A short history of backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest games in existence. Recently it has become very popular as a sport, science and art. The gambling element attracts those that want to feel the thrill of playing and knowledge, experience and skill make for a real master. It is believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, Sumer or Mesopotamia (modern Iran, Iraq and Syria). The latest finds suggest that the game comes from the eastern parts of modern Iran, close to Afghanistan. "Tabula" was a game mentioned in an epigram of Byzantine Emperor Zeno (AD 476–481). It is remarkably similar to today's Backgammon. Players had 15 checkers each and the goal was to bear off one's checkers before the other player. It differed from modern rules in that there were no checkers on the board at the start of the game. They had to be put into play by throwing the dice. Another difference was that it was played using three dice instead of just two. The word Backgammon appeared around the 17th century. In 1743 the English author Edmond Hoyle modified the game and created what are the modern rules of backgammon except for the doubling cube which was introduced in the 1920s in New York City among members of gaming clubs in the Lower East Side. The cube requires players to constantly evaluate their chance of winning, thus making backgammon a value driven game where good strategy is essential.