Backgammon strategy software

zPro · #1 08-18-2006, 07:40 PM

Does backgammon software exist?
I mean a program that will allow you to input your/opponents' moves and then it will compute the optimal strategy.

Siegmund · #2 08-19-2006, 02:12 AM

There are several strong backgammon programs, on par with the best human experts. Snowie and Jellyfish cost money; GNU Backgammon is free. Each of them has the ability to analyze positions or entire matches, and tell you what it thinks the best moves are.

This is not, however, guaranteed to be optimal, except in non-contact endgames, which are solved exactly and stored in databases. The answers are only as good as the software's position evaluator is. (But, again, that's going to be better than any non-expert human's.)

GrahamW · #3 08-20-2006, 02:51 AM

This is a bit off topic, but I've heard rumblings from somewhere (I can't honestly recall where) that GNU Backgammon isn't as good as Snowie or Jellyfish, especially for evaluating and playing backgames. Do you know anything about this? Or anyone else want to chime in?

pzhon · #4 08-20-2006, 03:04 AM

[ QUOTE ]
I've heard rumblings from somewhere (I can't honestly recall where) that GNU Backgammon isn't as good as Snowie or Jellyfish, especially for evaluating and playing backgames.

[/ QUOTE ]
Jellyfish is weaker than Gnu Backgammon and Snowie 4, though still stronger than all but world-class human players. The comparison between Gnu Backgammon and Snowie 4 is unclear. Snowie should be stronger in backgames, but Gnu may be stronger in other classes of positions.