Yes, Christmas is on its way, and as the party season draws nearer, long afternoons in front of the fireplace also beckon. Around this time of year, when all the family are together, many people reach for their old memory-infused childhood games such as Monopoly – but why not try something different this year? After all, no one wants to be reminded of the time when your daughter cheated and bought the whole board before anyone noticed! Instead, add a bit of culture to your family’s life this year by gifting the man in your life a luxury backgammon set from iWoodesign – a gift he can share with all your family and friends.

Backgammon is one of the oldest games still in existence today, and ranks up there alongside such classics as Chess and Go. It is thought to be around 5,000 years old and is claimed to have originated in Mesopotamia (which we know as Iraq today). This theory is supported by the discovery of early dice made of human bones in this area around 3000BC. Originally Backgammon was thought to have been known as “Senet” or “Mancula” and the Romans had a very similar game called “Duodecum Scripta de Tabulae” or “Tables” for short. In fact Tables was so popular in Ancient Rome, that there are many Frescoes found in old Villas that depict groups of people playing the game – including one in a villa in Pompeii.

Many people are put off from the thought of playing backgammon, even on a deluxe backgammon set such as iWoodesign offer, but the aim of the game is really quite simple. Backgammon is a game for two players that is played on a board that consists of twenty-four narrow triangles called points. These triangles alternate in colour and are grouped into sets of six triangles each. Each set is referred to as a player’s home board or outer board – the home and outer boards are separated from each other by a ridge down the centre of the board, called a bar. Each player has fifteen checkers of the same colour, and the object of the game is to get all your checkers onto your home board and then bear off.

If you look back at the history of Backgammon, you will find that the rules tended to vary depending on what level of society you were – something you can probably say about many pastimes today! In fact during the Crusades many officers wagered such large stakes whilst playing Backgammon that they had to ban soldiers below a certain rank from playing. In fact it is this gambling element of backgammon that has brought it into battle with both the Church and authorities, who wanted to ban it because of it. Despite all this, Backgammon has survived the test of time, and is still played the world over today.

The beauty of gifting someone a luxury backgammon set from iWoodesign is that not only are you giving them a gift that is beautifully handcrafted from exclusive woods, but it is something that they can enjoy with their family and friends too. They can also pass it down through generations, and bestow it not only on their children but their grandchildren too. A truly thoughtful gift.

For more information on the luxury wooden backgammon sets available at iWoodesign please browse our website, or call us on 0208 802 2425.