Anyone who’s played enough backgammon knows why it’s often called the ‘cruellest game.’ In our view, it’s one of the most brilliantly designed games ever created. It captures the delicate balance between chaos and order, and serves as a powerful symbol for life itself. This is an interesting read for those looking for a nostalgic introduction to backgammon, Backgammon the cruelest game by Barclay Cooke & Jon Bradshaw.
If you could ever date a book by its cover, then “Backgammon the cruelest game” is it. The dated graphics and fonts, the suited gentlemen and the cigarette in hand by the White player. It screams 1970s, and that’s because it is, it was published by Random House in 1974. I don’t remember the 70s myself, but I saw enough household relics from my parents to know the age. I had heard of the book before and stumbled across Backgammon the cruelest game, at the Internet Archive, where you can read it online for free.
Contents
The book is 220 pages across 12 chapters. The language is surprisingly easy to follow. I have read some old backgammon books and have always found the language to be quaint and of “the era”. This sometimes breaks the flow, as you have to stop and remind yourself what some of the “era-specific” terminology and turns of phrase actually mean. Not so in this case. I briefly discuss the chapters in the sections below.
Each chapter is underlined with a quote from Karl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz (1780 – 1831), a Prussian general and military theorist. His most notable work, Vom Kriege (On War), is the likely source of these quotes. Similar parallels with backgammon can be drawn to Sun Tzu’s Art of War.
1. The Rules of the Game
2. Basic Opening Moves and A Few Essential Replies
3. The Tactics of the Game
4. Basic Odds and Probabilities
5. Bearing Off
6. The Back Game
7. The Doubler
8. Chouette
9. Settlements
10. End-Game Tactics
11. The Psychology of the Game
12. Three Great Games
Chapter 1: The Rules of the Game
Everything is very simple in war, but the simplest thing is difficult. – Karl von Clausewitz
The opening chapter introduces the board layout, checker setup, and the rules of the game. The explanations are deliberately plain language, making even complete novices comfortable with the mechanics in just a few pages. Modern readers will still find this section a solid refresher on the essentials before diving into the deeper mechanics.
Chapter 2: Basic Opening Moves and A Few Essential Replies
Whatever is to the advantage of one side, is to the disadvantage of the other. – Karl von Clausewitz
Presents illustrated tables for each of the 15 possible opening rolls, recommending “classical” pre-computer plays and key defensive replies. While many of Cooke & Bradshaw’s preferred openings have since been pushed aside by computer analysis, the chapter remains a useful way for beginners to learn the strategic goals behind each first move.
Chapter 3: The Tactics of the Game
Military tactics are the integral means through which the enemy’s destruction or submission is the ultimate end. – Karl von Clausewitz
Covers the principal tactics and strategies: running, holding (anchoring), priming, blitzing, and back-games, illustrated with annotated positions. Cooke and Bradshaw include psychological advice (“hit not out of anger, but to create positional problems”) that still resonates, and modern players will recognise many of these same themes in more recent analysis. It also focuses on the need for flexibility, rather than rigidly adhering to a single strategy.
Chapter 4: Basic Odds and Probabilities
All action in war is directed on probable, not on certain, events. – Karl von Clausewitz
Provides tables of roll probabilities, practical guidelines for pip-counting, and rudimentary equity estimates for simple positions. Although modern players can now use software for precise equity, understanding these fundamentals is crucial for cube and match-play decisions. Therefore, this chapter remains an excellent primer on “thinking in percentages” at the board.
Chapter 5: Bearing Off
The policy employed in waging war troubles itself little about final possibilities, but continues its attention to immediate probabilities. – Karl von Clausewitz
Details efficient bearing-off techniques, covering common blot-avoidance trade-offs and pip-count management in the race to clear one’s home board. The principles here, leave no “hanging” blots, and “maximise pip-count savings”, are unchanged in modern play, making this section as relevant today as ever.
Chapter 6: The Back Game
Defense in itself is a negative exercise, since it concentrates on resisting the intentions of the enemy rather than being occupied with our own. – Karl von Clausewitz
Cooke & Bradshaw describe the back game as a “rear-guard action” that goes against natural racing instincts. They emphasise that it should generally be avoided except when timing permits by establishing two anchors deep in the opponent’s home board. They detail the preferred points (1–2 or 1–3) for such anchors, warn of the “horror numbers” that can abruptly collapse a back-game, and stress that success hinges on precise timing and disciplined risk assessment.
Chapter 7: The Doubler
Capitulation is not a disgrace. A general can no more entertain the idea of fighting to the last man than a good chess player would consider playing an obviously lost game. – Karl von Clausewitz
This chapter treats the doubling cube as the “key to backgammon,” tracing its (then recent) history and showing how mastery of double/redouble decisions separates novices from experts. It lays out the formal doubling rules, who may double and when. Then it discusses the consequences of accepting or dropping, and offers strategic principles for correctly evaluating cube actions in uncertain positions.
Chapter 8: Chouette
War is a constant state of reciprocal action, the effects of which are mutual. – Karl von Clausewitz
Here, the authors introduce the chouette format, one “box” player versus a rotating team. It includes anecdotes about alliances, captain-and-partner dynamics, and the cube-settlement mechanics unique to group play. They argue that chouettes combine competitiveness with camaraderie, showing how social interaction influences cube strategy and why the box battles are the decisive duels in this multiplayer variant.
Chapter 9: Settlements
It is from the character of our adversary’s position that we can draw conclusions as to his designs and will, therefore, act accordingly. – Karl von Clausewitz
Cooke & Bradshaw define “settlements” as negotiated compromises in money games, where one side buys off the other to avoid risking the entire stake. They provide a step-by-step formula, net equity over a sequence of hypothetical games multiplied by the current cube value, to compute fair settlement amounts. They then discuss the bargaining psychology that can lead to “unfair” but strategically sound offers.
Chapter 10: End-Game Tactics
The art of war is largely an art of manoeuvre. The effectiveness of a fighting unit depends on the coordination of its parts. – Karl von Clausewitz
Building on earlier bearing-off material, this chapter dives into advanced end-game scenarios: maximising safe pips, arranging checkers to cover blots, and forcing vulnerabilities in the opponent’s leftover structure. Cooke & Bradshaw illustrate how seemingly minor pip differentials or checker distributions can swing a game’s outcome in the closing rolls, underscoring the enduring importance of “last-mile” efficiency.
Chapter 11: The Psychology of the Game
All war supposes human weakness and against that it is directed. – Karl von Clausewitz
This chapter explores how “bad luck” rationalisations, tilt, and opponents’ body language affect decisions and long-term success. The authors warn that backgammon’s high luck factor (they estimate an 80:20 luck-to-skill ratio) breeds self-deception, and they offer methods to recognise psychological traps and maintain emotional discipline.
Chapter 12: Three “Great Games”
The common denominator of war is the duel. – Karl von Clausewitz
The book closes with three fully annotated matches, showcasing a classic blitz, a daring back-game rescue, and a prolonged priming duel. Each match is dissected move by move to illustrate cube strategy, tactical swings, and the human drama of pre-computer tournament play. These case studies remain engaging history lessons and practical learning tools. It reveals how top players of the era navigated complexity without relying on computerised rollout analysis.
Is it dated?
While the book’s psychological insights and basic tactics remain relevant to the modern backgammon player, some of its specific opening-move recommendations have been overturned by modern computer analysis. For example, for the 5-2 opening, Cooke and Bradshaw recommend unloading two checkers from the mid-point with 13/11, 13/8. However, modern computer analysis suggests splitting your back checkers and unloading the mid-point with 24/22, 13/8. Another example is the 6-2 opening. Cooke and Bradshaw recommend slotting the 5-point, but modern analysis suggests the 24/18, 13/11 play is a better move because it develops both sides of the board.
More importantly, is it a good read?
“Backgammon the Cruelest Game” largely remains a readable introduction to backgammon’s fundamentals, and its storytelling is still enjoyable. However, for precise opening theory, you’ll want to supplement it with contemporary computer‐aided analysis. It is definitely worth reading, if you can find a second-hand copy, great. Other wise you can read it only for free at the Internet Archive, follow the link below.
Related content
Backgammon the cruelest game, at the Internet Archive.
Note: Both “cruellest” and “cruelest” are correct spellings of the superlative form of “cruel,” but “cruellest” is generally preferred in British English, while “cruelest” is more common in American English. I would normally use the British English spelling, but have used the spelling from the title throughout this article.