The Simplicity That Is Backgammon
This is a game that started almost five thousand years ago, yet people today still continue to enjoy it. The game and its materials do not look complicated, which makes it fascinating. Backgammon may have a long history, but its rule is very easy to understand.
The Egyptians have their historical experience as there were artifacts found in their ancient cities. Mesopotamians were believed to have played this game at around 3000 BC. Ancient Romans also used dice in their version of this game. In Persia, the game was introduced by a raja from India, who brought chess while a Persian made dice out of teak and ivory. In France, this has started to become a gambling game and because of that, the king decreed that his officers and subordinates be prohibited from playing. Backgammon is compared to chess in a sense that they are both board games that require strategy and technique.
The things you need in order to play are the materials and, of course, the players. For the materials, you will need a backgammon board, checkers, dice, dice cups and doubling cube. A backgammon board has 24 triangles with corresponding points, in alternating colors. It is divided into four quadrants, two outer boards, one home board and one opponent board. Every player will have his own home board and his own outer board which is beside their home board. The home and outer board is separated by a border called the bar, where checkers are placed after being hit.
You can only return your checker after your next roll. Being hit is to move one or more of your checkers to a point occupied by a blot of your opponent putting them on the bar. Blot is an exposed single checker on a point and, as a consequence, is subject to being hit by the opponent. I know it is getting complicated but read along and you won't get lost. Checkers are 30 round pegs, 15 of which are one color and the other 15 of another. Backgammon uses four dice, two for each player. This determines the move of each player's checkers. In case a player draws the same number in both dice, this entitles the player two more moves of the same number. Example, if your dice show two three's, you are entitled to make four moves of three. A checker may enter into a point with only one opponent checker, a strategy that forces the opponent checker to be hit. Dice cups are used to shake the dice. A doubling cube is a special kind of die where its faces are numbered as 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. It is used to determine the number of points that are up for grabs. The objective of this game is to put all of your checkers in your home board, then bear off all of your checkers. The first player who bears off all his checkers wins.
It's easy, right? Then go challenge someone into this exciting game!