When Was Backgammon Invented? A Historical Insight

Backgammon is a traditional board game that enjoys enduring popularity. Backgammon brings together a combination of strategy and luck to create an exciting game that has been played as a board game for centuries, and in more recent years, as an online game.

But you might be wondering how and where backgammon originated, who invented backgammon, and how it has evolved through the ages. Keep reading to learn all of this and much more as we share everything you need to know about backgammon.

The Origins of Backgammon

As backgammon is one of the oldest games in the world it is hard to precisely pinpoint its precise origins.

Backgammon is known as a table game. Table games using dice were first popular in ancient times and over the centuries evolved into the games that are familiar to us today, such as backgammon.

Throughout the centuries, backgammon has been adapted into many variations by different cultures across the world. From the game known as tabula, which was played by the Romans in the 2nd century to the Persian game of nard, which was played from the 3rd to the 6th century, right through to the modern game played today.

Who Invented Backgammon?

Establishing who invented backgammon is challenging, but it is believed to be as much as 5,000 years old. The roots of what we now know to be called backgammon can be traced back to the ancient region of Mesopotamia, now known as Iraq. Archaeologists discovered game boards closely resembling backgammon in this area, which are believed to date back to 3000 BCE.

While the game itself was invented thousands of years ago, the first recorded rules for backgammon were produced by Englishman Francis Willughby, who wrote academically on the subject of games. Willughby’s backgammon rules were produced in 1672. Updated rules were published just two years later in 1674 in the first edition of The Compleat Gamester authored by Charles Cotton.

Why the Name ‘Backgammon?’

If you’ve ever wondered why backgammon is called backgammon, we may have the answer. It’s believed that backgammon evolved from the Middle English words ‘baec’ meaning back and ‘gamen’ meaning game. The name choice was likely first inspired by the aim of backgammon, which is to move your pieces back home and off the board.

Another theory is that the name backgammon stems from the Welsh words for small battle, bach (small) and cammaun (battle).

Backgammon Through the Ages

The backgammon played today shares some similarities with the game played hundreds of years ago. However, there are some key differences between the game played in the past and the game referred to as ‘modern’ backgammon.

Until the 18th century, backgammon players would not use a bar on the board, and a doubling die was not used. The rules of play were also different. In the early version of backgammon, a player could win double if their opponent still had men on the home board or if their winning throw was a doublet. Winning triple aka a backgammon, was achieved if the player managed to bore off all of their men before their opponent managed to get any of their own men to the home board.

The above rules of backgammon remained in place until the early part of the 19th century. By 1850, the game was similar to that played today. The central bar was introduced to the board, and some of the rules of play changed. Winning double was now referred to as a ‘gammon’ and involved a player bearing off all their own men before their opponent has borne any. Winning triple, aka a backgammon, is achieved by the player managing to bore off all their men while their opponent still has men on the table.

The biggest change to the modern game of backgammon occurred in the 1920s. Gaming clubs in New York City introduced the doubling cube. The introduction of the doubling cube meant that as well as selecting the best move from their position, they also needed to estimate the possibility of achieving a win from that position.

In the 1990s, one of the biggest steps in backgammon’s evolution occurred. For the first time, backgammon became available to play on computers, and backgammon players from around the world could play each other without the need for a physical backgammon board.

The Global Journey of Backgammon

Backgammon has achieved a huge global reach in the thousands of years since it was first invented. Over the years, the game has evolved as it has moved from country to country. While it’s believed to have started in the Iraq area, backgammon is now played in most countries worldwide. Ancient Egyptians and Romans played backgammon, and the game later arrived in Wester Europe. By the 11th century, backgammon was a popular game in France, by the 13th century backgammon reached Iceland.

In some regions, backgammon is so culturally significant that it’s classed as the national game. Countries that have adopted backgammon as the national game include Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Turkey, and Cyprus.

Historical Bans on Backgammon

Just as in ancient times, backgammon is enjoyed by players across the world. But this innocent pastime has been banned many times throughout history. One of the first times the game was banned occurred in France in the 13th century. Louis XI decreed a ban on the game due to religious beliefs surrounding gambling. Religion was again the cause of backgammon being banned, this time in England during the 16th century. Cardinal Wolsey demanded that backgammon games be burned as well as banned due to its connection to gambling. However, these strict rules didn’t stop people playing backgammon. Instead, people simply became more creative. To work around the issue, English craftsmen came up with the ingenious solution of creating folding backgammon boards. When folded the boards were perfectly disguised as books, allowing people to continue to secretly enjoy playing backgammon despite the strict ban.

Thankfully, today, players don’t need to go to extreme lengths to hide their backgammon boards. In fact, they don’t need boards at all as the modern version of this ancient game can be played online whenever and wherever you want to play backgammon.

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