Your New Year's Backgammon Resolution: To Recruit a New Player

As we welcome in the year 2007, there is a tradition among several countries across the globe to ring in the new year with a short or long list of resolutions (in reality, a to-do list) - aspirations and goals for us privately or as a group. Have you ever stopped to think that you could set some backgammon resolutions, too?

Now's the time, so let us help you with a couple of suggestions.

First, if you are a beginning backgammon player or play infrequently, you might resolve to schedule a more regular or consistent calendar of playing dates per month. You may already be doing this if you have, say, a Friday night backgammon get-together (much like a poker night or bridge night), but this is an excellent time of the year to examine ways to "spice up" those weekly playing dates, or add some creative thought to where and how you bring out the boards. Remember, backgammon is, after all, a social game. Are you rotating friend's houses or locations? Do you bring out the creme-deluxe board for those occasions?

Second, recruit a new player to the game. This is probably the best thing you can do to encourage a strong local playing field in your area. Grab that new guy or gal at work and invite them to your local playing spot or your house and introduce them to backgammon. New family just moved into your neighborhood? Invite them over! Even if it turns out the game is not their "cup of tea" (is that possible?) at the very least you made a nice social gesture and perhaps gained a new friend.