Online Backgammon: A Retrospective

Nowadays everyone can easily come up with Online Backgammon, all it takes for you is to select the most convenient website to play at and then you can enjoy freely its excitement. This looks so easy and convenient: you just access the website and start playing Backgammon! The word of ‘Backgammon’ comes from either the Welsh: ‘bac’ which means little and ‘gammon’ – this is for battle; or from the Saxon: ‘baec’ (back) and ‘gamen’ (game). Catching a glimpse of its history, things were different centuries ago. Not everyone was allowed to play Backgammon, only the higher society, including the aristocracy had the chance to experience the great entertaining feature of Backgammon. At that time it was played on wood surfaces, players used stones for checkers and dice were made of bones or wood. Besides, this board game has also suffered slight changes until people came up with an online version of it. As for its history, archaeologists have found in ancient Egypt a game board which was consisting of 3x10 squares. This game was known as "The Game of Thirty Squares" or "Senat" ("Senet"). The specific rules of this cannot be revealed. After some time there were found some other variations of Backgammon, like boards formed of 3x12 squares or of 3x6 squares.

One of the most distinguished variants is the Roman Backgammon game, which has a significant structure and is said to be derived from the game of ‘Senat’.

Evidence was found of this so called "Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum" which means "The Game of 12 Lines" which originates from around 600AD. This board was made of leather, having 15 checkers made of ivory and 15 of ebony.

Later on, in the 1^st Century AD, this game of 12 lines which originally had 3x12 squares, was changed into 2x12 lines and became more similar to the Backgammon version of today.

By this time this board game was also called as "Tabula".

With the passing of time, it became more and more popular in different parts of the World, having separate definitions:

• in England it was called "Backgammon"
• in Scotland "Gammon"
• in France "Tric-Trac"
• in Germany "Puff"
• in Spain "Tablas Reales"
• in Italy "Tavole Reale"
• in Czech "Vrhcáby"
• in Israel and Arabic "Shesh Besh"

We have just presented you a brief history of Backgammon. Of course, this game’s rules and structure has suffered some changes as it has dispersed around the World until it reached to a variant that is accessible today on the internet, which is called now Online Backgammon. Due to development of technology, we are given the opportunity to have a great time while playing one of the oldest board games online. There have been introduced and analyzed several gaming strategies in order to improve winning odds and beneficial outcomes.

Playing Online Backgammon is simple. You only need to pay attention when choosing the particular website where to play at; you are required to check its trustworthiness and honesty so that you cannot be tricked. In addition, you are free to play as much as you desire. Of course, not to mention the fact that you have to know at least the basic rules of it, otherwise you cannot enjoy an advantageous outcome. But, in case you do not possess the right knowledge, there is nothing to worry about; you have the possibility to find out whatever you want about Backgammon, useful information and advice is given to you. The only thing you need to do is search in forums for some articles related to this board game and you are guaranteed to come up with great piece of advice. Reading reviews on Backgammon rules can help you a lot when you are about to play it online.