Thousands of Years. One Timeless Game.
From ancient civilizations to modern online competition, discover the remarkable journey of one of the world's oldest board game traditions.
Ancient race games laid the foundations for a tradition that continues across generations and cultures.
A Game That Crossed Civilizations
Backgammon belongs to an ancient family of board games combining movement, chance and strategic decisions.
Archaeological discoveries reveal that board games using counters and dice-like objects existed thousands of years ago in Mesopotamia and surrounding regions.
Although these early games were not identical to modern backgammon, they demonstrate the long history of race games and the human fascination with combining luck and skill.
The Evolution of Backgammon
Explore the civilizations and innovations that helped shape the modern game.
Ancient Mesopotamia
The Royal Game of Ur, played in ancient Mesopotamia, is among the earliest known board games. It represents an early tradition of racing pieces across a board.
Roman Table Games
The Romans enjoyed games such as Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum and Tabula. Tabula featured dice and counters and shared important characteristics with later backgammon.
Persia and the Middle East
Games such as Nard became established in Persian culture. Related table games spread through the Middle East and into other regions through cultural exchange and trade.
The Name Backgammon
The name "backgammon" appeared in English during the seventeenth century. The game developed from earlier European tables traditions.
The Doubling Cube
The introduction of the doubling cube transformed competitive backgammon, adding a new dimension of risk, probability and strategic decision-making.
Backgammon Goes Global
International tournaments, computer analysis and online platforms have made backgammon accessible to players around the world.
One Game, Many Cultures
Tavli
Popular in Greece and Cyprus, Tavli commonly refers to a group of traditional games played on a backgammon board.
Tavla
A familiar part of social life in Turkey, where friends gather in cafés and homes to enjoy traditional board play.
Nard
Rooted in Persian traditions, Nard and related games remain an important part of the cultural history of backgammon.
The Next Chapter Is Online
The boards may have changed, but the excitement remains the same. Every roll brings a new decision, a new challenge and a new opportunity.
Play Backgammon