Origin of Backgammon

The fast-paced game of Backgammon not only has a long history, but has been played around the world by many different cultures throughout the centuries. The game we know today is nearly the same as it was long ago, though the rules were not totally systematically arranged until the 18th Century when Edmond Hoyle wrote a brief article on the subject.

History

Believed to be the oldest recorded game in the world, backgammon has been traced back over 5,000 years. It is believed the game was started in Mesopotamia, which is now the country of Iraq. Though it has been called a variety of names depending on the country it has been played in, the name backgammon comes from the word "back" and a Middle English word called "gamen" meaning game. This name appeared in England during the year 1635 and the game board became the one we have today.
The players were allotted 15 pieces each to play with and the object of the game was the same as present-day backgammon where in order to win, a player must remove all his pieces from the game board before anyone else.

During ancient times, three dice were used instead of two and no pieces were allowed on the board until the roll of the dice allowed the pieces to enter the game. Otherwise, the game remained the same as it is now.

Types

In France during the Middle Ages the game was known as toutes tables. In Spain it was called todas tablas, and during the Renaissance period, the game played in England was known as Irish. Ancient Romans played backgammon, though they called it tabula. The game was slightly different than what we know as backgammon, but it was played on the same type of board and has many similarities. Boards, or "tables" as they were known in ancient times, were typically made of wood, and the markers were stones. The dice were often made from stones, wood or pottery, but bones were also used.

Potential

Backgammon is played in casinos around the world and can even be played online anytime, day or night. There are commercial backgammon Internet servers available to play on and the game is considered by expert players as a game of action.

Geography

While the game has been traced back throughout the ages, there have been excavation finds in Iran dating the game to 3000 B.C. Artifacts such as sets that include two die and 60 pieces confirm the belief that the game pieces are among the oldest historical sets found to date.

Expert Insight

Experts in backgammon, Kit Woolsey and Hal Heinrich, have co-authored the book "New Ideas in Backgammon," for which they gathered over 100 problems to provide players instructive lessons on becoming better at backgammon. Providing a theoretical framework behind plays, the authors have called upon their experience to assist beginners and experienced backgammon enthusiasts in the game.