Ply Analysis Using Backgammon GNU

Backgammon ply is a technical term indicating how many moves ahead a backgammon player, or backgammon computer program like Backgammon GNU, looks while evaluating a backgammon move or position. When Backgammon GNU plays itself, 2-ply wins over 1-ply and 1-ply wins over 0-ply. However this trend is not seen with 3-ply and 4-ply.

Backgammon computer programs can perform backgammon analysis looking ahead a greater number of moves than players and hence are used to benchmark correct moves. It would appear reasonable to assume that the greater the number of the backgammon ply used, the more correct the backgammon analysis would be. But actual results do not always support this thesis. In backgammon analysis different aspects of the backgammon game are analyzed using the Backgammon GNU program. Some of these aspects are checker play, backgammon cube decisions and estimating the equity of backgammon positions.

The even numbered backgammon ply calculates a different equity from the odd numbered backgammon ply. The even numbered backgammon ply equity is found to be more correct. The checker play and cube decisions are also generally carried out with backgammon 2-ply. In fact backgammon analysis of checker play with 0-ply should be avoided because it does not look ahead at all. Experts generally perform backgammon analysis with backgammon 2-ply. When they find that their moves are differing from the backgammon 2-ply analysis they go on to backgammon 3-ply, which sometimes, though not always, confirms their decisions.

Backgammon 4-ply is rarely used with the Backgammon GNU program. The improvements it can offer are at best marginal. But it slows down the speed of analysis considerably due to the enormously large number of moves that need to be analyzed.