Did you know that throughout the history of backgammon, the Church attempted various times to ban the game, but constantly failed.

Cardinal Woolsey, in the 16th century, ordered all the boards burned, calling the game “the devil’s folly.”

Burning the boards was useless, still, since any sort of board can be drawn within dirt or sand as well as played with smaller pebbles. Dice were frequently handmade as well as have been modest enough to be quickly concealed on an individual or hidden in someone’s house. Furthermore, the English had been pretty clever as well as made the decision to disguise the backgammon board as the folding publication. The innovative craftsmanship will be even evident within the board we use these days.

Edmund Hoyle, the famous writer as well as gamesman, documented the rules as well as the history of backgammon within the mid 1700′s.

English colonists brought backgammon to the homes within America, along utilizing chess and other board games.

Although the game of backgammon missed some popularity in the Victorian era, it quickly reappeared as well as gained force in the 20th century.

Early in the 20th century, someone (we don’t know who) devised the doubling cube, that offers players the opportunity to multiply their first wager by the number on the doubling cube.

Tournaments, books, magazines, and clubs are now the part of the historical past of backgammon.

The introduction of the game on the Internet has increased its popularity to an even better extent.

Which leads to my conclusion: BG FOREVER!

The following celebrities have reported to be keen backgammon players: Note, obviously, some of these celebrities, such as Groucho Marx are dead.

• Alan Rosenberg – Actor
• Brian May – Musician
• Don Adams – Actor (‘Get Smart’ fame)
• Groucho Marx – Actor
• Hugh Hefner – Publisher, Playboy
• Izabella Scorupco – Actress (Bond Girl)
• Joan Crawford – Actress
• Joaquin Phoenix – Actor
• John Huston – Director
• Kate Winslet – Actress
• Ken Caminiti – Baseball player
• Kevin Bacon – Actor
• Kylie Minogue – Performer
• Lewis Carroll – Writer
• Lucille Ball – Actress
• Madonna – Performer
• Nicole Kidman – Actress
• Omar Sharif – Actor
• Queen Margrethe II – Danish Royal Family
• Robbie Williams – Performer
• Robert Montgomery – Actor
• Roger Clemens – Baseball player
• Stefanie Powers – Actress
• Ted Turner – Media Mogul
• Thomas Jefferson – US President
• Tim Henman – Tennis player
• Tobey Macguire – Actor

There. How about that? Do you know of anyone else to add to the list?

With all that is going on in Syria, isn’t it amazing that in some quarters, life goes on.

And in the Middle East, quite often, that means people playing backgammon, one of the most popular games in that part of the world.

So I came across this photo.

It shows a bit of normalcy in a chaotic world.

Backgammon.

Ain’t it cool?

This photo was taken on April 29, during the “Days of Rage.”

Picture this. Riots in the street.

A government crumbling.

Chaos.

Where are we talking about?

Beirut, Lebanon.

But life does go on. And thank God for backgammon, which these folks are playing just days after the country seemed on the verge of complete collapse.

Take Tawla.

Tawla is one of the oldest and most famous backgammon strategy games in history, as well as a staple in Egyptian cafes, along with Turkish coffee.

The game, I understand,  is a balance between strategic thinking and pure luck.

Backgammon is traditionally for two players. The pieces are moved according to the roll of dice, and players win by removing all of their pieces from the board.

Most variants of Tawla share common traits, and Mahbousa (Locked-in) is the most famous variation of the family of table board games in the Arab world.

Like chess, backgammon includes numerous options for moving the checkers, allowing players to pick the right move while anticipating possible counter-moves by the opponent.

The game box is divided into four sections. Two belong to the players at the beginning of the game while the other two constitute the “battle field” where the game takes place. The goal is to move all your pieces into the other player’s field. Each section is divided into six lines, and when you get a certain number–say, for example, four–you are allowed to move one checker four lines forward.

The history of backgammon goes back approximately 5000 years, and interesting enough, a version of backgammon was first played in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptian game Senet was excavated, along with illustrations, from Egyptian royal tombs. The oldest hieroglyph representing a Senet game dates to circa 3100 BC. The full name of the game in Egyptian means the “game of passing.”

Ancient Iran, however, is popularly believed to be the land where backgammon was first played. Called Shahr-e Sokhteh (literally “The Burnt City”) in Iran, uncovered artifacts include two dice and 60 checkers (similar to the current pieces of the game) and the set is believed to be 100 to 200 years older than sets found in Egypt.

“Of course it’s an Iranian game,” said an Iranian player I know. “When we play it, we use the Iranian way of counting the results of the dice.”  When he plays, he does not take his eyes off the board , and explains that when you roll a one on your dice, you say “Yak,” and two equals “Due,” three is “Sah,” four is “Jihar,” five is pronounced “Benj,” and six is “Shish.”

“As you can see, I got a two and a three on the two die I just threw: I would call it ‘Due-Sah,’ which is exactly what I need,” he points out, while his opponent cringes.

While the game seems simple enough for most to understand, if a player cheats to win, all bets are off. Numerous cheating methods have been used and developed in backgammon and the practice is not uncommon.

“Sometimes I move the checker the wrong number of spaces,” Zakria, a famous player in the Borsa cafe district in downtown Cairo says discreetly. “Some people just trust you when you move the checker fast enough. Moreover, I have some special throws to produce the dice number I desire. It works every time.”

“Cheating in this game is an art, but don’t tell anyone I told you that,” he adds, looking around suspiciously.

Tawla is not limited to a certain age group. At a cafe in Dokki, two young players in their twenties compete for the third time after a long tournament between them.