The Backgammon Challenge

Spoiler Alert.

If you don’t want to read the whole sorry tale, Debbie wins on the last day by taking both games.

Debbie while cleaning out a closet found a backgammon set. Thus was born the Great Backgammon Challenge of 2011-2012. We’ll keep track of who wins each game[1] over the winter, and on the first day of Spring 2012 (March 20th) the winner of the most games gets to name their prize.

I am confident of victory, despite having had to build a fence around our back garden the last time I entered into one of these challenges.

Date Debbie Chuck Notes
12/13/11 1 1
12/14/11 1 1 Debbie slaughtered me in the 2nd game. I only had two pieces borne off when she finished.
12/16/11 0 2
12/18/11 1 1
12/19/11 1 1 Debbie hammered me brutally in the first game. I barely squeaked out a victory in the second. I’m not feeling confident.
12/20/11 1 1
12/21/11 2 0
12/22/11 0 1
1/4/12 1 1 I almost gammoned Debbie tonight in the first game!
1/30/12 2 0
1/31/12 1 1 Debbie won the second game tonight only through some unholy pact that let her roll doubles 3 times in a row at the end.
2/1/12 1 1
2/1/12 0 2
2/10/12 1 1 I’m glad no one was counting how many times I said, “bleep it” tonight. The dice were being very cruel.
2/16/12 1 1
2/20/12 2 0
2/21/12 1 1 Debbie rolled doubles 3 out of her last 4 rolls to make a game that should’ve been a walk-off for me way too close.
2/22/12 2 0 I should just forfeit and end the misery.
2/26/12 0 2 Maybe there is hope after all.
2/28/12 0 2 Gammon! Gammon! Gammon! Chuck is great! Let’s feed him chocolate cake!
3/2/12 1 1
3/7/12 1 1 Status quo maintained
3/8/12 1 1 Debbie says my one game lead is, “not the result of skill.”
3/9/12 1 1 No one is giving an inch as we rush towards the March 20th conclusion.
3/10/12 1 1 Debbie rolled double 6’s, twice, at the end to win the second game. Not that I’m bitter or claiming I would’ve won except for her freakish luck.
3/11/12 1 1 Debbie’s freakish ability to roll doubles when needed is starting to creep me out. On the other hand, maybe a trip to the craps tables in Vegas is in order…
3/12/12 1 1 Ok, some have challenged me on my constant whining about Debbie’s freakish ability to roll doubles. So tonight I kept count: Debbie rolled 9 doubles, I rolled 3. I know, I know, that proves nothing. I’m just saying…
3/13/12 0 2 We both rolled 8 doubles tonight.
3/17/12 1 1 Debbie rolled 8 doubles, I rolled 6.
3/18/12 2 0 Debbie rolled 8 doubles in the first game and I rolled 1.
3/19/12 1 1 This is nothing unusual, but Debbie rolled double 6’s to win the first game.
3/20/12 2 0 The penultimate day, and Debbie snatches victory from jaws of defeat by winning both matches. The first she won in the usual manner by rolling 5 doubles to my 1. But she won the second despite only rolling 2 doubles to my 3.
Total 32 31

 


1.Everything we know about backgammon we know by reading a set of instructions translated by someone who didn’t know much English, and didn’t care to learn any more. What we are playing probably only coincidentally resembles regulation backgammon.

9 thoughts on “The Backgammon Challenge

  1. I have to admit that my uncanny ability to roll doubles was the only reason that I won tonight. Especially the first game. No way should I have won that one.

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