Backgammon is a game that originated in Mesopotamia, what is now called Iraq. It is a board game for two players, and since it was created, it has spread all across the world. Backgammon is not only a great way to spend time with friends and family; it is also a great way to practice math and strategy.
Many famous people have played backgammon for thousands of years. While it originated in Mesopotamia, it was also played by Greeks, who called the game tabula, meaning table. The Greek emperor Zeno is described in an epigram as playing the game. Several Roman emperors are also recorded as loving the game. Backgammon also spread to Egypt as senet. The game was even played in China and came to Europe in the 16th century through Britain. Even Shakespeare mentioned the game in his play Love’s Labour’s Lost. It then came to the United States in the 1920s, and many people all over the world still play today.
How To Play
• First you need two people, a backgammon board, two dice and 30 checkers, 15 red and 15 white.
• The board is made of black and sometimes black and red triangles called points.
• The first step is to roll the dice to see who goes first.
• To set up the board, both players put five pieces on point one, two on point 12, three on point 17, and five on point 19.
• The first player then rolls both the dice.
• You can move either one or two pieces a turn. If you move two pieces, they each move the number points on one of the dice. If you move one piece, it moves the sum of the numbers on the dice.
• You can’t move your piece if an opponent’s pieces are already on there, unless there is only one piece.
• If you land on a point with only one opponent’s pieces on it, is called a blot, and their piece is moved to the bar, and they must move those to the other player’s home next turn.
• The goal is to move all of your checkers to your home board and then roll the dice. If you roll a three, then remove one piece from point 3 and so on.
