Backgammon History
Few folks realize it, but Backgammon is steeped in history. And even that is an understatement, because this game purportedly goes back some 5,000 years. Backgammon is part and parcel of a family of games belonging to the board games category. There is evidence that these types of games have been around for eons. The regions where they have been most evident include parts of Asia and ancient Egypt. When certain parts of Asia are considered however, it is clear that Backgammon was a really popular game at the time but had subsequently been replaced by a game called Xiangqi. And even the Indians have dabbled in Backgammon-style gaming
Backgammon as we know it bears a striking resemblance to the games of old, with game playing objects including dice and checkers. In fact, in the ancient Iranian city of Shahr-e Sokhteh various relics have been found, much to the satisfaction of archeologists and gaming aficionados. Certainly one of the most interesting locales where Backgammon had an audience was in ancient Rome. The game that was played by the Romans was called ‘Game of twelve lines.’ This game was comprised of a board and three rows. In all cases of these and similar games, the object remains to move as many checkers off the board as possible.
Backgammon makes its way to Europe and beyond
It was not until the 11th century that records reflected Backgammon-style games being found in Europe. It was however the French who were first to gamble with this game. It was translated into ‘Games of Tables’ from the French name, ‘Jeux de Tables’ and by 1254 King Louis IX had banned his officials from playing the game. Backgammon’s march throughout Europe was swift indeed. It spread through Germany, Iceland, Sweden, Spain eventually arriving in England in the 16th century. It was not however until the 18th century that Backgammon was an openly played game by the Englishmen of the cloth. The name as we know it today evolved from Middle English in the mid 16th century.
Backgammon makes it trans-Atlantic journey to the United States of America
The roaring 20s were a great time indeed for Backgammon. The Americans brought with them various inventions and innovations and Backgammon garnered tremendous popularity as a game of strategy and wit. Players were required to develop ways and means of estimating probabilities of winning from various positions. The 60s saw another man – Prince Alexis Obolensky set the cock-a-hoop with the World Backgammon Club of Manhattan. This development proved telling and within the space of a few years, there were a slew of Backgammon-crazed fans nationwide. From college campuses to households, casinos and parties – this truly was the birth of big-money Backgammon. Indeed the Backgammon World Championships were scheduled to take place in Las Vegas in 1967.