Deluxe Backgammon recently had the chance to read Backgammon in 20 Minutes. It was written in 1930 by Harold Thorne and published by E. P. Dutton & Co. (an American publisher). Thorne was also the author of other books, such as Contract Bridge in 20 minutes and Canasta in 20 minutes. Not much else is known about the author, even a check of genealogy records failed to reveal anything.
True to its title, the book was read cover to cover in less than 20 minutes. It is more of a pamphlet than a book, although it was published as a hardcover. It covers all the basics and would allow an absolute beginner to be able to play backgammon. However, there is very little depth to the content, it won’t benefit intermediate players.
Strategy
The book discusses backgammon strategy in just two sentences, mentioning only the racing and back game strategies. Obviously, there is much more to backgammon than just these two strategies. Likewise, the discussion of tactics is brief. Thorne advises leaving as few blots as possible, in places where they are least liable to be hit. Covering the five-point is also recommended. The bar point is identified as the next most crucial point followed by the three-point. Finally, Thorne advises against moving to the one and two-points early in the game, as these checkers are practically out of the game.
Rules
Interestingly, the author notes that there were no official rules at the time of writing (1930). However, he does indicate that official rules are imminent and makes his suggestions which closely mirror the rules we know today. The most interesting, suggestion being “Each side shall roll one of the dice and the side throwing the highest number shall have choice of colour and position, as well as first play, using the number thrown and number on opponent’s die. In the case of a tie, the throw shall be void and the dice thrown again.” This suggests that opening doubles were being played at the time. This is also evident when the author discusses the opening moves. I assume that players each rolled a die with the higher value being the winner. The dice would then be rolled again to determine the opening move, which could result in a double.
Doubling
The book covers the use of the doubling cube, which would have been a relatively new feature of the game at the time of writing. It also covers another new feature of the game, the Chouette. The book contains three diagrams, two of which show the setup of the board and the direction of play. One of the diagrams shows an interesting type of backgammon notation, showing the points labelled with letters (A – X) instead of numbers (1 – 24).
Conclusion
Backgammon in 20 minutes is a charming book written in the language of the period. The style of writing is almost like the author is speaking to the reader as if they were sitting across a backgammon board. It is a brief and enjoyable read, but it contains very little depth and will only benefit absolute beginners.
Contents, 31 pages
Backgammon in 20 Minutes
Opening the Game
Bearing
Playing
Doubling
Scoring
Laws
Reduced Facsimile of Backgammon Score Card
I read it years ago, charming backgammon book from days gone by. it still has its merits.