Several of the Most Recognized Classic Board Games and Their History

I grew up playing board games with my siblings, some of the games we used to play seem to be timeless; I thought I would make a list of the most recognized board games on an international level. Here is what I came up with.

1. Checkers, which evolved from the game of Draught, was introduced to Europe through Egypt sometime during the 16th century. The oldest known draught (checkers) manual was found to be published in 1549.

It is common knowledge that the game of checkers as we know it today, has been the source of countless hours of fun for families, friends and has been taught generation to generation within our families.

2. Another game that always ranks as one of the most recognized games is Chess. This game is also one that follows on the shirt tails of checkers (draught). It is recognized as an evolved version of checkers. Chess has been used throughout time as a source to gage intelligence and deductive reasoning and has also been used to enhance these processes. Chess, just as checkers, has been the source of countless hours of entertainment, fun, and even some fun frustration to families, friends and their opponents since its invention.

3. Another game that ranks in the most recognized board games would be the game of Chinese Checkers. This games name leads one to think that it was originated in China, but its origin is not Asian at all. This board game actually originated in Germany rather than China as the name implies.

The name also may lead you to think that it is a variation of the game of Checkers but again it is not. Chinese checkers is a deviation of an American game called Halma that originated in the United States and was first called Stern-Halma. The "Stern" portion of the name meaning star refers to the design of the playing surface of the game board.

A game of luck and strategy, the Chinese Checkers board game is also ranked in the Most Recognized Board Games, and is also known as a favorite of many generations.

4. Tic-Tac-Toe is another board game recognized the world over. This game is believed to have originated as a game called Terni Lapilli during the Roman Empire in the first century. It is believed to be the oldest game in history still being played today. This game of chance and strategy is a favorite of young children and the young at heart.

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Chess Sets Online: The Long History Of Chess

In the novel Through The Looking Glass, the author, Lewis Carroll, depicts much of his heroine's adventures taking place in a dream world based on chess set pieces. This story, published in 1871, reflects the interest in the game of chess that has existed for hundreds of years. This has led not only to many people being motivated to buy chess sets but also a fascination with the game, it's strategies and traditions.

Some research indicates a version of chess may have existed in China in the second century AD but the first records of the game exist in India where the game was played prior to the sixth century. From here, the game seemed to have spread to Persia and then across the Muslim world before reaching Europe. The game was originally known as 'chaturanga' in India and the chess set pieces were divided into four military divisions: cavalry, elephantry, chariotry and infantry. These four divisions became the knight, rook, bishop and pawn in the modern game.

Chess was mentioned in a Persian poem written in the seventh century and in several subsequent poems and essays soon after. Known as Shatrang, the game had mystical connotations in India and Persia at this time.

It is sobering to understand just how global the game of chess really is: it has individual names in most languages, including Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Latin, Catalan, Italian, French, Dutch, Mongol and Arabic. It was carried across the known world into Spain by the Moors and spread into the corners of Europe by the year 1000 and Buddhist pilgrims and Silk Road traders spread the game to the Far East.

Interestingly, the chess set pieces were often individually prized as gifts and ornaments in their own right. The modern trend to buy a carved chess set as a present and room feature as well as part of a game to play seems to continue this tradition.

It seems likely the game of chess reached Britain with the Norman conquest of 1066 and, as in the rest of Europe, chess became a game associated with culture and nobility but as time moved on the intensity sometimes created by playing chess could create violence. This was a problem that seemed to worry the Church and in 1061 Saint Peter Damian even criticized the Bishop of Florence for playing chess. Perhaps inevitably the game became the focus of prize money and gambling during medieval times and as a result Louis IX of France banned gambling in 1254. Nonetheless the French people ignored him and continued to wager money on chess games.

It was at the start of the sixteenth century that chess began to assume its modern form. Prior to that time, the rules varied and the chess set pieces could move in ways that would surprise us now. A Russian version gave the queen the ability to move like a knight.

Chess was played in the London coffee houses during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, indeed around 1840, as Britain formed its vast empire, London became the focus of the growth of the game. The first organized chess tournament seems to have taken place in London in 1851 and the winner was a German professor of Mathematics, Adolf Andersson. By 1990 there were more than one thousand international tournaments.

Russian chess players tend to dominate the game but that is not surprising when you consider chess is the national sport of that country, where it is more popular than football.

Whole books have been written about the history of the game of chess and indeed about the individual pieces and the stories and variations of the game are many and fascinating. Whenever you buy a chess set and pick up one of the chess set pieces, it is very easy to feel a connection to all those people throughout history who have done the same thing.

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The History Of Backgammon Sets

The earliest backgammon sets known to exist were found in archaeological digs in the Middle East. The oldest was discovered in an ancient city located in modern day Iran. Researchers believe the game board to date to around 3000 BC. This makes it one of the oldest board games known to exist.

This specific board was similar in many respects to a contemporary backgammon game. Two dice and approximately 60 checkers were included. However, the exact rules used by the ancient players are not known. The degree of similarity with the modern game is uncertain.

Other artifacts and documents reveal that the game was played throughout the region. Most notably, several boards discovered in the city of Ur also date to the same era. There is also evidence to suggest the game was known in ancient India and Egypt as well.

During the time of the Roman Empire, games similar to backgammon were played in Rome. The exact rules have been lost to history. Numerous boards exist. These also were accompanied with counters and dice. The Roman variant appears to have used three dice rather than two. Most of the surviving boards include 24 points.

The closest ancestors to the modern game can be found in medieval Europe. In France, the "Games of Tables" began in the 11th Century. It quickly became popular with gamblers and travelers.

While today board games are uncontroversial, there was some intense opposition to them during certain historical periods. Within 250 years of their origin in France, the Games of Tables were banned by the King, Louis IX. Similarly, the Church of England outlawed all boards games during the rule of Queen Elizabeth. In those times and places, backgammon sets would have been illegal contraband.

Today, most backgammon boards are two-sided. Many are designed the two halves of a box. This allows for the easy storage of the dice and the checkers while the game is not being played.

Both sides of the board contain 12 points. Each point is a long triangle of one of two colors. The colors correspond to the checkers. Each player selects a different color at the start of the game.

Throughout history, backgammon has been played in many periods, nations and settings. People of all classes, from kings to wandering gamblers, have participated in the game or its ancestors. The games has even been played on the ocean; a board, along with counters and dice, was discovered in sunken hull of a Dutch ship from the 1600s.

Many variants and offshoots of the game have developed over the course of its long history. These include both primarily geographical versions and more strategic differences. One of the more modern innovations to the gameplay was the addition of the doubling cube.

While a doubling cube superficially resembles a die, it is in fact a marker to be placed on the board. The addition of this piece changes the game significantly. Most modern players prefer to play with one, as it makes the game move more quickly and deepens the available tactics.

The doubling cube originated in New York City in the 1920s. While the exact story of its invention remains unknown, the cube first appeared in gaming clubs. Its addition brought an ancient game more in line with modern expectations.

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