I have just finished reading both volumes of Advanced Backgammon by Bill Robertie. What a great read!

Please, be aware I have no financial stake in Robertie's work. I'm not his brother, cousin, or even a dreaded in-law. I just learned more from his books than any of my other backgammon tomes. In fact, I read them twice, cover to cover, and I've just started again at the beginning.

I am a solid intermediate, returning to backgammon after a twenty-year layoff. I have a horrible style -- versed in seventies techniques -- that badly needs an overhaul. So I coughed up the $90, and took the dive. For me, it was well worth it.

I am in need of help on a handful of problems where the books have printing errors. Several problems show only fourteen white checkers, and in one, only thirteen.

Does any one know of an errata for these books?

Many thanks, and kudos to Bill.

Bill is one of THE best writers in the business.
Advanced Backgammon Vols 1&2 were written before the bot era so whilst they definitely are worth reading I would have some rollouts to hand.
In case you haven't read them yet I'd recommend.
501 Essestial Backgammons problems (Robertie)
Backgammon Boot Camp (Walter Trice R.I.P.)
Backgammon Praxis Vols 1&2 (Marty Storer)
Modern Backgammon (Robertie) IMHO The Best book on backgammon ever written.

How does the 2nd edition of Advanced BG fare vis-a-vis the modern style? Was it updated from the first printing?

How does the 2nd edition of Advanced BG fare vis-a-vis the modern style? Was it updated from the first printing?

I have not read the original, so I can only pass on what I've read by others.

• The second edition is a major upgrade, having added something close to 200 new problems in addition to the original 200. Now there are 400 total.
• The original problems seem to be unchanged. Robertie's commentary appears to be identical to the first edition.
• The second edition is comprised of two volumes. Binding is just glue; no sewn pages here. The graphics are only so-so. They use cross-hatched checkers and points that are occassionally reproduced a bit lighter than they should be. I would prefer hollow white checkers. Instead of bullets, the texts use a period at the start of a "bulleted" item.
• The content is first rate. As advertised in the title, these are advanced topics, presented well.

I have a library of close to 50 backgammon books I purchased in the early eighties. My favorites are by Paul Magiel, Joe Dwek, Barclay Cooke and Tim Holland. Among these, Robertie's work jumps immediately to the top echelon.

In case you haven't read them yet I'd recommend.
501 Essestial Backgammons problems (Robertie)
Backgammon Boot Camp (Walter Trice R.I.P.)
Backgammon Praxis Vols 1&2 (Marty Storer)
Modern Backgammon (Robertie) IMHO The Best book on backgammon ever written.

Thanks for these recommendations. I am looking to buy another book, so I am interested that you're suggesting MODERN BACKGAMMON before 501 ESSENTIAL BACKGAMMON PROBLEMS. The Walter Trice book is also one I've been checking out.

The two books are very different.

'501' is a collection of problems, divided by topic, on a somewhat simpler level than 'Advanced BG'. It was intended as a follow-up to the two beginner's books 'BG for Winners' and 'BG for Serious Players' that I did for Cardoza Publishing. On the plus side, it has some new categories, like Post-Ace-Point Games and Containment Games, that I hadn't broken out as distinct problem types when I wrote 'Advanced BG'.

'Modern BG' was written later, in 2001-2002, and it addressed the problem that a lot of us were discovering after we'd played with Snowie for a few years. There were a lot of middle-game checker plays where it was clear that Snowie was making the right play (because rollouts consistently backed Snowie up) but the logic and the connection between the different plays wasn't obvious. The book explores four key ideas that tie together a lot of otherwise puzzling positions.

Good to know... I'm definitely buying Modern BG next then, since the majority of my checkerplay blunders these days are precisely these situations, where the bot (GNU in my case) makes a subtle play that I just don't understand... I think I'll worry about working on the more technical aspects of the game later, as it seems developing my middle game checker play is far more important right now.

Thanks for taking the time to write all these great books Bill!

Also I would highly recommend the articles written by the feature columnists on gammonvillage.com. (Bill wrote there too once). Lots of writers covering the whole spectrum of backgammon related studies. It's a pay site but all the articles going back many years are still available so well worth the subscription.

so, if one has already read modern backgammon, do the advanced backgammon volumes provide any new insights that still hold true today?

I sold me copies quite some time ago. I'd be surprised if anything in those volumes hasn't been covered in newer books / articles which of course have access to the latest bot theory based on current rollout knowledge.
Plenty of what's in those two volumes still holds good today but there's enough excellent new material out which covers all bases so my personal feelings are that I wouldn't recommend any of the older literature except for the completists. I guess it would interesting to see how modern bot induced play / theory has corrected some of the old thinking.

What is a completist?

• Has the theory changed since Advanced Backgammon came out?

Yes, absolutely. Computers are able to get the right answer the vast majority of the time just on analysis, and on top of that they can perform rollouts of a few thousand games in a matter of hours. It would have taken players days or weeks to roll out positions in the 80s. No one has that kind of time. I made an estimate that about 40% of the solutions in Advanced Backgammon were in error. Still sounds about right.

• Has the method of approaching/analyzing positions changed?

Obviously since a lot of the theory has changed, many of the answers which are built from the theory have changed. But the general method of analysis is more or less the same now as it was then. The selection of positions, identification of key features, and weighing of key features is great; phenomenal if you consider it came out in 1984. Robertie was well ahead of his time.

• Is it necessary?

I don't think any book is really necessary these days. There is a plethora of information online and the bots are good enough to get anyone to play at a WC level by themselves.

• Is it useful?

Everyone learns differently.

I started out in BG by reading Magriel and after that Advanced Backgammon. That was 3 years ago when I didn't have the first clue as to how to move the checkers and couldn't remember what the doubling cube meant. Today I wouldn't consider myself a dog to anyone in the world; Nack, Sander, whomever. Of course I owe the vast majority of that to playing against GNU; but Advanced Backgammon was one of the key works that shaped my thinking. My perspective on the game would have been a lot different if I hadn't read it.

In hindsight, did Advanced Backgammon help structure my thinking into the player that I am now, or hinder my development by providing me with incorrect reference positions? I'll never know, I guess, but I can't imagine having not read it.

Just do whatever you think is improving your game. It's all you can do, anyway.

A person who obsessively gathers the complete collection of a particular set of items.
Maybe all backgammon books written by Bill Robertie :-)