History of the backgammon game / Backgammon Game

Main / Backgammon history

Backgammon game history

Ancient game board

Backgammon is one of the most ancient games which has been saved up to the present time. It is for sure known that the history of this table game counts approximately five thousand years. As for appearance of this game, there are many legends and discussions keeping on many years already. According one of them, Hindus who wanted to check Persians' witness sent them a set of chess hoping that it would be impossible for the latter to manage the rules of the game. Finally Persians not only managed chess easily but developed backgammon. They sent the game back and made Hindus be busy with its solving for 12 years. Also it is said that a specimen of the game which is considered to be backgammon's analogue was discovered in the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Thus, it could witness that this table game was played in royal families.

Playing Tric-Trac, 1653

Actually backgammon's homeland is still a riddle for historians. The game is considered to take its beginning in the East but there is no reliable sources proving this fact. But it is known that in each country the game had its own name and many of them were saved up to the present time. You must often have heard of tric-trac, backgammon, tablero and many others used by many peoples to denote namely backgammon. But the rules which we have nowadays were formed only in 1743.

Tournaments nowadays

Now backgammon is one of the most popular table games; there are fun clubs of this game all over the world and every year one organizes backgammon tournaments. Thousand players who would like to take part come regularly to these competitions where prizes can often reach several hundred thousand dollars.

Download backgammon

Interesting fact!

One of backgammon varieties is gypergammon. Here each of the opponents has 3 checkers placed on the points 22-24. The rest of the rules and aims are the same as for the ordinary backgammon.