This is gnubg.info, produced by makeinfo version 6.8 from gnubg.texi.

INFO-DIR-SECTION Games
START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* GNU Backgammon Manual V1.00.0: (gnubg).   The GNU Backgammon manual
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Top,  Next: Introduction,  Up: (dir)

GNU Backgammon Manual V1.00.0
*****************************

* Menu:

* Introduction::                Introduction to GNU Backgammon
* Rules of the game::
* Starting GNU Backgammon::     Starting GNU Backgammon. Command line
                                  options.
* Playing a game::
* Getting hints and Tutor Mode::
* Setting up a position::
* Working with matches::
* Rollouts::
* Customizing GNU Backgammon::
* Technical Notes::
* Frequently Asked Questions::
* GNU Free Documentation License::

— The Detailed Node Listing —

Introduction

* GPL copying/warranty info::

Rules of the game

* Setup::
* Object of the Game::
* Movement of the Checkers::
* Hitting and Entering::
* Bearing Off::
* Doubling::
* Gammons and Backgammons::
* Optional Rules::
* Rules for Match Play::

Starting GNU Backgammon

* GNU/Linux and Unix::
* Microsoft Windows::
* Mac OS X::
* Command line options::

Playing a game

* Starting a new match or session::
* Rolling the dice::
* Moving the checkers::
* Using the doubling cube::
* Resigning::

Getting hints and Tutor Mode

* Getting hints manually::
* Tutor mode::

Setting up a position

* Entering Edit mode::
* Editing::
* Clearing the board::
* Quick edit::
* Editing by drag and drop::
* Setting the player on turn::
* Setting the dice::
* Setting the cube::
* Setting the score::
* Exiting Edit mode::
* Analysing the position::

Working with matches

* Retrieving and storing backgammon files::
* Entering live tournament matches::
* Analysing matches::
* Reviewing matches::

Rollouts

* Introduction to rollouts::
* Rollouts in GNU Backgammon::

Customizing GNU Backgammon

* Evaluation settings::
* Appearance::

Technical Notes

* Obtaining bearoff databases::
* Match Equity Tables::
* Python scripting::
* Equities explained::
* A technical description of the Position ID::
* A technical description of the Match ID::
* Description of the CSS style sheet::

Frequently Asked Questions

* General questions::
* How to install::
* Running GNU Backgammon::
* Playing backgammon::
* Settings::
* Analysing::
* Abbreviations::



File: gnubg.info,  Node: Introduction,  Next: Rules of the game,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

1 Introduction
**************

This manual describes how to use GNU Backgammon to play and analyse
backgammon games and matches.  It corresponds to version 1.00.0 (updated
in August, 2013).

   GNU Backgammon (gnubg) plays and analyses both money game sessions
and tournament matches.  It evaluates and rolls out positions, and much
more.  Driven by a command-line interface, it displays an ASCII
rendering of a board on text-only terminals, but also allows the user to
play games and manipulate positions with a graphical GTK+interface.  GNU
Backgammon is extensible on platforms which support Python.


     (No game) new game
     gnubg rolls 3, anthon rolls 1.

     GNU Backgammon  Positions ID: 4HPwATDgc/ABMA
     Match ID   : MIEFAAAAAAAA
      +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+     O: gnubg
      | X           O    |   | O              X |     0 points
      | X           O    |   | O              X |     Rolled 31
      | X           O    |   | O                |
      | X                |   | O                |
      | X                |   | O                |
     ^|                  |BAR|                  |     (Cube: 1)
      | O                |   | X                |
      | O                |   | X                |
      | O           X    |   | X                |
      | O           X    |   | X              O |
      | O           X    |   | X              O |     0 points
      +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+     X: anthon

     gnubg moves 8/5 6/5.


   GNU Backgammon is a world class opponent and rates at around 2100 on
FIBS, the First Internet Backgammon Server - at its best, it is in the
top 5 of over 6000 rated players there).  GNU Backgammon can be played
on numerous other on-line backgammon servers.

   The following features can be found in the current release of GNU
Backgammon.

   • A command-line interface (with full command editing features if GNU
     readline is available) that lets you play matches and sessions
     against GNU Backgammon with a rough ASCII representation of the
     board on text terminals.

   • Support for a GTK+ graphical user interface with both 2D and 3D
     views of the board.

   • Tournament match and money session cube handling and cubeful play.
     All governed by an underlying cubeless money game based neural net.

   • Support for both 1-sided and 2-sided bearoff databases: 1-sided
     bearoff database for 15 checkers on the first 6 points and optional
     2-sided database kept in memory.  Larger 1-sided and 2-sided
     databases may be stored on disk.

   • Automated rollouts of positions, with lookahead and variance
     reduction where appropriate.  Rollouts may be extended.

   • Automatic and manual annotation (analysis and commentary) of games
     and matches.

   • Record keeping of player statistics in games and matches using
     relational databases (SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL are supported).

   • Loading and saving analysed games and matches as .sgf files (Smart
     Game Format).

   • Importing of positions, games and matches from a number of standard
     file formats, including: native GNU Backgammon file (.sgf),
     Jellyfish Match (.mat), GridGammon Save Game (.sgg), FIBS Oldmoves
     (.fibs), Jellyfish Position (.pos), Snowie Text (.txt),
     TrueMoneyGames (.tmg), GammonEmpire Game (.gam), PartyGammon Game
     (.gam), and BGRoom Game (.bgf).

   • Exporting of positions, games and matches to a number of standard
     file formats, including: native GNU Backgammon file (.sgf),
     Hypertext Markup Language (.html), Jellyfish Game (.gam), Jellyfish
     Match (.mat), Jellyfish Position (.pos), LaTeX (.tex), Portable
     Document Format (.pdf), Plain Text (.txt), Portable Network
     Graphics (.png), Postscript (.ps), Snowie Text (.txt), and Scalable
     Vector Graphics (.svg).

   • Python scripting ability.

   • Native language support; 15 languages are complete or in progress:
     (cs_CZ, da_DK, en_GB, en_US, es_ES, fi_FI, fr_FR, de_DE, el_GR,
     is_IS, it_IT, ja_JP, ro_RO, ru_RU and tr_TR)

* Menu:

* GPL copying/warranty info::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: GPL copying/warranty info,  Up: Introduction

1.1 GPL copying/warranty info
=============================

GNU Backgammon is developed under the GNU General Public License (GPL)
and it is part of the GNU project.  For more information about the GNU
project please visit their website: https://www.gnu.org/
(https://www.gnu.org/) For more information about free software in
general please visit The Free Software Foundation at:
https://www.fsf.org/ (https://www.fsf.org/).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Rules of the game,  Next: Starting GNU Backgammon,  Prev: Introduction,  Up: Top

2 Rules of the game
*******************

This section describes how to play a game, a match, or a session of
money games against GNU Backgammon or a human opponent.  It is taken
directly from the rules section of Backgammon Galore
(https://www.bkgm.com/), courtesy of Tom Keith.

* Menu:

* Setup::
* Object of the Game::
* Movement of the Checkers::
* Hitting and Entering::
* Bearing Off::
* Doubling::
* Gammons and Backgammons::
* Optional Rules::
* Rules for Match Play::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Setup,  Next: Object of the Game,  Up: Rules of the game

2.1 Setup
=========

Backgammon is a game for two players, played on a board consisting of
twenty-four narrow triangles called points.  The triangles alternate in
color and are grouped into four quadrants of six triangles each.  The
quadrants are referred to as a player’s home board and outer board, and
the opponent’s home board and outer board.  The home and the outer
boards are separated from each other by a ridge down the center of the
board called the bar.


   *A board with the checkers in their initial position.*


          Outer Board           O's Home Board
      +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
      | X           O    |   | O              X |
      | X           O    |   | O              X |
      | X           O    |   | O                |
      | X                |   | O                |
      | X                |   | O                |
      |                  |BAR|                  |
      | O                |   | X                |
      | O                |   | X                |
      | O           X    |   | X                |
      | O           X    |   | X              O |
      | O           X    |   | X              O |
      +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+
          Outer Board           X's Home Board


   An alternate arrangement is the reverse of the one shown here, with
the home board on the left and the outer board on the right.

   The points are numbered for either player starting in that player’s
home board.  The outermost point is the twenty-four point, which is also
the opponent’s one point.  Each player has fifteen checkers of his own
color.  The initial arrangement of checkers is: two on each player’s
twenty-four point, five on each player’s thirteen point, three on each
player’s eight point, and five on each player’s six point.

   Both players have their own pair of dice and a dice cup used for
shaking.  A doubling cube, with the numerals 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 on
its faces, is used to keep track of the current stake of the game.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Object of the Game,  Next: Movement of the Checkers,  Prev: Setup,  Up: Rules of the game

2.2 Object of the Game
======================

The object of the game is for a player to move all of his checkers into
his own home board and then bear them off.  The first player to bear off
all of his checkers wins the game.


   *Direction of movement of White’s checkers.  Red’s checkers move in
the opposite direction.*


       +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
       | X                |   |                X |
     /---X-----------------------------------  X |
     | | X                |   |                  |
     | | X                |   |                  |
     | | X                |   |                  |
     | |                  |BAR|                  |
     | |                  |   | X                |
     | |                  |   | X                |
     | |             X    |   | X                |
     \---------------X----------X----------->    |
       |             X    |   | X                |
       +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+



File: gnubg.info,  Node: Movement of the Checkers,  Next: Hitting and Entering,  Prev: Object of the Game,  Up: Rules of the game

2.3 Movement of the Checkers
============================

To start the game, each player throws a single die.  This determines
both the player to go first and the numbers to be played.  If equal
numbers come up, then both players roll again until they roll different
numbers.  The player throwing the higher number now moves his checkers
according to the numbers showing on both dice.  After the first roll,
the players throw two dice and alternate turns.

   The roll of the dice indicates how many points, or pips, the player
is to move his checkers.  The checkers are always moved forward, to a
lower-numbered point.  The following rules apply:

  1. A checker may be moved only to an open point, one that is not
     occupied by two or more opposing checkers.

  2. The numbers on the two dice constitute separate moves.  For
     example, if a player rolls 5 and 3, he may move one checker five
     spaces to an open point and another checker three spaces to an open
     point, or he may move the one checker a total of eight spaces to an
     open point, but only if the intermediate point (either three or
     five spaces from the starting point) is also open.


     *White opens the game with 53.*


           +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
           | X        ^  O    |   | O     .        X |
           | X        +---------5---------^---3----X |
           | X           O    |   | O                |
           | X                |   | O                |
           | X                |   | O                |


           | O                |   | X----3---+       |
           | O                |   | X        |       |
           | O           X---------------5---+       |
           | O           X    |   | X        |     O |
           | O           X    |   | X        |     O |
           +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+


  3. A player who rolls doubles plays the numbers shown on the dice
     twice.  A roll of 6 and 6 means that the player has four sixes to
     use, and he may move any combination of checkers he feels
     appropriate to complete this requirement.

  4. A player must use both numbers of a roll if this is legally
     possible (or all four numbers of a double).  When only one number
     can be played, the player must play that number.  Or if either
     number can be played but not both, the player must play the larger
     one.  When neither number can be used, the player loses his turn.
     In the case of doubles, when all four numbers cannot be played, the
     player must play as many numbers as he can.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Hitting and Entering,  Next: Bearing Off,  Prev: Movement of the Checkers,  Up: Rules of the game

2.4 Hitting and Entering
========================

A point occupied by a single checker of either color is called a blot.
If an opposing checker lands on a blot, the blot is hit and placed on
the bar.

   Any time a player has one or more checkers on the bar, his first
obligation is to enter those checker(s) into the opposing home board.  A
checker is entered by moving it to an open point corresponding to one of
the numbers on the rolled dice.

   For example, if a player rolls 4 and 6, he may enter a checker onto
either the opponent’s four point or six point, so long as the
prospective point is not occupied by two or more of the opponent’s
checkers.


   *White rolls 64 with a checker on the bar.*


      +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+
      | X           O    |   | O  O  ^        X |
      | X           O    |   | O  O  |          |
      | X                |   | O     |          |
      | X                |   | O     |          |
      | X                | X-----4---+          |
      |                  |BAR|                  |
      | O                |   | X                |
      | O                |   | X                |
      | O           X    |   | X                |
      | O           X    |   | X              O |
      | O           X    |   | X              O |
      +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+


   If White rolls [64] with a checker on the bar, he must enter the
checker onto Red’s four point since Red’s six point is not open.  If
neither of the points is open, the player loses his turn.  If a player
is able to enter some but not all of his checkers, he must enter as many
as he can and then forfeit the remainder of his turn.

   After the last of a player’s checkers has been entered, any unused
numbers on the dice must be played, by moving either the checker that
was entered or a different checker.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Bearing Off,  Next: Doubling,  Prev: Hitting and Entering,  Up: Rules of the game

2.5 Bearing Off
===============

Once a player has moved all of his fifteen checkers into his home board,
he may commence bearing off.  A player bears off a checker by rolling a
number that corresponds to the point on which the checker resides, and
then removing that checker from the board.  Thus, rolling a 6 permits
the player to remove a checker from the six point.

   If there is no checker on the point indicated by the roll, the player
must make a legal move using a checker on a higher-numbered point.  If
there are no checkers on higher-numbered points, the player is permitted
(and required) to remove a checker from the highest point on which one
of his checkers resides.  A player is under no obligation to bear off if
he can make an otherwise legal move.


   *White rolls 64 and bears off two checkers.*


      |                  |   |    +----6--------->
      |                  |   |    |  +--4-------->
      |                  |   |    |  |          |
      |                  |   |    |  X  X  X  X |
      |                  |   |    X  X  X  X  X |
      +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+


   A player must have all of his active checkers in his home board in
order to bear off.  If a checker is hit during the bear-off process, the
player must bring that checker back to his home board before continuing
to bear off.  The first player to bear off all fifteen checkers wins the
game.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Doubling,  Next: Gammons and Backgammons,  Prev: Bearing Off,  Up: Rules of the game

2.6 Doubling
============

Backgammon is played for an agreed stake per point.  Each game starts at
one point.  During the course of the game, a player who feels he has a
sufficient advantage may propose doubling the stakes.  He may do this
only at the start of his own turn and before he has rolled the dice.

   A player who is offered a double may refuse, in which case he
concedes the game and pays one point.  Otherwise, he must accept the
double and play on for the new higher stakes.  A player who accepts a
double becomes the owner of the cube and only he may make the next
double.

   Subsequent doubles in the same game are called redoubles.  If a
player refuses a redouble, he must pay the number of points that were at
stake prior to the redouble.  Otherwise, he becomes the new owner of the
cube and the game continues at twice the previous stakes.  There is no
limit to the number of redoubles in a game.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Gammons and Backgammons,  Next: Optional Rules,  Prev: Doubling,  Up: Rules of the game

2.7 Gammons and Backgammons
===========================

At the end of the game, if the losing player has borne off at least one
checker, he loses only the value showing on the doubling cube (one
point, if there have been no doubles).  However, if the loser has _not_
borne off any of his checkers, he is gammoned and loses _twice_ the
value of the doubling cube.  Or, worse, if the loser has not borne off
any of his checkers and still has a checker on the bar or in the
winner’s home board, he is backgammoned and loses _three times_ the
value of the double cube.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Optional Rules,  Next: Rules for Match Play,  Prev: Gammons and Backgammons,  Up: Rules of the game

2.8 Optional Rules
==================

The following optional rules are in widespread use.

  1. Automatic doubles.  If identical numbers are thrown on the first
     roll, the stakes are doubled.  The doubling cube is turned to 2 and
     remains in the middle.  Players usually agree to limit the number
     of automatic doubles to one per game.

  2. Beavers.  When a player is doubled, he may immediately redouble
     (beaver) while retaining possession of the cube.  The original
     doubler has the option of accepting or refusing as with a normal
     double.

  3. The Jacoby Rule.  Gammons and backgammons count only as a single
     game if neither player has offered a double during the course of
     the game.  This rule speeds up play by eliminating situations where
     a player avoids doubling so he can play on for a gammon.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Rules for Match Play,  Prev: Optional Rules,  Up: Rules of the game

2.9 Rules for Match Play
========================

When backgammon tournaments are held to determine an overall winner, the
usual style of competition is match play.  Competitors are paired off,
and each pair plays a series of games to decide which player progresses
to the next round of the tournament.  This series of games is called a
match.

   Matches are played to a specified number of points.  The first player
to accumulate the required points wins the match.  Points are awarded in
the usual manner: one for a single game, two for a gammon, and three for
a backgammon.  The doubling cube is used, so the winner receives the
value of the game multiplied by the final value of the doubling cube.

   Matches are normally played using the Crawford rule.  The Crawford
rule states that if one player reaches a score one point short of the
match, neither player may offer a double in the immediately following
game.  This one game with no doubling is called the Crawford game.  If
the Crawford game is won by the trailing player then the doubling cube
becomes available in all subsequent games (and it’s most often in the
best interests of the trailing player to double immediately in these
games).

Match to 5         White              Black              Doubling
White wins 2       2                  0                  Allowed
Black wins 1       2                  1                  Allowed
White wins 2       4                  1                  Allowed
Black wins 1       4                  2                  Crawford Game
Black wins 2       4                  4                  Allowed
White wins 2       6                  4                  Allowed

   In this example, White and Black are playing a 5-point match.  After
three games White has 4 points, which is just one point short of what he
needs.  That triggers the Crawford rule which says there can be no
doubling in next game, Game 4.

   There is no bonus for winning more than the required number of points
in match play.  The sole goal is to win the match, and the size of the
victory doesn’t matter.

   Automatic doubles, beavers, and the Jacoby rule are not used in match
play.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Starting GNU Backgammon,  Next: Playing a game,  Prev: Rules of the game,  Up: Top

3 Starting GNU Backgammon
*************************

* Menu:

* GNU/Linux and Unix::
* Microsoft Windows::
* Mac OS X::
* Command line options::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: GNU/Linux and Unix,  Next: Microsoft Windows,  Up: Starting GNU Backgammon

3.1 GNU/Linux and Unix
======================

If GNU Backgammon is properly installed on your system, you can start it
by simply typing gnubg at the command prompt.  If you want to start the
GNU Backgammon command-line interface, you can type gnubg –tty or gnubg
-t.  With this option, GNU Backgammon starts without the graphical user
interface.  There is also other options which can be added at the
start-up.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Microsoft Windows,  Next: Mac OS X,  Prev: GNU/Linux and Unix,  Up: Starting GNU Backgammon

3.2 Microsoft Windows
=====================

The builds of GNU Backgammon which may be downloaded from the main GNU
Backgammon page (https://www.gnu.org/software/gnubg/#TOCdownloading) are
packaged as an executable installer file.  Running it will install GNU
Backgammon and create a launch menu item in your start menu.  Usually
the menu item can be found by choosing Start->Programs->GNU
Backgammon->GNU Backgammon.

   GNU Backgammon also has a command-line interface.  This is supplied
as a separate executable file on Microsoft Windows.  You can start this
version of GNU Backgammon by choosing Start->Programs->GNU
Backgammon->GNU Backgammon CLI.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Mac OS X,  Next: Command line options,  Prev: Microsoft Windows,  Up: Starting GNU Backgammon

3.3 Mac OS X
============

Once you have installed both an X11R6 server and GNU Backgammon for Mac
OS X, you can run GNU Backgammon for Mac OS X by:

  1. Start your X11R6 server;

  2. Once your X11R6 server is running, in one of its Terminal windows
     (by default, Apple’s X11 opens one such window at start-up, and
     XDarwin opens three), do the following:

       1. If you have installed GNU Backgammon in your private
          Applications folder, type ‘ cd Applications/gnubg’ to get into
          GNU Backgammon for Mac OS X’s folder, and then type ‘./gnubg’
          to run it;

       2. If you have installed GNU Backgammon in the global, top-level
          Applications folder, type ‘cd /Applications/gnubg’ to get into
          GNU Backgammon for Mac OS X’s folder, and type ‘./gnubg’ to
          run it;


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Command line options,  Prev: Mac OS X,  Up: Starting GNU Backgammon

3.4 Command line options
========================

The following options control the startup of GNU Backgammon.  Most
options are available in all versions of GNU Backgammon, but notably,
the -w and -t options do not work under Microsoft Windows where separate
command-line and GUI applications exist instead.


   *GNU Backgammon startup options*


     Usage:
       gnubg [OPTION?] [file.sgf]

     Help Options:
       -h, --help                   Show help options
       --help-all                   Show all help options
       --help-gtk                   Show GTK+ Options

     Application Options:
       -b, --no-bearoff             Do not use bearoff database
       -c, --commands=FILE          Evaluate commands in FILE and exit
       -l, --lang=LANG              Set language to LANG
       -p, --python=FILE            Start in Python mode or evaluate code in FILE and exit
       -q, --quiet                  Disable sound effects
       -r, --no-rc                  Do not read .gnubgrc and .gnubgautorc commands
       -S, --splash                 Show GTK splash screen
       -t, --tty                    Start the command-line instead of using the graphical interface
       -v, --version                Show version information and exit
       -w, --window-system-only     Ignore tty input when using the graphical interface
       -d, --debug                  Turn on debug
       -D, --datadir                Specify location of general data
       -P, --pkgdatadir             Specify location of program specific data
       -O, --docdir                 Specify location of program documentation
       -s, --prefsdir               Specify location of user's preferences directory
       --display=DISPLAY            X display to use



File: gnubg.info,  Node: Playing a game,  Next: Getting hints and Tutor Mode,  Prev: Starting GNU Backgammon,  Up: Top

4 Playing a game
****************

* Menu:

* Starting a new match or session::
* Rolling the dice::
* Moving the checkers::
* Using the doubling cube::
* Resigning::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Starting a new match or session,  Next: Rolling the dice,  Up: Playing a game

4.1 Starting a new match or session
===================================

To start a new game, match or session choose File->New, or use the New
button in the toolbar.  This will open a dialog box, where you can
select the main options for the new backgammon game you are about to
begin.


   *The dialog for starting a new match.*


     To start a new match in the CL version type 'new match' or
     'new session'.


   The shortcut buttons are the quickest way to start the game or match.
If you click on the button with the $ sign, you will start a new money
game session immediately.  If you click on a numbered button, you will
start a new match of the specified length.  If you click on the
pencil-and-paper button you will start editing a position.

   The dialog allows a fine tuning of the startup options:

  1. In none of the above shortcuts is suitable, clicking OK will start
     a new match of the length set in the Match length field.

  2. You may play against both the program itself or against a friend.
     If you want to start a match or game against a friend, select the
     Human vs.  Human option.

  3. Normally the dice are generated by a random number generator, but
     you may use manual dice if you check this option.  Then GNU
     Backgammon will prompt for the dice roll before each roll.

  4. GNU Backgammon comes with a tutor mode.  If this mode is active,
     GNU Backgammon analyses each move you do, and warn you each time
     you make a mistake.  More about tutor mode later.

  5. By clicking on the Modify player settings...  button, you will see
     the whole player setting dialog.  Here you define the playing
     strength of GNU Backgammon.  This dialog will be explained later.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Rolling the dice,  Next: Moving the checkers,  Prev: Starting a new match or session,  Up: Playing a game

4.2 Rolling the dice
====================

The simplest way to roll the dice is to click in the right board area
between the board points.  You can also roll the dice from the menu
Game->Roll or with the keyboard shortcut <Ctrl><R>.


   *Click in the red rectangle to roll the dice.*


     To roll the dice the CL version type 'roll'.


   When you have moved your checkers to make the desired move, you
complete your turn by clicking on the dice.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Moving the checkers,  Next: Using the doubling cube,  Prev: Rolling the dice,  Up: Playing a game

4.3 Moving the checkers
=======================

* Menu:

* Moving by drag and drop::
* Moving checkers by clicking::
* Undo a move::
* Some shortcuts::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Moving by drag and drop,  Next: Moving checkers by clicking,  Up: Moving the checkers

4.3.1 Moving by drag and drop
-----------------------------

One way to move the checkers is to click on a checker you want to move
and then drag it, while holding the mouse button down, to the desired
designation point.  If you have the option Show target help when
dragging checkers enabled, you will see the a green guiding at any legal
target point for the checker you are dragging.  You can find this option
by choosing Settings->Options...->Display


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Moving checkers by clicking,  Next: Undo a move,  Prev: Moving by drag and drop,  Up: Moving the checkers

4.3.2 Moving checkers by clicking
---------------------------------

Move the mouse cursor over the checker you want to move.  If you now
click the _left_ mouse button, the checker will move the pips of the
_left_ die.  If you have already moved one checker, clicking on a new
checker will move it according to the pips of the remaining die.  If you
click with the _right_ mouse button on a checker, the checker will move
according to the _right_ die.

   Using this method for moving the checkers can be really effective.
Some users prefer showing the higher die to the left.  You can make GNU
Backgammon show the highest die to the left if you choose Settings ->
Options...  -> Dice and check the check box labeled Show higher die on
left.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Undo a move,  Next: Some shortcuts,  Prev: Moving checkers by clicking,  Up: Moving the checkers

4.3.3 Undo a move
-----------------

Before you complete your move by clicking the dice, it’s possible to
undo your moves and return to the position before any checkers have been
moved.  You can either click the Undo button in the toolbar, or you can
choose Edit -> Undo from the menu or the keyboard shortcut <Ctrl><Z>.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Some shortcuts,  Prev: Undo a move,  Up: Moving the checkers

4.3.4 Some shortcuts
--------------------

There are some shortcuts for moving the checkers.  You can _make a new
point_ by right clicking on the empty point that you want to make.  As
an example, if you roll 31 as the opening roll, and you want to play 8/5
6/5, you simply place the mouse cursor on the 5-point and right click.
Making points this way also works if you hit a checker, and with
doubles.

   Another shortcut can be used in the bearoff phase of the game.  By
clicking in the bearoff tray, _two checkers will be born off_ if such a
move is legal.

   GNU Backgammon can auto play forced moves for you.  This feature can
be enabled by choosing Settings -> Options...  -> Game , and then check
the box Play forced moves automatically.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Using the doubling cube,  Next: Resigning,  Prev: Moving the checkers,  Up: Playing a game

4.4 Using the doubling cube
===========================

* Menu:

* Offering a double::
* Accepting or declining a cube::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Offering a double,  Next: Accepting or declining a cube,  Up: Using the doubling cube

4.4.1 Offering a double
-----------------------

You offer a double to your opponent by clicking on the cube.  This will
offer the cube immediately.  You can also click Game->Double from the
menu or the keyboard shortcut <Ctrl><D>.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Accepting or declining a cube,  Prev: Offering a double,  Up: Using the doubling cube

4.4.2 Accepting or declining a cube
-----------------------------------

You accept a double made by your opponent by clicking on the offered
doubling cube at the board.  If you want to decline the double, you can
right click on the cube.

   There are also three buttons in the toolbar for handling cube offers.
These buttons are marked Accept, Decline and Beaver.  The beaver button
is only activated in money game sessions where beavers are allowed.


   *The toolbar double buttons.*

   [[cubebuttons.png]]

   There are also menu options from the drop down menu for all the cube
actions.  Click Game->Take from the menu, to accept an offered
double(<Ctrl><T>).  Click Game->Drop, from the menu, to to decline an
offered double(<Ctrl><P>).  Click Game->Beaver, from the menu, to beaver
an offered double.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Resigning,  Prev: Using the doubling cube,  Up: Playing a game

4.5 Resigning
=============

* Menu:

* Offering a resignation::
* Accepting or declining a resignation::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Offering a resignation,  Next: Accepting or declining a resignation,  Up: Resigning

4.5.1 Offering a resignation
----------------------------

It’s also possible to resign during a game.  To resign during play press
the Resign button in the toolbar.  This is the button with the image of
a white flag.  When this button is pressed, a dialog box will appear
where you can select if you want to resign a single game, gammon or
backgammon.  The resignation dialog may also be reached from the menu
system.  Click Game->Resign to offer your resignation.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Accepting or declining a resignation,  Prev: Offering a resignation,  Up: Resigning

4.5.2 Accepting or declining a resignation
------------------------------------------

When a resignation is offered a white square will appear on the board
area.  The square has a number 1, 2 or 3.  A square with a _1_, means
that a single game resignation is offered, a _2_ that a gammon
resignation is offered, and a _3_, means that a backgammon is offered.
If you’re using a 3D board, the resignation will be a white flag instead
of a square.

   To accept the resignation click on the numbered square.  If you want
to decline the resignation, you right click instead.  You can also use
the same toolbar buttons as for accepting or declining a double.  There
is also a menu option for accepting and declining resignations.  Click
Game->Agree to resignation from the menu, to accept an offered
resignation.  Click Game->Decline resignation from the menu, to decline
an offered resignation.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Getting hints and Tutor Mode,  Next: Setting up a position,  Prev: Playing a game,  Up: Top

5 Getting hints and Tutor Mode
******************************

* Menu:

* Getting hints manually::
* Tutor mode::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Getting hints manually,  Next: Tutor mode,  Up: Getting hints and Tutor Mode

5.1 Getting hints manually
==========================

* Menu:

* Getting checker play hints while playing::
* Getting cube decision hints while playing::
* The hint tool buttons::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Getting checker play hints while playing,  Next: Getting cube decision hints while playing,  Up: Getting hints manually

5.1.1 Getting checker play hints while playing
----------------------------------------------

If you want to get a hint of the best move or the best cube action press
the Hint button in the tool bar or the menu option Analyse->Hint.  This
will open a hint window.


   *The hint window*

   [[hintwindow.png]]

   This Hint window shows a list of all possible moves for the position
and dice roll.  The different moves are sorted by how GNU Backgammon
ranks each move; there is one move on each line in the list.  The rest
of the numbers may look a bit complicated and cryptic but, once you
learn what each number means, it isn’t really that bad.

  1. _Rank_ is the number that shows GNU Backgammon’s rank of the move.
     All moves evaluated at a given ply are ranked above those evaluated
     at a lesser ply.  If you use the 0, 1, 2, etc, buttons below the
     hint list to re-evaluate one or more moves, the moves will be moved
     accordingly.  Therefore, for accurate results when re-evaluating a
     move that you are interested in, it is usually best to _re-evaluate
     all moves above it in the list_.  (And slipping with the mouse and
     re-evaluating, e.g., a 3-ply move at 2-ply may make the move
     _disappear_ down to the bottom of the list!)

  2. _Type_ is a description of the evaluation that was used to
     calculate the results.  Cubeful means that it is taking into
     account the possibility that someone may double.  Occasionally you
     may see several moves with the equity of -1.000, (See _Equity_
     below), despite significantly different winning percentiles.  This
     is because it thinks that if any of these moves are played then the
     opponent will double and you should pass.  The n-ply is the depth
     to which GNU Backgammon analysed the move.

  3. _Win_ is the fractions of games that GNU Backgammon thinks will be
     won by a single game, gammon or backgammon.

  4. _Wg_ is the fractions of games that GNU Backgammon thinks will be
     won by a gammon or backgammon.

  5. _Wbg_ is the fractions of games that GNU Backgammon thinks will be
     won by a backgammon.

  6. _Lose_ is the fractions of games that GNU Backgammon thinks will be
     lost by a single game, gammon or backgammon.  (Notice that this
     number is equal to 1 - Win)

  7. _Lg_ is the fractions of games that GNU Backgammon thinks will be
     lost by a gammon or backgammon.

  8. _Lbg_ is the fractions of games that GNU Backgammon thinks will be
     lost by a backgammon.

  9. _Equity_ is the overall evaluation of the position by the program,
     after considering the different win/loss percentiles, the cube
     position, and the match score.  A 1.000 would mean that you are
     expected to win a point, a 0.000 would mean that it is roughly
     equal, and a -1.000 that you are expected to lose a point.  When
     the evaluation is cubeful this number is not computable by the
     win/loss brake down of the previous columns.

  10. _Diff._  is the difference in equity, perceived in comparison to
     the top ranked move.

  11. _Move_ is the move being evaluated.  In the case of a red line, it
     is the move that was played.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Getting cube decision hints while playing,  Next: The hint tool buttons,  Prev: Getting checker play hints while playing,  Up: Getting hints manually

5.1.2 Getting cube decision hints while playing
-----------------------------------------------

If you’re thinking about a cube decision before rolling you can press
the same Hint button in the toolbar, as you pressed when you wanted
checker play hint.  The hint window will again appear, but this time it
will look a bit different and it will show a hint of the correct cube
decision.


   *The cube hint window*

   [[hintcubewindow.png]]

   The first lines is the window dialog shows the evaluation depth, and
the cubeless equity with the evaluated probabilities.  This equity is
compensated for the match score.  The cubeless equity for a money game,
where the the calculation of equity is not compensated for match score,
is also reported.

   Next follow three lines with cubeful equities.  In figure above, the
cubeful equity for the player on roll for not doubling at this turn, is
+0.123.  The equity for a double and the opponent passing is (of course)
+1.000, since the player then will win one point.  (The number is
normalized to cube value of one, so even if it is a redouble to 4 or 8
or higher, the cubeful equity for double/pass is still +1.000 for the
doubler.)  The third number in figure above is the cubeful equity for
the player doubling and the opponent accepting the double.  The
different option will be listed in order with the best option highest.
The number right to the listed equities is the differences from the cube
decision considered best.

   The last line states the best considered cube action.  In the figure
above, GNU Backgammon considers the best cube action to be No double,
take.  The number right to the proper cube action is the percentage of
bad decisions by the taker that is needed to make a bad doubling
decision against GNU Backgammon profitable against such an opponent.
This number is only available when the position is considered No double,
take or Too good to double, pass.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: The hint tool buttons,  Prev: Getting cube decision hints while playing,  Up: Getting hints manually

5.1.3 The hint tool buttons
---------------------------

As you may see in both figures above, there is a set of buttons below
the move list or cube analysis.  Here follows a short description of
what each of the buttons does:

  1. _Eval_ will evaluate the selected moves, or the cube decision with
     the current evaluation setting.

  2. _..._  will open the evaluation setting dialog.  You can then
     modify the evaluation setting.  More about evaluation settings in
     the next chapter.

  3. _0 1 2 3 4_ will evaluate the selected moves or cube decision at
     cubeful 0-ply or cubeful 1-ply or cubeful 2-ply and so on.

  4. _Rollout_ will start a rollout ((A _rollout_ is simply a Monte
     Carlo simulation of a backgammon position.  More about rollouts in
     a later chapter.))  of the selected moves or cube decision.

  5. _..._  will open the rollout settings dialog.  This dialog will be
     further described later in this manual.

  6. _MWC_ (Match Winning Chance).  If this button is pressed the values
     in the hint window will be shown as the chance to win the whole
     match.  If this button is unpressed or there is a money game that’s
     played, the values in the hint window is reported as Equity.
     Notice, The equity in a match is actually a recalculation from
     match winning chance to equity.  This recalculated number is often
     referred to as EMG, Equivalent to Money Game.  The EMG number is
     comparable to the equity in a money game, and are therefore labeled
     ’Equity’.

  7. _Show_ will show the board as it would be after the selected move
     is made.  The button is only available in the checker play hint
     window.

  8. _Move_ will make the move selected in the list.  It’s also possible
     to make a move directly from the list by double clicking on the
     move.  The button is also available only in the checker play hint
     window.

  9. _Copy_ will copy the text of all selected moves to clipboard.

  10. _Temp.  Map_ will show Sho Sengoku’s temperature map.  This map is
     further described later in the document.  When this window
     remembers its size and position it will really become useful.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Tutor mode,  Prev: Getting hints manually,  Up: Getting hints and Tutor Mode

5.2 Tutor mode
==============

One of the greatest tools for learning, is Tutor Mode.  Tutor mode can
be activated by clicking Settings->Options...  and then click on the
Tutor flag.  Activate Tutor Mode by checking the Tutor mode check box.


   *The tutor window*

   [[tutor.png]]

   In Tutor Mode, GNU Backgammon will analyse your moves and/or cube
decisions and compare them with its choices.  You set the threshold for
its alerts, for example, if you set it for bad then it will only warn
you when you make a bad mistake.  It will then allow you to re-examine
your choice, go right ahead with it, or provide a ’hint’ - essentially,
showing you its analysis.

   The tutor can give warnings on both cube decisions and checker play.
If you want the tutor to only warn on cube decisions, you can uncheck
the box for the Checker play.  Likewise, if you want it to only warn on
checker play decisions, you can uncheck the box for the Cube decisions.


   *The tutor warning window*

   [[tutorwarning.png]]

   In the above figure, you can see a warning dialog from the tutor
mode.  If you press the button labeled Play anyway, the move you made
will be kept and the game will continue.  If you press the Rethink
button, the dialog will close and the checkers that you moved will be
returned to their original positions.  You can then rethink the position
and try an alternative move.  Keep doing this until the Tutor accepts
your move as being good enough.  Alternatively you can press the Hint
button to show the hint window with its list of possible moves and their
evaluations.  Finally, if you press the End Tutor Mode button, the
dialog will close and turn Tutor Mode off.

   A similar warning window will also appear for poor cube handling.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Setting up a position,  Next: Working with matches,  Prev: Getting hints and Tutor Mode,  Up: Top

6 Setting up a position
***********************

Think about the Friday night chouette where there was this tough choice
between two move candidates.  Which move was the best?  Or what about
that match score cube decision from the weekend tournament.  Wouldn’t it
be nice to be able to set up the position in GNU Backgammon and ask for
its opinion?  This is possible in GNU Backgammon, and it’s one of the
features that really can give you the answer to a lot of questions, and
in that way give you a better understanding of the game.

* Menu:

* Entering Edit mode::
* Editing::
* Clearing the board::
* Quick edit::
* Editing by drag and drop::
* Setting the player on turn::
* Setting the dice::
* Setting the cube::
* Setting the score::
* Exiting Edit mode::
* Analysing the position::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Entering Edit mode,  Next: Editing,  Up: Setting up a position

6.1 Entering Edit mode
======================

To set up a position, you have to be in _Edit mode_.  To enter Edit mode
you simply click the Edit button in the tool bar and can start editing
the current position.  There is currently no keyboard shortcut or menu
item for entering edit mode.  The Edit button is a toggle button and you
will stay in edit mode until you release the button by clicking it
again.

   If your Edit button in the toolbar is disabled it is because there is
no game or match in progress hence no current position to edit.  In this
case you can use the New button in the toolbar and then the
pencil-and-paper button to enter Edit mode on the opening position of a
unlimited session.

   If used from a game in progress, this New-then-Edit sequence enters
Edit mode on the current position after normalizing it with the player
on roll on the bottom side and the match length set to unlimited
session.

   When you are in edit mode you will see the the text (Editing) in the
match information box below the board.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Editing,  Next: Clearing the board,  Prev: Entering Edit mode,  Up: Setting up a position

6.2 Editing
===========

Setting up a position is basically done by editing the current position.
The editing it self is controlled by clicking different areas of the
board and may not be obvious at first hand.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Clearing the board,  Next: Quick edit,  Prev: Editing,  Up: Setting up a position

6.3 Clearing the board
======================

In edit mode you can easily clear the board by clicking in one of the
bearoff trays.  It’s often easier to start setting up a position with a
empty board, so this feature is really handy.  When you click on one of
the bearoff tray, all checkers will be moved to the bearoff.


   *Click in the one of the areas marked with a red ellipse to clear the
board.*

   [[clearboard.png]]

   You can also just as easy generate the initial position by clicking
the opposite trays when in edit mode.  Clicking in one of these trays
puts all checkers back to the initial position.


   *Click in the one of the areas marked with a red ellipse to get to
the initial position.*

   [[initialboard.png]]

   Note that the bearoff trays change side when the board is displayed
with clockwise movement.

   In addition, both click-on-tray actions above reset the cube to
centered with a value of 1 and clear the dice.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Quick edit,  Next: Editing by drag and drop,  Prev: Clearing the board,  Up: Setting up a position

6.4 Quick edit
==============

The default method of editing a position is called _Quick edit_.  It’s
based on clicking on the point where you want to place checkers.  The
number of checkers placed on the point is depending on where you click,
for example if you want to place 3 checkers on a point, clicking on the
location where the third checker would go places 3 checkers.  This
method should be familiar to Snowie users.

   Clicking with the left button places checkers for player1, clicking
with the right button places checkers for player2.  If you want to place
more than 5 checkers, click multiple times on the tip of the point.  To
clear a point, click on the border of the board below or above the point
- depending on if the point is in the lower or top half of the board.
The bar works just like normal points - the more you click to the middle
of the bar, the more checkers will be placed there.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Editing by drag and drop,  Next: Setting the player on turn,  Prev: Quick edit,  Up: Setting up a position

6.5 Editing by drag and drop
============================

There is also a different way of editing the checker positions.  You can
drag and drop checkers around the board while you’re holding down the
Ctrl key on your keyboard.  Press the Ctrl key and hold it down.  Then
left-click the checker you want to drag to another point and drag it
with the mouse, (while holding down the Ctrl key and the left mouse
button), to the destination point.  You can drag checkers to open points
or to points where you have checkers of the same color.  You can also
’hit’ opponent blots with the drag and drop edit method.

   This method of editing comes handy when there is just a small
adjustment to be done in the position.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Setting the player on turn,  Next: Setting the dice,  Prev: Editing by drag and drop,  Up: Setting up a position

6.6 Setting the player on turn
==============================

The player on turn can be set by clicking the small checker icons below
the board.  See figure below.


   *Clicking the White checker image will set White on turn, clicking
the Black image will set Black in turn.*

   [[initialboard.png]]

   Note that setting the turn sets the turn before the dice has been
rolled.  If there is a dice present at the board, setting the turn will
remove the dice rolled.  In this way you can set up a position to be a
cube decision evaluation instead of a move decision evaluation.

   The turn can also be set by choosing Game->Set turn.  Both these
methods for setting the player on turn can also be used without being in
edit mode.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Setting the dice,  Next: Setting the cube,  Prev: Setting the player on turn,  Up: Setting up a position

6.7 Setting the dice
====================

You can set the dice for a player by clicking in the middle part of the
board where you usually click when you roll the dice while playing.
Click in the middle of the right playing area to set the dice for player
0, the bottom player.  Click the left dice rolling area to set the dice
for player 1, the top player.  Once you click one of these areas the
dice selection widget will appear and you can select a dice roll by
clicking on a dice pair.


   *Click inside the red rectangle to set the dice for Black.  Click
inside the green rectangle to set the dice for White.*

   [[setdice.png]]

   Setting the dice in edit mode sets both dice and the player on turn.
Setting the dice for player 0, will make player 0 on turn with that
specific dice roll to play.

   This method for setting the dice roll only works in edit mode.  If
you’re not in edit mode you can set the dice by choosing Game->Set
dice...  from the menu, however this will set the dice for the player on
turn.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Setting the cube,  Next: Setting the score,  Prev: Setting the dice,  Up: Setting up a position

6.8 Setting the cube
====================

Setting the cube is quite simple while you’re in edit mode.  Simply
click the cube in the board and the cube selection widget appears.

   Selecting a cube in the first row, where the number is displayed
up-side-down, the top player will be the cube owner.  The value of the
cube will be the value of the cube you click in the widget.  Note that
the unturned cube is the leftmost cube labeled 64, just as it usually is
on real doubling cube.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Setting the score,  Next: Exiting Edit mode,  Prev: Setting the cube,  Up: Setting up a position

6.9 Setting the score
=====================

Very often i backgammon the match score does matter on how the position
is evaluated.  GNU Backgammon’s evaluation algorithms does take the
score into account.  You can therefore adjust the the match length and
the score to each player while you’re in edit mode.

   In the figure you see that the score fields are editable while you’re
in edit mode.  Insert the desired match score for each player in these
fields.  Player 0, the top player, has the left score field and player
1, the bottom player, has the right score.  You can also set the match
score in the in the match field to the right.  There is also a box to
tick whenever the position is from a Crawford game.

   If you want the computer to do a money game evaluation of the
position, you should set the match score to 0 (zero).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Exiting Edit mode,  Next: Analysing the position,  Prev: Setting the score,  Up: Setting up a position

6.10 Exiting Edit mode
======================

Before you can start analysing the position you have to exit edit mode.
This is done by releasing the Edit button in the toolbar by clicking it.
Note that editing a position destroys your game record with no warning,
so it might be an idea to save your match if you want to keep it.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Analysing the position,  Prev: Exiting Edit mode,  Up: Setting up a position

6.11 Analysing the position
===========================

After you have successfully set up the position you desire, you can now
analyse the position.  You can click Hint in the toolbar to get the best
move of cube decision in the same way as described in the chapter called
*note Playing a game::.  Hint, rollouts and evaluations done from the
hint window will not be saved if you try to save the position.  If you
want to analyse the position and then be able to save the position and
the analysis results you should rather do a move and then click back to
the move and then choose Analyse->Analyse move for the menu.  You can
then work in the analysis pane on the right side instead of in the hint
window.

   You can enter checkers on a point by clicking on the point.  Notice
the amount of checkers you add on a point, depends on where on that
point you click.  Left mouse button, black checkers and right mouse
button, red checkers.  (assuming you didn’t change the colors).  You
will get used to this editing.  and it makes it much faster to set up a
position.

   See also Albert Silver’s post on GammOnLine
(https://www.bkgm.com/rgb/rgb.cgi?view+1098)


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Working with matches,  Next: Rollouts,  Prev: Setting up a position,  Up: Top

7 Working with matches
**********************

* Menu:

* Retrieving and storing backgammon files::
* Entering live tournament matches::
* Analysing matches::
* Reviewing matches::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Retrieving and storing backgammon files,  Next: Entering live tournament matches,  Up: Working with matches

7.1 Retrieving and storing backgammon files
===========================================

* Menu:

* The Smart Game Format::
* Opening and importing matches::
* Saving and exporting positions, games or matches: Saving and exporting positions; games or matches.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: The Smart Game Format,  Next: Opening and importing matches,  Up: Retrieving and storing backgammon files

7.1.1 The Smart Game Format
---------------------------

GNU Backgammon uses the Smart Game Format (SGF) to store games, matches,
sessions and positions.  SGF is used in as a standard format for several
other turn based games.  The SGF files can store all the rolls and moves
and cube decisions as well as commentary and analysis.

   A game that uses SGF extensively is Go.  The format is described at
this site (http://www.red-bean.com/sgf/).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Opening and importing matches,  Next: Saving and exporting positions; games or matches,  Prev: The Smart Game Format,  Up: Retrieving and storing backgammon files

7.1.2 Opening and importing matches
-----------------------------------

Since version 0.16 the GUI recognizes all importable files automatically
(with the exception of the FIBS format).  To open or import a file
choose File->Open.  A file dialog box will appear where you can select
the file and the dialog will inform you of the recognized format, if the
file is importable.  You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-O, or
the tool bar button labeled Open, to open the file dialog box directly.

   It is still possible to import an unrecognized file by using the
underlying command-line interface.  Enable the command pane by choosing
View->Command.  In the command pane type in ‘import oldmoves <filepath>’
to import, e.g., an oldmoves fibs formatted file.

   The following table contains the supported formats and the
corresponding commands for manual import of a file.

FIBS oldmoves format                 ‘import oldmoves <filepath>’
GridGammon Save Game                 ‘import sgg <filepath>’
GammonEmpire Game                    ‘import empire <filepath>’
Jellyfish Game                       ‘import gam <filepath>’
Jellyfish Match                      ‘import mat <filepath>’
Jellyfish Position                   ‘import pos <filepath>’
PartyGammon Game                     ‘import party <filepath>’
Snowie Text                          ‘import snowietxt <filepath>’
TrueMoneyGames                       ‘import tmg <filepath>’

   Jellyfish Match is not formally defined and software exporting
matches to this format often produce minor discrepancies.  GNU
Backgammon tries to cater to most of them automatically.

   Online sites do not always create their .mat files with the you as
player 1, the one playing towards the bottom of the board.  To have
these matches converted to be displayed in the natural way, you can use
de CLI command ‘set aliases <player name 1>;<player name 2>;[<etc...>]’
GNU Backgammon will swap the players as needed so that player names
matching these aliases are always imported as player 1.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Saving and exporting positions; games or matches,  Prev: Opening and importing matches,  Up: Retrieving and storing backgammon files

7.1.3 Saving and exporting positions, games or matches
------------------------------------------------------

If you have played or imported a match into GNU Backgammon, and wish to
save your efforts, you can choose File->Save.  A file dialog box will
appear and you can type in a file name or keep the suggested default
file name.  (The suggested default file name contains the date, the
players name and the length of the match).  This will save the whole
match of the current match or session.  If there is any analysis or
commentary available this will also be saved to the file.  You can also
use the tool bar button labeled Save to open the file dialog box
directly.  There is also a keyboard shortcut, Ctrl-S, for saving a match
or session.

   The export dialog is accessed by choosing File->Export This dialog is
similar to the save dialog.  Again you may choose a different filename
and whether to export an entire match, a game or a position.  Then you
must choose an export format as well.  Notice some file formats only
supports export of matches and some only supports position.  Only when a
legal combination is chosen will ending the dialog be possible.  The
following table contains the supported file formats and the
corresponding commands for export.  Again notice that with some formats
only some of M(atch), G(ame), P(osition) is allowed.  For example to
export a Jellyfish position you would issue the command ‘export position
pos <filepath>’

HTML                                 ‘export <MGP> html <filepath>’
Jellyfish Game                       ‘export <G> gam <filepath>’
Jellyfish Match                      ‘export <M> mat <filepath>’
Jellyfish Position                   ‘export <P> pos <filepath>’
LaTeX                                ‘export <MG> latex <filepath>’
PDF                                  ‘export <MG> pdf <filepath>’
Plain Text                           ‘export <MGP> text <filepath>’
Portable Network Graphics            ‘export <P> pdf <filepath>’
PostScript                           ‘export <MGP> ps <filepath>’
Scalable Vector Graphics             ‘export <P> svg <filepath>’
Snowie Text                          ‘export <MGP> snowietxt
                                     <filepath>’

* Menu:

* HTML export::
* LaTeX export::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: HTML export,  Next: LaTeX export,  Up: Saving and exporting positions; games or matches

7.1.3.1 HTML export
...................

GNU Backgammon can export the current position, game, match or session
in HTML if you wish to publish it on the web.

   GNU Backgammon exports in validating XHTML 1.0 with the use of CSS
style sheets.  You may add your own style sheet to the exported HTML
files if you wish to override the default layout, e.g., change colors or
fonts.

   The board is made up from hundreds of pictures.  Currently, you can
choose between three different sets of pictures:

  1. the BBS images used by Kit Woolsey’s GammOnLine e-magazine, Stick’s
     BGonline or the Danish Backgammon Federation’s web-based discussion
     groups and others

  2. the fibs2html images used by the Joseph Heled’s program fibs2html
     (http://fibs2html.sourceforge.net/)

  3. images generated by GNU Backgammon itself.

   The images generated by GNU Backgammon will use your current board
design in GNU Backgammon, and honors your settings on clockwise or
anti-clockwise movement and board numbering (on, off, dynamic).

   If you export a match or session to HTML, GNU Backgammon will write
the individual games to separate files.  For example, if you export to
file foo.html the first game is exported to foo.html, the second game to
foo_002.html, the third game to foo_003.html and so forth.

   The output from the HTML export can be customized.  For example, it’s
possible to leave out the analysis or parts of the analysis.  Also, you
may enter a specific URL to the pictures used to compose the board which
is useful for posting positions on web-based discussion groups such as
Stick’s BGonline, Kit Woolsey’s GammOnLine, or the Danish Backgammon
Federation’s Debat Forum.

   If you want to have html images locally on your computer, you can
have GNU Backgammon generate these.  The html images will be generated
based on the current appearance settings.  You can also control the size
of the images in the export settings dialog (To get the export settings
dialog you can select in the menu Settings->Export....  Select the size
of your html images at the bottom right in this dialog

   To start the generation of the html images, select in the menu
File->Export->HTML images....  In the file dialog box, you can select a
_directory_ where the images will be generated.  The images are stored
in PNG format.

   To generate images from the command line, use the command:

   export htmlimages directory

   where directory is the directory where you want your images to be
created.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: LaTeX export,  Prev: HTML export,  Up: Saving and exporting positions; games or matches

7.1.3.2 LaTeX export
....................

GNU Backgammon can export games, match and positions to the document
typesetting system LaTeX. For exporting a match or session to LaTeX

   The LaTeX export will export all board diagrams and analysis if
available.  The produced documents can therefore be quite large.  Note
that the LaTeX file produced needs the eepic package.  You can get this
package at your nearest CTAN mirror (the produced LaTeX file also needs
epic, textcomp and ucs, but these are more common in LaTeX distributions
so you probably already have these).

   Note that these prerequiste packages are only compatible with the
original LaTeX, not PDFLaTeX.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Entering live tournament matches,  Next: Analysing matches,  Prev: Retrieving and storing backgammon files,  Up: Working with matches

7.2 Entering live tournament matches
====================================

It’s possible to enter match transcriptions into GNU Backgammon.  It’s
not very difficult.  Presuming you’re using the GUI, do this:

  1. Start a match of any length, pressing the New button, and select
     Human-Human and manual dice.

  2. To select the opening roll, click on the right dice pair in the
     dice selection window that appears.  The left die in the dice pair
     is the die that’s rolled by player 0, or the player at the top.
     The right die is the die that will be rolled by player 1 or the
     bottom player.  So if you select for example the 53 dice
     combination it means that player 0 rolls a 5 and player 1 rolls a
     3, and player 0 is therefore beginning this game.  However, if you
     select the 35 dice combination it means that player 0 rolls a 3 and
     player 1 rolls a 5.  Player 1 will therefore begin when you select
     53 instead of 35.

  3. To change the names, use the Edit button at the top.  If you want
     to enter information such as the name of the Annotator, date,
     locale, etc.  go to the Game menu and choose Match Information.

  4. To enter written comments, you first have to play the move, and
     then go back to the move in the move list to be able to use the
     Commentary pane (feel free to close the Messages pane from the
     Windows menu).  Don’t forget to save the match every once in a
     while.

  5. One comment: when entering the Cube commentary of a cube play
     (meaning it was turned), select the Take/Pass decision to enter the
     commentary.  The reason is that if you export it after, and didn’t
     do this, the commentary appears before the cube decision and not
     after as it should.

   Tip: while entering the match, if you wish to see GNU Backgammon’s
opinion while you are entering the moves, play the move on the board and
press the Hint button in the tool bar.  In the latest builds, if you
have done this, the results will then be placed with the move so that it
means it is already analysed when you run the full match analysis.  Mind
you, it will preserve the information even if you ran a deeper 3-ply or
4-ply from the Hint window.  After playing the move and confirming the
dice, go back in the move list and click on the move, and you’ll see the
analysis appear in the Analysis pane as it should.

* Menu:

* Entering illegal moves::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Entering illegal moves,  Up: Entering live tournament matches

7.2.1 Entering illegal moves
----------------------------

It’s possible to enter illegal moves with a little trick.  This is a
step by step guide for the example: If a player rolls 41 and the player
makes an illegal move as the dice showed 31.

  1. Manually enter the roll which was rolled.  41.

  2. Do a legal move with 41 (this is just to get the analysis of the
     roll, and the best legal move.)

  3. Click the dice to pick them up and complete the move.

  4. Now, before you roll the opponents dice, click the Edit button.

  5. While holding down the CTRL-button on your keyboard, you can now
     drag the checkers to the resulting illegal position which was
     played over the board.

  6. Release the Edit button to exit edit mode.

  7. Make sure the right player is on turn, by clicking on the checker
     image for the player on roll, under the game board.

  8. Continue to enter the rest of the game.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Analysing matches,  Next: Reviewing matches,  Prev: Entering live tournament matches,  Up: Working with matches

7.3 Analysing matches
=====================

GNU Backgammon can analyse your matches for skill and luck.  If you have
an open match (as a result of playing, loading or importing), the
analysis is started by choosing Analyse->Analyse match.  You should now
see a progress bar at the bottom right corner of the main interface
window while the computer is busy analysing.  During this time you won’t
be able to interact with the program other than to quit the analysis.
The analysis is complete when the progress bar disappears and you hear a
small sound.  Now, you would probably like to view the result of the
analysis.  This can be done in terms of overall statistics by choosing
Analyse->Match statistics, or in detail by browsing through the match.
More on these subjects in the upcoming sections.

   You can also analyse just the current game, by choosing
Analyse->Analyse game.  If you’re only interested in the analysis of the
current move, you can select Analyse->Analyse move.

* Menu:

* Analysis settings::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Analysis settings,  Up: Analysing matches

7.3.1 Analysis settings
-----------------------

You can configure how GNU Backgammon analysis the match or game for you.
This can be configured in the dialog box that appears when choose
Settings->Analysis.


   *Analyse settings dialog*

   [[analysesettings.png]]

   In the top left frame in this dialog box, you can select what to
analyse.  GNU Backgammon is able to analyse three different properties
in a match.

  1. Checker play

  2. Cube decisions

  3. Luck of each roll

   In addition you can have the analysis to analyse just one of the
players, or both.  There is also possible to set a limit of how many
moves to be analysed at each position.  When you’re reviewing your
match, the number of analysed moves will be limited to number in this
field.  However, if you want to analyse further moves in a particular
position, it’s not a problem to do that later.  The move that was
actually done in the match will be analysed even if it is ranked below
the number of moves limit.

   GNU Backgammon will also mark each move or cube decision with
Doubtful, Bad and Very bad.  You can adjust the limits in equity
difference for which label to assign.  This is done in the frame box to
the left.  Notice, currently the Good and Very good classes are not
used.

   You can also adjust the classes for what GNU Backgammon considers
lucky and unlucky rolls.  The luck of a roll is defined as the
difference of equity after the best move after rolled dice and the
equity after best move averaged over all possible rolls.

   The right part of the dialog box is an evaluation setting for how
each move or cube decision should be evaluated in the analysis.  For an
explanation of this settings, see the chapter called "[[Evaluation
settings]]".


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Reviewing matches,  Prev: Analysing matches,  Up: Working with matches

7.4 Reviewing matches
=====================

* Menu:

* Game record::
* Analysis panel::
* Statistics::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Game record,  Next: Analysis panel,  Up: Reviewing matches

7.4.1 Game record
-----------------

When a match is analysed in GNU Backgammon you should open the _game
record_ window.  Open this by checking Window->Game record on from the
main menu.  The game record window can also be docked into the right
side panel.  If you want it docked into the right side panel you should
check on Window->Dock panels.  The game record window shows a list of
all the moves in the game.  You can also navigate between the games and
moves.


   *The Game record pane*

   [[gamerecord.png]]

   The figure shows a typical game record list.  The moves are shown in
two columns.  The left column shows the moves for player 0,the to
player, and the right column shows the moves of player 1, the bottom
player.  You can navigate through the game with the arrow buttons at the
top of the game record.  The red buttons with the double arrows take you
to the previous game or the next match.  (Arrow pointing to the left
takes you to the previous game, and the red arrow pointing to the right
takes you to the next game.)  The green buttons take you one move ahead
in the game or one move back.  The green arrow button pointing to the
right take you to the previous move.  The green arrow button pointing to
the right take you to the next move or to the next dice roll.  If your
in the move list where the dice is not rolled, a click on this green
Next button will show you the same position with the dice rolled.  The
last two buttons take you to the next marked move, or to the previous
marked move.  The green arrow button with a question mark pointing to
the left will take you to the previous marked move.  The green arrow
button with a question mark pointing to the right will take you to the
next marked move.  You can also go to other games in the match or
session by selecting the game in the game drop down menu.  You can also
go to a move directly by clicking that move in the game record list.

   There is also some keyboard shortcuts for navigating through the
match.  Page Down till take you to the next move and Page up will take
you to the previous move.

   After a analysis some of the move in the game list will be marked.
You will see some moves marked with _?_  and some with _?!_  and some
with _??_.  These marks means the same as the marks in normal chess
notation.

??                                   a very bad move
?                                    a bad move
?!                                   a doubtful move

   Note that it is the same marks for cube decisions as for checker
moves.  Nevertheless, checker moves marks are before the cube decisions
marks.  If no mark exists for checker move, the cube mark is separated
by two spaces.

   In newer builds of GNU Backgammon the various moves also get a color
code.  The cube decisions are shown by the background color.  The
checkers move decisions are shown by the font color.

                         Cube(background)         Move(font)
Very Bad                 Yellow                   Red
Bad                      Pink                     Blue
Doubtful                 Grey                     Green

   The luck is also marked in the font

Luck                                 Font
Very Lucky                           Bold
Very Unlucky                         Italics


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Analysis panel,  Next: Statistics,  Prev: Game record,  Up: Reviewing matches

7.4.2 Analysis panel
--------------------

You can also study your moves and cube decisions in more detail in the
analysis window, or analysis panel if you have checked Dock panels in
the Window menu.  You can open this window by checking on
Window->Analysis.  If you have docked panels the analysis panel will
appear under the game record.  The analysis window is basically the same
as the Hint window described in the "[[Playing a game or match]]"
chapter.


   *The Analyse pane*

   [[analasyepane.png]]

   In the figure you can see the analysis panel.  At the top of the
analysis panel you will see three pull-down menus.  The leftmost
pull-down menu is a comment on the cube decision.  In the figure it is a
position where the player didn’t double and the GNU Backgammon’s
analysis of this is empty.  There was nothing wrong with not doubling in
this position.  The user can also override GNU Backgammon’s evaluation
and mark the cube decision as ’Doubtful’, ’Bad’ or ’Very bad’.  Note
that the cube decision pull-down menu will only be visible when the
player has the cube available.

   The next pull-down menu shows a simple analysis of the roll.  The
roll in this position was 32.  GNU Backgammon’s evaluation of this dice
roll is also empty.  It shows that this particular roll was -.162 equity
worse than the average roll.  This means that the roll is a bit unlucky,
but does not qualify for being marked as an unlucky roll.  The rolls are
marked in these categories: ’Very lucky’, ’Lucky’, ’Unlucky’ and ’Very
unlucky’.

   The rightmost pull-down menu, shows the move which was done.  In this
situation the move that was done was 3/off 2/off.  This move did not
qualify for any mark.  Moves that GNU Backgammon don’t like will be
marked as ’Doubtful’, ’Bad’ or ’Very bad’.  The user can also override
GNU Backgammon’s evaluation and mark the move manually with the
pull-down menu.

   The rest of the analysis window is a notebook of two pages.  The
first page is the list of possible moves.  The list is sorted in the
ranked order with the best considered move at the top.  The moves are
sorted by equity or EMG. In the list in the figure there is only two
possible moves.  The move that was actually done in the match, is marked
with red color.  The only difference of this list of moves and the list
of moves in the hint window, is that this list does not show the
probabilities for each outcome of the game.  If you want to see the
probabilities of the different outcomes, you can click on the button
labeled Details.  This will then show you a list with these numbers.

   The other page of the notebook is the cube decision analysis.  This
analysis show exactly the same as in the Hint window described in the
chapter called "[[Playing a game or match]]".  Note that the cube
decision page will only be available if there is a cube decision.  It
will not be visible if the cube is not available to the player.

   There is also a set of tool buttons in the analysis panel.  These
buttons does exactly the same as the tool buttons in the Hint window,
which is described in the the chapter called "[[Playing a game or
match]]".


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Statistics,  Prev: Analysis panel,  Up: Reviewing matches

7.4.3 Statistics
----------------

You can get a summary of the analysis from the game, match, or session
analysis.  The game analysis is a summary for the current game whereas
the match or session statistics is a summary of all the games in the
match or session.  The match analysis is available in the GUI from
Analyse->Match Statistics or at the bottom of exported files.

* Menu:

* Checker play statistics::
* Luck analysis::
* Cube statistics::
* Overall rating::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Checker play statistics,  Next: Luck analysis,  Up: Statistics

7.4.3.1 Checker play statistics
...............................

This section provides a summary of the checker play statistics.  The
following information is available

  1. Total moves: The total number of moves in the match.

  2. Unforced moves: The number of unforced moves, i.e., all checker
     play decisions which had more than one legal move.

  3. Moves marked _xxx_: The number of moves marked _very good_, _very
     bad_ etc.  The analysis will mark moves _very bad_, _bad_ etc.
     based on the threshold you’ve defined in the analysis settings.
     GNU Backgammon can currently not automatically mark moves, e.g.,
     _good_, but you can mark moves _good_ yourself.

  4. Error rate (total): The first number is the total amount of
     normalized equity that the player gave up during this game or
     match.  The number in parenthesis is the un-normalized counterpart;
     for money play the all errors are multiplied with the value of the
     cube, and for match play the total match winning chance given up by
     the player is reported.

  5. Error rate (per move): The error rate per move is the total error
     rate divided by the number of _unforced moves_.  Note that is
     different from Snowie 4 that defines the error rate per move as the
     total error rate divided by the total number of moves for both
     players, i.e., the sum of _total moves_ for both players.  In
     general, your error rate per move will be lower in Snowie than in
     GNU Backgammon.

  6. Checker play rating: GNU Backgammon will assign a rating for your
     checker play ranging from _Awful!_  to _Supernatural_.  See the
     description for the overall rating below.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Luck analysis,  Next: Cube statistics,  Prev: Checker play statistics,  Up: Statistics

7.4.3.2 Luck analysis
.....................

This section provides information about how Ms.  Fortuna distributed her
luck.  The following information is available:

  1. Rolls marked _xxx_: The number of moves marked _very lucky_,
     _lucky_ etc.  Moves marked _very lucky_ are huge jokers that
     improve your equity with more the +0.6 relative to the average
     equity.  GNU Backgammon normally uses cubeful 0-ply evaluations to
     calculate the luck, but you can change that under the analysis
     settings.  See below for a complete overview of what is considered
     _very lucky_, _lucky_, etc.

  2. Luck rate (total): The total luck for this game or match reported
     both normalized and unnormalized.

  3. Luck rate (per move): The luck rate per move reported both
     normalized and unnormalized.

  4. Luck rating: Based on the luck rate per move GNU Backgammon will
     assign you a humorous luck rating.  See below for the possible
     ratings.

   Thresholds for marking of rolls:

Deviation of equity from average     Roll is marked
> 0.6                                very lucky
0.3 - 0.6                            lucky
-0.3 - 0.3                           unmarked
-0.6 - -0.3                          unlucky
< -0.6                               very unlucky

   Luck ratings:

Normalized luck rate per move        Luck rating
> 0.10                               Cheater :-)
0.06 - 0.10                          Go to Las Vegas immediately
0.02 - 0.06                          Good dice, man!
-0.02 - 0.02                         none
-0.06 - -0.02                        Better luck next time
-0.06 - -0.10                        Go to bed
< -0.10                              Haaa-haaa


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Cube statistics,  Next: Overall rating,  Prev: Luck analysis,  Up: Statistics

7.4.3.3 Cube statistics
.......................

This section provides a summary of the cube decision statistics: the
number of cube decisions, missed doubles, etc.

  1. Total cube decisions: The total number of cube decisions, i.e., the
     sum of no-doubles, doubles, takes, and passes.

  2. Close or actual cube decisions: Similar to Total cube decisions,
     except that no-doubles are only included if they’re considered
     _close_.  GNU Backgammon considers a cube decision close if the
     relevant equities are within 0.16 from each other or if the
     position is too good.

  3. Doubles, Takes, Passes: The total number of doubles, takes, and
     passes in the game or match.

  4. Missed doubles around DP, Missed doubles around TG: The number of
     missed doubles around the double point and too good point
     respectively.  If the equity is below 0.95 the position is
     considered to be around the double point else it considered to be
     around the too good point.  If you miss doubles around the double
     point, it usually means that you double too late, whereas missed
     doubles around the too good point means that you’re too greedy and
     play on for gammon when the position is _not_ too good.

  5. Wrong doubles around DP, Wrong doubles around TG: The number of
     wrong doubles around the double point and too good point,
     respectively.  If you have wrong doubles around the double point
     that generally means that you double too early where you really
     should hold the cube, whereas wrong doubles around the too good
     point means that you double positions where you really should play
     on for a gammon or backgammon.

  6. Wrong takes, Wrong passes: The total number of wrong takes and
     passes, respectively.

  7. Error rate (total): The accumulated cube errors for this game or
     match reported both normalized and unnormalized.

  8. Error rate (per cube decision): The error rate per cube decision is
     the total error rate divided by the number of _close or actual cube
     decisions_.  Note that is different from Snowie 4 that defines the
     error rate per cube decision as the total error rate divided by the
     total number of moves for both players.  In general, your error
     rate per cube decision will be lower in Snowie than in GNU
     Backgammon.  Note that the reported number is multiplied by 1000 in
     the default settings.

  9. Cube decision rating: GNU Backgammon will assign a rating for your
     cube decisions ranging from _Awful!_  to _Supernatural_.  See the
     description for the overall rating below.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Overall rating,  Prev: Cube statistics,  Up: Statistics

7.4.3.4 Overall rating
......................

The last section is the overall summary.

  1. Error rate (total): The accumulated checker play and cube decision
     errors reported by normalized and unnormalized.

  2. Error rate (per decision): The error rate per decision is the total
     error rate divided by the number of non-trivial decisions (i.e.,
     the sum of _unforced moves_ and _close or actual cube decisions_).
     Again, please note that is different from Snowie 4 that defines the
     error rate per decision as the total error rate divided by the
     total number of moves for both players.  In general, your error
     rate per move will be lower in Snowie than in GNU Backgammon.  An
     investigation of approximately 300 matches showed the on average
     the GNU Backgammon error rate with be 1.4 times higher than your
     Snowie 4 error rate.

  3. Equivalent Snowie error rate: For easy comparison GNU Backgammon
     will also print the total error rate calculated by the same formula
     as Snowie 4.

  4. Overall rating: Based on your normalized error rate per move GNU
     Backgammon will assign you a rating ranging from _Awful!_  to
     _Supernatural_.  See the table below for the thresholds.

  5. Actual result: The actual result of the game or match.  For money
     game this is simply the number of points won or lost during the
     game or match.  For match play the number is calculated as 50%
     added to the result of the game or match in MWC. For example,
     losing a match or winning a match corresponds to an actual result
     of 0% and 100%, respectively.  Winning 1 point in the first game of
     7 point match is worth 6% using Kit Woolsey’s match equity table,
     hence the actual result is 56%.

  6. Luck adjusted result: The luck adjusted result is calculated as the
     _actual result_ plus the total unnormalized luck rate.  This is
     also called _variance reduction of skill_ as described in Douglas
     Zare’s excellent article Hedging Toward Skill
     (https://www.bkgm.com/articles/Zare/HedgingTowardSkill.html).  This
     should give an unbiased measure of the strengths of the players.

  7. MWC against current opponent: For match play GNU Backgammon will
     calculate your MWC against the current opponent.  The number is
     calculated as 50% - your total unnormalized error rate + your
     opponent’s total unnormalized error rate.  If your opponent is
     really lucky but plays rather bad, this number can become larger
     than 100%, since he due to the extra luck has the possibly to give
     up even more MWC. However, GNU Backgammon will report this number
     as 100%, and 0% for the opposite situation.  Note that this number
     is biased towards the analysing bot, e.g., a 0-ply analysis a game
     between GNU Backgammon 2-ply and 0-ply will suggest that 0-ply is a
     favorite, which it is clearly not.  For an unbiased measure use the
     _luck adjusted result_ above.

   Threshold for ratings:

Normalized total error rate per      Rating
move
0.000 - 0.002                        Supernatural
0.002 - 0.005                        World Class
0.005 - 0.008                        Expert
0.008 - 0.012                        Advanced
0.012 - 0.018                        Intermediate
0.018 - 0.026                        Casual Player
0.026 - 0.035                        Beginner
> 0.035                              Awful!

   Please note: The Normalized total error rate per move is multiplied
by 1000 in the default settings.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Rollouts,  Next: Customizing GNU Backgammon,  Prev: Working with matches,  Up: Top

8 Rollouts
**********

* Menu:

* Introduction to rollouts::
* Rollouts in GNU Backgammon::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Introduction to rollouts,  Next: Rollouts in GNU Backgammon,  Up: Rollouts

8.1 Introduction to rollouts
============================

The million dollar question is simple enough: out of all the games that
could result from playing this position, how many do we win (and how
many of our wins and losses are gammons, and how many are backgammons)?
The model is exactly the same as if we had an urn with a googol balls in
it (it’s a big urn), and many of the balls have win written on them, and
some say gammon loss, and if we look hard enough there are a few that
read backgammon win, and so on.  (Balls and urns are to probability
theorists what teapots and checkerboards are to computer graphics
researchers, or _squeamish ossifrage_ is to cryptographers; they seem to
come with the territory.)  Instead of having the patience to count the
googol balls, we just give the urn a really good shake and then pull 100
balls out without looking, and say for instance "Well, I got 53 wins, 31
losses, 9 gammon wins, 6 gammon losses, and a backgammon win.  It looks
like my equity’s roughly +0.26."  and go home.  If we were a bit more
thorough, we could go a bit further and figure out that by cheating and
measuring the sample proportions instead of the population proportions,
we introduced a standard error of 0.06 into our result.  (Of course, the
trick is to select a sample size that’s big enough that you reduce the
standard error to a tolerable level, but small enough that the answer
arrives before you get bored.)

   It will come as no surprise that a rollout with a limited number of
trials follows exactly the same procedure.  It’s sufficient to say that
the proportion of wins/gammons etc.  that come up when GNU Backgammon
plays against itself (say) 1296 times, aren’t likely to vary all that
much from the proportion we would get if we measured the proportion of
results in every game we could possibly get of GNU Backgammon playing
against itself.  (Of course, there may still be some doubt whether the
results of GNU Backgammon vs.  GNU Backgammon are representative of the
results of a perfect player vs.  a perfect player, or of you vs.  Joe
Average, but that’s another story.)


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Rollouts in GNU Backgammon,  Prev: Introduction to rollouts,  Up: Rollouts

8.2 Rollouts in GNU Backgammon
==============================

In GNU Backgammon the Rollout function implements the procedure
described above, with the following improvements:

  1. Truncation: instead of rolling out all the way to the end of the
     game, it can stop and pretend its evaluation after a few plies is
     perfect.  This may obviously introduce some amount of systematic
     error, but in practice this may not matter because:

  2. it makes rollouts much faster, which means you can do more of them
     (and thus trade sampling error for systematic error);

  3. different positions will be reached in different trials, so the
     correlation between errors in each trial weakens and the errors
     cancel out to some extent;

  4. if you are rolling out the positions after making different plays,
     then any remaining systematic error between the two rollouts is
     likely to be somewhat correlated and so the error in the comparison
     between the plays is hopefully small.  This implies that truncated
     rollouts are better for estimating _relative_ equity (_which is the
     better move here, 13/10*/9 or 13/10* 6/5*?_)  than _absolute_
     equity (_at this match score I need 29% wins to accept a dead cube;
     can I take in this position?_).

  5. Race database truncation: when the game enters its 2-sided bearoff
     database, GNU Backgammon can estimate the probability of winning
     from that position with no error at all (it can play and evaluate
     endgame positions perfectly), which saves time and avoids
     introducing the errors that can result from large equity variances
     at the end of the game.

  6. Variance reduction: when using lookahead evaluations, it can reduce
     errors by making use of the equity difference from one ply to the
     next.  (This can be interpreted as either canceling out the
     estimated _luck_ (i.e.  the difference in equity evaluations before
     and after rolling) or using subsequent evaluations to estimate the
     error in prior ones; the two views are equivalent).  GNU Backgammon
     automatically performs variance reduction when looking ahead at
     least one ply.

  7. Stratified sampling: uses quasi-random number generation instead of
     pseudo-random number generation (this is a standard technique in
     Monte Carlo simulations where having a near-perfect uniform
     distribution in your sample is more important than
     unpredictability).  GNU Backgammon only stratifies the first 2
     plies of a rollout, though it would be easy enough to extend it to
     the remainder.

* Menu:

* Quasi-Random Dice::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Quasi-Random Dice,  Up: Rollouts in GNU Backgammon

8.2.1 Quasi-Random Dice
-----------------------

Quasi-Random Dice are used to reduce the element of luck in rollouts.
Instead of selecting purely random dice, GNU Backgammon will ensure a
uniform distribution of the first roll of the rollout.  If 36 trials are
requested, one game will start with 11, two games with 21, two games
with 31, etc.  In general, if n * 36 games is requested, n games will
start with 11, 2*n games with 21 etc.  This is called _rotation_ of the
first roll.  Similarly, if n*1296 trials is requested, the second roll
will be rotated, such that n games will start with 11-11, n games with
11-21, n games with 21-21, etc.  The third roll be also be rotated if
the number of trials is proportional to 46656.

   Suppose a user stops a 1296 trial rollout after 36 games.  The 36
games would have had the following rolls for the first two rolls of each
game: 11-11, 21-11, 12-11, 31-11, 13-11, ..., 66-11 Obviously such a
rollout will give skewed results since the second roll was 11 for all
games!  To avoid this problem GNU Backgammon will randomize the sequence
of rolls such that it is guaranteed that for any sample of 36 games you
have exactly one game with first roll 11, exactly one game with second
roll 11, etc.  This is called _stratification_.

   GNU Backgammon will actually also rotate and stratify rollouts where
the number of trials are not multiples of 36, 1296, etc.  The
distribution of rolls is obviously not uniform any longer in this case,
but it will still provide some reduction of the luck, i.e., no 37 trial
rollout will have 3 games with a initial 66.

   Before the first game of a rollout, GNU Backgammon creates a pseudo
random array which it will use for all the games in the rollout.  In
effect it has already decided the roll sequence it will use for up to
128 rolls in every game of the rollout.  In other words, for a normal
rollout where games don’t go over 64 moves, every single game of every
possible rollout length has already had its dice sequence determined.
During the rollout of game n, sequence n will be used, for game n+1
sequence n+1, etc.  If it’s a _rollout as initial position_, then
whenever the current sequence starts with a double, the sequence is
skipped and the dice routine moves on to the next sequence.  Say an
_rollout as initial position_ is about to start using sequence 275, but
that sequence begins with a double.  The dice routine moves to sequence
276.  On the following game, it will use sequence 277 (it remembers how
many it has already skipped).

   So, if you select _rollout as initial position_ and 36 games, then
you will get a prefect set of rolls for games 1..30 and the first 6
rolls of the next perfect set (the same rolls you would have gotten for
games 31..36 if you’d asked for 1080 games or 10800 games or 92 games or
whatever.

   The dice sequence doesn’t know how many trials it will be asked for,
it simply generates sequences such that for a normal rollout (_rollout
as initial position_) every 36 (30) games you get all possible 1st
rolls, every 1296 (1080) games get every possible first 2 rolls, every
46656 (38880) games you get full sets of 3 rolls, etc.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Customizing GNU Backgammon,  Next: Technical Notes,  Prev: Rollouts,  Up: Top

9 Customizing GNU Backgammon
****************************

* Menu:

* Evaluation settings::
* Appearance::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Evaluation settings,  Next: Appearance,  Up: Customizing GNU Backgammon

9.1 Evaluation settings
=======================

* Menu:

* Introduction to evaluation settings::
* The depth to search and plies::
* Defining evaluation settings::
* Playing skill;::
* Hints;::
* Analysis;::
* Rollouts;::
* Changing evaluation settings::
* Predefined settings::
* Move filters::
* Cubeful vs Cubeless::
* Pruning neural networks::
* Noise::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Introduction to evaluation settings,  Next: The depth to search and plies,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.1 Introduction to evaluation settings
-----------------------------------------

GNU Backgammon evaluation functionality is driven by 3 separate neural
networks.  The neural nets evaluates each position statically, and
returns the outcome probabilities of the game at the given position.
However, there are several different methods and techniques that an
evaluation can use, and these can be adjusted.  It’s possible to set
different levels of lookahead, it’s possible to add noise to the
evaluation, and each evaluation can be done cubeful or cubeless.  All
these setting together form a total _evaluation setting_.  In GNU
Backgammon there are several of these evaluations setting for each
operation GNU Backgammon does.

  1. Evaluation setting for Hints and Evaluations

  2. Evaluation setting for analysis.

  3. Evaluation setting for GNU Backgammon when it’s playing.

  4. Several evaluation settings for each move performed in a rollout.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: The depth to search and plies,  Next: Defining evaluation settings,  Prev: Introduction to evaluation settings,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.2 The depth to search and plies
-----------------------------------

A _ply_ is simply considered to be one turn by a player.  Any position
can be evaluated at 0-ply.  That means that GNU Backgammon does not look
ahead in the game to evaluate the position.  When GNU Backgammon is
evaluating a checker play decision, it looks at all resulting positions
after all the legal moves with the given dice roll, and evaluates these
position at the given ply.  It’s possible to set the search depth by
specifying the plies lookahead in any evaluation settings dialog.

   Snowie and XG users: GNU Backgammon differs from most other software,
notably Snowie and eXtreme Gammon in that GNU Backgammon starts counting
plies at 0 (no lookahead) while other start at 1 ply.  In the same way
what is called 2-ply in GNU Backgammon will be similar to a Snowie
3-ply.

   For GNU Backgammon, a 0-ply evaluation of a move would be done by:

   Build a list of all legal moves.  For each move, take the resulting
board position and use the neural net to estimate the expected
percentage of wins/gammons/backgammons/losses/gammon losses/backgammon
losses.  Rank the moves based on this evaluation.

   For one ply, after doing the above step, GNU Backgammon chooses the
best n moves (where n is set by the move filters).  For each one, it
takes the resulting position for that move and goes through all 21
possible dice rolls for the opponent.  From these results, it works out
the average expectation for the initial move and ranks them.  This is
the same as Snowie 2 ply.  You can think of it as asking "what’s my best
move if I also consider every possible dice roll and move my opponent
might make?"

   For 2 ply (Snowie 3 ply), a similar process is done, but this time,
not only are the opponents possible moves considered, but, for each of
these, the player on roll’s next move will be considered as well.

   For a single move, on average there are about 20 legal moves to
consider.

   When doing a one ply analysis/evaluation, for the top n moves (from
the move filter, GNU Backgammon needs to consider 21 rolls by the
opponent, 20 and possible legal moves per roll) = 420 positions to
evaluate.

   Every additional ply will multiply the previous number of evaluations
by about 400 odd, which explains the huge difference in playing
speed/analysis speed between 0 ply and 2 ply settings.  I don’t think
many people would enjoy playing against GNU Backgammon at 4 ply
settings, where moves could take tens of seconds to be selected.  Deeper
lookahead than 2 ply actually gains relatively little in terms of
playing strength and are not very interesting as settings for GNU
Backgammon as an opponent or for rollouts (although 3 ply is quite fast
on current computers).  On the other hand, 4 ply analysis is reasonably
fast on modern multi-cores machines.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Defining evaluation settings,  Next: Playing skill;,  Prev: The depth to search and plies,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.3 Defining evaluation settings
----------------------------------

First of all: There are several places in GNU Backgammon where you can
adjust either it’s skill at playing or the quality of it’s hints and
analysis:


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Playing skill;,  Next: Hints;,  Prev: Defining evaluation settings,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.4 Playing skill:
--------------------

Settings->Players->Player 0 - choose Supremo or World Class.  GNU
Backgammon will take at most a few seconds choosing its moves and they
will be very strong.  At this setting, it is significantly stronger than
any human player (on average, some classes of positions are evaluated
less accurately).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Hints;,  Next: Analysis;,  Prev: Playing skill;,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.5 Hints:
------------

Settings->Evaluation - choose Supremo or World Class if you want hints
to be accurate and fast.  Anything lower doesn’t really makes sense on
current PCs.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Analysis;,  Next: Rollouts;,  Prev: Hints;,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.6 Analysis:
---------------

Settings->Analysis - these settings are used by the Analyse
Move/Game/Match or Session command.  Note that this is totally different
to what is used in the Hint command, which uses the above settings.  You
probably want at least Supremo here.  A 7 point match will take at most
1 minute to analyse on the Supremo settings.  This could be used to get
immediate feedback after completing a match.  An alternative is to use
the more accurate 4 ply level.  The same analysis would take maybe 15
minutes on a 4-cores computer and longer on more limited hardware.  This
would be more suitable to delayed, overnight for instance, processing of
a batch of matches.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Rollouts;,  Next: Changing evaluation settings,  Prev: Analysis;,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.7 Rollouts:
---------------

Settings->Rollouts->General Settings tick the boxes for ’Cube decisions
use same settings same as checker play’ and ’Use same settings for both
players’

   Settings->Rollouts->First Play Both - select Expert here for fast
rollouts or World Class for slower but more accurate ones.  When doing
rollouts, most of the time Expert play will be more than strong enough
if you do say 1296 trials with no truncation.  The rollout function has
an enormous number of options, most of which are only useful when trying
to investigate special positions.  The simple Expert setting for both
players is more accurate than any of the Analysis functions.  The
downside is that rolling out 1296 trials of an early move in a game can
take from a couple of minutes at Expert level to hours at World Class or
Supremo rollout settings.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Changing evaluation settings,  Next: Predefined settings,  Prev: Rollouts;,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.8 Changing evaluation settings
----------------------------------

A typical evaluation settings dialog is shown in this figure.


   *The evaluation settings dialog*

   [[evalsettings.png]]

   The dialog is consisting of two columns, the left column is for
setting the checker play decision evaluation settings, and the right
column is for setting the cube decision evaluation settings.

   For each column you can select some predefined settings, or you can
define your own settings.

   In the lookahead box, you can adjust the lookahead of each evaluation
by specifying the plies to be evaluated.  Each ply costs approximately a
factor of 21 in computational time.  Also note that 2-ply is equivalent
to Snowie’s 3-ply setting.

   In the box for Cubeful evaluations, you can specify if you want GNU
Backgammon to evaluate the cube ownership in its evaluations.  With this
option turned on it generally improves the evaluation, specially when
it’s close to cube decisions, so we recommend that this option is turned
on.

   In the Noise box, you can add noise to the evaluation.  This can be
smart if you think the program plays to strong.  You can use the Noise
box option to introduce noise or errors in the evaluations.  This is
useful for introducing levels below 0-ply.  The lower rated bots (e.g.,
BlunderBot on FIBS) use this technique.  The introduced noise can be
deterministic, i.e., always the same noise for the same position, or it
can be random.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Predefined settings,  Next: Move filters,  Prev: Changing evaluation settings,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.9 Predefined settings
-------------------------

At the top of each evaluation settings column, it’s possible to set a
predefined setting.

  1. Beginner This setting uses no lookahead and add up to 0.060 noise
     to the evaluation.  With this setting GNU Backgammon will evaluate
     like a beginner.

  2. Casual play This setting uses no lookahead and add up to 0.050
     noise to the evaluation.  With this setting GNU Backgammon will
     evaluate a bit better than the beginner setting but not much.

  3. Intermediate This setting uses no lookahead and add up to 0.030
     noise to each evaluation.  It still plays a intermediate game.

  4. Advanced This setting uses no lookahead and add up to 0.015 noise
     to each evaluation.  This setting plays a good game.

  5. Expert This setting uses no lookahead but does not add any noise to
     the evaluations.  This settings play a strong game.

  6. World class This setting uses 2-ply lookahead, it uses no noise and
     it uses a normal move filter.  This plays a really strong game, on
     par with the very best humans players.

  7. Supremo This is basically the same as the World Class setting, but
     it uses a larger move filter.

  8. Grandmaster This setting uses 3-ply lookahead, no noise and a large
     move filter.  This setting is extremely strong and still fast on
     current computers.

  9. 4ply This setting uses 4-ply lookahead, no noise and a large move
     filter.  This setting is extremely strong, but it’s also quite
     slow.  It is more suitable to analysis than to actual play.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Move filters,  Next: Cubeful vs Cubeless,  Prev: Predefined settings,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.10 Move filters
-------------------

* Menu:

* Introduction to move filters::
* Defining move filters::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Introduction to move filters,  Next: Defining move filters,  Up: Move filters

9.1.10.1 Introduction to move filters
.....................................

GNU Backgammon uses a technique called move filters in order to prune
the complete list of legal moves when analysing checker play decisions.

   A move filter for a given ply, say, 2-ply, consists of four
parameters for each sub ply:

  1. whether to analyse at all at this sub ply,

  2. the number of moves always accepted at the given level,

  3. the number of extra moves to add,

  4. the threshold for adding extra moves.

   A move filter for a given ply, say, 2-ply, consists of four
parameters for each sub ply:

   whether to analyse at all at this sub ply, the number of moves always
accepted at the given level, the number of extra moves to add, the
threshold for adding extra moves.  For example, for 2-ply checker play
decisions there are two move filters: one for pruning at 0-ply, and
another for pruning at 1-ply.  The predefined setting _Normal_ has:
accept 0 moves and add up to 8 moves within 0.16 at 0-ply, and no
pruning at 1-ply.

   Consider the opening position where 4-2 has been rolled:


   *Example of move filter settings*

   [[movefilterex.png]]

   GNU Backgammon starts by finding all possible moves and evaluate
those at 0-ply:

1.           Cubeful      0-ply        8/4 6/4      Eq.:+0.189
2.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/20        Eq.:+0.046   (-0.143)
                                       13/11
3.           Cubeful      0-ply        13/11 13/9   Eq.:+0.044   (-0.145)
4.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/22 13/9   Eq.:+0.034   (-0.155)
5.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/22        Eq.:-0.006   (-0.194)
                                       24/20
6.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/18        Eq.:-0.009   (-0.198)
7.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/20 6/4    Eq.:-0.019   (-0.208)
8.           Cubeful      0-ply        13/9 6/4     Eq.:-0.024   (-0.213)
9.           Cubeful      0-ply        13/7         Eq.:-0.052   (-0.241)
10.          Cubeful      0-ply        24/20 8/6    Eq.:-0.053   (-0.242)

   According to the move filter the first 0 moves are accepted.  The
equity of the best move is +0.189, and according to the move filter we
add up to 8 extra moves if they’re within 0.160, that is, if they have
equity higher than 0.029.  Moves 5 through 18 all have equity lower
that, so the move list after pruning at 0-ply consists of moves 1
through 4.  According to the move filter we do not perform any pruning
at 1-ply, so moves 1 through 4 are submitted for evaluation at 2-ply;

1.           Cubeful      2-ply        8/4 6/4      Eq.:+0.180
2.           Cubeful      2-ply        24/20        Eq.:+0.052   (-0.127)
                                       13/11
3.           Cubeful      2-ply        13/11 13/9   Eq.:+0.043   (-0.137)
4.           Cubeful      2-ply        24/22 13/9   Eq.:+0.035   (-0.145)
5.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/22        Eq.:-0.006   (-0.185)
                                       24/20
6.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/18        Eq.:-0.009   (-0.189)
7.           Cubeful      0-ply        24/20 6/4    Eq.:-0.019   (-0.199)
8.           Cubeful      0-ply        13/9 6/4     Eq.:-0.024   (-0.203)
9.           Cubeful      0-ply        13/7         Eq.:-0.052   (-0.232)
10.          Cubeful      0-ply        24/20 8/6    Eq.:-0.053   (-0.232)

   If we instead request a 4-ply checker play decision, GNU Backgammon
will use the move filters defined for 4-ply:

Ply                Accept moves       Extra moves        Threshold for
                                                         extra moves
0                  0                  8                  0.160
1                  no pruning
2                  0                  2                  0.040
3                  no pruning

   The 4-ply move filter is identical to the 2-ply for pruning at 0-ply,
so after 0-ply we have the same three moves as above.  Since there is no
pruning at 1-ply these three moves are evaluated at 2-ply as above.
There is no pruning at 3-ply.

   At 4-ply we do not accept any moves, but add up to two moves if there
within 0.040 from the best move.  Since the second best move is -0.138
worse than the best move, we do not accept any moves to be evaluated at
4-ply.  Hence GNU Backgammon will actually not evaluate any moves on
4-ply.

   The predefined move filters all have accept 0 moves, in order to
facilitate fast decisions and analysis, i.e., no need to waste much time
over obvious moves.

   For post-mortem analysis it may be worthwhile to ensure that GNU
Backgammon analyses at least two moves at the specified ply.  To do
this, specify accept 2 moves in the move filters you use for analysis.
However, do note that GNU Backgammon will force evaluation at the
specified ply if the actual move made is doubtful.  This ensures that
all errors and blunders are evaluated at the same level.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Defining move filters,  Prev: Introduction to move filters,  Up: Move filters

9.1.10.2 Defining move filters
..............................

The move filter allows you to control exactly how many moves GNU is
examining at each ply.  A ply is basically one move played by one side,
thus if both sides played a move, it would be one whole move, but two
plies, one for each side.  To change the specific settings, press the
Modify...  button.

   Although the predefined levels, such as World Class, Supremo, etc.
are tested and good, you may want to know or control how GNU filters its
moves to analyse and how many.


   *Move filter 1*

   [[movefilter1.png]]

   If you are playing Expert level or another 0-ply setting, the Move
Filter settings will not change a thing, as Expert level automatically
examines all moves.  At Supremo level, this changes though, as it takes
a selection of the best moves from 0-ply and examines them at 2-ply.
This means that for those selected moves it will calculate all the
possibilities 2 plies ahead and evaluate them, allowing it to find
better moves.  Since Supremo is a 2-ply setting, we are only interested
in the 2-ply settings of Large as in the figure above.  3-ply or 4-ply
settings will have no effect here because Supremo doesn’t examine at
that depth.

   In the figure above, we can see it first will Always accept 0 moves.
This first line means that it won’t force any moves to be analysed at
2-ply, it will only analyse moves according to the second line.  If it
had said it would always analyse 2 moves, this would mean that no matter
how ridiculously bad the 2nd move was compared to the 1st, it would
analyse both at 2-ply.

   The second line says it will Add extra 16 moves within 0.320.  This
means that provided they aren’t more than 0.320 equity worse than the
top move, it will select a maximum of 16 moves to analyse at 2-ply.  For
example, in the figure below, the 2nd best move is no less than 0.453
equity worse than the top choice, so it didn’t bother analysing them at
2-ply as it is unlikely to change its mind on what the best move is.


   *Move filter 2*

   [[movefilter2.png]]

   Take a look at next figure.


   *Move filter 3*

   [[movefilter3.png]]

   Here, the exact same settings were maintained, but the 1-ply filter
was activated.  This just means that those 16 moves selected from the
0-ply are sent instead to be analysed at 1-ply, and then up to 5 moves
from 1-ply will be sent to be analysed at 2-ply.  So this would actually
be faster than the previous setting (and weaker), since a maximum of
only 5 moves would be analysed at 2-ply depth.

   Tip: Feel free to experiment with the settings, as you can always
reset them by simply choosing one of the predefined levels.  In order to
see if they are better, or as good but faster, I’d suggest comparing the
results with Supremo.  One setting I have that works quite well, is to
take the basic Supremo setting and in the Move filter reduce the 16 to
12.  It cuts down on the thinking time by 20-25% more or less, and I
haven’t seen more than one case in over 10,000 moves where it missed the
best move.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Cubeful vs Cubeless,  Next: Pruning neural networks,  Prev: Move filters,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.11 Cubeful vs Cubeless
--------------------------

In the evaluation settings dialog box you can specify whether or not
checker play should be evaluated cubeful.  It’s recommended that you use
cubeful evaluation.  To get an understanding of what cubeful checker
play evaluations are, you can take a look at this position:


   *Cubeful example*

   [[cubeful-ex1.png]]

   In this position black has rolled 51 and he has a good position.  If
the position is evaluated cubeless the best move is 13/7.  Black can
hope white does not roll 34 or 35 form the bar and has now a good chance
to close white out in the next few rolls.  However if white rolls one of
the four hitting numbers from the bar, white will quite soon have a
really hot redouble.  This redouble increases whites equity so much that
black actually should play this move safe.  He should play 13/8 6/5.
However if the evaluation was set to cubeless, an setting which assumes
white will never redouble, black should play 13/8.

   Here’s another example:


   *Cubeful example 2*

   [[cubeful-ex2.png]]

   This is from a 5 point match where black has 1 point and white has 3
points.  Black wins the opening roll and considers playing 13/11 6/5 or
24/23 13/11.

   If GNU Backgammon uses a cubeless evaluation it will play 24/23
13/11.  But if you’re using a cubeful evaluation it will play 13/11 6/5.
Slotting with 6/5 is at this score a better move even though it loses
more gammons.  The gammons black are losing won’t matter anyway, since
black will turn the cube in the next few rolls anyway.  The slotting
play also wins more gammons, and with the cube tuned to 2, black should
play towards gammonish positions at this score.

   You can read more about cubeful evaluations in the [[Appendix]].

   It’s recommended that you use cubeful checker evaluations.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Pruning neural networks,  Next: Noise,  Prev: Cubeful vs Cubeless,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.12 Pruning neural networks
------------------------------

A feature in the evaluation is the use of a set of neural networks just
to prune away move candidates within a deeper ply search.  This
increases the speed considerably and it doesn’t lose much playing
strength compared to evaluation without these pruning neural nets.  Jim
Segrave did an analysis of this and found that less than 1% of all moves
come out different with the pruning nets activated.  In most of these
positions the move would not have made any difference to the game at
all.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Noise,  Prev: Pruning neural networks,  Up: Evaluation settings

9.1.13 Noise
------------

If you think GNU Backgammon plays too strong for you, you can add some
noise to its evaluation.  The number you add into the field in the
evaluations setting is the limit amount of noise that will be added to
the evaluation.

   If noise is added to the evaluations GNU Backgammon will take a Box
Müller transform of a point in the unit circle and add to each possible
outcome probability.  This means that the addition is random, but
distributed so that it’s more likely to have an noise addition close to
zero than a noise addition close to the limit.  The noise addition is
limited to the number you put into the noise field in the dialog box.

   If you check the box Deterministic noise, the noise added to each
evaluation will be based on a sum of the bytes in the hash of the board
position, which (by the central limit theorem) should have a normal
distribution.  In that way you will always have that same noise amount
to a position, since the noise added to the evaluation is only depending
on the position itself.

   If you want GNU Backgammon to evaluate and play as strong as
possible, you should not add any noise.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Appearance,  Prev: Evaluation settings,  Up: Customizing GNU Backgammon

9.2 Appearance
==============

You can change the appearance of GNU Backgammon.  There is a lot of
options to choose among and you can have the board look like nearly
anything.  This section will help you through some on the appearance
customization.

   To change the look of the board, you should click
Settings->Appearance.  This will open a dialog box like this:


   *The appearance dialog*

   [[appearance.png]]

   In this dialog box you see a preview picture of the board at the
right side, and you have notebook with options to the left.

   There are two different board rendering engines in GNU Backgammon.
It’s a 2 dimensional rendering engine which is simple and fast, but
still makes really good board images.  The moves can be animated.

   The other board rendering type is a 3 dimensional board engine based
on OpenGL. This board rendering engine makes astonishing fine board
graphics, and animates the rolls and moves beautifully.  You can even
add textures to your boards and checkers.  However, the 3D rendering
type need a good modern graphic card which can take 3D hardware
acceleration.

   The leftmost tab in the appearance settings notebook is the General
option.  You can here select between the 2D board or the 3D board.  You
can also choose between different other settings.  Most of the settings
here are self explanatory.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Technical Notes,  Next: Frequently Asked Questions,  Prev: Customizing GNU Backgammon,  Up: Top

10 Technical Notes
******************

* Menu:

* Obtaining bearoff databases::
* Match Equity Tables::
* Python scripting::
* Equities explained::
* A technical description of the Position ID::
* A technical description of the Match ID::
* Description of the CSS style sheet::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Obtaining bearoff databases,  Next: Match Equity Tables,  Up: Technical Notes

10.1 Obtaining bearoff databases
================================

* Menu:

* Generate your own::
* Download::
* Installation of the databases::
* Verification of the databases::
* One-sided bearoff databases (compressed): One-sided bearoff databases [compressed].
* Two-sided bearoff databases (with cubeless and cubeful equities): Two-sided bearoff databases [with cubeless and cubeful equities].
* Two-sided databases for Hypergammon::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Generate your own,  Next: Download,  Up: Obtaining bearoff databases

10.1.1 Generate your own
------------------------

GNU Backgammon is supplied with a program makebearoff that is used to
generate bearoff databases.  Due to various limitations it is only
possible to generate bearoff databases with a size less than 2GB, i.e.,
the 13pt one-sided database and the 11 checker two-sided database are
the largest databases that can be generated with makebearoff.

   On current (2014) hardware the creation of the 11 checker two-sided
database will take a few hours.  It is approximately 3 times longer for
each additional checker or each additional point.

   To generate one sided database issue

   makebearoff -o 10 -f gnubg_os.bd

   to generate the one sided 10 point database.  The program makebearoff
uses a cache to store previously generated positions.  You may set the
cache size with the -s size option, e.g.,

   makebearoff -o 10 -s 123456789 -f gnubg_os.bd

   to use 123,456,789 bytes of memory for cache size.  In general, if
the cache size is less than the size of the database to be generated,
then extra time is needed to generate the bearoff database because some
positions may have to be calculated several times.

   makebearoff can also reuse previously generated databases, so if you
already had generated the 9 point database you can reuse it:

   mv gnubg_os.bd gnubg_os9.bd

   makebearoff -o 10 -O gnubg_os9.bd -f gnubg_os.bd

   Note that makebearoff requires temporary disk space to generate both
one sided and two sided databases.  In general, twice the disk space of
the database to be generated is needed.

   To generate a two sided database issue

   makebearoff -t 6x8 -f gnubg_ts.bd

   This example will generate the 8 checkers on 6 points database.
Again, it’s possible to adjust the amount of memory with the -s option.
It’s recommended to set the cache size to the maximum amount of memory
available (although there is no need to set it beyond the size of the
bearoff database to be generated).

   Other options for makebearoff are available, see makebearoff –help
for the complete set.

   The accompanying program makehyper is used to generate databases for
Hypergammon.  For example, to generate the 3-checker database issue the
command

   makehyper -c 3 -f hyper3.bd

   Since the generation can be time consuming, makehyper will generate a
checkpoint file (in the example above: hyper3.bd.tmp) that can be used
to restart the calculation if needed by using the -r option.  You can
also change the default convergence threshold of 0.00001 if you’re happy
with less accurate equities.  To generate the 3 checker database you
need approximately 400 MB of free memory.  On current (2014) hardware
the calculation for the 3-checker database will take a few hours (1- and
2-checker are much faster).

   See makehyper –help for the complete set of available options.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Download,  Next: Installation of the databases,  Prev: Generate your own,  Up: Obtaining bearoff databases

10.1.2 Download
---------------

You may download the two sided database with 6 checkers on 6 points from
https://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/gnubg/gnubg_ts0.bd.gz
(https://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/gnubg/gnubg_ts0.bd.gz) and the one sided
database with 15 checkers 6 points from
https://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/gnubg/gnubg_os0.bd.gz
(https://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/gnubg/gnubg_os0.bd.gz).

   Larger databases are available for download from
https://dl.xs4all.nl/Museum/Demon/games/gnubg/databases/
(https://dl.xs4all.nl/Museum/Demon/games/gnubg/databases/).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Installation of the databases,  Next: Verification of the databases,  Prev: Download,  Up: Obtaining bearoff databases

10.1.3 Installation of the databases
------------------------------------

The databases’s installation directory depends on where GNU Backgammon
is installed on your system.  It is displayed by Help->About GNU
Backgammon->Evaluation Engine.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Verification of the databases,  Next: One-sided bearoff databases [compressed],  Prev: Installation of the databases,  Up: Obtaining bearoff databases

10.1.4 Verification of the databases
------------------------------------

To verify that your generated or downloaded bearoff database is correct,
the table below lists the MD5 checksums for a number of possible
databases.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: One-sided bearoff databases [compressed],  Next: Two-sided bearoff databases [with cubeless and cubeful equities],  Prev: Verification of the databases,  Up: Obtaining bearoff databases

10.1.5 One-sided bearoff databases (compressed)
-----------------------------------------------

The table below contains the MD5 checksums for the compressed one sided
bearoff databases, i.e., databases generated with default options.

Checkers                 Points                   MD5 checksum
15                       1                        c789f049ec98ce4e307b471257999f39
15                       2                        b6e61c1625ae4b3b164e93ab064192b9
15                       3                        346dae6139ccb4b227c534373e5c52e4
15                       4                        653255f5f9f22fd50277f7ff25b2a343
15                       5                        2064f9a56b23117d053a573c96a92fa2
15                       6                        3dc7b833c4670849cee00479a9e21b49
15                       7                        67235c8e0ee152df5daf36cbeae5b3c2
15                       8                        a4acbb5c7e9e1f08e561afe0af934e5c
15                       9                        9c4ddab4e51c3e668c9c97b8f8768dbc
15                       10                       81b3898f06bbd08ee8295a839251a10a
15                       11                       78ecb4be86dab6af8755ea4063d50fb6
15                       12                       770fcff48894a96ebb2249343ef94866
15                       13                       cc74b69a62f6e648936f533838a527a8
15                       14                       not available
15                       15                       not available
15                       16                       not available
15                       17                       not available
15                       18                       not available


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Two-sided bearoff databases [with cubeless and cubeful equities],  Next: Two-sided databases for Hypergammon,  Prev: One-sided bearoff databases [compressed],  Up: Obtaining bearoff databases

10.1.6 Two-sided bearoff databases (with cubeless and cubeful equities)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The table below contains the MD5 checksums for the default two sided
bearoff databases.

Checkers                 Points                   MD5 checksum
1                        6                        7ed6f8e7fce16ea2b80e07a4a516653c
2                        6                        e9d760bf213841c285245ed757a52f4d
3                        6                        9d67da3db32ad4720cc38eecf9a67967
4                        6                        9156f37032d1d4b0352a41186e632dfc
5                        6                        0db19ab08feae1feb33ddbd709479f62
6                        6                        44b6040b49b46cb9dd2ce8caa947044d
7                        6                        9eb8b042d4d2ddf8d40e74a892745ad5
8                        6                        fcdbbc80b7ef84ddc81b839d0f26bed1
9                        6                        a11b2d410d51401143d05e73f9ffac15
10                       6                        12dc70c86f356d06bc96ee38dee40c62
11                       6                        68a0fa972bdde7b14a6b911d1dc80a30
12                       6                        not available
13                       6                        not available
14                       6                        not available
15                       6                        not available


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Two-sided databases for Hypergammon,  Prev: Two-sided bearoff databases [with cubeless and cubeful equities],  Up: Obtaining bearoff databases

10.1.7 Two-sided databases for Hypergammon
------------------------------------------

As the generation of the Hypergammon databases are an iterative process
it’s not possible to give MD5 checksum for these, as it depend heavily
on your convergence threshold, the number of restarts, and rounding
errors.

   A random position from the database is found in *note Random position
from hypergammon database::.  The equities and percentages in your own
database should be very similar (if not identical):

   GNU Backgammon Position ID: ADAAAQAkIAAAAA


   *Random position from hypergammon database*


      GNU Backgammon  Position ID: ADAAAQAkIAAAAA
                      Match ID   : cAkAAAAAAAAA
      +13-14-15-16-17-18------19-20-21-22-23-24-+     O: gnubg
      |       X     X    |   |                X |     0 points
      |                  |   |                  |
      |                  |   |                  |
      |                  |   |                  |
      |                  |   |                  |
     v|                  |BAR|                  |     (Cube: 1)
      |                  |   |                  |
      |                  |   |                  |
      |                  |   |                  |
      | O                |   |                  |     On roll
      | O                |   |             O    |     0 points
      +12-11-10--9--8--7-------6--5--4--3--2--1-+     X: jth

                  Player       Opponent
     Position         3018          2831

     Owned cube                    : -0.0230
     Centered cube                 : -0.2310
     Centered cube (Jacoby rule)   : -0.2186
     Opponent owns cube            : -0.3548

             Win     W(g)    W(bg)   L(g)    L(bg)   Equity  (cubeful)
     static: 0.456   0.244   0.014   0.318   0.019   (-0.168  (-0.219))


     No double           : -0.219
     Double, pass        : +1.000   (+1.219)
     Double, take        : -0.710   (-0.491)

     Correct cube action: No double, beaver


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Match Equity Tables,  Next: Python scripting,  Prev: Obtaining bearoff databases,  Up: Technical Notes

10.2 Match Equity Tables
========================

Multiple match equity tables are bundled with GNU Backgammon, although
most of them are only of marginal or historical interest.

   • _Rockwell-Kazaross_ or _Kazaross-XG2_ are the recommended choice.
     They were created by rolling out the initial position for every
     score up to -15:-15 and are the best currently available
     estimations of the match equities for a strong bot playing itself.

   • _g11_, _snowie_ and _woolsey_ are the tables that were used by
     earlier versions of GNU Backgammon, Snowie or for hand calculations
     back when bots didn’t do match equity calculations (or there was no
     bot at all).  All of them are now considered obsolete.  Analyses or
     rollouts using them can still be found in books, magazines or web
     sites so it can occasionally be interesting to use them in GNU
     Backgammon for comparison to these older results.

   • _jacobs_, _jac050_ and _jac100_ are from the book __Can a Fish
     Taste Twice as Good__ by Jake Jacobs and Walter Trice and give
     match equities if players are of equal strength, if one is 50 Elo
     points stronger and if one is 100 points stronger respectively.
     They should only be used to analyse such unequal opponents
     situations.

   • The other tables are obsolete and of no practical use.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Python scripting,  Next: Equities explained,  Prev: Match Equity Tables,  Up: Technical Notes

10.3 Python scripting
=====================

Accessing the GNU Backgammon Python shell

   To access the Python shell, either type ‘>’ from the command line or
select Window->Python Shell(IDLE...) from the GUI.

* Menu:

* gnubg module functions::
* Match description::
* Match info::
* Python game::
* Game actions::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: gnubg module functions,  Next: Match description,  Up: Python scripting

10.3.1 gnubg module functions
-----------------------------

board()

   command(cmd)

   evaluate()

   evalcontext()

   eq2mwc()

   mwc2eq()

   cubeinfo()

   met()

   positionid()

   positionfromid()

   positionkey()

   positionfromkey()

   positionbearoff()

   positionfrombearoff()

   navigate([next=N,[game=N]])

   Match navigation.

   Without any arguments, go to first move of first match.

   With next == N, move forward N game records.

   With game == N, move forward/backward N games.

   Navigate never wraps around.

   On success, returns None.  If unable to complete the requested number
of moves, returns a pair of (next-remaining,game-remaining).

   match([analysis=1/0, boards=1/0, statistics=0/1, verbose=0/1])

   Return the current match.  For example,

   > m = gnubg.match()

   Takes the following optional keyword arguments:

   analysis

   When 0, discard analysis data.  default is 1.

   boards

   When 1, add current board to move/double records.  Default is 1.

   statistics

   When 1, include game and match statistics.  Default is 0.

   verbose

   When 1, include derived analysis values.  Default is 0.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Match description,  Next: Match info,  Prev: gnubg module functions,  Up: Python scripting

10.3.2 Match description
------------------------

gnubg.match() returns a dictionary containing the following items:

   match-info

   General match info

   games

   A sequence, one element per game.

   stats (optional)

   Match statistics.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Match info,  Next: Python game,  Prev: Match description,  Up: Python scripting

10.3.3 Match info
-----------------

A dictionary containing the following items:

   match-length

   variation

   One of Standard,Nackgammon, Hypergammon1, Hypergammon2 or
Hypergammon3.

   rules (optional)

   Additional rules used.  A subset of NoCube, Crawford and Jacoby.

   X

   O

   Per player information.  Each a dictionary containing rating and
name.

   annotator (optional)

   round (optional)

   place (optional)

   date (optional)

   Sequence of (Day,Month,Year).

   event (optional)

   default-eval-context

   Default evaluation context.  A dictionary in the same format as
returned by evalcontext().

   default-rollout-context

   Default rollout context.

   Example,

   >>> m[’match-info’]

   {’match-length’: 25, ’rules’: (’Crawford’,), ’default-eval-context’:
{’plies’: 2, ’deterministic’: 1, ’noise’: 0.0, ’cubeful’: 1},
’annotator’: ’GNU 0.14’, ’O’: {’rating’: ’0 (Exp 0)’, ’name’: ’Moshe
Tissona’}, ’round’: ’Final’, ’place’: ’Monte Carlo’, ’variation’:
’Standard’, ’default-rollout-context’: {’n-truncation’: 11,
’initial-position’: 0, ’trials’: 0, ’stop-on-std’: 0,
’variance-reduction’: 1, ’late-eval’: 0, ’truncated-rollouts’: 0,
’truncate-bearoff2’: 1, ’cubeful’: 1, ’truncate-bearoffOS’: 1, ’seed’:
1177750272, ’quasi-random-dice’: 1, ’minimum-games’: 144}, ’date’: (13,
7, 2003), ’X’: {’rating’: ’0 (Exp 0)’, ’name’: ’Jon Royset’}, ’event’:
’World Championship 2003’}


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Python game,  Next: Game actions,  Prev: Match info,  Up: Python scripting

10.3.4 Python game
------------------

A dictionary containing the following items:

   info

   General game info.  For example,

   >>> m[’games’][0][’info’]

   {’points-won’: 1, ’score-X’: 0, ’score-O’: 0, ’winner’: ’X’,
’resigned’: False}

   If no winner is specified, winner is None.

   >>> m[’games’][2][’info’]

   {’score-X’: 2, ’winner’: None, ’score-O’: 0}

   game

   A Sequence of actions.

   stats (optional)

   Game statistics.  Similar entries to Analyse->Game statistics from
the GUI.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Game actions,  Prev: Python game,  Up: Python scripting

10.3.5 Game actions
-------------------

Each action is a dictionary


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Equities explained,  Next: A technical description of the Position ID,  Prev: Python scripting,  Up: Technical Notes

10.4 Equities explained
=======================

* Menu:

* Introduction to equities::
* Money equity::
* Match Winning Chance::
* Normalized equity::
* Cubeful equities::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Introduction to equities,  Next: Money equity,  Up: Equities explained

10.4.1 Introduction to equities
-------------------------------

GNU Backgammon works with many different kinds of equities.  The equity
is defined as the expected value of the position.  However, this value
can be expressed in several different metrics and may be calculated with
or without taking the effect of the cube into consideration.  In the
following section we will describe the equities used and calculated by
GNU Backgammon.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Money equity,  Next: Match Winning Chance,  Prev: Introduction to equities,  Up: Equities explained

10.4.2 Money equity
-------------------

This is the value of the position in money game, e.g., if your equity is
+0.4 an you are playing money game with a $1 stake, you will win $0.40
on average.  The money equity can be calculated with or without taking
the effect of the doubling cube into consideration, or _cubeful_ or
_cubeless_.  The cubeless equity can be calculated from the basic
formula: 2*p(w)-1+2(p(wg)-p(lg))+3(p(wbg)-p(lbg)).  Evaluating the
cubeful equity is much more difficult; it can either be estimated from
the cubeless equity by using transformations as outlined by Rick
Janowski or by constructing a neural net that directly outputs cubeful
equities.  GNU Backgammon uses the former approach (*note Cubeful
equities::).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Match Winning Chance,  Next: Normalized equity,  Prev: Money equity,  Up: Equities explained

10.4.3 Match Winning Chance
---------------------------

In match play we’re generally not particular interested in the outcome
of the individual games as much as the outcome of the entire match, so
the interesting quantity for match play is _match winning chance_ (MWC).
As for the money equity the MWC can be calculated with and without the
effect of the doubling cube.  The MWCs are generally calculated with the
use of a match equity table, which contains the chance of winning the
match before a game starts, e.g., if the score is 0-0 in a 1pt match
each player has 50% chance of winning the match before the game starts
assuming they’re of equal skill.

   The cubeless MWC is calculated as: MWC(cubeless) = p(w) * MWC(w) +
p(l) * MWC(l) + p(wg) * MWC(wg) + p(lg) * MWC(lg) + p(wbg) * MWC(wbg) *
p(lbg) * MWC(lbg).

   For example, if the w/g/bg distribution is 0 30 60 - 40 10 0 and the
match score is 1-3 to 5 with the cube on 2 the cubeless MWC is:

   MWC(cubeless)= 30% * 50% + 30% * 0% + 30% * 100% + 10% * 0% + 0% *
100% + 0% * 0% = 45%,

   so the cubeless MWC is 45%.

   Evaluating the cubeful MWC is more difficult, and as for the cubeful
money equity it’s possible to estimate cubeful MWCs from transformation
on the w/g/bg distribution or directly calculate it from neural nets.
GNU Backgammon uses the former approach, but the formula are currently
not published.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Normalized equity,  Next: Cubeful equities,  Prev: Match Winning Chance,  Up: Equities explained

10.4.4 Normalized equity
------------------------

It’s generally very difficult to compare MWCs.  For example, it’s hardly
worth mentioning a 0.5% MWC error at DMP where as it’s a huge error at
0-0 to 7.  It is therefore of interesting to normalize the MWCs to some
common scale.  The most often used normalization is Normalized Money
Game Equity (NEMG) where the MWC for any game is transformed into the
same interval as money game, i.e., -3 to +3 (due to anomalies at certain
match scores the NEMG can go below -3 and above +3).  The transformation
is linear:

   NEMG = 2 * (MWC-MWC(l))/(MWC(w)-MWC(l)) - 1

   In other words, extrapolation with the following two extrapolation
points: (MWC(w),+1) and (MWC(l),-1).

   For example, suppose the score is 3-1 to 5 with the cube on 2:
MWC(l)=0% and MWC(w)=50%:

MWC                                  NEMG
0%                                   -1
25%                                  0
50%                                  +1
75%                                  +2
100%                                 +3

   Note that a w/g/bg distribution of 0 100 100 - 0 0 0 gives a NEMG of
+3 whereas the corresponding money equity is only +2.  This is because
the gammon price is high for that particular score.  When both players
are far from winning the match, e.g., 0-0 to 17 or 1-0 to 17, NEMG is
very close to the usual money equity.

   NEMG can be calculated from both cubeless and cubeful MWCs.

   A word of caution: A cubeless NEMG calculated from a cubeless MWC
could be named _cubeless equity_, but in most backgammon literature this
term seems to be reserved for the cubeless money equity.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Cubeful equities,  Prev: Normalized equity,  Up: Equities explained

10.4.5 Cubeful equities
-----------------------

This chapter is a brief description of how GNU Backgammon calculates
cubeful equities.  The formula build directly on the work by Rick
Janowski Take-Points in Money Games
(http://www.bkgm.com/articles/Janowski/cubeformulae.pdf) from 1993.

* Menu:

* Basic formula for cubeful equities::
* Live cube equities::
* 0-ply Cubeful equities::
* n-ply Cubeful equities::
* The cube efficiency::
* Cube decisions::
* Beyond the simple model::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Basic formula for cubeful equities,  Next: Live cube equities,  Up: Cubeful equities

10.4.5.1 Basic formula for cubeful equities
...........................................

The basic formula for cubeful equities as derived by Janowski is

   E(cubeful) = E(dead) * (1-x) + E(live) * x,

   where E(dead) is the dead cube equity (cubeless equity) calculated
from the standard formula.  E(live) is the cubeful equity assuming a
fully live cube.  We’ll return to that in the next section.  x is the
cube efficiency.  x=0 gives E(cubeful)=E(dead) as one extreme and x=1
gives E(cubeful)=E(live) as the other extreme.  In reality x is
somewhere in between, which typical values around 0.6 - 0.8.

   Janowski’s article doesn’t mention cubeful equities, so we use the
straightforward generalization

   MWC(cubeful) = MWC(dead) * (1-x) + MWC(live) * x.

   as MWC is the entity that is used for match play evaluations.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Live cube equities,  Next: 0-ply Cubeful equities,  Prev: Basic formula for cubeful equities,  Up: Cubeful equities

10.4.5.2 Live cube equities
...........................

The live cube equity is the equity assuming that the equity changes
continuously, so that doubles and takes occurs exactly at the double
point and take point.  For gammon-free play this is the well-known take
point of 20%.  Janowski derives the more general formula

   TP = (L-0.5)/(W+L+0.5)

   where W is the average cubeless value of games ultimately won, and L
is the average cubeless value of games ultimately lost.  For example,
for the following position


   *Cubeful example 1*

   [[cubefuleq-ex1.png]]

   GNU Backgammon evaluates

             Win          W(g)         W(bg)        L(g)         L(bg)
static:      0.454        0.103        0.001        0.106        0.003

   and hence W=(0.454 + 0.103 + 0.001)/0.454=1.229 and
L=(0.556+0.106+0.003)/0.556) = 1.196.  For gammon-free positions, e.g.,
a race, W=1 and L=1.

   The live cube equity is now based on piecewise linear interpolation
between the points (0%,-L), (TP,-1), (CP,+1), and (100%,+W): if my
winning chance is 0 I lose L points, at my take point I lose 1 point, at
my cash point I cash 1 point, and when I have a certain win I win W
points:


   *mgtp*


     Equity
       1.5 ++------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+------------++
           +             +             +             +           cubeless ****** +
           |                                                    live cube####*****
         1 ++                                                  ###cubeful*****$$++
           |                                                ####$$$$ *****       |
           |                                              ###$$ *****            |
       0.5 ++                                          ###$ ****                ++
           |                                        ###*****                     |
           |                                     ##****                          |
           |                                  *****                              |
         0 ++                            *****#                                 ++
           |                        ******##                                     |
           |                    *****$###                                        |
      -0.5 ++               *****$$###                                          ++
           |           *****  $$###                                              |
           |       **** $$$$$###                                                 |
        -1 ++ *****##########                                                   ++
           ***#####                                                              |
           +             +             +             +             +             +
      -1.5 ++------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+------------++
           0            0.2           0.4           0.6           0.8            1
                                            Wins


   For match play there is no simple formula, since redoubles can only
occur a limited number of times.

   The live cube take point is generally calculated as

   TP(live, n Cube)=TP(effective, n cube) * (1 - TP(live, 2n cube))

   So to calculate the live cube take points for a 1-cube at 3-0 to 7 we
need the live cube take points for the 4-cube and the 2-cube.  For the
position above and using Woolsey’s match equity table the live cube take
point are:

Cube value               TP for Black             TP for White
4                        0%                       41%
2                        15%                      38.5%
1                        24.5%                    27.3%

   The calculation of these are left as an exercise to the reader.

   Ignoring backgammons, the gammon rates for White and Black are
0.106/54.6=19% and 0.103/0.454=22%, respectively.  If White wins the
game his MWC will be

   81% * MWC(-3,-7) + 19% * MWC(-2,-7) = 78%

   and if Black wins his MWC will be

   78% * MWC(-4,-6) + 22% * MWC(-4,-5) = 41%.

   If White cashes 1 point he has MWC(-3,-7)=76% and if Black cashes he
has MWC(-4,-6)=36%.  Analogous to money game the live cube MWC is
calculated as piecewise linear interpolation between (0%,22%),
(24.5%,24%), (72.7%,36%), and (100%,41%) (from black’s point of view):


   *mptp*


     MWC
      0.42 ++------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+------------++
           +             +             +             +           cubeless ********
       0.4 ++                                                   live cube #****#++
      0.38 ++                                                     cubeful**$$$$$++
           |                                                     #*****          |
      0.36 ++                                                #****              ++
           |                                             *****                   |
      0.34 ++                                        ****#                      ++
           |                                    *****##                          |
      0.32 ++                               *****###                            ++
       0.3 ++                           *****####                               ++
           |                        ****$####                                    |
      0.28 ++                   ****$$$###                                      ++
           |               ***** $$####                                          |
      0.26 ++          ***** $$$###                                             ++
           |       **** $$$$$####                                                |
      0.24 ++  ****##########                                                   ++
      0.22 ****####                                                             ++
           +             +             +             +             +             +
       0.2 ++------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+------------++
           0            0.2           0.4           0.6           0.8            1
                                            Wins



File: gnubg.info,  Node: 0-ply Cubeful equities,  Next: n-ply Cubeful equities,  Prev: Live cube equities,  Up: Cubeful equities

10.4.5.3 0-ply Cubeful equities
...............................

Having established the live cube equities and MWCs we’re now in position
to calculate the 0-ply cubeful equities.

   Let’s start with money game: the cubeless equity is -0.097 and the
live cube equity can be determined from the figure above as -0.157.
Thus, the cubeful equity is -0.138.

   For the match play example at the score 3-0 the cubeless MWC is 29.1%
and from the figure Black using wins=45.4% we can determine the live
cube MWC to be 29.2%.  Using a value of x=0.68 we arrive at a cubeful
MWC of 29.17%.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: n-ply Cubeful equities,  Next: The cube efficiency,  Prev: 0-ply Cubeful equities,  Up: Cubeful equities

10.4.5.4 n-ply Cubeful equities
...............................

The previous section concerned the calculation of 0-ply cubeful
equities, so how so GNU Backgammon calculate cubeful 2-ply equities?
The answer is: by simple recursion:

   Equity=0

   Loop over 21 dice rolls

   Find best move for given roll

   Equity = Equity + Evaluate n-1 ply equity for resulting position

   End Loop

   Equity = Equity/36

   Note that evaluating the n-1 ply equity involves a cube decision,
since the opponent may double, so GNU Backgammon will actually calculate
the two n-1 ply equities: (a) assuming no double, and (b) assuming
double, take.  These two equities are combined with the equity for a
pass, and the optimum of these three is added to the resulting equity.
For a cubeful 2-ply evaluation GNU Backgammon will end up calculating
the following cubeful 0-ply equities: centered 1-cube, opponent owns
2-cube, owned 4-cube, and opponent owns 8-cube.

   Note that the 2-ply level does not use the cube efficiency, it’s not
used until at the 0-ply level, but it’s possible to calculate an
effective one by isolating x in the basic cube formula:

   x(eff) = (E(2-ply cubeful) - E(2-ply dead))/(E(2-ply live)-E(2-ply
dead)).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: The cube efficiency,  Next: Cube decisions,  Prev: n-ply Cubeful equities,  Up: Cubeful equities

10.4.5.5 The cube efficiency
............................

The cube efficiency is obviously an important parameter, unfortunately
there haven’t been much investigation carried out, so GNU Backgammon
basically uses the values 0.6-0.7 originally suggested by Rick Janowski:

Position Class                       x (Cube efficiency)
Two-sided (exact) bearoff            n/a
One-sided bearoff                    0.6
Crashed                              0.68
Contact                              0.68
Race                                 linear interpolation between 0.6
                                     and 0.7

   For race GNU Backgammon uses linear interpolation based on pip count
for the player on roll.  A pip count of 40 gives x=0.6 and 120 gives
x=0.7.  If the pip count is below 40 or above 120 values of x=0.6 and
x=0.7 are used, respectively.

   For the two sided bearoff positions the cubeful money equity is
already available from the database, so for money game there is no need
to calculate cubeful equities via Janowski’s formula.  However, the
cubeful equities for money game cannot be used for match play.  Instead
of using a fixed value of x, say, 0.6, GNU Backgammon will calculate an
effective value based on the cubeful money equity.  The cubeful MWC is
calculated as usual, but with the calculated x.

   There is obviously room for improvements.  For example, holding games
should intuitively have a lower cube efficiency, since it’s very
difficult to double effectively: either it’s not good enough or you’ve
lost the market by a mile after rolling a high double or hitting a
single shot.  Similarly, backgames will often have a low cube
efficiency, whereas blitzes have may have a higher cube efficiency.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Cube decisions,  Next: Beyond the simple model,  Prev: The cube efficiency,  Up: Cubeful equities

10.4.5.6 Cube decisions
.......................

GNU Backgammon’s cube decisions are simple based on calculations of
cubeful equities.  For a double decision GNU Backgammon calculates the
cubeful equity for _no double_ and the cubeful equity for _double,
take_.  Combined with the equity for _double, pass_, it’s possible to
determine the correct cube action.

   The figure below shows the relevant cubeful equities for White and
black’s cube decisions in sample position from earlier.


   *mgcd*


     Equity
       2.5 ++------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-----------$##
           +             +             +             +      centered cube$******#+
         2 ++                                               O owns 2-cube#######++
           |                                                X owns 2-cube#$$$$$$ |
       1.5 ++                                             $$$$     ####         ++
           |                                           $$$$    ####      *********
         1 ++                                      $$$$     ###**********       ++
           |                                    $$$$     ******                  |
       0.5 ++                                $$$$  ******                       ++
           |                             $$$$ ******##                           |
         0 ++                          $$******###                              ++
      -0.5 ++                      ******   ###                                 ++
           |                  *****     ####                                     |
        -1 ++      ***********$$     ###                                        ++
           ********      $$$      ###                                            |
      -1.5 ++         $$$     ####                                              ++
           |      $$$$    ####                                                   |
        -2 ++  $$$ #######                                                      ++
           +#######      +             +             +             +             +
      -2.5 #+------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+------------++
           0            0.2           0.4           0.6           0.8            1
                                            Wins


   On 0-ply Black will double when the green curve (White owns 2-cube)
is above the red curve (centered cube), and White will take as long as
the green curve is below 1.  Similarly, White will double when the blue
curve (Black owns 2-cube) is below the red curve (centered cube), and
Black takes as long as the blue curve is above -1.

   Note that GNU Backgammon doesn’t calculate the take point or double
point explicitly.  The cube decision is simply made by comparing
equities from the figure.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Beyond the simple model,  Prev: Cube decisions,  Up: Cubeful equities

10.4.5.7 Beyond the simple model
................................

Janowski has developed two other models for cubeful equities.  The first
is a generalization of the one used by GNU Backgammon; it introduces two
cube efficiencies instead of one.  Often you may see that the cube
efficiencies are different for the two players, and the _refined general
model_ as it is named by Janowski, tries to take this into consideration
by using different cube efficiency parameters for the two players.  For
example, the blitzer may have another cube efficiency that the blitzee.

   The second model is not published, but redefines the cube efficiency
into a value that can be understood more intuitively and calculate
easily from rollouts.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: A technical description of the Position ID,  Next: A technical description of the Match ID,  Prev: Equities explained,  Up: Technical Notes

10.5 A technical description of the Position ID
===============================================

This section describes a method for compactly recording a backgammon
position.  It demonstrates how to encode a position into 10 binary
bytes, which is useful for minimizing the space used when recording
large numbers of positions in memory or on disk.  There is also an ASCII
representation in 14 characters, which is convenient for output to the
screen, for copying and pasting to transfer positions between programs
which support the format, and for communicating positions via Usenet
news or e-mail.  The 10 byte binary format is called the key, and the 14
character ASCII format is the ID.

   The key is essentially a bit string (imagine you start with an empty
sequence of bits, and continue adding either _0_ or _1_ to the end).
The way to build up a sequence that corresponds to a given position is:

  1. For every point around the board (starting at the ace point of the
     player not on roll, continuing around to the 24 point and ending at
     the bar):

  2. append as many 1s as the player not on roll has checkers on that
     point (if any).

  3. append a 0.

  4. For every point around the board (starting at the ace point of the
     player on roll, continuing around to the 24 point and ending at the
     bar):

  5. append as many 1s as the the player on roll has checkers on that
     point (if any).

  6. append a 0.

  7. Pad out the string to 80 bits with 0s.

   The worst-case representation will require 80 bits: you can see that
there are always 50 0 bits even if there are no checkers at all.  Each
player has a maximum of 15 checkers in play (not yet borne off) which
require a 1 bit wherever they are positioned.  That’s 30 bits to take of
all checkers, plus the 50 bits of overhead for a total of 80 bits (the
last bit is always 0 and isn’t strictly necessary, but it makes the code
slightly easier).  This bit string should be stored in little-endian
order when packed into bytes (i.e.  the first bits in the string are
stored in the least significant bits of the first byte).

   As an example, here’s what the starting position looks like in the
key format:

0 0 0 0 0                            opponent has no checkers on his
                                     ace to 5 points
11111 0                              5 checkers on the 6 point
0                                    empty bar
111 0                                3 on the 8
0 0 0 0                              no others in his outfield
11111 0                              5 on the midpoint
0 0 0 0 0                            none in our outfield
0 0 0 0 0                            or in our board, until...
11 0                                 two on the 24 point
0                                    none on the bar
0 0 0 0 0                            player on roll has no checkers on
                                     his ace to 5 points
11111 0                              5 checkers on the 6 point
0                                    empty bar
111 0                                3 on the 8
0 0 0 0                              no others in his outfield
11111 0                              5 on the midpoint
0 0 0 0 0                            none in opponent’s outfield
0 0 0 0 0                            or in opponent’s board, until...
11 0                                 two on the 24 point
0                                    none on the bar

   so altogether it is:

   00000111110011100000111110000000000011000000011111001110000011111000000000001100

   In little endian bytes it looks like:

11100000     01110011     11110000     00000001     00110000     1110000001110011111100000000000100110000
0xE0         0x73         0xF0         0x01         0x30         0xE00x730xF00x010x30

   so the 10 byte key (in hex) is E0 73 F0 01 30 E0 73 F0 01 30.

   The ID format is simply the Base64
(https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2045.txt) encoding of the key.
(Technically, a Base64 encoding of 80 binary bits should consist of 14
characters followed by two = padding characters, but this padding is
omitted in the ID format.)

   To continue the above example, splitting the 10 8-bit bytes into 14
6-bit groups gives:

   111000 000111 001111 110000 000000 010011 000011 100000 011100 111111
000000 000001 001100 000000

   In Base64 encoding, these groups are respectively represented as:

   4 H P w A T D g c / A B M A

   So, the position ID of the checkers at the start of the game is
simply:

   4HPwATDgc/ABMA

   You can set the board in GNUbg either by writing the position ID into
the position text input field in the GUI or by executing the command

   set board 4HPwATDgc/ABMA.

   _Notes_

  1. This encoding is obviously not as compact as it could be: in
     particular, there are lots of redundant representations of illegal
     positions where both players have checkers on the same point.
     Theoretically, it would be possible to get it down to 64 bits by
     using Walter Trice’s (http://www.bkgm.com/rgb/rgb.cgi?view+371)
     _D() expressions_ (http://www.bkgm.com/rgb/rgb.cgi?view+371), but I
     think you’d have to be a mathematical masochist to try it!

  2. Thanks to Tom Keith and David desJardins for their suggestions on
     simplifying the encoding without increasing the worst case length.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: A technical description of the Match ID,  Next: Description of the CSS style sheet,  Prev: A technical description of the Position ID,  Up: Technical Notes

10.6 A technical description of the Match ID
============================================

This section describes how the match ID is calculated.  The match ID can
be used for easy exchange of positions for GNUbg users in conjunction
with the position ID. The match key is a 9 byte representation of the
match score, match length, value of cube, owner of cube, Crawford game
flag, player on roll, player to make a decision, doubled flag, resigned
flag, and the dice rolled.  The match ID is the 12 character Base64
encoding of the match key.  Match key

   The match key is a bit string of length 66:

1-4       5-6       7         8         9-11      12        13        14-1516-1819-2122-3637-5152
Cube      CubeOwner DiceOwner Crawford  GameState TurnOwner Double    ResignDice1Dice2MatchLen
                                                                      x 15
                                                                      Score1
                                                                      x
                                                                      15Score2
                                                                      x 15

  1. Bit 1-4 contains the 2-logarithm of the cube value.  For example, a
     8-cube is encoded as 0011 binary (or 3), since 2 to the power of 3
     is 8.  The maximum value of the cube in with this encoding is 2 to
     the power of 15, i.e., a 32768-cube.

  2. Bit 5-6 contains the cube owner.  00 if player 0 owns the cube, 01
     if player 1 owns the cube, or 11 for a centered cube.

  3. Bit 7 is the player on roll or the player who did roll (0 and 1 for
     player 0 and 1, respectively).

  4. Bit 8 is the Crawford flag: 1 if this game is the Crawford game, 0
     otherwise.

  5. Bit 9-11 is the game state: 000 for no game started, 001 for
     playing a game, 010 if the game is over, 011 if the game was
     resigned, or 100 if the game was ended by dropping a cube.

  6. Bit 12 indicates whose turn it is.  For example, suppose player 0
     is on roll then bit 7 above will be 0.  Player 0 now decides to
     double, this will make bit 12 equal to 1, since it is now player
     1’s turn to decide whether she takes or passes the cube.

  7. Bit 13 indicates whether an doubled is being offered.  0 if no
     double is being offered and 1 if a double is being offered.

  8. Bit 14-15 indicates whether an resignation was offered.  00 for no
     resignation, 01 for resign of a single game, 10 for resign of a
     gammon, or 11 for resign of a backgammon.  The player offering the
     resignation is the inverse of bit 12, e.g., if player 0 resigns a
     gammon then bit 12 will be 1 (as it is now player 1 now has to
     decide whether to accept or reject the resignation) and bit 13-14
     will be 10 for resign of a gammon.

  9. Bit 16-18 and bit 19-21 is the first and second die, respectively.
     0 if the dice has not yet be rolled, otherwise the binary encoding
     of the dice, e.g., if 5-2 was rolled bit 16-21 will be 101-010.

  10. Bit 22 to 36 is the match length.  The maximum value for the match
     length is 32767.  A match length of zero indicates that the game is
     a money game.

  11. Bit 37-51 and bit 52-66 is the score for player 0 and player 1
     respectively.  The maximum value of the match score is 32767.

   For example, assume the score is 2-4 in a 9 point match with player 0
holding a 2-cube, and player 1 has just rolled 52.  The match key for
this will be (note that the bit order is reversed below for readability)

   1000 00 1 0 100 1 0 00 101 010 100100000000000 010000000000000
001000000000000

   In little endian the bytes looks like:

   01000001 10001001 00101010 00000001 00100000 00000000 00100000
00000000 00

   0x41 0x89 0x2A 0x01 0x20 0x00 0x20 0x00 0x00

   Analogous to the position ID from the previous section the match ID
format is simply the Base64 encoding of the key.

   To continue the example above, the 9 8-bit bytes are grouped into 12
6-bits groups:

   010000 011000 100100 101010 000000 010010 000000 000000 001000 000000
000000 000000

   In Base64 encoding, the groups are represented as:

   Q Y k q A S A A I A A A

   So, the match id is simply:

   QYkqASAAIAAA

   If someone post a match ID you can set up the position in GNUbg by
writing or pasting it into the Match ID text input field on the main
window, or by executing the command

   set matchid QYkqASAAIAAA.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Description of the CSS style sheet,  Prev: A technical description of the Match ID,  Up: Technical Notes

10.7 Description of the CSS style sheet
=======================================

As mentioned above GNU Backgammon writes a CSS style sheet along with
the generated XHTML file.  The CSS style sheet may be written verbatim
in the header section of the XHTML file, to an external file named
gnubg.css, or inside the tags using the style attribute.  If you wish to
make any modifications to the style sheet without modifying the actual
source code of GNU Backgammon you have to choose one of the first two
methods.  Note that the special export for BGonline / GammOnLine uses
the third method since the XHTML is pasted into a web page without the
possibility to modify the header section of the page where the style
sheet is defined.  Thus, it’s not possible to modify the style of this
variant of generated XHTML without modifications of the source code or
extensive search and replace in the generated XHTML.

   Below follows a description of the CSS classes used in the XHTML
export:

Class                                Description
.movetable                           Style applied to the entire table
                                     used for the move analysis
.moveheader                          The header of the move analysis
                                     table
.movenumber                          The rank number of a move in the
                                     move analysis
.moveply                             The column indicating the number
                                     of plies or rollout
.movemove                            The formatted move, e.g., 13/7
                                     8/7.
.moveequity                          The column with the equity or MWC.
.movethemove                         Special style for row that
                                     contains the actual move chosen by
                                     the player
.moveodd                             Special style for the odd rows.
                                     Can be used to give an alternating
                                     color for the rows.
.percent                             Style for the game winning
                                     probabilities and equities in the
                                     move analysis.
.blunder                             Emphasis blunders, e.g., _Alert:
                                     missed double_ or _Alert: bad
                                     move_.
.joker                               Emphasis very good or bad rolls,
                                     e.g., _Alert: unlucky roll_.
.stattable                           The style applied to the entire
                                     table with game, match, and
                                     session statistics
.stattableheader                     The header row of the statistics
                                     table
.result                              Style for the text indicating the
                                     outcome of the game or match,
                                     e.g., _Jørn Thyssen wins 16
                                     points_.
.tiny                                Currently unused.
.cubedecision                        The style applied to the entire
                                     cube decision table
.cubedecisionheader                  Style for the header row of the
                                     cube decision table
.cubeequity                          Style for any equity or MWC in the
                                     cube decision table
.cubeaction                          Style for the text indicating the
                                     correct cube action
.cubeply                             Style for the text that states the
                                     level of evaluation
.cubeprobs                           Style for the game winning
                                     probabilities in the cube decision
                                     table
.comment                             The style applied to the entire
                                     table used for annotations or
                                     comments, e.g., the kibitzing from
                                     imported SGG files
.commentheader                       The style applied to the header
                                     row of the annotations’ table
.number                              Currently unused
.fontfamily                          Style applied to the entire body
                                     of the XHTML document.
.block                               Style applied to the images in the
                                     export to avoid gaps between
                                     individual pictures both
                                     horizontally and vertically.
.positionid                          Style for the Position ID and
                                     match ID.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Frequently Asked Questions,  Next: GNU Free Documentation License,  Prev: Technical Notes,  Up: Top

11 Frequently Asked Questions
*****************************

* Menu:

* General questions::
* How to install::
* Running GNU Backgammon::
* Playing backgammon::
* Settings::
* Analysing::
* Abbreviations::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: General questions,  Next: How to install,  Up: Frequently Asked Questions

11.1 General questions
======================

* Menu:

* What is GNU Backgammon?::
* What operating systems are supported?::
* Where do I get it?::
* What do I have to pay for GNU Backgammon?::
* This GNU stuff sounds interesting::
* I want to learn more about backgammon::
* Though I really read all the documentation I still have questions::
* I want to make a few proposals, I have new ideas: I want to make a few proposals; I have new ideas.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What is GNU Backgammon?,  Next: What operating systems are supported?,  Up: General questions

11.1.1 What is GNU Backgammon?
------------------------------

GNU Backgammon (gnubg) is a program for playing and analysing backgammon
positions, games and matches.  It’s based on a neural network.  You may
play GNU Backgammon using the command line or a graphical interface
based on GTK+.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What operating systems are supported?,  Next: Where do I get it?,  Prev: What is GNU Backgammon?,  Up: General questions

11.1.2 What operating systems are supported?
--------------------------------------------

GNU Backgammon is mostly developed on _GNU/Linux_.  It also builds and
runs under other Unix operating systems like those derived from _BSD_ or
_Solaris_.  The main prerequisite is the availability of the GLib
library at version 2.8 or later.

   Installable packages for _Microsoft Windows_ and _Mac OS X_ are
available for download at the project official website.  Already built
packages are often provided by GNU/Linux distributions as well.

   When you successfully port GNU Backgammon to other operating systems,
you are welcome to give us a note at the GNU Backgammon mailing list
(mailto:bug-gnubg@gnu.org).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Where do I get it?,  Next: What do I have to pay for GNU Backgammon?,  Prev: What operating systems are supported?,  Up: General questions

11.1.3 Where do I get it?
-------------------------

The official website is https://www.gnu.org/software/gnubg/
(https://www.gnu.org/software/gnubg/).  Binaries and source code for GNU
Backgammon can be downloaded from this site.  Up to date source code can
be accessed through CVS (https://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=gnubg).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What do I have to pay for GNU Backgammon?,  Next: This GNU stuff sounds interesting,  Prev: Where do I get it?,  Up: General questions

11.1.4 What do I have to pay for GNU Backgammon?
------------------------------------------------

GNU Backgammon is _Free Software_ and is a part of the _GNU Project_.
You may download it for free.  For more information see the GNU General
Public License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html).  But be aware
that GNU Backgammon is not _public domain software_ or _shareware_ as
you perhaps know from _Microsoft Windows_.  GNU Backgammon is free as in
_freedom_, i.e.  all the source code is there for you to inspect, change
or distribute as long as you keep said license.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: This GNU stuff sounds interesting,  Next: I want to learn more about backgammon,  Prev: What do I have to pay for GNU Backgammon?,  Up: General questions

11.1.5 This GNU stuff sounds interesting
----------------------------------------

Take a look at the GNU home page (https://www.gnu.org/).  It’s also the
page for Free Software Foundation.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I want to learn more about backgammon,  Next: Though I really read all the documentation I still have questions,  Prev: This GNU stuff sounds interesting,  Up: General questions

11.1.6 I want to learn more about backgammon
--------------------------------------------

A good place to start is Backgammon Galore (http://www.bkgm.com/).  For
an extensive link collection, go to Gammon Links.
(http://www.chicagopoint.com/links.html)


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Though I really read all the documentation I still have questions,  Next: I want to make a few proposals; I have new ideas,  Prev: I want to learn more about backgammon,  Up: General questions

11.1.7 Though I really read all the documentation I still have questions
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Send an email to the GNU backgammon mailing list
(mailto:bug-gnubg@gnu.org).  If it is a bug, be sure to include the name
of your operating system, the version of GNUbg you use, and any error
messages you receive.  Try to describe exactly what happens before the
error occurs.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I want to make a few proposals; I have new ideas,  Prev: Though I really read all the documentation I still have questions,  Up: General questions

11.1.8 I want to make a few proposals, I have new ideas
-------------------------------------------------------

You’re welcome!  Send an email with your suggestions to the GNU
backgammon mailing list (mailto:bug-gnubg@gnu.org).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: How to install,  Next: Running GNU Backgammon,  Prev: General questions,  Up: Frequently Asked Questions

11.2 How to install
===================

* Menu:

* Do I need some other software to run GNU Backgammon?::
* I want to install a newer version::
* I would like to compile it from the source code::
* What software do I need for compiling under GNU/Linux?::
* It does not compile::
* On what CPU will GNU Backgammon run fastest?::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Do I need some other software to run GNU Backgammon?,  Next: I want to install a newer version,  Up: How to install

11.2.1 Do I need some other software to run GNU Backgammon?
-----------------------------------------------------------

On Microsoft Windows everything you need is included in the installer.

   On Mac OS/X you will need the XQuartz Window System.

   On GNU/Linux there are prerequisites as well but your package manager
(apt, yum, etc...)  will take care of them.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I want to install a newer version,  Next: I would like to compile it from the source code,  Prev: Do I need some other software to run GNU Backgammon?,  Up: How to install

11.2.2 I want to install a newer version
----------------------------------------

Go ahead, your settings should be saved.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I would like to compile it from the source code,  Next: What software do I need for compiling under GNU/Linux?,  Prev: I want to install a newer version,  Up: How to install

11.2.3 I would like to compile it from the source code
------------------------------------------------------

Good luck to you!  Download the source code and make sure to read one of
the two following two items.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What software do I need for compiling under GNU/Linux?,  Next: It does not compile,  Prev: I would like to compile it from the source code,  Up: How to install

11.2.4 What software do I need for compiling under GNU/Linux?
-------------------------------------------------------------

Download GNU Backgammon sources as described here
(https://www.gnu.org/software/gnubg/#downloading) and follow the
instructions from this document
(http://cvs.savannah.gnu.org/viewvc/*checkout*/gnubg/gnubg/INSTALL).

   Details like the exact names of the prerequisite packages will vary
from a distribution to another but the general process will remain
identical.  If you are remotely familiar with software set up with
autoconf, you will see that GNU Backgammon is straightforward to build.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: It does not compile,  Next: On what CPU will GNU Backgammon run fastest?,  Prev: What software do I need for compiling under GNU/Linux?,  Up: How to install

11.2.5 It does not compile
--------------------------

Check that you have installed all necessary development packages.

   Look for warnings or errors during compiling.  If you still don’t
have a clue, send a message to <bug-gnubg@gnu.org>.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: On what CPU will GNU Backgammon run fastest?,  Prev: It does not compile,  Up: How to install

11.2.6 On what CPU will GNU Backgammon run fastest?
---------------------------------------------------

GNU Backgammon’s speed depends on the CPU only.  It doesn’t need much
memory (any machine not totally obsolete will have enough) and does
little or no I/O (a fast disk or a SSD won’t make any difference).

   The table below lists CPUs and the result of the command
Analyse->Evaluation speed, showing the relative speed of various
processors.  Note that these numbers are not directly comparable with
those given by the similar command from eXtreme Gammon.

Evals/sec  CPU        System/MainRAM        OS         GNUBG-Version
                      board
2378000    Intel      HP Z840    64 GB      CentOS 7   1.05.002,  24
           Xeon                                        –enable-simd=fmathreads
           E5-2687W
           3.00 GHz
2160000    Intel      HP Z840    64 GB      CentOS 7   1.05.002   24
           Xeon                                                   threads
           E5-2687W
           3.00 GHz
1470000    Intel      HP Z840    64 GB      CentOS 7   1.05.002   12
           Xeon                                                   threads
           E5-2687W
           3.00 GHz
936000     Intel      HP Z840    64 GB      CentOS 7   1.05.002   6
           Xeon                                                   threads
           E5-2687W
           3.00 GHz
647000     Intel      Intel      16 GB      Ubuntu     1.05.002   8
           Core       NUC                   16.04                 threads
           i7-6670HQ  6i7KYK
           2.60 GHz
500300     Intel      Intel      16 GB      Ubuntu     1.05.002   4
           Core       NUC                   16.04                 threads
           i7-6670HQ  6i7KYK
           2.60 GHz
449500     Intel      Dell       4 GB       CentOS 6   1.02       4
           Core       Optiplex                                    threads
           i5-2400    790
           3.10 GHz
422000     Intel      Intel      8 GB       Ubuntu     1.05.002   4
           Core       NUC                   16.04                 threads
           i7-5557U   5i7RYH
           3.10 GHz
310000     Intel      Intel      8 GB       Ubuntu     1.05.002   2
           Core       NUC                   16.04                 threads
           i7-5557U   5i7RYH
           3.10 GHz
281000     Intel      Intel      16 GB      Ubuntu     1.05.002   2
           Core       NUC                   16.04                 threads
           i7-6670HQ  6i7KYK
           2.60 GHz
258600     Intel      Dell       4 GB       CentOS 6   1.02       2
           Core       Optiplex                                    threads
           i5-2400    790
           3.10 GHz
237600     Intel      Lenovo     4 GB       Win XP     1.04       2
           Core       T430                  SP3                   threads
           i5-3320M
           2.60 GHz
197700     Intel      Lenovo     4 GB       Win XP     1.02       2
           Core       T430                  SP3                   threads
           i5-3320M
           2.60 GHz
182300     Intel      HP Z840    64 GB      CentOS 7   1.05.002,  1 thread
           Xeon                                        –enable-simd=fma
           E5-2687W
           3.00 GHz
165500     Intel      Intel      8 GB       Ubuntu     1.05.002   1 thread
           Core       NUC                   16.04
           i7-5557U   5i7RYH
           3.10 GHz
161300     Intel      HP Z840    64 GB      CentOS 7   1.05.002   1 thread
           Xeon
           E5-2687W
           3.00 GHz
149300     Intel      Intel      16 GB      Ubuntu     1.05.002   1 thread
           Core       NUC                   16.04
           i7-6670HQ  6i7KYK
           2.60 GHz
145700     Intel      Dell       4 GB       CentOS 6   1.05.002   1 thread
           Core       Optiplex
           i5-2400    790
           3.10 GHz
131400     Intel      Dell       4 GB       CentOS 6   1.02       1 thread
           Core       Optiplex
           i5-2400    790
           3.10 GHz
125100     Intel      Dell       2 GB       Win XP     1.02       2
           Core 2     Latitude              SP3                   threads
           Duo        E6400
           P8400
           2.26 GHz
119700     Intel      Lenovo     4 GB       Win XP     1.04       1 thread
           Core       T430                  SP3
           i5-3320M
           2.60 GHz
100100     Intel      Lenovo     4 GB       Win XP     1.02       1 thread
           Core       T430                  SP3
           i5-3320M
           2.60 GHz
76200      Intel      Dell       4 GB       FreeBSD    1.05.002   1 thread
           Core 2     Latitude              11.0
           Duo        D630
           T7500
           2.2 GHz
64300      Intel      Dell       4 GB       FreeBSD    1.02       1 thread
           Core 2     Latitude              9.2
           Duo        D630
           T7500
           2.2 GHz
63500      Intel      Dell       2 GB       Win XP     1.02       1 thread
           Core 2     Latitude              SP3
           Duo        E6400
           P8400
           2.26 GHz
43700      ARM        Raspberry  1024 MB    Raspbian   1.06.002,  2
           Cortex-A53 Pi 3                  9.4        –with-simd=neonthreads
           600 MHz    Model B
37600      Intel      Dell       1 GB       CentOS 5   1.02
           Pentium    Optiplex
           4 2.8      GX270
           GHz
23000      Intel      Asus       1024 MB    Win XP     0.14.3-devel
           Pentium    P4P800D               SP2
           4 2.8
           GHz
21800      ARM        Raspberry  1024 MB    Raspbian   1.06.002,  1 thread
           Cortex-A53 Pi 3                  9.4        –with-simd=neon
           600 MHz    Model B
10900      ARM        Raspberry  1024 MB    Raspbian   1.06.002   1 thread
           Cortex-A53 Pi 3                  9.4
           600 MHz    Model B
10400      ARM        Raspberry  1024 MB    Raspbian   1.05.002   1 thread
           Cortex-A53 Pi 3                  9.4
           600 MHz    Model B
9170       Intel      Toshiba    256 MB     Win XP     1.04
           Celeron    Satellite             SP1
           750 MHz    4600
8520       Intel      Toshiba    256 MB     Win XP     1.02
           Celeron    Satellite             SP1
           750 MHz    4600
6990       Intel      Toshiba    128 MB     Win XP     1.02
           Celeron    Satellite             SP2
           600 MHz    4310


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Running GNU Backgammon,  Next: Playing backgammon,  Prev: How to install,  Up: Frequently Asked Questions

11.3 Running GNU Backgammon
===========================

* Menu:

* I get an error message when starting::
* GNU Backgammon complains about missing files::
* Starting from the Windows menu it plays like a beginner::
* My screen mixes up while starting GNU Backgammon::
* I only get a command-line interface::
* I do not need this graphical stuff::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I get an error message when starting,  Next: GNU Backgammon complains about missing files,  Up: Running GNU Backgammon

11.3.1 I get an error message when starting
-------------------------------------------

Well, your computer wants to communicate with you.  Give it a chance and
read (and try to understand) what it is telling you.  Then read the next
items carefully:


File: gnubg.info,  Node: GNU Backgammon complains about missing files,  Next: Starting from the Windows menu it plays like a beginner,  Prev: I get an error message when starting,  Up: Running GNU Backgammon

11.3.2 GNU Backgammon complains about missing files
---------------------------------------------------

GNU Backgammon reads several different files at start-up.  It will first
try to read a file called gnubg.wd.  This is a file which contains all
the neural net weights and is necessary for the program to evaluate
positions.  If this file is not found, or found corrupted or with an
incompatible version, GNU Backgammon will search for a weights file
called gnubg.weights.  This file also contains the neural net weights,
but is stored in ASCII format.  If none of these files are found, GNU
Backgammon will not start.

   GNU Backgammon will also read the bearoff databases at start-up.
There are usually two bearoff databases.  The first is called
gnubg_os0.bd, and has stored data about the bearoff probabilities of all
position where both players have 15 or fewer checkers left on their six
home board points.  If this file is not found, GNU Backgammon will
create a heuristic bearoff database for these positions.  This database
is a also called the ’One Sided Database’, since it evaluates each
player separately.  The other bearoff database is called gnubg_ts0.bd.
This bearoff database contains win probabilities for all bearoff
positions with six or less checkers.  It also contains cubeful equities
(Money Game) for all the positions.  If this file is not found at
start-up, GNU Backgammon will evaluate late bearoff positions with the
one sided bearoff database.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Starting from the Windows menu it plays like a beginner,  Next: My screen mixes up while starting GNU Backgammon,  Prev: GNU Backgammon complains about missing files,  Up: Running GNU Backgammon

11.3.3 Starting from the Windows menu it plays like a beginner
--------------------------------------------------------------

Open the Windows menu and go to the entry for GNU Backgammon.
Right-click with the mouse and choose ‘properties’.  Check, if the
‘working path’ is the same directory as the ‘*.exe’-file one line above.
If not, adjust the working path.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: My screen mixes up while starting GNU Backgammon,  Next: I only get a command-line interface,  Prev: Starting from the Windows menu it plays like a beginner,  Up: Running GNU Backgammon

11.3.4 My screen mixes up while starting GNU Backgammon
-------------------------------------------------------

Install the newest driver for your graphic card.  Be sure that you have
chosen at least a desktop resolution of 65535 (16 bit color depth).  If
your card is a ATI Rage _somewhat_ there still might be some problems
with the graphical interface (GTK+) and Microsoft Windows.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I only get a command-line interface,  Next: I do not need this graphical stuff,  Prev: My screen mixes up while starting GNU Backgammon,  Up: Running GNU Backgammon

11.3.5 I only get a command-line interface
------------------------------------------

Using Microsoft Windows, just click on the correct menu entry (‘GNU
Backgammon’).  If it still doesn’t work, check whether
‘C:\[path-to-your-gnubg]\gnubg.exe’ exists or not.

   GNU/Linux users should check if GTK+ (https://www.gtk.org/) is
installed.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I do not need this graphical stuff,  Prev: I only get a command-line interface,  Up: Running GNU Backgammon

11.3.6 I do not need this graphical stuff
-----------------------------------------

For _GNU/Linux_ users: open a terminal and run ‘gnubg -t’.

   Microsoft Windows users: Look for a file called ‘gnubg-cli.exe’ in
GNU Backgammon’s install directory or open the Microsoft Windows menu
Start->Run...  and type ‘C:\[path-to-your-gnubg]\gnubg-cli.exe’.  There
is also a menu entry GNU Backgammon CLI.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Playing backgammon,  Next: Settings,  Prev: Running GNU Backgammon,  Up: Frequently Asked Questions

11.4 Playing backgammon
=======================

* Menu:

* What is the difference of a new game or match or session?::
* What is a beaver in Backgammon?::
* How do I move the checkers?::
* Why am I allowed to place more than 5 checkers on a point?::
* GNU Backgammon is too strong for me::
* I think the bot is cheating::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What is the difference of a new game or match or session?,  Next: What is a beaver in Backgammon?,  Up: Playing backgammon

11.4.1 What is the difference of a new game or match or session?
----------------------------------------------------------------

When you start a new match, you will be asked to play to a certain
amount of points (for example, 7 points).  The player who firstly
reaches this amount wins the match.  Starting a new session means
playing to an infinite amount.  Be aware that the rules do slightly
differ, mainly the Jacoby rule is applies to sessions and the Crawford
to match play.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What is a beaver in Backgammon?,  Next: How do I move the checkers?,  Prev: What is the difference of a new game or match or session?,  Up: Playing backgammon

11.4.2 What is a beaver in Backgammon?
--------------------------------------

A beaver is only allowed in a money game session.  To beaver means to
redouble, retaining control of the cube, immediately after your opponent
doubles.  For more information see the glossary at Backgammon Galore
(http://www.bkgm.com/glossary.html#B).


File: gnubg.info,  Node: How do I move the checkers?,  Next: Why am I allowed to place more than 5 checkers on a point?,  Prev: What is a beaver in Backgammon?,  Up: Playing backgammon

11.4.3 How do I move the checkers?
----------------------------------

The easiest way to move checkers is to "_drag and drop_."  Put your
mouse pointer over a checker you want to move, press the left mouse
button and drag the checker to the desired point, holding down the
button while dragging.

   If you prefer to use mouse clicks, the left mouse button is for the
left die shown on your board.  Right click your mouse for the right die.

   If you always want the higher number displayed on the left, go to the
menu Settings->Options, click on the ‘Dice’ tab and select Show higher
die on left.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Why am I allowed to place more than 5 checkers on a point?,  Next: GNU Backgammon is too strong for me,  Prev: How do I move the checkers?,  Up: Playing backgammon

11.4.4 Why am I allowed to place more than 5 checkers on a point?
-----------------------------------------------------------------

The official backgammon tournament rules allow to put up to all 15
checkers on a point.  Playing with a maximum of 5 checkers, sometimes
known as the Egyptian Rule, is no longer supported by GNU Backgammon.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: GNU Backgammon is too strong for me,  Next: I think the bot is cheating,  Prev: Why am I allowed to place more than 5 checkers on a point?,  Up: Playing backgammon

11.4.5 GNU Backgammon is too strong for me
------------------------------------------

Go to the menu Settings->Players and change the values for Player 0.
There is also a set of predefined settings you may choose from.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: I think the bot is cheating,  Prev: GNU Backgammon is too strong for me,  Up: Playing backgammon

11.4.6 I think the bot is cheating
----------------------------------

In its default configuration, the dice generator does not cheat.  In the
menu Settings you may choose between different random dice generators.
If you still think GNU Backgammon is cheating, program your own dice
generator or roll manually.  It doesn’t cheat!


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Settings,  Next: Analysing,  Prev: Playing backgammon,  Up: Frequently Asked Questions

11.5 Settings
=============

* Menu:

* Where can I change the name of the human player?::
* How do I change the colors?::
* How do I stop the annoying beeps?::
* What are Plies?::
* What is noise?::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Where can I change the name of the human player?,  Next: How do I change the colors?,  Up: Settings

11.5.1 Where can I change the name of the human player?
-------------------------------------------------------

Go to the menu Settings->Players and click on Player 1.  At the top
there is a field to change the human player’s name.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: How do I change the colors?,  Next: How do I stop the annoying beeps?,  Prev: Where can I change the name of the human player?,  Up: Settings

11.5.2 How do I change the colors?
----------------------------------

Go to the menu Settings->Board Appearance.  Here you may change the
color of checkers, the points and the board itself.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: How do I stop the annoying beeps?,  Next: What are Plies?,  Prev: How do I change the colors?,  Up: Settings

11.5.3 How do I stop the annoying beeps?
----------------------------------------

Go to the menu Settings->Options and click on the ‘Sound’ tab.  Disable
the option ‘Beep on illegal input’.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What are Plies?,  Next: What is noise?,  Prev: How do I stop the annoying beeps?,  Up: Settings

11.5.4 What are Plies?
----------------------

A ply describes how far GNU Backgammon evaluates the position.  _0-ply_
means that GNU Backgammon estimates the worth of the position as it is.
A _1-ply_ evaluation looks one step deeper, i.e.  it evaluates the
position after making the best possible move for each of the 21
different rolls and returns the averaged result.  _2-ply_ is another
roll further and so on.

   The more plies you choose, the more you strengthen GNU Backgammon.
Keep in mind that this will also decrease the playing speed.

   Note also that _0-ply_ in GNU Backgammon is equivalent to the _1-ply_
evaluation of Snowie.

   It’s possible that Snowie’s is a _playing_ ply while gnubg’s is a
_position evaluation_ ply.  When playing at 1-ply Snowie will make each
possible move for the player’s roll (that’s 1 ply) and analyse the
resulting positions.  Playing at 2-ply it will take each of those
positions and make all the opponent moves for all possible rolls (the
2nd ply) and then analyse the resulting positions.  In GNU Backgammon
the initial set of possible moves is taken for granted, i.e.  not
counted as a ply, because gnubg’s plies are position evaluation plies.
Thus, for each of those possible moves a 0-ply analysis is done.
gnubg’s discounting of the first set of moves perhaps makes the counting
seem funny.

   Looking at it a different way, if you give GNU Backgammon a position
and analyse it at 1-ply, it will make all the moves for all possible
rolls (the 1st ply) and then analyse the resulting positions.  With
Snowie it will assume that the position arose from a move (that’s a
pretend 1st ply) then make all the moves for all possible rolls (the 2nd
ply) and analyse them.  This time it’s Snowie that seems to be counting
strangely.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What is noise?,  Prev: What are Plies?,  Up: Settings

11.5.5 What is noise?
---------------------

Noise is a facility for disturbing GNU Backgammon’s 0-ply evaluation.
Raising the noise level decreases its playing strength.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Analysing,  Next: Abbreviations,  Prev: Settings,  Up: Frequently Asked Questions

11.6 Analysing
==============

* Menu:

* What are these funny letters at the right bottom?::
* How do I set up a position manually?::
* Which formats can I use to import matches and positions?::
* How can I switch the players sides?::
* What do ! and ? mean?::
* How is the error rate determined?::
* What does Pips mean?::
* What does EPC mean?::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What are these funny letters at the right bottom?,  Next: How do I set up a position manually?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.1 What are these funny letters at the right bottom?
--------------------------------------------------------

You will find a small window titled ‘GNUbg ID’ at the bottom of the GNU
Backgammon window.  It contains an short, textual, representation of the
position at hand, suitable for easily copying and pasting positions.

   It is composed of a ‘Position ID’ describing the checkers position
and a ‘Match ID’ for the other features (match score, cube position and
value, dice, who is on roll...).  A detailed description of both formats
is found earlier in *note A technical description of the Position ID::.

   Pasting a ‘XGID’ (a similar shortcut used by eXtreme Gammon) there is
recognized as well.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: How do I set up a position manually?,  Next: Which formats can I use to import matches and positions?,  Prev: What are these funny letters at the right bottom?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.2 How do I set up a position manually?
-------------------------------------------

Open a new game, match or session.  If GNUbg already rolls the dice,
don’t bother.  Press ‘edit’, and either type the position_id and press
Enter on your keyboard, or use the mouse to set up the checkers.

   A mouse click at the border of the board empties the point.  A left
or right click sets up a certain amount of checkers depending on where
exactly on the pip you click.  Set up the cube with a right mouse click
on it.

   You can also drag and drop checkers when holding down the Ctrl key.

   Finally, go to the menu and select ‘Game, Set turn’ to choose the
player on roll.  The dice will then disappear.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Which formats can I use to import matches and positions?,  Next: How can I switch the players sides?,  Prev: How do I set up a position manually?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.3 Which formats can I use to import matches and positions?
---------------------------------------------------------------

Import of matches and positions from a number of file formats is
possible: (.gam) GammonEmpire Game, (.gam) PartyGammon Game, (.mat)
Jellyfish Match, (.pos) Jellyfish Position, (.sgf) Gnu Backgammon File,
(.sgg) GridGammon Save Game, (.tmg) TrueMoneyGames, (.txt) Snowie Text


File: gnubg.info,  Node: How can I switch the players sides?,  Next: What do ! and ? mean?,  Prev: Which formats can I use to import matches and positions?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.4 How can I switch the players sides?
------------------------------------------

Go to the menu ‘Game’ and click on ‘Swap players’.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What do ! and ? mean?,  Next: How is the error rate determined?,  Prev: How can I switch the players sides?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.5 What do ! and ? mean?
----------------------------

After analysing a game or a match GNU Backgammon is able to do some
comments on checker play or cube decisions.  Open the menu ‘Window, Game
record’ and you will see a list of the moves.  If the actual move or
cube decision differs from the best, GNU Backgammon will put a comment
on it.

   The default settings are:

-0.040                   (doubtful):              ?!
-0.080                   (bad):                   ?
-0.160                   (very bad):              ??

   You may change these comment in the menu ‘Window, Annotation’
choosing another comment for moves and/or double


File: gnubg.info,  Node: How is the error rate determined?,  Next: What does Pips mean?,  Prev: What do ! and ? mean?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.6 How is the error rate determined?
----------------------------------------

GNU Backgammon determines a player’s strength according to its average
error (per move):

Average Error                        Skill Level
0.000 ..  0.005                      Extra-terrestrial
0.005 ..  0.010                      World class
0.010 ..  0.015                      Expert
0.015 ..  0.020                      Advanced
0.020 ..  0.025                      Intermediate
0.025 ..  0.030                      Beginner
0.030 ..                             Novice

   After analysing a game, match or session you can see the summary in
the menu ‘Analyse, ...  statistics’.  Note that you can’t change the
ranges of these values.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What does Pips mean?,  Next: What does EPC mean?,  Prev: How is the error rate determined?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.7 What does Pips mean?
---------------------------

The pip count is a measurement showing the total number of pips required
for a player to bear off all checkers from the current position.  It can
be regarded as a rough estimate of the _raceness_ of the position.  A
player with a lower pip count may in many situations want to try to
race, whilst the opponent (with the higher pip count) may want to try
blocking/holding.  See also the explanation on BackGammon Galore
(http://www.bkgm.com/gloss/lookup.cgi?pip+count).

   (For the non-english speaking community it might be helpful to know
that when you roll a six and a five, the total pips of that roll is
eleven.)


File: gnubg.info,  Node: What does EPC mean?,  Prev: What does Pips mean?,  Up: Analysing

11.6.8 What does EPC mean?
--------------------------

When bearing off checkers, you may notice a display showing the current
_EPC_ value (next to the display of _Pips_).  The EPC display can be
turned on or off under menu _Settings -> Options -> Display_.

   _EPC_ stands for Effective Pip Count, and is an alternative
measurement of the _goodness_ of the position.  The usual pip count can
be a misleading _goodness_ estimate when both players are bearing off.
What is more important (for making cubing decisions) is _the expected
number of rolls_ each player needs to bear off hes checkers.

   The effective pip count is defined as this expected number of
remaining rolls, multiplied with the average number of pips in a roll,
which is 8.167.  (The average number of pips in a roll would be 7 if
rolling a double wouldn’t yield a double pip count.  A double-6 yields
24 pips, not 12.)

   Thus, EPC takes into account not only the current pip count, but also
the expected pip wastage:

  1. Effective Pip Count (EPC) = pip count + expected pip wastage

   An example:

  1. Position: 5 checkers on the 1-point, 4 checkers on the 2-point.

  2. Pip count: 5x1 + 4x2 = 13

  3. EPC: 4.41 (expected number of remaining rolls) x 8.167 = 36.02

  4. Wasted: 36.02 - 13 = 23.02

   It’s clear (hopefully) that the expected pip wastage (and hence the
_EPC_) increases with more checkers on lower points (e.g.  you get pip
wastage when rolling a 6 to bear off a checker from the 2- or 1-point).

   It is further explained on BackGammon Galore
(http://www.bkgm.com/gloss/lookup.cgi?effective+pip+count), especially
in a post by Douglas Zare (http://www.bkgm.com/rgb/rgb.cgi?view+1076).

   How do one calculate the EPC then, or the expected number of
remaining rolls?  GNUbg uses the one-sided bearoff database, which
contains the chance of bearing off the final checker in any given number
of rolls.  A player would probably use some quite complicated heuristics
(please see the aforementioned post by Douglas Zare, _and do get back
here and explain it!_)


File: gnubg.info,  Node: Abbreviations,  Prev: Analysing,  Up: Frequently Asked Questions

11.7 Abbreviations
==================

* Menu:

* GWC?::
* MWC?::
* DP?::
* CP?::
* TG?::
* EPC?::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: GWC?,  Next: MWC?,  Up: Abbreviations

11.7.1 GWC?
-----------

_GWC_ is an abbreviation for game winning chances.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: MWC?,  Next: DP?,  Prev: GWC?,  Up: Abbreviations

11.7.2 MWC?
-----------

_MWC_ is an abbreviation for match winning chances.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: DP?,  Next: CP?,  Prev: MWC?,  Up: Abbreviations

11.7.3 DP?
----------

In the menu ‘Analyse, Game/Match/Session statistics’ you will see a
window with some statistics.  Near the bottom, you’ll see four lines
beginning with ‘Missed ...  and Wrong ...’.  _dp_ means _doubling point_
and describes a situation in the game, where you probably should have
doubled your opponent.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: CP?,  Next: TG?,  Prev: DP?,  Up: Abbreviations

11.7.4 CP?
----------

Cash-point(CP) is your opponent’s take-point now seen from your side of
the board (your cash-point which equals 100% minus your opponent’s
take-point).  GNU Backgammon uses the term _missed double below
cash-point_, which means that the player should have doubled, and had he
done so, his opponent should take.  _Missed double above CP_ in a
similar way means that the correct cube-action was double pass.

   If you are the leader in the match, the relevant take- and
double-points will often look something like this (where TP*=CP):


   *The double line*

   [[doubleline.png]]

   The doubling windows (intervals) are:

   [DP;CP] = Your doubling window!  This window does not contain any
information about redoubles but only the distance to the point where you
do not want to play for the double amount of points.

   [TP;DP] = 100% minus your opponent’s doubling window now.

   [reTP;reDP] = 100% minus your opponent’s doubling window after he has
taken.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: TG?,  Next: EPC?,  Prev: CP?,  Up: Abbreviations

11.7.5 TG?
----------

_TG_ is an abbreviation for _too good_ (to double).  It points to a
situation in the game, where you probably should have kept the cube
(mostly because of decent, sometimes very good, gammon chances) rather
than double out your opponent.


File: gnubg.info,  Node: EPC?,  Prev: TG?,  Up: Abbreviations

11.7.6 EPC?
-----------

See *note What does EPC mean?::


File: gnubg.info,  Node: GNU Free Documentation License,  Prev: Frequently Asked Questions,  Up: Top

Appendix A GNU Free Documentation License
*****************************************

Version 1.3, 3 November 2008

   Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation,
Inc.  (https://www.fsf.org/)

   Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this
license document, but changing it is not allowed.

0. PREAMBLE
===========

The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other
functional and useful document “free” in the sense of freedom: to assure
everyone the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or
without modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially.
Secondarily, this License preserves for the author and publisher a way
to get credit for their work, while not being considered responsible for
modifications made by others.

   This License is a kind of “copyleft”, which means that derivative
works of the document must themselves be free in the same sense.  It
complements the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft license
designed for free software.

   We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free
software, because free software needs free documentation: a free program
should come with manuals providing the same freedoms that the software
does.  But this License is not limited to software manuals; it can be
used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or whether it is
published as a printed book.  We recommend this License principally for
works whose purpose is instruction or reference.

1. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS
--------------------------------

This License applies to any manual or other work, in any medium, that
contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it can be
distributed under the terms of this License.  Such a notice grants a
world-wide, royalty-free license, unlimited in duration, to use that
work under the conditions stated herein.  The “Document”, below, refers
to any such manual or work.  Any member of the public is a licensee, and
is addressed as “you”.  You accept the license if you copy, modify or
distribute the work in a way requiring permission under copyright law.

   A “Modified Version” of the Document means any work containing the
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   A “Secondary Section” is a named appendix or a front-matter section
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-------------------------------------

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--------------

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--------------

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Tag Table:
Node: Top205
Node: Introduction2353
Node: GPL copying/warranty info6588
Node: Rules of the game7088
Node: Setup7675
Ref: A board with the checkers in their initial position_8230
Node: Object of the Game9805
Ref: Direction of movement of White's checkers_ Red's checkers move in the opposite direction_10151
Node: Movement of the Checkers10919
Ref: White opens the game with 53_12225
Node: Hitting and Entering13649
Ref: White rolls 64 with a checker on the bar_14439
Node: Bearing Off15660
Ref: White rolls 64 and bears off two checkers_16540
Node: Doubling17190
Node: Gammons and Backgammons18223
Node: Optional Rules18908
Node: Rules for Match Play19883
Node: Starting GNU Backgammon22144
Node: GNU/Linux and Unix22401
Node: Microsoft Windows22919
Node: Mac OS X23693
Node: Command line options24668
Ref: GNU Backgammon startup options25075
Node: Playing a game26529
Node: Starting a new match or session26819
Ref: The dialog for starting a new match_27213
Node: Rolling the dice28659
Ref: Click in the red rectangle to roll the dice_29027
Node: Moving the checkers29244
Node: Moving by drag and drop29524
Node: Moving checkers by clicking30094
Node: Undo a move30971
Node: Some shortcuts31420
Node: Using the doubling cube32257
Node: Offering a double32499
Node: Accepting or declining a cube32846
Ref: The toolbar double buttons_33414
Node: Resigning33771
Node: Offering a resignation33969
Node: Accepting or declining a resignation34550
Node: Getting hints and Tutor Mode35558
Node: Getting hints manually35793
Node: Getting checker play hints while playing36080
Ref: The hint window36494
Node: Getting cube decision hints while playing39424
Ref: The cube hint window39992
Node: The hint tool buttons41536
Node: Tutor mode43868
Ref: The tutor window44216
Ref: The tutor warning window44930
Node: Setting up a position45729
Node: Entering Edit mode46651
Node: Editing47779
Node: Clearing the board48109
Ref: Click in the one of the areas marked with a red ellipse to clear the board_48544
Ref: Click in the one of the areas marked with a red ellipse to get to the initial position_48840
Node: Quick edit49172
Node: Editing by drag and drop50213
Node: Setting the player on turn51070
Ref: Clicking the White checker image will set White on turn; clicking the Black image will set Black in turn_51377
Node: Setting the dice51945
Ref: Click inside the red rectangle to set the dice for Black_ Click inside the green rectangle to set the dice for White_52569
Node: Setting the cube53103
Node: Setting the score53715
Node: Exiting Edit mode54684
Node: Analysing the position55146
Node: Working with matches56417
Node: Retrieving and storing backgammon files56705
Node: The Smart Game Format57102
Node: Opening and importing matches57682
Node: Saving and exporting positions; games or matches59957
Node: HTML export62448
Node: LaTeX export65086
Node: Entering live tournament matches65876
Node: Entering illegal moves68487
Node: Analysing matches69506
Node: Analysis settings70668
Ref: Analyse settings dialog70947
Node: Reviewing matches72491
Node: Game record72695
Ref: The Game record pane73250
Node: Analysis panel76065
Ref: The Analyse pane76631
Node: Statistics79371
Node: Checker play statistics79928
Node: Luck analysis81715
Node: Cube statistics83557
Node: Overall rating86293
Node: Rollouts89934
Node: Introduction to rollouts90138
Node: Rollouts in GNU Backgammon92371
Node: Quasi-Random Dice95113
Node: Customizing GNU Backgammon98372
Node: Evaluation settings98586
Node: Introduction to evaluation settings99046
Node: The depth to search and plies100134
Node: Defining evaluation settings103157
Node: Playing skill;103527
Node: Hints;103990
Node: Analysis;104277
Node: Rollouts;105065
Node: Changing evaluation settings106043
Ref: The evaluation settings dialog106306
Node: Predefined settings107647
Node: Move filters109368
Node: Introduction to move filters109601
Ref: Example of move filter settings110801
Node: Defining move filters114624
Ref: Move filter 1115268
Ref: Move filter 2116766
Ref: Move filter 3116843
Node: Cubeful vs Cubeless117805
Ref: Cubeful example118261
Ref: Cubeful example 2118959
Node: Pruning neural networks119775
Node: Noise120452
Node: Appearance121705
Ref: The appearance dialog122173
Node: Technical Notes123162
Node: Obtaining bearoff databases123565
Node: Generate your own124111
Node: Download127058
Node: Installation of the databases127725
Node: Verification of the databases128117
Node: One-sided bearoff databases [compressed]128521
Node: Two-sided bearoff databases [with cubeless and cubeful equities]130435
Node: Two-sided databases for Hypergammon132122
Ref: Random position from hypergammon database132846
Node: Match Equity Tables134299
Node: Python scripting135797
Node: gnubg module functions136242
Node: Match description137500
Node: Match info137867
Node: Python game139565
Node: Game actions140228
Node: Equities explained140382
Node: Introduction to equities140700
Node: Money equity141237
Node: Match Winning Chance142109
Node: Normalized equity143621
Node: Cubeful equities145394
Node: Basic formula for cubeful equities145976
Node: Live cube equities146925
Ref: Cubeful example 1147590
Ref: mgtp148250
Ref: mptp151391
Node: 0-ply Cubeful equities153207
Node: n-ply Cubeful equities153926
Node: The cube efficiency155288
Node: Cube decisions157155
Ref: mgcd157775
Node: Beyond the simple model160095
Node: A technical description of the Position ID160926
Node: A technical description of the Match ID166465
Node: Description of the CSS style sheet171107
Node: Frequently Asked Questions176232
Node: General questions176567
Node: What is GNU Backgammon?177117
Node: What operating systems are supported?177533
Node: Where do I get it?178391
Node: What do I have to pay for GNU Backgammon?178887
Node: This GNU stuff sounds interesting179625
Node: I want to learn more about backgammon180000
Node: Though I really read all the documentation I still have questions180461
Node: I want to make a few proposals; I have new ideas181107
Node: How to install181514
Node: Do I need some other software to run GNU Backgammon?181977
Node: I want to install a newer version182489
Node: I would like to compile it from the source code182814
Node: What software do I need for compiling under GNU/Linux?183230
Node: It does not compile184038
Node: On what CPU will GNU Backgammon run fastest?184469
Node: Running GNU Backgammon191106
Node: I get an error message when starting191589
Node: GNU Backgammon complains about missing files191989
Node: Starting from the Windows menu it plays like a beginner193682
Node: My screen mixes up while starting GNU Backgammon194280
Node: I only get a command-line interface194881
Node: I do not need this graphical stuff195424
Node: Playing backgammon195973
Node: What is the difference of a new game or match or session?196425
Node: What is a beaver in Backgammon?197061
Node: How do I move the checkers?197579
Node: Why am I allowed to place more than 5 checkers on a point?198372
Node: GNU Backgammon is too strong for me198905
Node: I think the bot is cheating199318
Node: Settings199777
Node: Where can I change the name of the human player?200093
Node: How do I change the colors?200457
Node: How do I stop the annoying beeps?200819
Node: What are Plies?201156
Node: What is noise?203078
Node: Analysing203334
Node: What are these funny letters at the right bottom?203794
Node: How do I set up a position manually?204661
Node: Which formats can I use to import matches and positions?205581
Node: How can I switch the players sides?206177
Node: What do ! and ? mean?206499
Node: How is the error rate determined?207311
Node: What does Pips mean?208178
Node: What does EPC mean?208989
Node: Abbreviations211142
Node: GWC?211335
Node: MWC?211478
Node: DP?211634
Node: CP?212048
Ref: The double line212687
Node: TG?213118
Node: EPC?213457
Node: GNU Free Documentation License213580

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