Backgammon and Chess: The games of kings

Whilst both backgammon and chess have existed for millennia all across the globe, the historical development of the two games was completely independent. Both at various times in history have occupied the seat of being the game of the educated and of the gentry. Although their development was independent, it is no coincidence that in the modern age a backgammon board is often accompanied by a chess board.

The choice throughout the ages of backgammon and chess as the games of the ruling classes was due to the strategy and insight involved in both games. The backgammon board has for centuries been indicative of its master’s cunning and intelligence. The ability to play chess has often been, particularly in the West, indicative of similar things as the backgammon board but also the mark of an educated gentleman.

Despite the differences in the pieces and the boards of the two games, the real difference between backgammon and chess is that the backgammon player doesn’t just have his opponent’s wits to contend with, he also has the input of the dice to deal with. Whilst chess is about strategy entirely, backgammon is just as much about strategy, but the backgammon player has other forces against which he must contend. The backgammon player learns through his game that his plans must be flexible, that anything could come his way and he must deal with it successfully or die – this is the reason that the backgammon board has been present at the court of every sultan and every leader since logic began. Backgammon and chess are the true aristocracy of the gaming world.