Backgammon: The Ancient Game Trivia Quiz

Answer: Two

Backgammon is a classic two-player board game that has intrigued and excited people for thousands of years. Knowing how long ago the game was played leads to the fascinating realisation of how long dice have been used in the pursuit of entertainment! An excavation, in what is now the east of Iran, unearthed remnants of the game. This archaeological evidence suggests that Persia may have been the birthplace of backgammon.

Backgammon has evolved over the years and in the 20th century the rules of the game were standardised. One thing that hasn't really changed though is that the game is intended to be played by, and is indeed best played by, two people. That said, some modern backgammon tournaments have featured "doubles" matches with two teams, each consisting of two players, competing against each other for the victory.

Answer: Total number of pieces used to start a game of chess

The total number of pieces required to commence a chess battle is 32; this is compared to the thirty stones required to begin a game of backgammon and the 24 pieces needed to start a game of checkers that uses a board that is eight squares by eight squares. There are some variations in the world of checkers such as the utilisation of boards that are 10 x 10 and the number of pieces used in this version is 40.

Chess = 32
Backgammon = 30
Checkers (draughts) = 24

Answer: Whist

Edmond Hoyle has been dubbed the "father of whist" after he published works on the card game such as 'A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist' (1742). One year later he would publish 'A Short Treatise on the Game of Back-Gammon' and he would sell these strategy guides for what was then a small fortune. He also wrote about games such as chess and three-card brag.

Answer: Yes

Luck is most certainly a factor in backgammon and to a certain extent players are at the mercy of the dice; however, repeated success in backgammon is built on skill with the best players in the world positioning their stones in the ideal places such that they minimise the number of dice combinations that will be unfavourable to them in subsequent rolls.

In any single game, a complete novice could beat the best in the world (absolutely unthinkable in chess) purely down to the luck of the dice but over time the better player will win more often and more convincingly. Luck has a habit of cancelling itself out in the long run which leaves skill as the only route to regular success.

Answer: Duplication

There are many strategies to keep in mind when playing backgammon but two of those, which are very much related to each other, are duplication and diversification. The ideal position for a player in any scenario is to have stones in places that duplicate the good rolls of your opponent but also increase the number of good rolls of your own (diversification).

As an example, if one of your stones can be hit by your opponent if they roll a three and a more useful strategy is not available, then using your roll to place another stone three pips away from your opponent slightly weakens the strength of their position.

The reason behind this is that your opponent would need to roll 3-3 (only a 1 in 36 chance) to hit BOTH of your vulnerable stones (blots) whereas the chances of two blots being hit in the same move is more favourable to your opponent if two different numbers are required.

Answer: No

Therein lies the rub, the player who feels they are in a strong position can't be in too strong a position or there will be no reason for the player in the weaker position to accept the cube. It is one of those classic "goldilocks" scenarios - not too weak, not too strong...just right! The doubling cube doubles the value of any given game and can be used more than once. Initially a game is worth one point but if the doubling cube is offered by Player A, who feels she is in a strong position, and accepted by Player B, who thinks that he is still in with a reasonable chance of winning, then the game becomes a two-pointer. The game can turn on its head with the roll of a dice and Player B may now be in the strongest position; he can then offer the cube and Player A, who is still very much in the race, can accept which will make the game worth four points. It is very rare in matches contested by seasoned players for the cube to be used more than twice but it is not unheard of.

If you decline the cube then you instantly lose the game and the point value of the game at the time of refusal is awarded to the person who offered the cube.

Answer: Three

Although it is possible to play a very quick game of backgammon (a race to one point), it is far more common to see longer races such as a race to thirteen points or a race to 21. There are three ways in which any given game can be completed and they are the single game, the gammon (double game) and the backgammon (triple game).

A backgammon is very hard to achieve and is usually dependent on being in favour with the dice gods. To achieve a victory by backgammon, one must get all their own stones off the board while leaving (usually by pinning) at least one of the opponent's stones within the home board (or on the bar).

Answer: Crawford Rule

The Crawford Rule which applies during the Crawford Game is essentially a way of ensuring that the person who is leading in a match and is within one point of winning, is given a fair opportunity to win the game without the trailing opponent mindlessly doubling. This is best illustrated by an example:

Match: Race to 11

Player A: 10 points (won the last game to go from 9 to 10 points)
Player B: 9 points

If the Crawford Rule was not in force, it would be in the best interests of Player B to use the doubling cube straight away and make the game worth two points. There would be nothing for Player B to lose by doing this as they would lose the entire match even if Player A only picks up a one-point game. In other words, it doesn't matter to Player B if Player A picks up two points if they win or whether they pick up one point as it will result in a match loss either way. However, it matters a great deal to Player A! If Player B picked up just one point, the score would be 10-10; if Player B picked up two points, the score would be 10-11 and Player B would win due to an early double that Player A is essentially compelled to accept. This is rather unfair so Crawford is used to try to bring some equitability to the situation. That said, it would be wrong to remove Player B's right to double entirely and so this rule is only in force for one game - Player A needs to make the most of it! Consider another example:

Match: Race to 11

Player A: 10 points (won the last game to go from 9 to 10 points)

Player B: 8 points

The Crawford Rule is brought into force, Player B wins the game played under those conditions and picks up one point. The score becomes 10 - 9, the Crawford Rule is removed and the doubling cube comes back into the game. The favourable conditions that Player A was operating under have disappeared and the rules of backgammon now very much favour Player B. If Player B doesn't double at the earliest opportunity in the next game, they are being very foolish as outlined in the earlier scenario. Once the doubling cube has been reluctantly accepted by Player A, the fact that Player A is one point ahead of Player B is now irrelevant and whoever wins the game currently being played will win the entire match.

Answer: Snowie

The Snowie error rate is just one of the many methods used to quantify performance in backgammon. The rapid increase in computing power over the decades has allowed for in-depth analyses of the game and programs such as Snowie makes a suggestion for the best move in any given situation.

In addition to this, all other possible moves that can be made from that same situation are evaluated and ranked relative to the suggested best move. If a player frequently chooses the best move, or close to the best move, the Snowie error rate will be low whereas it would be high for a player who consistently selects suboptimal moves.

Answer: Yes

Due to the exciting nature of backgammon and the fact it is played across the globe, the game lends itself very well to a format such as a world championship. The inaugural Backgammon World Championship was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1967 and was won by Tim Holland of New York; Holland dominated the competition in the late 1960s.

The competition eventually found a long-term home in the well known gambling resort of Monte Carlo, Monaco.