Backgammon

The Game of Backgammon explained...

Backgammon, or a game much like it, has been played throughout the ages. Its origins are pre-Roman and it has long since been a favourite café pastime in the lands that border the Eastern Mediterranean where it is found in several forms. The game, known as Tables at the time, was popular in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries and has enjoyed bursts of popularity since.

In the Middle Ages, Backgammon became so popular in Europe that the authorities tried to suppress it. The Church call Backgammon a ‘dishonest game’, and in 1254, King Louis IX of France banned his subjects from playing.

Backgammon has much to commend it. It is simple, fast, skilful, and at the same time includes a fair element of chance so that even the beginner can sometimes beat the expert. Backgammon has always been a gambling game and is much played in gaming establishments all over the world, but this does not prevent it from being an excellent social game also, and because a game takes on average no more than 20 minutes, it can be played more casually than a time-demanding game such as Bridge or Chess.

The game has a number of variants some involving more than the traditional two players; some of these variants are known a Chouette, Acey-Deucy, Moultezim and Plakato.

Sets, much like in Mah Jong, are prized for their quality and style every bit as much as for the game itself. They are widely produced from a variety of materials ranging from the classy leather and wooden finished sets to the more modernistic metal sets. In all cases the playing area is striking with either its use of colour and/or being made of leather or a felt material. Nearly all sets fold into a carry case.