Ken Larsen’s Web Site - Backgammon Tips - Gammonlab
How I use Gammonlab
As explained on the previous web page, Gammonlab is a free internet tool which can help you improve your backgammon. Gammonlab’s web site touts it as “the newest, strongest backgammon engine”. I personally regard that claim as very credible.
There are two ways I use Gammonlab:
I play games against Gammonlab, and then have it evaluate my moves and identify my weaknesses. If I’ve made a move that Gammonlab deems incorrect, I may make a flashcard out of the position.
I set up “quiz positions” (e.g. a position from a real game or a problem in a backgammon quiz book), and have Gammonlab tell me the best move. I use this mode to verify answers for my flashcards.
Gammonlab uses standard “backgammon notation” to document moves.
Playing a game against Gammonlab
Unless otherwise noted, “click” means “press left mouse button”.
A. Setup
1. Invoke www.gammonlab.com
2. Click on the green button "Start GAMMONLAB".
3. Click on "Setup" tab.
4. Click on the + key twice under "Analysis Depth" to set it to "3 ply" (the most difficult).
5. Click on "Match" tab.
6. Use your left mouse button to change "1 point match" to "15 point match". This activates the doubling cube. (The doubling cube is not valid for a 1 point match.)
B. Actual game play
Now you're ready to begin a game against Gammonlab.
7. Click on the "General" tab.
8. Make sure that "Auto move" is checked.
9. Click "Random Roll". Note: You will play white, and white always goes first. That's a small limitation in Gammonlab.
10. Use your left mouse button to drag your pieces to where you want them to go.
11. Click "Confirm".
12. Click "Random Roll". This is red's roll. Gammonlab plays red.
13. Click "Best move". This gives Gammonlab the best move each roll.
14. Repeat steps 9-13 until the game is over ... or until you want to stop.
C. Analysis
Now you're ready to have Gammonlab analyze the game you just played.
15. Turn your attention to the lower left-hand quadrant of the screen. It displays the backgammon notation for the game you just played. The moves are numbered in the far left-hand column.
16. Turn off “Auto move”.
17. Scroll back to move 1.
18. Use your left mouse button to highlight (in white print on blue background) the dice roll for white’s (your) move.
19. Click on “Best move”.
20. Compare Gammonlab’s “best move” with the move that you actually made. If it doesn’t agree, click on “Details…” to see if your move matches any of the moves which Gammonlab deems to be second best, third best, etc. Then, think about why Gammonlab may have made a move different from your actual move. The learning has begun! Tip: I may also make a "flashcard" out the position by taking a screen shot using ScreenHunter. I made 500 of these screen image "flashcards" and reviewed them each ten times prior to my winning the 2006 Cardinal Classic. They were a great study aid!
21. Repeat steps 18-20 for moves 2, 3, 4, etc. I usually like to scrutinize every move.
Note: The “Match” folder of Gammonlab has an “Analyze Game” feature. It worked well early in 2005 except for an occasional timeout where the whole game played would be lost and disappear from the screen. Now I adopt the procedure documented by steps 15-21, above.
Here's my record against Gammonlab:
Year
Won
Lost
Winning Percentage
2004
338
368
47.9%
2005 176 171 50.7% 2006 80 89 47.3% TOTAL
594
628
48.6%
In my games I always play white which always wins the opening roll. That bestows a small advantage to me. Therefore my winning percentage versus Gammonlab is slightly higher than it would be if Gammonlab could win its share of the opening rolls. Also, I don't use the doubling cube. That would also likely lower my winning percentage.
Using Gammonlab to evaluate a “quiz position”
1. Setup as per “Setup” in the previous section (steps 1-6).
2. Click on the “Setup” tab.
3. Use your left mouse button to drag the pieces to where you want them to go.
4. Click on the “General” tab.
5. Disable “Auto move” by clicking on the check mark.
6. The recommended doubling cube strategy for a particular move can be found by right clicking your mouse and then clicking on "Best move or cube".
7. Below the words “Random Roll”, use your left mouse button to change the two “select”s to the dice roll you wish to examine.
8. Click on “Best Move”. Gammonlab’s recommendation will appear below.
9. Click on “Details” to see alternative moves. Gammonlab ranks the alternative moves. A few may be just as good as the top selction.
10. To see whether your position merits turning the doubling cube, click your right mouse button and then click “Best Move or Cube”.
Enjoy your use of Gammonlab!