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This page has the following internet backgammon sections:

• What Is FIBS Internet Backgammon ?
• Commands: Help for all the commands.
• How Do I Connect? A quick guide to logging in.
• Rules Of The Game: Basic rules of Backgammon.
• I Hate This Scrolling Display: Where to find a grahical interface.

What Is FIBS internet backgammon ?

FIBS is the First Internet Backgammon Server, developed by Andreas Schneider.

FIBS allows users to play internet backgammon against real people (and even some silicon players) over the internet. Sometimes tournaments are organized on FIBS (they are usually advertised in the login header). There are players of every conceivable ability logging onto FIBS, from absolute beginners to serious Backgammon Champion contenders. But if you ever want to know anything, there are plenty of people willing to ask.

FIBS uses a textual interface, which draws the backgammon board with ASCII characters. You can see who is currently logged on and invite someone to play. Games are saved automatically, so you never have to worry about people with dodgy connections. There is often plenty of friendly banter and you can join in, roll the dice, move the pieces, double your opponent all with simple commands. Alternatively, you can use one of the graphical interfaces available.

If you want to know more about internet backgammon and backgammon in general and what is available on the internet, have a look at the WWW Backgammon Page written by Stephen Turner.

Also if you have access to netnews, have a look at rec.games.backgammon. The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) article is written by Mark Damish

Commands

FIBS has an extensive on-line help system, which is accessed by typing help followed by the command name. I have downloaded all of these command helps and converted them for WWW access.

No new commands have changed recently! (because it's so good :-)

Follow the yellow brick road to load all thes FIBS Commands (This file is relatively large, about 73K bytes).

How Do I Connect?

Nothing could be easier! But: I would ask that you read a bit further and become familiar with the commands before leaping in! If you have a rough idea how to find out who's logged on, how to start a game and how to move the pieces, things will be so much easier.

If you're new and really can't wait, or are having problems connecting, this is how to get in the internet backgammon.

Rules Of The Game

These are not the 'official' rules word for word but FIBS' version of them. They should say pretty much the same as the official rules. Some rules that have no meaning on the server have been left out.

These are the basic rules of backgammon.

I Hate This Scrolling Display in Internet Backgammon

Okay, you're hooked - your hands shake, you start to sweat, this game could go either way; and then a few shouts scroll the board off the screen... you make the wrong move and *poof* another game goes down the drain. AAAARRRGGGGHHH!.

Well, it doesn't have to be like that. There are graphical interfaces for most systems (from the rec.games.backgammon FAQ by Mark Damish)

• Unix:
  • XFibs 0.8 is a Motif-based X-Window client, which presents a graphical view of the internet backgammon board with dice, doubling cube etc. There are two more windows, one for text coming from the server and the other acting like a command window. Most things can be done with the mouse. Originally written by Torstein Hansen, but version 0.8 done by Mike Quinn.

  • Tinyfugue is a telnet client program which breaks the screen into separate 'panes' for input and output. This specialized version displays a non scrolling internet backgammon board in a third pane. Maintained by Andreas Schneider and David Eggert.

  • TkFibs is a tcl/tk client that displays two windows: one a graphical depiction of the board, the other a session window with Fibs. Note: The biggest caveat is that it requires TCL and TK to run. TCL is over 5 MBytes and TK is over 1.7 MBytes! Written by Keith Vetter.

  • xibc is another X-Window client. This one needs TCL/TK (see above) and expect. Written by Jesper Blommaskog.

• FIBS/W is a Microsoft Windows(TM) based client for FIBS. Most operations required to play a game can be executed using mouse, keyboard, menus or toolbar buttons. FIBS/W requires version 3.1 or later of Microsoft Windows, or any version of Windows for Workgroups or Windows/NT. FIBS/W will also run as a Windows application under OS/2 2.X. FIBS/W does not currently support OS/2 Warp, or Netcom Netcruiser accounts (although Netcom shell accounts do work). You need either modem access to a host providing telnet services or have access to the internet via the Winsock software interface.

  FIBS/W is provided as Shareware. The registration fee is US$40. This is the new address given by Robin. So try it out. Written by Robin Davies.

• There is a native OS/2 Tinyfugue client available, contact John J. Lehett for more details.

• MacFIBS greatly enhances the virtual backgammon experience; it's internet backgammon played "The Macintosh Way". MacFIBS offers a full color backgammon board. The program requires a color Macintosh and MacTCP. Written by Paul Ferguson. Version 2.0.3 of MacFIBS is now available.