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Bill Robertie

Bill Robertie has spent his life playing and writing about chess, backgammon, and poker. While attending Harvard he became a chess master and helped the team win several intercollegiate titles. After graduating he won a number of chess tournaments, including the United States Championship at speed chess in 1970. He also established a reputation at blindfold chess, giving exhibitions on as many as eight boards simultaneously. In 1976 he switched from chess to backgammon, becoming one of the top players in the world. His major titles include the World Championship in Monte Carlo in 1983 and 1987, the Black & White Championship in Boston in 1979, the Las Vegas tournaments in 1980 and 2001, the Bahamas Pro-Am in 1993, and the Istanbul World Open in 1994.

He has written several well-regarded backgammon books, the most noted of which are Advanced Backgammon (1991), a two-volume collection of 400 problems, and Modern Backgammon (2002), a new look at the underlying theory of the game. He has also written a set of three books for the beginning player: Backgammon for Winners (1994), Backgammon for Serious Players (1995), and 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (1997).

In addition to his well-received Backgammon books, Bill is the co-author of the Harrington on Hold'em series of poker books on tournament and cash game play, which are some of the most successful poker books ever written.

From 1991 to 1998 he edited the magazine Inside Backgammon with Kent Goulding. He now owns a publishing company, the Gammon Press (www.thegammonpress.com), and lives in Arlington, Massachusetts with his wife Patrice. He plays regularly in backgammon and poker tournaments around the world and offers private coaching in both games.

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