Learn about Its History before You Play Backgammon   by Marey Medlock

in Hobbies / Games    (submitted 2011-12-04)

Millions throughout the world play backgammon, checkers, and chess, among other board games. Out of that number, however, only a few are aware of the history of the games they play. Ask a player how to play backgammon and he'll explain it for you easily. Ask them why and how the game wound up played that way, and you'll most likely get a blank response.

Board games have been part of societies and cultures throughout history and pre-history. Studies show that board games even pre-date literacy in some ancient cultures. This only proves how dated the activity is. According to historians, most early civilization board games were found in Egypt and the Mesopotamian region of the Middle East. A few of the board games still offered today had their beginnings in that area of the world, such as the popular game of backgammon.

Backgammon's history goes back almost 5,000 years. Archaeological excavations in Iran have found artifacts showing pieces similar to the ones in use today. Furthermore, comparable games have been enjoyed in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

How to Play Backgammon

The game play of backgammon varies according to the culture that plays. Because it's so old, every culture it's part of has brought different aspects. Backgammon as it's played in the West resembles the game play used in the Renaissance and Medieval Europe.

Backgammon is the head of a group of board games called table games. These games are played on a board with 12 vertical markings called points. The movement of pieces depends on the rolling of dice. The object of the game is to get one's pieces to the other end of the track. Since this is so, backgammon is categorized as a race game. Furthermore, it is a multiplex type of racing game since it incorporates strategy while keeping an element of luck.

To begin the game, each player rolls one die, and the player with the higher number moves first. The number rolled also determines the player's first move. In case a similar number gets drawn, players have options according to the version of the game they're playing. From here on, players roll the dice to determine the movement of their checkers, and pieces move in a counterclockwise direction. A player's main objective is to get his or her checkers back onto his or her home board. Once all 15 checkers have returned, the player could begin "bearing off" the pieces.

How to play backgammon would depend mostly on the variant being played. The game play might be mind-boggling and difficult at first, but it gets easier and starts making sense as a participant goes along. Today, people can enjoy backgammon using an actual board game, or they can play online. People who would like to try being familiar with the game and its complexities can just go online.

About the Author

Marey Medlock is a games aficionado who's play backgammon and several other games. For more details on how to play that game, and other similar ones, learn about how to play backgammon.