Hi!

A Backgammon Studio themed P40 board just arrived! Can it get more awesome than this? I don't think so! :-)

I had no time for a lengthy unboxing video but I did restrain myself enough to take a couple of pictures when ripping off the wrapping!













I haven't played any match on it yet but the board looks very solid and I am confident I'll be smiling from ear to ear when playing on it!

Replacable back plates is also a brilliant touch! Very few boards are able to look fresh after years of wear and tear and if you can replace them, Hey! New board! :-)

This board deserves to be played well on! For that I guess I have to practice some more on Backgammon Studio...

https://p40bg.com/

Best regards,
TP

I have one of these boards myself and they are fabulous.

Does the metal case scratch table surfaces?
How smooth do the checkers move on the surface?

It is a bit difficult to describe the smoothness of the checker movement but to me it seems perfectly fine. I guess you'll have to experience the feel of these things when you come across one of these boards.

I'm not sure about any scratching issues. As for the surfaces how well they hold up over time only time will tell. It looks like these are surfaces are less likely to collect dust and dirt as cheaper boards tend to get pretty ugly over time.

Best regards,
TP

The checkers slide smoothly.

The exterior of the board has rubber corners, and the material is some sort of soft synthetic. (It shows as black in the 5th picture from the top.) I doubt that it's more likely to damage a surface than any other board.

Cool color choices. That's a nice touch on the checkers -- black border on White checkers and chrome border on Black checkers.

Having played on a couple, I agree the boards are very very nice. Only complaint is I wish they were a little shorter vertically(?), in other words you shouldn't have to reach as far to grab a checker on your opponent's side of the board. I think it could actually lose a full inch.

I agree, as do a number of other players I've talked to. I think the ideal depth for a board is 11.5 checkers -- enough so that one side can play a 6-5 without stacking, but not enough so that both sides can.

Still, that's a small point and it's a great board at an incredible price.

Man, just seen the P40 website for the first time, great idea. I wish someone would do the same thing but incorporate a digital brain in the board that captures moves and has tutoring capability.

All we need is a digital version of Bill Robertie and the XG Transcriber from Phil Simborg and we have a winner! :-)

While we wait you could try to play online consultation matches on Backgammon Studio which will let you know when you make a mistake and suggest the best move:



And if you play against a better opponent you could ask your opponent for input on how to better understand a position where you've made a blunder (Those are marked in read and are just cruel when they show up! )

Best regards,
TP

Nice board. Great quality/price ratio.

Doesn't the inner borders damage/scratch from checkers bumping too easily? Based on the website's description and the gallery, it looks like it's aluminium vs aluminium.

Yes that is one part I also wonder about but so far I haven't seen anything. I've heard from the maker that they have improved the production process for the chrome checkers which will prevent any flaking from happening. We'll see if I have to get mine replaced or not.

But my game hasn't improved from the new board and that sux! :-)

P40 does have an issue with the initially produced Silver chrome checkers. We used a process which involved Cad Plating the checkers. The rims are a high stress point and when constantly banged into one another, which occurs during a game, the plating started flaking off. We replaced the Cad Plating process on the checkers with a bright dip anodizing process which alters the base metal characteristics as opposed to coating the outer layer, which in our case flakes off. if you have any of these checkers and you notice flaking please visit the P40 web site for instructions on getting a replacement set.

the board look really nice