A Concise History Lesson Before You Play Backgammon

By Author: MareyMedlock
Total Articles: 5
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Millions all over the world play backgammon, checkers, and chess, among other board games. Out of that number, however, only a few are aware of the history of the games they play. Ask a person how to play backgammon and he'll explain it to you easily. Ask them how and why the game got played like that, and you'll quite possibly get a blank reply.

Board games have been a part of societies and cultures throughout history and pre-history. Studies have shown that board games even pre-date literacy in some ancient cultures. This only proves how dated the activity is. According to historians, most early civilization board games were put together in Egypt and the Mesopotamian region of the Middle East. A lot of the board games still in existence today had their beginnings in that part of the world, including the popular game of backgammon.

Backgammon's history extends back almost 5,000 years. Archaeological excavations in Iran have produced artifacts exhibiting pieces similar to the ones in use today. In addition, related games have been played in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

How to Play Backgammon

The ...
... game play of backgammon varies based on the culture that plays. Due to the fact it's so old, every culture it's part of has contributed different aspects. Backgammon as it's played in the Western world is a lot like the game play used during the Renaissance and Medieval Europe.

Backgammon is the head of a type of board games called table games. These games are played on a board with 12 vertical markings called points. The movement of pieces is dependent upon the rolling of dice. The object of the game is to get one's pieces to the other end of the track. As this is so, backgammon is classified as a race game. Additionally, it is a multiplex form of racing game since it contains strategy while having an element of luck.

To start out the game, each player rolls one die, and the player with the higher number moves first. The number rolled also determines the player's first move. In case a similar number is drawn, players have options based on the variation of the game they're playing. From this point on, players roll the dice to find out the movement of their checkers, and pieces move in a counterclockwise direction. A player's main objective is to get his or her checkers back onto his or her home board. When all 15 checkers are back, the player can begin "bearing off" the pieces.

How to play backgammon would depend mostly on the version being played. The game play might be overwhelming and tricky initially, but it gets easier and begins making sense as a player goes along. Today, people can play backgammon using an actual board game, or they can play online. People that would like to try learning more about the game and its intricacies can simply go online.

Marey Medlock is a games enthusiast who's play backgammon and several other games. For additional information regarding how to play that game, along with other similar ones, learn about how to play backgammon.