earlier that I was quite good at backgammon. But now, I was reassessing just what exactly I have done with the last 20 years of my life. So I had what I considered a much needed cigarette in the lobby when The Leather Jacket strolled up to me, smoker coughed in my face and announced "Erm, Hi, I'm Dod Davies, you and I are playing now."

There have been a few moments in my life when I have achieved complete and utter stillness when standing up. Now was one of them. He had placed no exclamation mark at the end of statement, but my head put one there. I wondered just how long this certain 11 - 0 thrashing would take. When I had gained a crumb of composure back we sat down and set up to play. I bought him a Guinness. I'd get him drunk I thought. He looked pretty rough from last night, so maybe it wouldn't take much to get him back to where he looked like he had been before. A dying man will grasp at straws but it rebuilt some confidence in me. As we shook hands he lent forward and suggested: "A little wager on the match ? £200 maybe ?" Bang, my confidence fell through the floor again ! He wasn't surprised when I declined and had a good chuckle to himself. I moved as carefully and as sensible as I could. He played, to my mind, recklessly, but then, bang, bang, bang I had three on the bar when, I swear, 3 moves before I didn't have a blot stone in sight. The next game he doubled me, I accepted and then I got the bang, bang, bang treatment again. Ah ha, I pulled a game back. The Dice Gods must of felt pity for me. Then another. Then he. Then I. We were at 8 - 4. I was pleased with myself. Then I got the feeling he was toying with me as a cat will with a trapped mouse. He was. He explained why a move or two I made were so terrible. My stones had headaches from being hit so much. He explained the odds following a move I made without his furrow even shifting a millimetre. I was learning but not quickly enough. However, our final score was 11 - 8. So I walked away a proud man. He's a lovely chap is Dod. He suggested I come up to a Wine Bar he plays in regularly and, for the price of a pint or two, he'd give me some pointers.


Photo Michael Main plays Dod Davies - Jan 2000

Match 6 was against Ian Tarr from Bristol. I think I should have won the match, but he proved more experienced than I with the doubling cube and won it 12 - 6. The person who, in the 1920s invented the doubling cube is, I'm told, unknown. Just as well for him too, for I was cursing him and have since sent an e-mail to stpeter@purleygates.org suggesting he should be downstairs in Hades.

So I lost my matches 5 - 1. But no matter, I'll be back for more. Next time I will be better with that doubling cube, better at working out the numbers side of the game and just maybe I'll only lose 4 - 2 !

Funcom have since launched their Backgammon 2. On there is it now called Max 5 up Rule. I've followed suit.

MMM


Date this article published = March 2000