Backgammon

When you think of “the granddaddy of all board games,” you probably think of something like Monopoly. Or maybe Scrabble. After all, both are considered classics that are still wildly popular, and both trace their origins back to the 19th century.

To Backgammon fans, though, that is nothing. Here, we have a board game that is nearly as old as civilization itself–and what’s more, it is that rarest of games, one which people have turned into a popular casino game. Let’s take a brief look at Backgammon’s colorful history.

The game that would evolve into Backgammon began in Mesopotamia during the time of the ancient Persian empire. At that time, it was known as Gammon. Its simple rules and exciting game play caused Gammon to spread quickly to surrounding countries. Even as, the Persian empire gave way to the Greek empire, which fell to the Romans, Gammon survived–and continued to spread. Eventually, it made its way to Europe, and then traders took it from there and from the Middle East into the Far East.

Originally, the Gammon / Backgammon board was made of wood, with markers made of stone. The dice were made of various materials: some wood, some stone, and some bones or pottery (if you were wealthy enough). Those early boards were divided into three by six, three by ten, and three by twelve squares.

Around the First Century A.D., a 2 X 12 board appeared in Europe which looked much closer to our own modern-day Backgammon board. At this time, the game was known as Tabula or Tavola or Tavli, all of which mean “Tables.” The game soon arrived in the British isles under the name Tabula. By the 500s, though, a new name, “Alea,” started being used, which means, “gambling with dice.” At this same time, players began using two rather than three dice.

The name “Backgammon” came into wide use during the 1600s, and is a merging of two terms: “baec” (back) plus “gamen” (game). Shortly afterward, the rules were officially codified in 1743 by Edmond Hoyle, under (believe it or not) the “Treatise on Backgammon.”

This brings us to modern times: When Backgammon came to the United States, the rules were altered again to the form that most people play today. Backgammon’s modern era is considered to have started with the introduction of the doubling cube in the 1920s. Then in the 1960s, tournaments began springing up around the world.

Today, although not as well-known as card games or slot machines, Backgammon is frequently seen at casinos, and is even more popular a online.  And the worldwide tournaments have led to more local tournaments–even Backgammon clubs, some of which play for money, and many of which play for fun.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to try the game out for yourself, many of the online backgammon sites allow you to test the waters for free before you take the full plunge into playing for money.  But beware: Millions of people across of hundreds of generations of time will testify to the fact that Backgammon is addicting. You have been warned.