Evolution of Backgammon

There is an Egyptian game which is similar to Backgammon called senet which also uses a dice. However, in Mesopotamia another table game the Royal game of Ur resembles that of a modern backgammon. Some artifacts like checkers and two dice were excavated in Iran and dated more ancient than the artifacts dug in Ur. The game may have existed around 3000 years.

A similar game was played in Rome during the early century. Ludus duodecim scriptorium, also uses a dice for play movement, it consist of board and some checkers. Also Tabula or "board" was mention during the reign of Benzantine Emperor of Zeno three dice were used to move the checkers on a 24 point board.

During the 11th century, Burzoe in a meeting with a Raja from India demonstrates a local game called nard to his guest. The Raja from India then introduces chess to the ruler. To this day, nard which is still played in Persia is the local version of backgammon.

Another ancient version of backgammon called jeux de tables was first introduced in France. Soon many people played the game and became popular even to gamblers. A decree was issued by King Louis IX in 1254 banning court officials from playing the game. Another similar game develops in Germany and reached Iceland in the 13 century. A manuscript in 1283, the Alfonso X stated rules about some number games and a dice game. The game reached Sweden in the 17th century as evidences were recovered from Vasa a commercial ship were boards and checkers were found. Some German paintings depict.

In English, backgammon comes from two words "back" and the Middle English "gamen", meaning "play". But in the 17th century church and Elizabethan laws prohibited the games being played. But by the 18th century backgammon flourished and more church authorities played the game. The earliest documented use of this game was in 1850 as found in the Oxford English Dictionary. In 1743, the game's strategy and rules was first published by Edmund Hoyle.

In 1920, the game took another development when a doubling cube was added. It was first introduced in New York to game club members in the Lower East Side.. The use of cube thus gave players the leeway to make the best move for any position and mathematically estimates a winning chance in a given position. Additional play changes improved the quality of the game thus we have today's brand of backgammon.