Backgammon players of all levels consider Backgammon by Paul Magriel to be the bible of the game.

Magriel earned his high stature in the game when he won the World Backgammon Championship in 1978. A year before that, he was already writing weekly columns about backgammon for The New York Times, and he continued to write these columns until 1980.

Nowadays, Paul Magriel is more popularly known in the backgammon circuit as X-22, which refers to his simulation of a live backgammon tournament that made use of boards (designated as X-1, X-2, X-3, and so on and so forth) and in which Player X-22 won.

Apart from being an expert backgammon player, Paul Magriel is also a professional poker player. He is responsible for the M-ratio, which is a theory that postulates when the best time is to make moves on other players during tournament, taking into consideration the chip stack sizes and antes. His feats in poker include worthy finishes in various tournaments in Europe in the ’90s, finishing fourth in his first World Poker Tour in 2003, and succeeding notable finishes at the World Series of Poker, Professional Poker Tour, and Ultimate Poker Challenge.

Magriel channeled his knowledge in backgammon to come up with two books on the subject, Bakgammon and An Introduction to Backgammon: A Step-by-step Guide, both of which he co-wrote with his first wife Renee Magriel.

Magriel’s most significant contribution in the world of backgammon remains, however, to be his book Backgammon, which was first published in 1976 and reprinted in 1997 and 2004. Backgammon is unanimously considered as the definitive book of the game.

Although Backgammon was written back in the good old days where backgammon references were few (if there were any at all) Magriel managed to provide an impressively complete and systematic introduction to the game. In fact, some studies consider Magriel to be the first person to give an in-depth presentation of modern principles. Some backgammon players who have done analysis on Magriel’s recommendations in the book have noted some errors on the author’s part; such are forgivable since at the time of original publication, reliable backgammon software did not yet exist. Surely, whether you’re an experienced player or a relative beginner, Backgammon is one piece of literature that you just must have.

The book includes chapters on the basics, duplication and diversification, modern opening theory, slotting, the golden point, doubling theory, priming and blocking, outfield control, and back games, among others. It offers the most fundamental lessons, techniques, and strategies that will enable beginners, intermediates, and experienced players improve their game.

You can find Backgammon by Paul Magriel in a bookstore near you. If you don’t want to leave the house, you could check out different virtual libraries, online bookstores, and eBay. There are many copies of the book but the 2004 edition is what’s highly recommended by backgammon lovers and book critiques. It’s the one that has a foreword written by Magriel himself. Grab your copy now.