Backgammon in Ancient Times

The earliest ancestor of backgammon game is Senet. It was used to be played in Egypt around 3500 BC on a special board consisting of 30 squares. Though the rules of the game are still unknown, it is believed that like modern days backgammon, Senet was also used to be played with dice.

Another evident to the origins of backgammon was found in Royal Tombs of UR that dates back to 2700 BC. It is believed that similar to backgammon, The Royal Game of Ur was played by two players whose aim was to clear the board off the game pieces prior to their opponents. Archeological evidence also shows that versions of backgammon existed in Ancient Rome.

Modern Backgammon

Jeux de Tables, a game of tables was a popular gambling game in the 11th France and was later regarded as the father of modern backgammon. By the 17th century, the game spread around to Germany, Sweden, Iceland and England.

The name Backgammon was known around the mid 17th c entury when the Saxons called it the "bac" (back) "gamen" (game) as the checkers when hit go "back" and have to re-enter the "game".

The first book on rules of backgammon appeared at the end of the 13th century at the Libro de los Juegos, a manuscript by Alfonso X. At the end of the 18 century, Edmund Hoyle published a short book focusing entirely on backgammon.

Backgammon in the 20th Century

Before the introduction of the doubling cube, backgammon was played mostly in private clubs. The doubling cube made the game more exciting and the game thus gained wide popularity in the early 20th America.

Backgammon in the 1970s

Backgammon popularity reached its peak at the 1970s, after the first World Backgammon Championship was inaugurated. Backgammon books were widely distributed and top backgammon players were millionaires.

Online Backgammon

Today, the history of backgammon is taking another turn. With the invention of the computer and the Internet, people from all over the world can play the game from the comfort of their homes on a number of backgammon servers. Thus online backgammon has gained worldwide popularity today.