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EnglishDoes The Gammon Press Offer Backgammon Lessons and Coaching?
Updated
Yes. The Gammon Press has a dedicated Lessons & Coaching section, and it is aimed at players who already play but feel stuck or unhappy with their results. The site's own framing of that section is a direct question to the reader: "Do you feel stuck or unhappy with your play but don't know how to fix it?" The entry point is a Get Help link. If you are looking for structured instruction rather than just reading material, this is the part of the site to use.
What the Lessons & Coaching section is for
The Gammon Press is the online home of Bill Robertie, a two-time World Backgammon Champion. The site describes itself as a source for backgammon books, lessons, resources, and Robertie's blog. That combination matters for coaching: the lessons sit alongside a large body of written instruction rather than replacing it.
The stated audience is not beginners looking for the rules. The pitch assumes you already play and have hit a plateau — you know the game, but your results or your understanding of your own decisions are not where you want them. That is a different problem from learning the rules, and it is the problem the coaching section addresses.
How lessons and coaching fit with the books and blog
The three main content areas on the site serve different purposes, and they work best together:
| Area | What it gives you | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Books | Structured, diagram-heavy instruction on specific phases of the game | Building a systematic understanding of openings, problems, and reference positions |
| Bill's Blog | Regular articles on individual positions and decisions | Seeing how strong players reason through concrete situations |
| Lessons & Coaching | Direct help with your own play | Diagnosing why you are stuck and what to change |
The books are the most concrete part of the offering. The How to Play the Opening in Backgammon series runs in three parts — A New Way of Thinking, Everything Matters, and Order From Chaos — each listed at $50.00. Part 3 is described as Intermediate/Advanced level, 142 pages with 223 diagrams, softbound, at $50 + S/H. 501 Essential Backgammon Problems, 3rd Edition is listed at $35.00. The site notes that "winners at backgammon often study the best books by the best players," which is essentially the argument for pairing study material with coaching.
The blog is where you can sample Robertie's thinking before committing to anything. A recent post, for example, works through a cash-game holding-game decision (White to play 5-3, with the Jacoby Rule assumed in effect) and asks whether to wait for a shot or abandon the holding game. Posts like this show the level of detail you can expect from the instruction.
Who should consider coaching here
Coaching at The Gammon Press is likely a good fit if:
- You already know the rules and basic strategy but your results have flattened out.
- You can identify that something is wrong with your play but not what specifically.
- You want instruction from a world-champion-level player rather than a general course.
- You are willing to combine lessons with book study — the site clearly treats these as complementary.
It is probably not the right starting point if you are completely new to backgammon, since the coaching pitch assumes an existing player with existing frustrations. In that case, the beginner-facing material and the blog would be a more sensible first stop.
How to get started
- Go to thegammonpress.com.
- Find the Lessons & Coaching section.
- Follow the Get Help link to inquire about lessons.
- Optionally, read a few posts on Bill's Blog first to get a feel for Robertie's teaching style and the level of analysis involved.
The site also runs a Newsletter with a sign-up form ("Thank you for signing up!" appears as the confirmation heading), which is a low-commitment way to follow new books and blog posts before deciding on coaching.
One practical note: the site lists prices for books but does not publish lesson or coaching rates on the pages described here, so you will need to make contact through the Get Help link to get specifics on format, scheduling, and cost.