Modern backgammon is a child of the roaring twenties - a period characterized by systemic radical social transformation in the West that spawned a golden era of gaming. This is Mark Driver's last column of "The Game" series.
5.00
26 Apr 2002 - by Mark Driver
By the middle of the 17th century gaming fever had taken Europe by storm - Backgammon enjoyed a peak in popularity then and again at the beginning of the 20th century with the invention of the doubling cube.
4.83
19 Apr 2002 - by Mark Driver
Cards and backgammon have much in common and their specific origins are shrouded in mystery, though cards, like dice, are thought to have evolved from the occult divination practices of the ancients.
4.43
12 Apr 2002 - by Mark Driver
Throughout their long history both chess and tables evolved to meet the needs of successive generations of players and legend has it that backgammon and chess share the same birthday.
4.83
05 Apr 2002 - by Mark Driver
Backgammon is a most complex game with a long and convoluted past that reflects the entire history of society's affinity for games and gambling. The following selective chronology aims to trace some significant events that shaped its evolution.
4.71
29 Mar 2002 - by Mark Driver
Mark Driver caught a flu bug and will be back next week. However, we rummaged around and found some of his past writings that you may have never read.
4.75
22 Mar 2002 - by Mark Driver
If time travel were a reality beyond the silver screen, what could we expect from an encounter with the classic authors of the game?
4.83
15 Mar 2002 - by Mark Driver
Did the silicon revolution herald the age of enlightenment for the novice player or have we simply come full circle after living through the Dark Ages of the game?
4.50
08 Mar 2002 - by Mark Driver
Backgammon is instantly recognizable by the characteristic starting position. What factors contributed to this charismatic arrangement, which outlasted all others to become an enduring and modern standard?
5.00
01 Mar 2002 - by Mark Driver
Players are often fazed by the counting aspect of the game - shots, covers and pips - but how hard would it be if the checkers weren't so conveniently lined up in columns? Who can we thank for this aspect of the game? Why shepherds of course!
4.38
22 Feb 2002 - by Mark Driver
Timing is an all important aspect of backgammon strategy, yet hardly surprising given the close connection between the development of the game and the invention of the calendar.
4.67
15 Feb 2002 - by Mark Driver
In our game of choice, 'You can't win em all', certainly not while the Gammon Gods have a say in the matter.
4.17
08 Feb 2002 - by Mark Driver
Is Backgammon still the game of kings, or is it now time to recognize its far wider popularity?
4.43
01 Feb 2002 - by Mark Driver
Backgammon attracts players from all walks of life, the game appeals to young and old alike. But what is the public perception of the typical backgammon player? Are you starting to fit the mould?
4.60
25 Jan 2002 - by Mark Driver
Over the past decades our knowledge of the game has grown in leaps and bounds. But when the Dice God shoots thunder across the board one fact remains the same - Backgammon can be the 'cruelest game'
4.67
18 Jan 2002 - by Mark Driver
In a competitive two-player game only one player will emerge the victor, or will they? What constitutes a winner and loser? Is being a winner simply a case of having the right attitude?
4.35
11 Jan 2002 - by Mark Driver
Do players only perform their best when the stakes are high? What constitutes a high stakes game, when money, trophies, clothes, freedom or life itself are on the line?
4.13
04 Jan 2002 - by Mark Driver
How healthy is the backgammon club scene? What type of players do the clubs attract, and what are the barriers to participation at the club? Do aging males characterize the membership? What might the future hold?
4.70
28 Dec 2001 - by Mark Driver
How prevalent is cheating in the age of the Internet and just how easy is it to pull off? Do cheaters ever win in the long term?
4.54
21 Dec 2001 - by Mark Driver
'The Hustler', a menace to society or valued member of the entertainment industry?
4.79
14 Dec 2001 - by Mark Driver
Is backgammon a finite or infinite game? The mathematicians have provided some insight, but in the greater scheme of things, will the game be played forever? Or is backgammon destined to extinction?
4.18
07 Dec 2001 - by Mark Driver
In a game of skill and luck, would you rather be the most skillful loser or the luckiest winner? Does superstition deserve a place in the armoury of the player?
4.20
01 Dec 2001 - by Bill Robertie
Tips from the master on what is needed to win a backgammon tournament.
4.78
30 Nov 2001 - by Mark Driver
Does backgammon deserve its traditional image as a game of chance? Is it in fact a game of skill? Can we even differentiate between these two concepts?
4.23
23 Nov 2001 - by Mark Driver
Cheating is as old as gaming itself. How do we differentiate between cheating and gamesmanship? Is the Internet a haven for dirty rotten scoundrels, or has it rendered all cheating to the realm of gamesmanship?
4.13
16 Nov 2001 - by Mark Driver
Mark elaborates with the definitions taken from actual legislation that illustrate the wide variety of terms that may govern the legal classification of a backgammon match or tournament.
4.09
09 Nov 2001 - by Mark Driver
Since the beginnings of civilization gamesters have suffered an uneasy relationship with the law. Mark ventures into the Kafkaesque nightmare reality that is 'backgammon and the law'.
4.15
02 Nov 2001 - by Mark Driver
Backgammon can be played for different reasons, in numerous ways and with various rules. After much evolution are the current rules necessarily the most sensible?
4.09
26 Oct 2001 - by Mark Driver
Are the physical elements of Backgammon sacred? In reality, will future development and progress be virtually confined to cyberspace?
4.43
19 Oct 2001 - by Mark Driver
It is hard to determine who is the 'best' or the 'greatest' in Backgammon, perhaps impossible, probably meaningless and certainly subjective.
4.10
12 Oct 2001 - by Mark Driver
The rules of backgammon have gone through many changes since the time of Edmond Hoyle. Have the rules evolved for the better or the worse? Does a commonly accepted version of the rules even exist?
3.87
05 Oct 2001 - by Mark Driver
Is Backgammon a 'Man's Game', which is unappealing to most women, or are the males themselves to blame for the lack of female participation?
4.89
28 Sep 2001 - by Mark Driver
Is the money element skill in backgammon, or killing backgammon? Does backgammon deserve a reputation as a hardcore gambling game, and if so, does this imagery bode well for the future of the game?
3.73
21 Sep 2001 - by Mark Driver
In the Brave New World of the Internet, find out whether you are playing Backgammon or CRACKGAMMON?
3.88
14 Sep 2001 - by Mark Driver
Tuesday the 11th of September marked the darkest dawn of this new millennium, a pitch black day in the history of humanity. Was it right to be thinking of playing Backgammon at a time like this?
4.92
07 Sep 2001 - by Mark Driver
Backgammon in schools? Some parents would scorn on this as a gambling game while others may see its values as a learning tool in the realm of mathematics and the lessons it can provide in dealing with complex situations in life.
4.63
31 Aug 2001 - by Mark Driver
Backgammon, televised for mass-market consumption - will it ever happen? Will we live to reap the benefits that such a high profile could bestow upon our backgammon community?
4.50
24 Aug 2001 - by Mark Driver
Most GammonVillage members would not doubt that the game they play - a dice game with 30 checkers on a board divided into four quadrants is the 'regular' or 'official' game of backgammon. But is it really? How can we be sure?
4.29
09 Aug 2001 - by Mark Driver
Is a game a sport if it's not physical? What about Backgammon? Some people call it a mind sport while others say that sports are games "played by real men" and that "a sport must cause you to break sweat". What do you say?
4.27
