Serious Backgammon has been carefully designed to be as easy to use as possible. Everything is mouse controlled, and these help screens provide a comprehensive guide to the game.
*p4*c00,42*i44,31,62If you are using the program for the first time, read through these pages before playing your first game.
*p1Select Help to return to these pages at any time when playing.*e
*tNew Users*
*p4If you are an experienced backgammon player, you won't need to read the general backgammon tutorial, but you may still find the advanced tutorial informative.
*p1Do use the Preferences screen to set up the board to your own particular choice. Various board designs are available, and the tables can be reversed if you prefer.
*p4If you are new to backgammon, please read the instructions on the next few pages. The game does have quite a bit of jargon to learn, but bear with it as it is a very enjoyable game to play.
*e
*tUsing This Program*
*p4 All the functions in this program are mouse controlled, and you should find them easy and intuitive to use.
*p1 The main part of the screen displays the board whilst you are playing, as well as Help text (such as this page), Preferences, or the introduction message.
*p4 The bar across the top of the screen displays general messages, as well as the current date and time.*e
*tScreen Layout*
*p4 At the bottom of the screen, a row of icons gives you access to a further range of functions:
*p1Analyse*p4 Provides a quick analysis of the current game,
including your probability of winning
*p1Help*p4 Brings up these help pages
*p1Prefs*p4 The preferences screens allow you to
alter (and save) the game configuration
*p1Undo*p4 Undoes the current move
*p1Hint*p4 Suggests your best move
*p1Exit*p4 Allows you to exit the program*e
*tBackgammon Tutorial*
*p4 Backgammon is one of the classic board games, and has been played for over four thousand years, since the times of the ancient Egyptians.
*p1*c01,45Backgammon's rules are simple, yet it remains a challenge to the most experienced player. Games are quick and exciting, ensuring none is ever boring, and the element of chance means both players always have a chance of winning.*U52,30,00*p4
Read on for the backgammon tutorial*m*e
*tGetting Started*
Serious Backgammon is entirely mouse controlled, and has been carefully designed to be as intuitive to use as possible.
*p4 During play, you select a piece to move by clicking on it with the left mouse button. If you can move it (i.e. if it is one of your pieces) it will be highlighted with a tick. To complete the move, click on the point you wish to move to. Obviously, this position must be valid under backgammon rules, and not occupied by two or more of your opponent's pieces, or out of reach of your dice. To cancel the move, click again on the first piece, that is highlighted, and the tick will be removed.*e
*tInstructions*
*c00,47 Backgammon is played on a board containing twenty four points. The board is divided into four tables, with six points in each table. Each player has fifteen counters, laid out as illustrated ...*i51,04,57
*p4*c21,99*i02,38,55Opponents face each other across the board and move in opposite directions, their pieces crossing over each other. The winning player is the first to move all their pieces round to their "inner" table, and from there bear them off the board.*e
*p4*c00,53*i57,06,53
Movement is decided by the roll of two dice. You can move one counter twice or move two counters. If you throw a double, you are allowed four separate moves, e.g. a double six means you can move four sixes.
*p1*c20,99*i04,40,54 Each move must be made in your direction of movement. You cannot land on a point if your opponent occupies it with two or more of his pieces.*e
*tCapturing pieces*
*p4*c20,99*i04,06,56A single piece is known as a BLOT. If you land on one of your opponent's blots, it is removed from the board and placed on the bar. A player who has pieces on the bar MUST play them immediately, into his outermost table. If he cannot move them his turn is forfeit.*i15,39,58*i45,39,59*e
*tBearing Off*
*p4 Once all your pieces are inside your inner table, i.e. in the innermost six points, you can bear them off the board. A piece can bear off if it can move exactly the number of spaces required, i.e. 5 from point 5, 2 from point 2 etc, OR if the dice roll is greater than the number of spaces required, and it is the highest placed piece.
*c00,50 To bear off, simply select the piece in the normal way, and click off the board to the left to select the destination.*i57,35,63*e
*tAutomatic Moves*
In certain game positions there will only be one way in which you can play. For example, if you are bearing off and throw a double six, this can only be used to move your outermost counters off the board.
*p1In these situations an A icon will appear in the centre of the board. Simply click on this with the left mouse button and the computer will make all your moves for you.
*p4 This feature can be turned off from the preferences game screen.*e
*tDoubling*
If a player feels confident of winning, he can double the stakes for which the game is played, by offering the doubling cube to his opponent. If the opponent accepts, the points won at the end of the game will be doubled. If he refuses to accept a double he must resign, and the first player wins the game for the initial stake.
*c00,56*p1 Each player can double as many times as he likes, up to a limit of 64. Either player can double first, but once you have doubled, your opponent gains possession of the cube and only he can double next.
*i60,40,66*i62,44,67*i64,48,68*e
*tDoubling*
*p1 To offer a double, simply click on the red doubling cube with the left mouse button. Initially the cube shows 64, which means no double has yet been proposed.
*p4 Choosing the right time to make a double is a fine judgement. If you are certain of winning offering a double can be a big mistake. Your opponent will simply resign and thus save himself from a possible gammon or worse. So the art of doubling is to offer the cube to your opponent whilst he still has a chance of winning, but your position looks likely to improve.
*e
*tDomino Backgammon*
Playing backgammon with dominos adds substantially to the skill needed to win. Instead of relying on the roll of the dice to decide each move, both players start with a set of twelve dominos. At the start of each move, a player chooses one domino which he then uses as his dice roll. Having a choice of twelve greatly increases your ability to look ahead, and plan a sequence of moves. You can also see your opponent's dominos and predict what moves he will make.
*p1 To choose a domino, simply click on it with the left mouse button. Once all twelve dominos have been used by both players, a fresh set will be dealt.*e
*tAnalysis*
*p4 The analysis screen shows a quick estimate of the current game position. Two totals are shown for each player - the pip count and the number of cross-overs, which are used to calculate the approximate probability of the leading player winning.*i06,28,73*i44,26,72*e
*tAdvanced Backgammon Tutorial*
*p4 Backgammon is a miniature game of *p1warfare*p4. The opposing sides are continually attacking each other and simultaneously defending their own positions. A single dice throw can rescue a previously hopeless situation, or ruin a carefully planned attack.
The secret of backgammon is to continually re-assess your game plan. Always remain *p1flexible*p4, ready to change your strategy at any time.
The following guide shows how to *p1plan*p4 your game, to *p1analyse*p4 your situation, and how to play from many *p1key positions*p4.
*e
*tMovement and Probability*
*p4 Each move in backgammon is governed by the roll of two dice. As each die has six faces, it can land showing any number from 1 to 6. For both dice, this means there are 6 x 6 or 36 total combinations of dice throws. Some of these are duplicates, for example 1,2 is the same as 2,1. In total there are 21 *p1different*p4 dice combinations.
A *p1direct*p4 move covers six points or less, that is it can be made with a single die roll. An *p1indirect*p4, or combination move, crosses more than six points, and always uses both dice.
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*tMovement Probability Table*
*p4 The table below shows the relative probability of moving any given distance...*i05,19,74
*e
*tUsing the Probability Table*
*p4 From the probability table, you can see that you are far more likely to achieve a *p1direct*p4 move than an *p1indirect*p4 one. In fact, there are 17 different ways in which it is possible to move six points, which gives a probability of 17/36 or 47%! This means that it is extremely *p1dangerous*p4 to leave a blot six points away from your opponent - but it will be relatively safe seven points away.
When you are playing a game, remember that not all combinations will be available, because some points will be held by your opponent.*e
*tOpening Moves*
*p4*c00,50 Each player starts with their pieces on only four points. Two of these points contain five counters. In order to win with the maximum score, your aim should be to *p1trap*p4 your opponent behind a solid wall of your pieces, with two pieces on each consequtive point.*U55,12,00*c00,99
A solid wall of six consequtive points is a *p1prime*p4. A prime cannot be jumped because no single move can be greater than six points. Building a prime to trap your opponent should be your main objective.*e
*tInitial Strategy*
*p4 The start position has two points holding five counters each. This is too many. In general you should aim to control as many points as possible, by having two counters on each. Any more wastes the surplus counters.
*c21,99*i02,35,75
In order to block your opponent's back counters, there are several *p1key points*p4 to build on. These are points *p15, 7, 4, 3 and 9*p4, in that order. Always keep control of point *p16*p4.
*e
*tPlaying Off the Bar*
*p4 At some stage in every game, you will probably have to play at least one counter off the bar. In the early stages of the game this should be easy, but later on pieces can be trapped for some time, with disastrous consequences.
The odds against re-entering a counter from the bar depend entirely on how many points your opponent controls in his inner board. If he controls only one or two points, you will re-enter very quickly, but if he has five points you will have great difficulty playing.
*e
*tPlaying Off the Bar*
*p4*c00,38 The tables below show the probabilities for entering first one counter off the bar, and then two, depending on how many points are controlled by your opponent. It is far more *p1difficult*p4 to enter two counters than just one. For example, with two counters on the bar and 5 points held by your opponent, you have only a *p13%*p4 chance of playing both!*i40,04,76*e
*tBearing Off*
*p4 Once you have moved all your counters back to your inner table, you can begin bearing off. If you are well ahead, you may well have trapped one of more of your opponent's pieces. In this case, play cautiously. *p1Do not expose a blot*p4 unless absolutely necessary. Always try to ensure a balanced, even number of counters on your highest points.
If you are in no danger, you want to bear off in as few moves as possible. If you cannot bear a piece off with a move, use it to move a piece onto a space, or to remove excess counters from a point which has more than others.*e
*tConclusion*
*p4 That concludes this brief tutorial. Backgammon is a fascinating game, and there are many excellent books available, for those who take a deeper interest in the game.
Good luck in all your games - there are many excellent books on backgammon available.
*e
*tPreferences*
*p4 The preferences screens allow you to choose between a wide range of game options, and to save a game configuration, that will automatically install itself next time you play the game.
*p1 Select the PREFS icon at the bottom of the screen to bring up preferences, at the start or end of the game, or before you move your first counter.
*p4 When you have finished, select SAVE to save your configuration, or OK to use this configuration without saving it.
*e
*tPreferences Game Options*
The game options screen allows you to choose between standard and domino backgammon, and to select various game options and rules.
*p1Max 5 counters/point*p4 Limits the number of counters that can be
held on a single point.
*p1Jacoby Rule*p4 Gammons and backgammons don't score unless a
player has doubled.
*p1Backgammons score 2*p4 Restricts a backgammon to the same score
as a gammon, i.e. 2 points rather than 3.
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*tPreferences Style*
*p4 The board options are as follows:-*U55,18,03
*p1STYLE*p4 - choose one of three graphical styles
*p1Custom Start*p4 - choose your own start position. Change this
by selecting the board editor*e
*tPreferences - Players*
*p4 Each player can be set up to be either mouse or computer controlled, with the computer's skill level ranging from 1 (weakest) to 4 (strongest). This allows you to play against a friend, or to sit back and watch the computer playing against itself.
*p1 The players' names can also be altered, from "Player One" and "Player Two" to your own name, or anything you prefer.
*e
*tPreferences - Scoring*
*p4 Three different scoring systems allow the maximum flexibility.
*p1Standard*p4 - scores 1 point for each game won, 2 points for a gammon, or 3 points for a backgammon
*p1Pip Count*p4 - the winner scores the opponent's pip count, which can lead to a huge score if you win by a backgammon
*p11 Point/Counter*p4 - winner scores 1 point for each remaining counter in his opponent's inner table, 2 points for each counter in the subsequent table and so on
*e
*tPreferences - Board Editor*
*p4The board editor allows you to design any board position you wish, whilst playing a game, or to lay out your own custom start position.
The basic editing procedure is similar to playing a normal game. Click with the mouse on a counter to select it, and then click on the position you want to move it to. You can move the counters anywhere on the board, although obviously you are not allowed to have different coloured counters on the same point.
*e
*tBoard Editor*
*p4 The board editor replaces three of the main icons at the bottom of the screen. *p1Analyse, Help*p4 and *p1Exit*p4 work just as they do whilst playing a game. The new icons provide additional functions:
*p1Undo*p4 - cancels the editing you have done, and
restores the board to its initial state
*p1Ok*p4 - return to Preferences*e
*tBoard Editor*
*p1Board*p4 - choose a board to edit
*p1Copy From*p4 - choose one of these boards to
start editing from.
*p1Which Board*p4 - select "Main Board" to play on
the board you have edited, or "Custom Start" to
start from that position every time.
*p1Ok*p4 - return to editing
*e
*tCreating Your Own Start Position*
*p4 Using the board editor you can easily create your own start position, that will be played every time you start the program.
Use the board editor to create your chosen board layout, then click
on the Board icon and choose "Custom Start" from the "Which Board"
selection. Click on *p1Ok*p4 to leave the board selection menu, then the main *p1Ok*p4 icon to return to Preferences.
In Preferences, select *p1Custom Start*p4 as your board start position, and then save the entire preferences by clicking on *p1Save*p4. Now you should start with your own board layout every time you play.*e
*tTower Software*
*i04,18,60*c24,99*p4 Tower Software produces a range of high quality games for all Amigas.
*p4 If you have enjoyed this game, we hope you'll be tempted by some of the other products in our range.
*p1 Leaf through the next few pages for a description of some of our games, or why not use the order form on the disk to send for an up to date catalogue.*e
*tMancala*
*c00,50*i52,08,94 Reputedly the world's oldest game, this classic African board game is a real test of skill. Although seldom found in the West, Mancala remains incredibly popular throughout Africa and Asia, having evolved over thousands of years.
*c00,99*p4 "Impeccably programmed and presented like all of Tower Software's programs...Hugely challenging"
*p19/10 Amiga User International, December 93*m
*e
*tSerious Solitaire*
The definitive collection of solitaire card games. Two compilations each featuring a full fifteen games. Three levels of difficulty add an extra challenge to the more straightforward games, whilst allowing some of the more difficlt games to be solved without too much stress.
*p1 Serious Solitaire II ........................... *#12.99
*p3Send a blank disk and an S.A.E. for a free sample!*m
*p4 If you have a printer, you can use the Order Form supplied on this disk to order any of our programs, a sample disk or a free catalogue.*e
*tNew Titles*
Two new titles for 1995 include Excellent Cards III, with five games including one of the best poker games ever seen on a computer. The AGA version uses standard IFF and BMP files for wallpaper, and includes a range of attractive designs. Nimble! is a graphical adventure game spread over 35 levels of fun.
*p1 Excellent Card Games III ...................... *#12.99
*p4 Excellent Card Games III AGA .................. *#14.99
*p3 Send a blank disk and an S.A.E. for a free sample!*m*e
*tPublic Domain Titles*
*p4 We have also produced a range of titles that are in the public domain. These should be available from your favourite P.D. library or bulletin board, or can be ordered direct from us for *#2.50 per title.
*i04,12,60*i36,36,62*c24,99*p4 We're always happy to hear of any suggestions for new games, or improvements for any of our existing titles.
*p1 Thanks for playing!
*e
*tThis Program Is Restricted*
*p1 Sorry, this is only a restricted version of Serious Backgammon!
*p4Every so often this annoying screen is going to pop up whilst you're playing just to remind you to buy the full version. I don't want to annoy you too much of course, and you can spend as much time as you like reading the help pages, or playing with Preferences.
*p1The full version also allows you to save all your high scores to disk, along with all your game settings configured in Preferences.
*p3
*e
*tImportant Information!*
Hey, why not pause for a minute and consider whether you'd like to buy the full version of this program!
*p1*c00,46*i50,20,60 Your measly *#10 buys you the complete, unrestricted game together with another sample disk crammed full of quality programs.
*p4 Help support a small software house and at the same time have a real say in which programs we'll develop next!
*e
*tSerious Backgammon Evaluation Copy*
Serious Backgammon allows you to play backgammon at its best. Check out the many game options, Domino Backgammon, doubling, a full game tutorial and much much more.
*U50,30,00
*p4 "Every feature you could ever expect"
*p1 Amiga Force 10/93
*p4 "Excellent instructions and brilliant
graphics ... a definite purchase"
*p1 Amiga Mart 10/93*e
*p4
Just click on FINISHED to return to your game...*m
*e
*tImportant Information!*
Still playing huh - I guess you just can't get enough of Serious Backgammon.
*p1 I can't fault your judgement, but don't you really think you should dip your hand into your pocket and help support the poor starving orphans who created this wonderful program.
*p4 And don't forget, the full version lets you save all your high scores, for any number of different players, as well as all your custom Preferences settings. Not only that, but you'll never be troubled by irritating messages like this again!
*e
*tThank you for playing!*
Thank you for playing this Evaluation Copy of Serious Backgammon.
