Facts about Backgammon
- 08
Two dice showing a combined total of 12 points represents the highest roll in backgammon, allowing a player to move checkers the maximum distance in a single turn.
- 07
A bearing off phase ends every backgammon game, requiring players to remove all their checkers from the board before their opponent does the same.
- 06
In 1964, Prince Obolensky of Russia won the first World Backgammon Championship, establishing the modern competitive tournament circuit that now crowns champions annually.
- 05
Backgammon's 24-point board layout originates from the 12-month calendar, with each pair of points representing one month in ancient Mesopotamian gaming traditions.
- 04
Fifteen checkers per player positioned in four specific locations on a 24-point board represents the standard setup for all backgammon games worldwide.
- 03
Modern tournament backgammon matches use Crawford rule procedures, established in the 1950s by John Crawford, to prevent unfair doubling tactics when one player reaches match point.
- 02
Ancient Egyptian tombs dating to 3000 BCE contain evidence that backgammon's ancestor, the Royal Game of Ur, was played with six-sided dice and racing pieces around a 20-square board.
- 01
The doubling cube in backgammon, introduced in the 1920s, allows players to increase stake multipliers up to 64 times the original wager during a match.