| Backgammon could stake a good case for being | | | | materials for learning the game were absent. |
| our oldest known board game with a history | | | | However, given the fact that most of the |
| going back at least five thousand years. The | | | | world's population was illiterate, backgammon |
| simplicity of the game and hence the ease in | | | | players included, the lack of books was not |
| which the backgammon rules can be learned, is | | | | an issue. |
| a key factor in the game's continual | | | | |
| popularity. Although the backgammon game has | | | | With the spread of literacy over the last 150 |
| developed a number of variants in different | | | | years and the increasing amount of leisure |
| regions around the world, the various | | | | time, new possibilities for learning |
| versions share sufficient in common to allow | | | | backgammon opened up. Besides the old method |
| players who learn how to play backgammon in | | | | of sons learning from fathers, or learning by |
| one country, to be soon able to pick up the | | | | watching other players, people began to write |
| rules of the game in another part of the | | | | books about backgammon. In addition, clubs at |
| world. Another important factor to take into | | | | school and at meeting places such as popular |
| account is the impact of backgammon gambling. | | | | cafes, starting to appear. These provided |
| Arguably even more than playing for fun, the | | | | many new opportunities for becoming |
| draw of backgammon gambling has brought in | | | | acquainted with the game and learning its |
| many new recruits to the game over the | | | | strategy. |
| centuries and provided motivation for | | | | |
| learning the rules well. | | | | Today, the introduction of backgammon |
| | | | software for playing backgammon online |
| When the game first made its appearance on | | | | harnesses the latest technology to bring the |
| the scene of human leisure, one person taught | | | | game to a new audience, as well as broadening |
| another how to play by word of mouth, and by | | | | the playing possibilities for experienced |
| observing how experienced players play | | | | players. Online backgammon sites provide full |
| backgammon. For most of the history of the | | | | information on the rules of the game, and |
| game this will have been the way new players | | | | they also offer the chance of gaining |
| were inducted. The early players might also | | | | valuable playing experience against a |
| have been taught how to make their own | | | | sophisticated backgammon computer. Wherever |
| backgammon set. This would not have been such | | | | you are located, as long as you have access |
| a difficult task since all the materials | | | | to the Internet, you can login to one of |
| needed could be found locally, such as stones | | | | these backgammon sites and in a short while |
| or pieces of pottery for the pieces, and a | | | | progress from a novice to an experienced |
| wooden board into which the divisions of the | | | | player. There has never been a time in |
| backgammon board can be carved. The first | | | | history when it has been easier to learn how |
| codification of the backgammon rules was not | | | | to play backgammon. |
| published until 1743, and so printed | | | | |