Cards & Cubes: The Surprising Overlap Between Bridge and Backgammon
by Alex J. Coyne for Great Bridge Links
Bridge and backgammon seem like two completely different games, yet they’re both considered mindsports that have often shared some of the same great players. If you enjoy bridge, there’s a good chance that you may enjoy playing backgammon – and of course, just the same if you’re used to playing backgammon!
Here’s more about the great bridge (and backgammon) players that have shared their tabletops, and why the games intersect two wonderful mind sports that often attract the same players.
Bridge and Backgammon: A Meeting of Mindsports
The International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) recognizes several games under the moniker of mind sports, including bridge, chess, checkers, Mahjong, and other esports. Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) includes backgammon, draughts, morabaraba, and various card games as well as esports.
We all enjoy games that make you think – usually, but not always, against a human opponent.
Danny Kleinman, during a 2010 interview with Phil Simborg from Backgammon Galore, noted that bridge and backgammon are “utterly different” in terms of strategy.
While you can’t compare backgammon to a chess game, most people can admit their similarities even at a casual glance.
Bridge player Bob Hamman, interviewed for a Texas Monthly feature, said that “Backgammon is a matter of positional evaluation and math.” Similar, you might think, to bridge. Hamman happened to be a poker player too, and said that poker has more to do with psychological plays than cards.
Where Two Games Cross
Bridge and backgammon have crossed paths (and players) since the popularity of both games. Introducing the personal computer and internet, bridge and backgammon have become more accessible to players almost anywhere in the world.
Examples of bridge and backgammon going hand-in-hand can be found as early as 1929. This Frank Crowninshield feature piece for Vogue explores the question: BRIDGE OR BACKGAMMON?
In Australia, the two games have shared the same clubs. According to the Australia New-Zealand Backgammon Federation: “The first generation of backgammon players to take the game seriously learnt to play at the Double Bay Bridge Club in the mid-1970s, “
Billy Eisenberg was another notable player of both games, who added his thoughts in a 1982 interview with Kate Wattson: “As an expert in both bridge and backgammon, Eisenberg has a keen sense of their similarities and differences. He explains that backgammon is more intuitive and less analytical than bridge.”
Do you think Eisenberg was right?
There’s also Raymond Kershaw, author of Backgammon Funfair, who noted playing at The Grosvenor – a bridge and backgammon club in Mayfair where two games seemed to blend in without question.
Author Oliver Roeder explores seven mindsports in his book: chess, backgammon, checkers, poker, bridge, Scrabble and Go. Roeder calls these games “more than entertainment” – and it’s certainly not coincidence that they share players.
Chess Magazine, which is predominantly geared to the game of chess, has also featured contributions about bridge and backgammon. While not the same, they are inherently all mindsports.
Modern internet Meetups continue the tradition of The Grosvenor, like the Thursday Cavendish Bridge & Backgammon Club in NYC.
Notable Player: Billy Eisenberg
Billy Eisenberg was a celebrity, but not for his Hollywood film appearances – instead, he became a celebrity for being great in two games at once.
Eisenberg is a member of the ACBL Hall of Fame, but also simultaneously lauded as one of the greatest backgammon players and authors in history. Alongside this, he became a stock broker.
He was apparently often called “Billy the Kid” for his sharp looks and skill, and other resources attribute the nickname “Broadway Billy.”
His backgammon skills drew in famous players, including Diana Ross and Paul Newman.
Sports Illustrated (“Tough Man Across a Table,” May 19, 1975) had this to say: “Billy Eisenberg will take your money at backgammon or, if you prefer, at bridge. Get smart.”
According to this 1982 interview with Backgammon Times, Eisenberg had scaled down to “five backgammon and three bridge tournaments a year” – and his preparation included “three hours a day” with studying strategy about ten days before every tournament.
Notable Player: Oswald Jacoby
Oswald “Ozzie” Jacoby is a bridge champion that most players eventually learn about as they navigate through their conventions.
Born in 1902, he brought the familiar Jacoby Transfer to contract bridge – and also brought the Jacoby Rule to the game of backgammon.
He was the 1972 World Backgammon Champion, as well as an authoritative writer and columnist for both games. Jacoby co-authored The Backgammon Book. The US Backgammon Federation calls this the first truly analytical book on the game.
Notable Player: Kit Woolsey
Kit Woolsey will stand out to players familiar with any of the books, columns, or blog posts from the author.
Also great within both games, Woolsey is listed here at The US Backgammon Federation – as well as a very (that’s very) apt bridge player to be found at Master Point Press.
Woolsey has authored, among other titles, The Language of Bridge (2017), and How to Play Tournament Backgammon (2000). A prolific columnist, Woolsey has also made more than 800 posts on Bridge Winners.
Notable Player: James Vogl
More players find backgammon and bridge daily, and decide that they might enjoy a combination of both games. Some players find both at the same time, while others may discover each game on their own individual path.
One more notable player is James Vogl, described by his Bridge Winners profile: “Former backgammon/poker professional. Currently a hedge fund manager addicted to bridge since 2006 but am pretty hopeless.”
Vogl is the author of The Backgammon Super Genius Quiz, and also maintains a YouTube channel.
Whether players are equally good at both games or simply enjoy them, the strategic thinking overlaps just enough to make bridge and backgammon fun mindsports in combination.
