The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-10-04
BY ELIZABETH CLARK BOYDEN


Written for NEA Service
TWO modern innovations are
Il largely responsible for the pres
ent remarkable popularity Of back
CANNON. The first Of these is the
introduction Of doubling, which adds
much zeSt to the game.
The old automatic doubles for
gammons and the triple score for
backgammons are retained by the
large majority of players and in
practically all clubs. In addition to
these old friends, there now is a
new form Of automatic doubles, as
follows:
Whenever two players throw the
same number, when they each cast
one die to decide the opening move,
they must throw again and the
score is automatically doubled.
The game now becomes two points
instead of one. This keeps on as
long as the players continue, to
throw the same number, unless the
players decide in advance to limit
the number of these automatic dou-
bles.
A FTER the game IS started
N either player may, if he wishes,
say, ST offer you a double" or Il
double" The opponents may accept
or decline this double.
If he accepts the double, the
game continues and the score as 1t
stands, together with all previous
automatic doubles (if any is dou-
bled. The player who accepted the
double may now in his turn offer g
double; which may be accepted Oh
declined by the first player.
This second double is similar In
effect to a re-double in Bridge
These doubles may continue back
and forth between the two players
throughout the game.
A double only can be offered i'm
mediately before that players turn
to throw the dice, bearing in mind
that the same player is not allowed
to make a second double until after
the opponent has in turn offered a
double.
No player is obliged to accept q
double. If he declines the double
the game stops and the player who
refuses the double becomes the
loser.
He loses the full amount of the
game, as it stands at the moment
the double is declined, with all pre-
vious doubles. He does not, OBJ
viously, add the double which he de-
clined.
THERE is no game in which for
4 tune changes more rapidly
than backgammon. For this reason
as the chances seem to favor first
one player and then the other, there
are often several OF these optional
doubles.
Common parlor matches frequent
ly are used to record the doubles
during a game. These matches are
placed upon the bar as the doubles
occur, and at the end of the game
are removed, counted and scored.
These doubles mount up very
rapidly, as follows!
One double increases the scores
from one to two,
Two doubles increases the tw. -
four.
Three doubles increases the score
to eight.
Four doubles increases the score
to sixteen.
Twelve doubles would amount to
1886.
Doubling cubes now can be pur-
chased, which eliminate the NUS
ance of matches. These cubes are
about two inches square and are
similar to dice except that they
are numbered to correspond to the
doubles as follows: 2, 4, 8, is, 80
81. These six doubles are ample
to provide for any ordinary game
TINE cube is placed upon the
i table between the players, will
the side marked sixty-four upper
most. If there is an automatic
double the cube is Immediately
turned so that the side marked two
is uppermost.
Assuming there is but one auto.
matte double the first PLAYER tx