History of Backgammon

Early forms of backgammon have been traced to ancient Egypt, ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Iran. Historians believe that the game was played in Iran as far back as 3000 BC. There is hardly any civilization that has not played backgammon. The ancient Romans called it The Game of Twelve Lines and the Byzantines called it Tabula. The game was played all over Europe in the thirteenth century. Backgammon was banned by Queen Elizabeth in the sixteenth century but was again played in the eighteenth century. The earliest recorded use of the word “backgammon” to describe the game is from 1650. The first book on backgammon was published by Hoyle in 1743. The latest innovation in backgammon was the introduction of the doubling cube in 1926 in New York. This increased the options available to players and shifted the focus of the game from luck to strategy.

Backgammon is a board game for two players. The pieces are initially set up in a prescribed manner. They are then moved as governed by the rules according to the roll of dice. The objective of the game is to be the first to remove one’s own pieces from the board. Backgammon has an element of luck, which stems from the randomness of the numbers generated from the dice specifying the number of spaces the player has to move. But beyond that the game is all strategy. How to split the moves between pieces; whether to move one’s pieces ahead or to block the opponent’s pieces; and when to raise the stakes by using the doubling cube are some of the strategic manoeuvres involved.

At one time backgammon was a leisure game for royalty and nobility who had plenty of time and nothing to do. However today backgammon has various facets. It is a social and competitive game and even a gambling game. Backgammon clubs abound and the game is even played in cafes and bars. The fierce dissections of the moves and strategies often generate more enthusiasm than the game itself. Backgammon tournaments are also organized. These start with local tournaments and move on to regional, national and international tournaments. The backgammon tournaments are extremely competitive because huge prize monies are involved. The World Backgammon Championship in Monte Carlo is considered the top international tournament. It draws thousands of players and spectators. The other tournaments of note are held in St. Tropez, Rio de Janeiro, Dallas and Venice. The largest prize money offered to date has been one million dollars in the tournament held in the Bahamas in January 2007.

The advent of high power computing and Internet communication has changed the face of backgammon. Successful backgammon play involves the evaluation of many options. These analyses have been done on the computer and optimal strategies formed. backgammon software enables the computer to play against humans. The best of the software compete on equal footing with the best-ranked players. The Internet has brought online backgammon into every home. Now there is no need to set up the table. Everything is ready at the click of a mouse.

Chester Houndswell