Opening Concepts: 1 (Backgammon Odyssey)

A truly wonderful backgammon book. This is a very practical book, the tips you get from the grandmaster are so easy and quick to implement into your game. I think it has a lot of character this book. The style and approach is quite different from other authors, which makes it even more interesting. Furthermore it's quite an easy read, it only took me a couple of days, so you have no excuse from reading it!There are some great new terminology from this book, "double tiger play", "break the mountain", etc. This visual use of terms is very powerful as a human heuristics to understand backgammon strategy. And adds much more flavour to the backgammon jargon. I love it!The proverb system: Personally, the proverb system of the first chapters is not really my style, but it can be extremely powerful if you are a beginner or intermediate player trying to make good backgammon moves. I prefer a bit more conceptual and strategic way of thinking. We are limiting ourselves if we think in these strict pronouns as soon as we get past the opening game. The proverbs work very well to the opening game. So it's coherent with regards to the title, but I think the title is a little bit strange, because this isn't just a book about opening concepts. This is a full on backgammon strategy book, that deals with tips in many other aspects of the game other than the opening game. But some of the principles are derived from the opening game, so maybe the title is okay. This is the only critique point I have for this book, namely that the proverbs are a little bit weak when we go past the opening game.The first couple of chapters deals with the opening concepts, and this is very good, especially if you have never studied the opening game before. After these chapters, the real gold starts to appear... These are some truly great chapters, that goes deep into the territory of backgammon theory, and we get a great insight to how the mind of Grandmaster Michi works. I want more!!! :)I hope we will get to see many more books from Grandmaster Michi-san and Roland, since they have only covered a small fraction of possible interesting themes in the game. The content was so good and easy to apply, that it leaves the reader wanting more.

This is a wonderful book. It gives 21 "proverbs" to guide opening play. Much better than trying to memorize replies to opening moves, 3rd roll moves etc., although, there are a few replies to the opening roll the authors say should be memorized. I particularly liked the advanced section especially priming battles and "double tiger play". I've just analysed one of my own recent matches and found I should have made a double tiger play, but didn't, so I've still something to learn from the book. I'm eagerly waiting for the next book in the series: "End Game" and hope there are many more.

When I first saw the price of this book, I baulked several times before I took the plunge. When comparing this to other books in this niche market out there and the number of pages, this was tough for me to justify. However this became a very valuable tool in my knowledge of the game. The concepts of using proverbs with the addition of having a visual aid for each one was very helpful, which in turn meant I did not confuse concepts as before..Eg . Split against a prime, but not against a blitzing structure, Hit and Split. Double Tiger Play. Split against a stripped 8 point. This book was quick to read ( 3 days, maybe 2-3 hours ), very enjoyable and the translation errors didn't detract from the enjoyment of the read or confuse me. I particularly liked the layout with good size diagrams and detailed analysis explaining each position I am looking forward to the next book in the series "Closing Concepts", just hope its under £40.

Just arrived the book is amazing full of strategic and tactical pointers with explanations on every move going to help me become a dangerous fox :-)

Educational purposes

I can thoroughly recommend this excellent book. Whilst it initially appears to be directed towards beginners and intermediate players, it contains some advanced concepts which should appeal to even the most expert of readers. Highly enjoyable, and I cannot wait for the sequel!

This Book is a "Must have" for all intermediate and advanced Backgammon players who are eager to improve their game and take it to the next level. The authors give serious in-depth knowledge of the game in a clear and structured way, not forgetting to add a touch of humour with the endearing cartoon character Nono, who pops up now and then in the book illustrating various concepts . I truly learnt a lot from this excellent publication and I thoroughly recommend it.

The book’s emphasis on ‘proverbs’ did not strike me as particularly helpful. Yes, it's a good idea to bear them in mind while playing, but they are not infallible rules and could lead to mistakes if applied too rigidly. The book is aimed mainly at beginner and intermediate players; the more advanced advice is too sparse to justify an advanced player's interest in my opinion. I learned some things for sure, but not enough to feel I had received value for money. The author comes over as a likable, humorous fellow with an excellent knowledge of the game, but it's a slim volume at 237 pages (and even slimmer when considering the space taken up by the cartoons of 'nono') and is VERY overpriced, especially for anyone beyond intermediate level.

I was a little skeptical of this book considering some of the reviews, but having seen Michi on YouTube I decided to roll the dice on this one. The book nicely outlines all the basic principles of pure backgammon, and the proverbs do stick with you. They actually are popping to mind when I play. It's worth it to learn that "Double hits are strong tiger play!"

This is not the first backgammon book I have read, but for me, a relative beginner, learning the correct plays is relatively easy, but understanding WHY is so important to me!!Opening concepts has given me a great base with which to grow as a player.I especially like Michy’s early admonition to be thankful for even the ‘bad’ dice!! It is a game, and meant to be fun! After all, life does not always give us double sizes :)Thank you Michy and Roland!

Even if I am above the intermediate level at this game, reading this book gave me a lot of knowledge and a better understanding of WHY we have to play in a certain way to be correct.The teaching method approach is really easy to follow, with excellent explanations and examples. It certainly improves your game and understanding, which I find to be a must if you want to develop yourself as a player.

This book fills the knowledge gap between 'What is Backgammon?' and 'How to calculate match equity?'It is concise and is divided into various lessons that are tailored to teach you the theory of the game. It is not just a collection of problems & solutions.It tremendously helped me in the Opening and Middle phases of the game. I learnt many new keywords and phrases which I can now use to analyse many positions in the game with confidence.The illustrations of Nono not only provide comic relief but help to remember some key concepts as well!

Très bon livre sur les ouvertures au backgammon. À compléter avec Celui sur les fins de partie du même auteur.