Chris Bray

Chris Bray is a British backgammon player and writer. He is best known to the wider public for two pieces of work: the book Backgammon for Dummies and a long-running backgammon column in a national newspaper. Both had the same goal: to explain a game that looks simple but runs deep, in language that an ordinary reader can follow.

A newspaper column about backgammon

Board games rarely get regular space in the press, and backgammon gets even less than chess or bridge. A weekly column that runs for many years is therefore unusual. It gives the game a steady presence in front of readers who might never visit a club or open a strategy book.

A column also has to work within tight limits. There is room for one position, a short explanation and perhaps one clear lesson. That format suits backgammon well. Many of the most useful ideas in the game can be shown in a single diagram: which checker to hit with, when to break a point, when to give up on a prime and switch to a race. Readers who follow such a column week after week slowly build a library of patterns, which is exactly how stronger players think at the board.

Backgammon for Dummies

Backgammon for Dummies is written for people who are new to the game or who play casually and want to get better. Books in this style move step by step: the board and setup, the rules of movement, hitting and entering, bearing off, then basic strategy and the doubling cube. The emphasis is on clear explanations and practical advice rather than heavy theory.

For a beginner, a book like this answers the questions that come up in the first few games: what to do with an opening roll, whether to hit or play safe, when it is worth leaving a blot, and how to use the cube in a match. If you want an online starting point first, see our guide on how to play backgammon.

Why writers like Bray matter

Strong players are not always good teachers. Explaining why a move is right, in a way that a newcomer can remember and apply, is a separate skill. Writers who can do that have shaped the game as much as many champions, because they bring new players in and help them stay.

Good backgammon writing also keeps up with the game. Over recent decades, analysis software has changed many accepted ideas about the opening, the middle game and cube decisions. Writers who review their own earlier advice in light of new analysis help readers avoid outdated habits. You can read more about that shift in our article on the internet and backgammon.

Learning the way a column teaches

You can borrow the column format for your own study:

• Pick one position a day, from your own games or from a problem book.
• Decide on your move before reading any answer, and write down why.
• Compare your choice with the answer and note the idea behind it in one sentence.
• Look for the same idea in your next few games.

Short, regular study like this adds up quickly. For more practical advice, see our backgammon tips.