backgammon
Most everyone loves the game of backgammon but have you ever wondered about the
origin of backgammon? It goes back a very long way, over 5000 years ago. It is believed
to be the oldest recorded game in the world and is believed to have started in ancient
Mesopotamia, which is present day Iraq. The name backgammon in English is derived
from the word “back” plus the Middle English word “gamen” which means game.
Backgammon was played by the ancient Romans, but was called Tabula and was slightly
different than the backgammon we know today. Tabula means “table” or “board” since
the game was played on a special board. This game has some resemblance to the
Egyptian game Senet, which dates back to 3000 BC.
The game of Tabula was very similar to today’s backgammon and players used the same
kind of board with 15 pieces allotted to each player. The object of the game was the same
as it is today where the players had to get all their pieces removed from the board in order
to win the game. The first one to do this was the winner. In ancient times there was a
little difference in that no pieces were allowed on the board at the start of a game, but had
to be entered by rolling the dice. Back then three dice were used instead of two. The rest
of the game was played out the same as we play today. After they entered the board they
played their pieces around in the same direction as we do now.