Angela

One of the top 10 sweetest people, probably. German by birth, delightfully unserious by nature. By day, she shapes stories; by night, she beats her boyfriend at backgammon and writes poetry.

Safe or bold? How to choose your next backgammon move

Six pips away is the riskiest place on the board. Here's how to tell when the risk is worth taking anyway.

In praise of losing

Think of a game you still talk about. Chances are you lost it.

How to get better at backgammon

Seven ideas to improve, from dropping bad habits to learning the cube.

Why does the backgammon board bend back on itself?

Why not one straight line of 24 points? It is one. It's just folded in half.

The joy of an unfinished game

The half-read book nags. The half-played game doesn't. Why a position left in the middle is a pleasure.

Backgammon terms explained: blot, prime, anchor and the rest

Point, pip, blot, anchor, prime, gammon. Every word you'll meet, in plain language.

How to set up a backgammon board

Five on the 6-point, three on the 8, five on the 13, two on the 24, mirrored by your opponent. The starting position, and a way to remember it.

How to teach someone backgammon in ten minutes

Goal first, board second, and stop explaining by minute seven. What to teach, and what to leave out.

What's a gammon, and what's a backgammon?

A normal win is one point, a gammon two, a backgammon three. The exact conditions for each, how the cube multiplies them, and what it changes.

What does "bear off" actually mean?

The last thing that happens in a game, the rule that catches people out, and where our name comes from.

Or read everything we have written.