Backgammon according to the normal movement rules. The first player to bear off all fifteen of his/her own checkers wins the game. If the opponent has not yet borne off any checkers when the game ends, the winner scores a "gammon", which counts for double stakes. If the opponent has not yet borne off any checkers and has some on the bar or in the winner's home board, the winner scores a "backgammon", which counts for triple stakes. To speed up match play and to provide an added dimension for strategy, a doubling cube is usually used. The doubling cube is
Backgammon on a database containing precomputed equities for all possible bearoff positions. Computer-versus-computer competitions are also held at Computer Olympiad events. Backgammon is one of the oldest games in existence. Its history can be traced back nearly 5,000 years to its origins in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). Excavations in Iraq have shown that a board race game existed there around 5000 BC. The world's oldest set of dice (made from human bone) were recently discovered in that part of the world. Modern Iraqis continue to enjoy playing the game. The Royal Game of Ur, originating in ancient Mesopotamia before 2600 BC, may