A comprehensive and fun guide to Backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest games in the world, the origins of which date back some 5000 years - and it's still going strong. It enjoyed a huge resurgence in the 1970s, and then again in the 1990s with the popularity of the Internet, where millions of people play tournaments online every day.

Today, backgammon's following in the UK is huge, with a dedicated British Isles Backgammon Association, and hundreds of face-to-face tournaments taking place across the UK every year.

In this book, backgammon expert Chris Bray walks you through the basics of setting up a board, opening strategies, middle and end-game tactics, and tips on when to make key moves. You'll also get to grips with basic probabilities, the doubling cube and the 25% rule. And if you want to take your gaming further, there's plenty of advice to get you started in tournament backgammon, as well as playing online.

Suitable for both beginners and experienced player looking for more tips and techniques, "Backgammon For Dummies" includes coverage on: Starting and Playing the GameHandling the Middle GameBearing Off (The Last Lap)Varying the PlayAbout the author

Staying at home doesn't mean that you have be stuck in front of the TV. This is the ultimate companion to help you beat boredom and to embrace your time indoors. Organized by mood, this book is packed with ideas on how to energize yourself, find your purpose, relax and reflect, get creative and connect with the world around you. Whether it's for a rainy day or a weekend indoors, there are over 80 ideas to keep busy and to challenge your mind. Staying at home can be a challenge and this clever book will offer ways to keep you happy and healthy, from putting together a homemade exercise routine using everyday household items to creating your own home silent disco as well as ideas to help you discover a new hobby, such as learning a language or upcycling furniture. There are also tasks to keep you feeling engaged and proactive, with tips on lowering your plastic pollution and ways you can volunteer from the comfort of your home, as well as practical ways to help you stay connected with nature, from making your own bird feeder to star gazing from your window, and creative activities to help reduce stress and worry, such as journaling, colouring and crafting. Staying in is the new going out, and it's so much more fun when you have ideas to keep you busy and entertained. These simple activities are full of tips and tricks to make your time at home as enjoyable as possible. You'll never wonder what you can do with your spare time ever again!

First published in 1987 to overwhelming international acclaim, Jeremy Gaige's Chess Personalia has been called ?one of the most useful chess books ever published? (Edward Winter in New in Chess). The book is an invaluable resource for researchers and enthusiasts, and original copies are highly sought after by chess collectors. Long out of print, the original work is available here for the first time in a softcover format. This biobibliography contains around 14,000 worldwide entries, each entry offering full name, date and place of birth and death, FIDE title, country of citizenship and citations to mentions in the world's media. Variants in names are cross-referenced. Those knowledgeable in the chess world will recognize the author's name and be completely assured as to the comprehensiveness, accuracy, lack of bias, and sedulous research this extraordinary reference work represents.

Among the first books ever published was the 1474 translation of the Game and Playe of the Chesse. Over the next 400 years, significant chess books would appear, but the overwhelming number of titles on the subject appeared in the 20th century and continue unabated. By 2003, over 35,000 volumes on chess in a variety of languages had been published, with approximately 14,000 English language works published from 1960 onward. For the librarian, collector, or chess enthusiast, the immediate task comes in finding which of these many volumes are worthwhile. This work provides an objective and informative look at some of the best chess books published in the period 1901 through 2000?and gives numerous examples of the games, with diagrams that appear in them. Inclusion criteria were popularity, longevity, critical acclaim, influence, definitiveness, historical importance, authorship and reputation. All were published in English (or use figurine notation). Each entry includes bibliographic details followed by a description of the book, with information on the author or authors, why the book is important, and background information on the publication.

Many bridge books feature magical and inspiring hands but hands that are never seen in day-to-day play at the bridge table. Bridge: Winning Ways to Play Your Cards concentrates on the type of hands that will make a real difference to your scores and which will help you improve your game. Discover how to assess your opponents' strengths and weaknesses - in relation to your own - and win!

The Ancients, age-old guardians of the arcane crystals, have long slumbered in their secret vaults. Rumoured to be invincible sentinels, they have defended their crystals unchallenged for eons. With the fall of the Empire, the most desperate bands of the Wildlands have joined forces to take them down and claim the crystals they protect. Wildlands: The Ancients introduces powerful creatures and new terrains that allow players to play Wildlands solo and cooperatively, as well as supporting play with up to six players. Requires a copy of Wildlands to play. At six players, requires a copy of Wildlands and either The Unquiet Dead or The Adventuring Party to play. Players: 1-6 Playing Time: 60 minutes Ages: 14+ Contents: 5 Unique Over-Sized Miniatures, Doubled-sided Playing Board, 100+ Cards, 5 Double-Sided Scenario Sheets, 80+ Counters, 10 Plastic Bases, 10 Crystals

In Play Poker Like the Pros, poker master Phil Hellmuth, Jr., demonstrates exactly how to play and win -- even if you have never picked up a deck of cards -- the modern games of poker, including: Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven-Card Stud, and Razz.

Phil Hellmuth, Jr., a seven-time World Champion of Poker, presents his tournament-tested strategies to beat any type of player, including:

• The Jackal (crazy and unpredictable)
• The Elephant (plays too many hands)
• The Mouse (plays very conservatively)
• The Lion (skilled and tough to beat)

Play Poker Like the Pros begins by laying out the rules and set-up of each game and then moves on to easy-to-follow basic and advanced strategies. Hellmuth teaches exactly which hands to play, when to bluff, when to raise, and when to fold. In addition Hellmuth provides techniques for reading other players and staying cool under pressure. There are also special chapters on how to beat online poker games and an inside look at tournament play.

Board games have long fascinated as mirrors of intelligence, skill, cunning, and wisdom. While board games have been the topic of many scientific studies, and have been studied for more than a century by psychologists, there was until now no single volume summarizing psychological research into board games. This book, which is the first systematic study of psychology and board games, covers topics such as perception, memory, problem solving and decision making, development, intelligence, emotions, motivation, education, and neuroscience. It also briefly summarizes current research in artificial intelligence aiming at developing computers playing board games, and critically discusses how current theories of expertise fare with board games. Finally, it shows that the information provided by board game research, both data and theories, have a wider relevance for the understanding of human psychology in general.

Experts agree that regularly solving tactics is a vital component of chess training. However, it's also widely acknowledged that there is one drawback of traditional chess puzzleswhen solving them students know for sure that there is a genuine tactic in the position, whereas during a real game there is no such guarantee. In this workbook, Volker Schleputz and Grandmaster John Emms offer a unique framework to study chess tactics independent of themes, difficulty andmost importantlyeven the existence of an actual tactic in a given position. Analyzing carefully selected games, from beginner level through to club and tournament level, the reader assumes the role of a tactics detective, checking for mistakes and missed opportunities by both sides without the help of a chess engine. This training method resembles live play far more realistically than solving puzzles, because each move has to be analyzed with respect to tactical possibilitieswhether they exist or not. The same thinking processes used in the training can then be applied in real games. *A unique framework to practice chess tactics*Exercises resemble over-the-board situations*Ideal for beginners, intermediate and club players

There is only one casino game in which players, if they play perfectly, can gain a mathematical advantage over the house. That game is blackjack.
Blackjack Strategy teaches you everything you need to know to fatten your wallet and have a good time at the tables. At last, here is an easy-to-understand guide to blackjacks basic strategy and card counting. Michael Benson explains when to take a hit, when to stand, when to split, and when to double-down - and how all these decisions are influenced by the card count. Included are:
* A comprehensive list of blackjack rules, including those particular to specific casinos,
regions, and foreign countries
* How to avoid the surveillance techniques houses use to weed out card counters
* Inside tips from the professionals
* A money-management guide to maximize winnings and minimize losses
* Forty strategy charts
Blackjack Strategy is entirely up-to-date for todays casino play and, unlike many other blackjack guides, doesnt require a mathematicians skill to comprehend.

The sequel to the bestselling Yoga Deck from Olivia H. Miller. This handy deck of cards provides detailed instructions for a variety of yoga poses that help alleviate and prevent pain and enhance overall wellbeing. Whether you're a yoga novice interested in pain prevention and relief, or if yoga is a part of your everyday routine, these handy cards can help you take control of your health. Each card has an illustration of a pose, step-by-step instructions, and options for more or less of a challenge-ensuring that people of different ages and physical abilities can safely use the deck and reap all the benefits. The tri-fold introduction card includes a table of contents, suggestions for using the deck, a brief explanation about the benefits of yoga, and suggested sequences. * Shows how to perform 60 yoga poses, meditations, and recommended sequences to alleviate pain, prevent chronic conditions, and boost overall well-being * Contains illustrations for more than 50 new poses * Each illustrated card includes step-by-step instructions, a list of benefits, and an affirmation Fans of The Yoga Deck: 50 Poses & Meditations for Body, Mind, & Spirit, The Stretch Deck: 50 Stretches, and The Chakra Deck: 50 Cards for Promoting Spiritual and Physical Health (Relax and Rejuvenate) will love this card deck. * Idea cards for anyone who wants an alternative way to alleviate pain * Great gift for yoga enthusiasts of all ages and levels * Perfect, portable deck for those practicing self-care and wellness rituals

Dip in to this pack of 50 illustrated cards to refresh and revitalize your senses. How much of the world's beauty have we become indifferent to, caught up in the bustle and rush of day-to-day life? Take a break from the madness, and from your smartphone, and rediscover the magic of the world around you. Surprising, engaging prompts will help you hone in and focus on the world around you and tune back in to the things that really matter.

Designed to revive The Art of Conversation(R), TAOC(R) is a fabulous way to have balanced, interesting and meaningful communications. This Travel Edition follows on from the success of the original TAOC(R) games, offering new avenues to think, and talk, about the world. Included is an instruction booklet, as well as over 300 areas of discussion from topics on geography, history, languages, anthropology, philosophy, architecture, politics, and much more. TAOC(R) Travel enables us to gain new perspectives and broaden our view of the world in a fun and easy to use format. Best of all, your own life experiences, interests and ideas are all that's required to enjoy and reap the full benefits of TAOC(R) Travel. TAOC(R) Travel is an excellent learning tool for students of any age, as it works well regardless of actual travel experience; facilitating healthy debates and discussions, as well as being a useful tool for research topics, interactive tours and lesson plans. With TAOC(R) Travel, a myriad of world journeys await you, and can be experienced right in you very own home!

Recruit new soldiers, face new foes, and explore the mysteries of the Carpathian Mountains in two new campaigns, one competitive and one for solo or cooperative play. High in the Carpathian Mountains stands the crumbling Castle Fier. Once home to a powerful warlord, the castle cast a dark shadow across the nearby villages, until crusaders attacked with sword and flame to put an end to its menace. Though history passed into folklore, the ruins of Castle Fier remained shunned by all as a cursed site. Now, horrors have been seen moving at night. An army gathers. Something has awoken in the ruins. With the political situation in the surrounding region becoming increasingly unstable, France, Prussia, Britain, and the other powers have dispatched their best agents to investigate the ruins, eliminate any threats, and acquire any treasures that could prove useful in the ongoing fight against the harvestmen... and each other. The Carpathians: Castle Fier is a supplement for The Silver Bayonet: A Wargame of Napoleonic Gothic Horror, in which the special units must fight their way through the ruins of a menacing haunted castle. It features two campaigns - one competitive and one for solo or cooperative play - as well as new monsters to fight, soldiers to recruit, and treasure to unearth.

In chess literature, there have only been a few chess books that have immediately - and permanently - established themselves as classics, and this is one of them. The original English edition, published 75 years ago, used English descriptive notation, contained only one photograph, no crosstables and was in two volumes. This new 21st-century edition, presented with modern algebraic notation, has * combined both books into a single volume * added more than three dozen archival photographs * crosstables * Alekhine's complete match and tournament records * a Foreword by Russian grandmaster Igor Zaitsev * with many more diagrams * a comprehensive computer-assisted analytical supplement is also available for free download Whether you feel as if you are revisiting an old friend, or being introduced to this splendid game collection for the first time, you will marvel at how Alekhine's games and works remain extraordinarily consonant with the modern approach.

The strategic thinking skills, clarity, and patience required to win a game of chess can also be applied to the world of finance and investing. Thinking one step ahead and creating a detailed financial plan bring you closer to your ultimate goals of building your wealth. Like a pawn on the chessboard, navigating through many challenges and obstacles to achieve financial success, an investor must have a master plan and effective strategy. You need to be able to advance across the board while protecting your king (you and your family) from your opponents at the same time.

Recognized by the "Guinness Book of World Records" as the most popular MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) in videogame history, "World of Warcraft" is everywhere -- from episodes of "South Park" and "The Simpsons, " to online series like "Watch the Guild, " accolades and awards from game critics, and prime-time commercials with Mr. T. Inevitably, such a cultural phenomenon triggers deeper questions. When does an assumed identity become real? Does the Corrupted Blood epidemic warn us of future public health catastrophes? What are the dangers when real life is invaded by events in the game? What can our own world learn from Azeroth's blend of primitivism and high-tech? In these lively essays, a specially commissioned guild of philosophers, including Yara Mitsuishi, Monica Evans, Tim Christopher, and Anna Janssen, tackles these and other complex questions arising from "WoW."

Millions of people of all ages play bridge and what better way to spend the perfect evening than supper with friends and bridge. And what could be better than to have a special selection of the delicious recipes by Nicola Cox, originally published in her celebrated books Good Food from Farthinghoe and Country Cooking from Farthinghoe. The recipes have been carefully chosen so that they do not involve a lot of last-minute activity when one would prefer to be playing bridge. The dishes are arranged in groups from soups to puddings via a selection of delectable pates, mousses, salads. vegetable dishes and main courses.

Questions of Modern Chess Theory is the lost masterpiece of Soviet chess literature. It was written by a double Ukrainian Champion, and published in the Soviet Union in 1956. Russian experts say it is one of the most influential chess books of the 20th century, yet it was never published in English.It has been edited to make it useful for the 21st century and is now accessible for the first time to an English-speaking audience.

This wonderful game will allow your family to create its own fairy tales. Highly original and with a contemporary twist, this game contains 20 puzzle pieces printed on both sides, which can be interchanged to allow for all kinds of plots. With three alternative endings! Can you find the missing elf before he is eaten by the big, bad wolf? Is the witch offering you a poisoned apple, or will she help you... by magically shrinking the giant pink rabbit that is terrorizing your castle? Tell a different story each time you play, in this 8-foot-long fairytale puzzle.