Kathy Decker, age 13, of Concord, N.H., for her question!
HOW OLD IS BACKGAMMON?
Backgammon is the oldest game in recorded history. Tt is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia in ancient times. Excavated relies and literary references also indicate the game's popularity among the ancient aristocrats of Greece, Rome. Persia and the rar East.
The ancient Romans called the game tabula, probably with reference to the board on which the game is played. When the Romans Invaded Britain, tabula went with them.
Tables, the English form of the ancient Roman name, was played throughout the Middle Ages. Elsewhere also, various forms of the game entranced the leisure classes. In Ttaly backgammon was railed "tavola reale" and in Spain it was "tablas reales," both meaning "royal tables)." In France the game was called "trictrac," presumably an imitation of the sound of rattling dice.
By the early 17 century in England the game had been refined into an approximation of today'a game, except for doubling, a modification that was added in 1925.
The name "backgammon" was coined about 1645. The word came from combining the Middle English words "bac" (back) and "gammen" (game) and referring to the re entry of counters onto the table.
Backgammon remained a popular aristocratic pastime and about 1743 the English writer on games, Edmond Hoyle, codified the rules of play. These rules were modified in 1931 in the United States.
Since the 1960s, backgammon haR enjoyed widespread and increasing popularity because of its combination of strategy and chance.
Backgammon is generally played by two people. Alternate rules allow any number but only two people actually roil. the dice and move the counters, but they may have partners for consultation and advice.
The counters in backgammon, black and white or two other contrasting colors, are also called stones or men. They are set out on a board divided into halves, called the inner and outer tables, by a partition or bar.
The tables are marked by 12 elongated triangles called points.
The object of play is to be the first to move ail 15 stones from point to point into one's own inner table and then to continue moving or bearing them off the board.
The winner scores a single if his or her opponent has borne off at least one stone.
A gammon is won, that is the winner's count is doubled, if the opponent has not removed any stone from the board.
If the opponent has any stone left on the winner's inner table or on the bar, a backgammon, or triple game, is scored.
The stones are move! the exact number of points indicated by the number on two dice thrown from a dice cup. When doubles are thrown, four plays of the number on the dice are required.