Perhaps there are very few people who have not heard of this ancient game or played it. It is known worldwide as one of the oldest and most exciting games ever. At first glance, some people think that it is too difficult to play and to get used to its rules. Actually, it is not as difficult as it looks like. You just need to familiarize yourself with the specific rules, steps, procedure and options you have, and with some practice you can get used to it in no time. What’s more important is that you need to learn its rules correctly, so that you do not encounter any difficulties. In case you have never tried playing at it, do not worry because you have full options for doing it by accessing certain websites that are supplying you with some useful information. There is a wide selection of sites which are providing for you everything you need to know related to the game of Backgammon. No matter where you are, in holidays or even traveling, you have the chance to come up with the most appropriate information in what online backgammon is consisting of. All you need to pay attention to is to make sure that you have selected the right websites to collect the details and learn the game’s rules and procedure in the same time.
Backgammon Before
As an ancient board game, Backgammon has suffered some changes during many years, which is obvious, because it has become popular in many countries. As it has passed from one country to another, people were using different materials and so the structure and setting of the board has also been rearranged.
In Mesopotamia it was known as “The Royal Game of Ur” centuries ago and by that time it was played with pieces made of ebony and ivory, or stones. In Egypt people were playing “Senet” or “Senat”; but at the beginning there was only a particular level of society which was allowed to play this game, the aristocracy. Regular people could not play this board game, or in case they did, certain charges were applied for them. Later on, as the popularity of it was increasing, no exceptions were made and every single person whoever wanted to could play and enjoy this exciting game.
There have been made several researches and people found different parts of the game of “Senat” made of different materials which show what kind of rules were to be applied at that time.
In ancient Rome people were playing this game called as “Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum” – which means “The game of twelve lines” as some artifacts reveal. We cannot say that the rules of “Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum” have changed a lot, because nowadays as well, just like many centuries ago, the movement of pieces or ‘checkers’ was made due to the roll of dice. A significant change for the game of backgammon was its board and the structure of it mainly.
Backgammon Today
Now, let’s talk about the Backgammon of our days, which rules are applied, about its setup and game procedure.
First of all, you should know that the object of Backgammon is to ‘bear off’, in other words to remove your checkers from your home board before your opponent does. But, first of all, you need to know the main steps and at least the basic rules in order to begin a game. So, for a start, it’s vital to know what a Backgammon set is consisting of. In order to play this game, you need the following: a backgammon board, 30 checkers including 2 sets (15 pieces for one player and other 15 for the opponent), two pairs of dice, two dice cups and a doubling cube. Only two players can play Backgammon, each player chooses 15 checkers of a color and the other player has 15 checkers of a different color. As for the Backgammon board, it is available in many different sizes; it is divided into four quadrants, each of these having 6 triangles.
So, altogether there are 24 triangles which are called points, alternating in two different colors. The raised area right in the middle of the board is called the ‘bar’; this is the section that holds those checkers which are being hit. Each player has an inner board and an outer board on his side. These two sides are separated by the section called ‘bar’. Every single player has one pair of six-sided dice which he will use for moving his pieces in such a way that he throws both of his dice and according to the numbers that come out, he is making moves. Of course, there are specified rules where and how one can move his checkers. Then, the dice cups are used for preventing any kind of dice manipulation; with the help of these players shake the dice and throw them onto the board. What can we say about the doubling cube? The doubling cube is a six-sided die having specified numbers on it: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64. The doubling cube is used only for counting the points that players have gained during the game.
Skill is an important factor in this game
Many people think that Backgammon is mainly based on luck due to the fact that it all depends on the roll of dice and which numbers come out. Well, this is a wrong perception, because even though the movement of checkers depends only on the numbers which come out on the rolled dice, the player’s skill is what rules the game. No matter what kind of numbers come out, the player is the one who manages and takes control over the gaming procedure and the checkers’ steps. Depending on how wisely he is thinking and what kind of decisions he is making, he can become a winner.
So, you must have experience in the field of Backgammon in case you want to play for real money. If you don’t want to, you have the opportunity to play with players from all around the World accessing an online Backgammon website and you can surely feel the excitement that it emanates. As a piece of advice, you can gain experience by playing at websites which do not require placing any bet, so that you can play without paying a cent, and, this way you have the great opportunity to learn as much as you can to play Backgammon. Later on, you can start playing for real money win cash in the same time, but, before all, you have to make sure that you are prepared for playing for real money. You should not take chances in such cases; it is not worth it, because you can also play without placing cash. This is a great advantage for you, because you cannot lose money. But now, let’s take a closer look at the set up of your checkers.
The starting position is how the checkers are set, these are placed in the following method: two pieces on each 24th points, five on each 13th points, three checkers on each 8th points and five on each 6th points. The checkers are moved on a specified path, more precisely on a particular direction: from the opponent’s inner board to his outer board, then into your outer board and finally to your inner board (also known as home board). Once you have all of your checkers in your home board, you can begin the bearing off. The first player to remove all of his checkers is the one who wins.
The question is now which one of you is going to begin the game? This is relative, as it depends on the throwing of dice. Each of you will throw a single die and the one who throws the higher number begins moving his checkers. This happens in such a way that he also uses the number which his opponent has thrown, so both numbers which have come out on these dice. After he has moved his checkers, both of the players change turns in throwing the dice. While moving pieces around the board, one can hit the other’s checkers; when a single man is on a triangle, it is known as a ‘blot’. During a game one cannot occupy the same point which is occupied by the opposite player’s piece, so this way that checker is hit by the opponent’s checker and placed on the ‘bar’. The checker which was hit can reenter the game in case you throw a number corresponding to a particular point on your opponent’s inner board that is not occupied by at least two or more pieces of your opponent.
At last, when you have all your pieces in your home board, you can bear them off. Bearing off happens in such a way that you are allowed to remove your men due to the numbers which you throw on dice. For instance, if you throw a 4-3, you have the chance to remove your checker which is on the 4th point and the piece which is on the 3rd point and so on. In the meantime, you can move your checkers in your inner board, also depending on the roll of dice.
Backgammon is an extremely entertaining game, no doubt it is still popular, and keep in mind that the more you play, the more experience you gain and the further you get. Start playing online backgammon and what’s more important: use your skills and have some real fun!
