Backgammon Doubling in Backgammon History

Experts in backgammon history tell us that the backgammon doubling cube was introduced in America in the 1920s. However, it now appears that backgammon doubling may be older than that. A recent publication on the backgammon game refers to backgammon doubling being present in the 1600s.

"Francis Willughby's Book of Games" edited by Cram, Forgeng and Johnston and published by Ashgate in 2003 is taken from a seventeenth century manuscript written in England. The manuscript is probably the earliest work on backgammon history, being written before "Compleat Gamester" by Cotton. In the rules for an Irish variant of the backgammon game, the book states that backgammon doubling was allowed only twice, compared to four times under present rules.

The backgammon history of Ticktack has also been traced by Willughby. Ticktack is a variant of the backgammon game Trictrac. Ticktack defers from the modern backgammon game in that it is not a race game but points are scored for achieving set positions. Backgammon doubling in Ticktack is referred to as 'vie'. When a player wants to double he says "I vie". The player accepting the backgammon doubling replies " I see it". In Ticktack there is no restriction on backgammon doubling. Also the "backgammon gammon doubling" does not double the stake each time. The first vie doubles the stake, the second vie trebles the stake (not quadruples it as in the modern backgammon game) and so on.

Now backgammon history experts have a question to answer. Was the backgammon doubling in the 1920s picked up from some existing variant of the backgammon game or was it an independent innovation of the twentieth century.