Tracing backgammon variations around the world
Tracing backgammon back to its roots is a difficult job as there are no certain answers. It is thought that the first backgammon games were played in Mesopotamia several thousand years back. Since then, backgammon variations have been found throughout the world and throughout the eras. It is interesting to know a little bit about these backgammon-like games that were played.
One of the most recommended sources of backgammon variations and its history around the world can be found in a book called “History of Board Games Other than Chess” which was published in 1952 and was written by H.J.R Murray. This book is a solid source of information and will enlighten the reader about the movements of backgammon throughout the world.
One of the backgammon variations that is known about is called “todas”. This was played in Spain in the sixteenth century although it doesn’t completely represent the modern backgammon of today. Players were not able to play a double twice and the whole concept of gammon did not exist at all. In fact, the first time that gammons and playing doubles is seen in backgammon history in Spain is in the seventeenth century.
One of the older confirmed versions of backgammon is a game called “nard”. This more closely represents the modern backgammon that we know today and was played in Persia from about 450 C.E. A game called “nardy” is also played in Russia and very possibly stems from the original nard. Nard however, has no cubes, no doubles (as we know them today) and no gammons.
The general word for backgammon was tables in English. This word also exists in Spanish as tablas, in French as tables, in Italian as tavole and as tabulae in Latin. Thus it can be seen that there are more than a few backgammon variations that exist.
|
