Hi gang,

Many years ago, (seven?) I had my eye on this particular Dal Negro board, seen here:

http://www.thechessstore.com/product...ammon-Set.html

I was especially attracted to the rubberized playing area. I saw one like it at a backgammon tournament and I thought it was very nice. However, I probably just couldn't afford that set at the time.

I can now, but alas, I can't seem to find this board anywhere. It seems as if it's been discontinued.

1) IS it available anywhere, that you know of? And if not (2) can you recommend a similar type of board, that also has a rubberized playing surface? I definitely want a large table-top model, and I'm willing to pay in the neighborhood of $600.00 for it.

Now, this Dal Negro board looks similar

http://www.gammonvillage.com/backgam...t_skiathos.cfm

and the dimensions are about the same, but it's a wood board and I don't believe the playing pieces will move as smoothly over the wood, as they probably would do over the rubber.

3) If you were given $600.00, what board would you purchase?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Ed

If you're looking for a set to actually play on you want to avoid wood. The dice make a real racket on the board and the playing surface will eventually get pitted. Wood boards are banned in tournament play.

If you just want a set for display, then of course wood is fine.

Then no, I definitely don't want a wood board. I'm am looking for a nice, large, table-top model, that I can play on, ideally with the rubberized surface as shown in my first link. But I can't find that set or anything like it anywhere.

Check with Carol Cole at www.flintbg.com. She has a large collection of full-sized sets that she sells through her websites or at tournaments.

Similar : http://www.gammonvillage.com/backgam...t_skiathos.cfm

By the way Bill, I wanted to say now and then I still listen to that interview / talk segment / chess FM radio bit that you did 6 or 7 or 8 years ago with Dan Heisman. (The one where you two talk about chess and poker and backgammon.) I still have a copy of it and it was an enjoyable segment.

Thanks, glad you liked it. But I think Fred Wilson was the interviewer.

Oh shoot, what was I thinking? Of course that was Fred. (I knew that. Dan must have been on my mind or something.)

Thanks.