README

GNU Backgammon version 0.90.0

GNU Backgammon is developed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) and it's
part of the GNU project. If you want to know more about GPL and the Free
Software Foundation you can visit the FSF website. The conditions for copying
may be found in the FILE `COPYING`

Look for news and releases of GNU Backgammon at http://www.gnubg.org. Here you
will also find ways to report bugs and give suggestions.

For instructions on how to build gnubg, please read the file `INSTALL' and the
other sections in this file; for other information, please see the GNU
Backgammon manual in the `doc' directory.

Introduction
===========
GNU Backgammon (gnubg) plays and analyzes backgammon games and matches. It is
able to play and analyze both money games and tournament matches, evaluate and
roll out positions, and more. Driven by a command-line interface, it displays
an ASCII rendering of a board on text-only terminals, but also allows the user
to play games and manipulate positions with a graphical GTK+ interface. GNU
Backgammon is extensible on platforms which support Python.

GNU Backgammon is a world class opponent and rates at around 2200 on FIBS, the
First Internet Backgammon Server – at its best, it is in the top 5 of over 6000
rated players there). GNU Backgammon can be played on numerous other on-line
backgammon servers.

The following features can be found in the current release of GNU Backgammon.

* A command line interface (with full command editing features if GNU
  readline is available) that lets you play matches and sessions against GNU
  Backgammon with a rough ASCII representation of the board on text terminals.

* Support for a GTK+ interface with a graphical board window. Both 2D and
  3D graphics are available.

* Tournament match and money session cube handling and cubeful play. All
  governed by an underlying cubeless money game based neuralnet.

* Support for both 1-sided and 2-sided bearoff databases: 1-sided bearoff
  database for 15 checkers on the first 6 points and optional 2-sided database
  kept in memory. Optional larger 1-sided and 2-sided databases stored on disk.

* Automated rollouts of positions, with lookahead and race variance
  reduction where appropriate. Rollouts may be extended.

* Automatic and manual annotation (analysis and commentary) of games and
  matches.

* Record keeping of statistics of players in games and matches (both native
  inside GNU Backgammon and externally using relational databases and Python).

* Loading and saving analyzed games and matches as .sgf files (Smart Game
  Format).

* Exporting positions, games and matches to: (.eps) Encapsulated
  Postscript, (.gam) Jellyfish Game, (.html) HTML, (.mat) Jellyfish Match, (.pdf)
  PDF, (.png) Portable Network Graphics, (.pos) Jellyfish Position, (.ps)
  PostScript, (.sgf) Gnu Backgammon File, (.tex) LaTeX, (.txt) Plain Text, (.txt)
  Snowie Text

* Import of matches and positions from a number of file formats: (.bkg)
  Hans Berliner's BKG Format, (.gam) GammonEmpire Game, (.gam) PartyGammon Game,
  (.mat) Jellyfish Match, (.pos) Jellyfish Position, (.sgf) Gnu Backgammon File,
  (.sgg) GamesGrid Save Game, (.tmg) TrueMoneyGames, (.txt) Snowie Text

* Python Scripting ability.

* Native language support; 13 languages complete or in progress:
  cs_CZ, da_DK, en_GB, en_US, fr_FR, de_DE, is_IS, it_IT, ja_JP, ro_RO, ru_RU,
  es_ES and tr_TR