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Pip Count speed question

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04-20-2014 , 07:19 PM

kingstalker

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 445

I play almost exclusive on the internet, but I practice my pip count on the off chance that I might play live one day. Right now it takes me 20 seconds per side (typical middlegame position) to get the count, for a total of 40 seconds. Is this too slow? How fast should you be able to do a count if you had tournament backgammon aspirations?

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04-20-2014 , 08:12 PM

networth

veteran

Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 2,208

That is plenty fast. Slow and accurate is the way to go. You will often feel rushed when you have no reason to be. Take your time and when you forget what yours was after counting his just do it again.

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04-20-2014 , 08:28 PM

Robertie

old hand

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,954

In tournament backgammon you play with clocks (at least in the top division) and you'll need to increase your speed and accuracy to avoid time pressure. A typical speed for Open players is about 10 seconds per side.

Another technique which is great if you can do it is to keep a running pip count throughout the game. Then you'll always know the count when you're looking at a play. This is a help in positions where you might not bother counting, but where the pip count does play a peripheral role. (Oswald Jacoby was the first player I met who did this.)

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