Although Europe is hardly a claimant of being the originator of the game backgammon, the game owes a great deal to the European countries for its popularity and standardization. Backgammon is said to be the derivative of many ancient games like Nard, Tric-trac, Ludus etc.
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In reality, todays backgammon is the reformation and collation of many such games, which have been played in several periods all over Europe. The ancient Greeks used to play a very similar game called Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum, the game of the twelve lines. Even the ancient Italians showed a great deal of evidence of playing such board games. There was another board game called tric trac, which had enough popularity in the earlier civilizations.
Archeologists found the engravings of Bonnart of 1693, which portrays the three royal princes of France playing the game tric-trac. The acceptance of the game even by family members could be witnessed from that same Bonnart art, when we can witness their father dauphin watching the game of the three princes. Another board game Nard, got introduced in Europe in the primitive days, may be 902 AD. The conquest of Sicily by Arabians had paved the way of Nard in Europe.
However the game got immense popularity during the Roman Empire. The people used to play the game as one of their daily activities. Archeological evidence shows that the emperors game had been popular with even the lower class during the Roman period. The old English terminologies of 8th centuries trace the game tables. The most effective spread of the game throughout the countries of Europe was at the time of the Crusades.
Again the gambling nature of the game could not escape the eyes of the Churches and the game had been forbidden by Louis IX of France. Another setback came in the middle, when Cardinal Wolsay of the court of Henry VIII ordered all boards to be burned in the year 1526. But can church or any court command over one of the most basic instincts of gambling of a human being?
The game regained the zenith of its popularity during the reign of Elizabeth and the rules had been much more formalized at this stage in England and France.
The earlier part of the seventeenth century witnessed a tremendous popularity of the game backgammon all over the Europe in different names like Backgammon, Gammon, Tric-trac, Puff etc. Europe, mainly England owns the credit of many refinements of the game in the seventeenth century. Edmond Hoyle in Europe had fixed the rules for the game, which has been the origin of standardization of todays backgammon.
Europe has become the contributor of two major facets of the game. The most significant part is the naming the game as Backgammon, where there is no claimant other than the English. The second was the doubling cube, another major incorporation in the game backgammon to expedite the speed, was invented in Europe in the decade of the Twenties.
Some of the most worldwide popular tournaments are held in Europe like Bristol – Conference League, Cotswold ‘Fireside’ Backgammon & Poker, Chouette Evening, Backgammon In Camden, Groupe Partouche Backgammon Trophy
The popularity of the game in Europe has even lured the cellular company, Nokia, to offer the flexibility of uploading Backgammon game in the model 6230 even much before John Hurst became the champion of 2006 Bright n Breezy Backgammon.
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