Culture | Well played

How maths can help you win your favourite games

A global history of gaming is educational and filled with practical tips

Young men of the Samburu tribe play Mancala.
Image: Alamy

WHICH ARE the best properties to buy when playing Monopoly, and how many houses should you build on them? Which continent should you aim to take over first in Risk? And what is the best strategy when using the doubling cube in backgammon? These are some of the questions considered and answered by Marcus du Sautoy, a British mathematician and Oxford professor, in his sprightly, light-hearted history of games and gaming.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Well played, sir”

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