Backgammon’s History

The Oxford English Dictionary indicates that the earliest record of the English term ‘backgammon' dates back to the 1650s and probably stems from the word back along with the Middle English expression gamen, meaning game or play.

Backgammon's early years
Backgammon evolved from a version of a game which was originally played around 5000 years ago in the city of Ur, Mesopotamia. This area once encompassed parts of modern day Syria, Turkey, Iraq, & Iran. Ur is also believed to be the dwelling of the biblical patriarch Abraham. Between 2900 & 1800 BCE, early civilizations like the Sumerians occupied these lands. The Sumerians are credited for numerous exceptional scientific & cultural accomplishments like the invention of the wheel.

From 1922 to 1934, British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley oversaw a number of expeditions. One journey in particular led to the unearthing of many treasures including the royal tombs located in Ur. Among the many revelations, perhaps the most significant was exposing the Sumerian culture at its height. Of the historic treasures dug up, one reference was made to "an in-laid gaming board." Four gaming boards were retrieved from the tombs and are presently believed to be the oldest backgammon boards in the world.

Another version of backgammon goes back over 1,600 years. The Persians called it ‘Takh-tah Nard,' or ‘Battle on Wood' & was introduced to Europe by the Arabs. The board was made up of 24 points, 30 checkers, plus 2 die. Ancient Egyptians played a form of backgammon called the 'Game of Thirty Squares' and the Romans enjoyed a game called as Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum (Game of 12 Lines), and later called it Tabula, which refers to a table and/or flat board.

Back gaming?
As long as the game of backgammon has been around, it's been enjoyed by all social classes; from monarchs to peasants. The term ‘backgammon' achieved recognition around the mid 1600's when the Saxons coined the pastime ‘back' & ‘gamen.' This is believed to refer to when a checker is ‘hit' - meaning it is removed - for the time being - from the game. In order to win, both players must re-enter all their hit checker(s) ‘back' into the ‘game.'

In 1745, the famous English games writer, Edmond Hoyle, codified backgammon's rules and proposed a strategy which has been in practice now for more than two hundred years.

BACKgammon to the future
From the late 1960's to the early 1970's, backgammon underwent a fantastic surge in popularity. Even as we speak the history of this ancient game is transforming yet again as more and more online casino websites are incorporating backgammon into their gaming repertoires.