Backgammon

Brief History

Backgammon is an ancient game with a long history all over the world. It is believed to have originated in Mesopotamia and the Persian empire or present-day Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is the oldest known recorded board game. Backgammon was typically played on surfaces such as wood, using stones as markers, and dice made from bones, stones, wood, or pottery and it can be traced back thousands of years to board games played by the Egyptians, Sumerians, Romans, and Persians. The game has been associated with the leaders and aristocracy of these ancient civilizations as shown by excavated relics and literary references from Persia, Greece, Rome, and the Far East.
The emperor Claudius was a keen player—he had a special board built on the back of his chariot to relieve the tedium of long journeys. Emperor Nero was a prodigious gambler. He played for today’s equivalent of $10,000 a game. History does not record what happened to his opponents if they lost!

The Backgammon is a game that reflects what Life can be all about: Time, Strategy and Luck:

  1. Time: Each board holds a track of 12 long triangles that can be associated with the 12 months of a Year and combined the two boards will hold 24 long triangles which is the number of hours in a day. The white and black checkers represents the day and night with a total of 30 pieces which is the number of days in a month. As for the dice, the sum of opposite sides will always be equal to 7 that is the number of days per week. Time therefore is omnipresent in this game.
  2. Strategy: It requires intelligence, concentration and daring to beat its opponent.
  3. Luck: Rolling the dice will determine your chance of winning.

Benefits of Backgammon

Backgammon is a social game intended to be played with other people, the perfect excuse to meet new interesting and like-minded persons: it is all about conviviality and socializing.

The game helps improve cognitive skills as it requires critical thinking to play it properly and become better at it. It increases your ability to think, assess, plan and attack. It is a game that requires all your focus and attention and helps you to take a break from daily constraints; According to some studies backgammon helps reduce the stress while potentially strengthening the immune system. 

Today with the World Wide Web many tournaments and applications offer free online access enabling real-time, multi-player backgammon games between opponents of opposite sides of the globe.

Most cities around the world have local backgammon clubs where you can go and play this game with other enthusiasts. A nice way to create bonds and bring people together

Nothing however beats the feel and sound of the checkers and dice being played on an elegant, elaborately made, wood board among friends sitting together.

Ready for a Game !

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