I don't have access to the code, but this is based on my experience with assassins.

Here it is: does DUAL WIELD skill affect number of possible attacks for barehand fighting with both hands free (HAND TO HAND)?

No. For assassins, the dual wield skill only affects your ability to hit / do damage when you've got a weapon in each hand.

For assassins in particular? For masters in UNARMED DEFENSE in particular?

Unarmed defense affects how well you parry people attacking you with weapons when you're unarmed (i.e., no weapons in hand). It will have some small impact on your attacks when fighting someone who isn't as skilled at hand to hand combat as you are. Dual wield doesn't enter into this equation.

Does DUAL WIELD skill affect number of BACKFIST attacks when both hands are free?

No. Backfist is separate. And highly mysterious.

These questions were derived by my vain attempt to clearify possible offensive tactics of an assassin combat. I used newbie channel to ask: "If having both hands free makes me, an assassin, more offensive?".

Depending on the situation, yes. Will you be more offensive if you have both hands free than if you have one hand free and a shield in the other? Yes. Will you be more offensive if you have have both hands free than if you are dual wielding swords? Probably not, though you'll be more effective at backfist. At times this is good, at other times, probably not so much.

Underlying reason for unarmed defense for assassins is to give them a slight edge (or at least not as much of a handicap) when they are disarmed, when they choose to assassinate bare-handed (which, rumor has it, is more effective against certain foes) or when they choose to utilize other skills that require them to have an empty hand (tigerclaw, for example).

I did not try to acknowledge just what is generally better. I just need to know if I am going to inflict more damage having both hands free. There were no clear answers. Help on UNARMED DEFENSE says I get some effect vs unskilled foes...that is too foggy. What abount DUAL WIELD?

Think about it this way: when fighting an opponent, you generally want to utilize a weapon that they are vulnerable to. This might mean a weapon they have no knowledge of (a polearm vs. a thief, for example), a weapon that has a material that inflicts more harm (iron vs. elf) or a weapon that has an attack type that inflicts more harm (drowning attack vs. dwarf). If you are fighting a human necromancer, would you want to use swords or daggers (weapons they are familiar with), or use hand to hand (something most mages rarely get up above 80%)? Not saying there's a right answer to that question, because it will vary with situation, but with your unarmed defense and your hand to hand skills, you at least have a good chance of using either option and seeing which works best for you.

P.S. I have spent hours asking these questions on newbie channel. Many attempts to answer, no answers. Even an immortal submitted that this is a question for consideration. Hereby I ask you to answer only if you really got something to say.

Probably an easier question to answer via this method. And Imms don't always know the answers to all the questions asked on the newbie channel (I might even have gotten the above wrong - see my first sentence), but I'm sure I didn't steer you very far in the wrong direction.

Kastellyn the Devourer of Magic, Lord of Legends