Go to www.greedygammon.com for my latest bg game (not FIBS client)

• 3DFiBs has been rebranded as FIBzilla

  FiBzilla is the program formerly known as "3DFiBs" It is a free backgammon software that connects to www.fibs.com for online games and uses a gnubg component for playing offline.

• Greedygammon is the latest version of backgammon software from the makers of FiBzilla and 3DFibs. The old FIBS clients fibzilla and 3dfibs still work but are no longer updated or supported (can't help with any issues as I no longer have the code for those versions). For the latest updates and announcements to GreedyGammon please visit the GreedyGammon forum section  Greedygammon versions 3.0.6x now offer a peer to peer connection so you can play with your friends without relying on a central server. Click here to find out more about GreedyGammon

   Play Backgammon Online
  For online games with real people, FiBzilla connects to FIBS (first internet backgammon server) FIBS is a free non commercial service founded in the early 1990s and is supported entirely by donations and volunteers. Many of the clients that connect to the FIB server are also mostly free programs written by fibsters. FiBzilla is one of these programs. It is not directly affiliated to FIBS. It simply connects to the server and presents the functionality in an easy to use graphical format. The original FIBS games were played on DOS with scrolling X|O representations of the board and moves were typed in as numbers (sounds like a nightmare but the brave pioneers of internet backgammon forged the way)  Today, fibsters enjoy a wide variety of graphical interface clients to select from.  FIBS home page www.fibs.com has a list of clients, information on the server, server commands and even developer resources for those interested in coding their own client. For general FIBS discussions, information on the other clients, bots and such, visit www.fibsboard.com
  

  Play off-line against the computer

  The off-line player uses a component from GnuBG, made VB compatible for use with FiBzilla by Mike Rudman(thanks Mike!!) GnuBG is an open source and free neural net backgammon engine that plays at a world class level. Backgammon neural net programs use cutting edge artificial intelligence technology to play the game of backgammon at a world class level that exceeds the best play of most humans. Computer players (bots) using this NN technique can also be found playing on FIBS where they hold the top rated positions which is a testament to their skill since they are not in any way affiliated with the FIBS server. The FiBzilla player can save games in JF.mat format and give simple hints for best play. For further analysis, download the main GnuBG program which is a full featured player and analyzer.
  

  Does it cheat?

  A frequent complaint from some, new to NN (neural net) backgammon programs is "the program cheats". No, it does not cheat. If you are not convinced of this, try one of the NN programs (gnubg, jellyfish) that offer a "manual dice" feature. You will find that they win just as well you roll the dice or not. The perception that a skilled opponent is always incredibly lucky is a due to a combination of human nature..we remember our bad luck and forget the good rolls, and an ignorance of the subtle methods that experienced players use to maximize their chances. When you play against a world class opponent, you will lose often but it is excellent practice and you will pick up on many nuances of the game especially on the cube action where the bots really shine. The matter of backgammon programs cheating is an old and tired subject discussed extensively on backgammon forums like rec.games.backgammon Search that forum with keywords like "gnubg cheats" or "jellyfish cheats" and you can find and explore these arguments and make up your own mind.
  
  If you find playing against gnubg to be too frustrating, you can still use it to improve your game by utilizing only the analyzer features to point out errors and measure your luck factor on games played elsewhere. The main GnuBG program from www.gnubg.org is a free full featured backgammon player and analyzer and it's free.