History of Backgammon Backgammon is one of the oldest games in existence. Dating back some 5000 years, it is believed to have been developed by the ancient Egyptians.
It is a forerunner to the popular game of Parchesi, which is quite similar.
It is not a game of luck as many believe, but a strategic game of war; in many ways as difficult to master as chess or Go. Some degree of luck is certainly involved, but a champion player also uses the laws of probability, intuition, imagination and psychology to outwit his opponent.
It is a subject of debate as to whether the term Backgammon is derived from the Welsh 'back' (little) and 'gammon' (battle) or from the Saxon 'bac' (back) 'gamen' (game).
Backgammon has long been popular in the Middle East, but it wasn't until the 1920's, when the doubling cube was first introduced, that backgammon became widespread. The doubling cube greatly enhanced its popularity as a gambling game, and soon backgammon clubs flourished in America.
In the 1970's backgammon became the fad, with big money tournaments for the jet-setting crowd. Since then popularity has waned, but it is still played by many people, and there are backgammon clubs all over the world. It is now enjoying a resurgence among the Internet community.
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