Backgammon
Perhaps one of the world's oldest board games, Backgammon, though simple and plain, promises hours of fun and challenge. The Wikipedia suspects that the name was derived from the English word 'back' and 'gamen' or 'game'. With records of similar games being played as far as 3000 BC in ancient Egypt, the game has maintained its simplicity and class up to today. A person can learn the game in just a few minutes but to master strategies can take a lifetime.
Throughout the years, Backgammon has always lived up to its reputation as an upscale game. This game is usually played in the highest of circles with leather-bound sets and ivory chips. Unlike the more popular classic game of Chess wherein pure skill determines the victor, winning in Backgammon is attained with a combination of strategy and luck as the players race to bring all their chips to their home board. The roll of the dice serves as your luck factor and how you play the results of the throw is an indication of your skill.
The chips have to be moved from a fixed position all over the board, counterclockwise to one quadrant of the board and eventually to where the chips are stored on the side of the board. Once the dice is rolled, the player decides which of the chips to move. The opponent, who has a mirror image of your setup, will have to move the chips in the opposite direction to the other home board. The trick is not to leave any chips alone in a line otherwise this chip may be devoured by your opponent and be sent back to the starting line. Some players play defensively by just ensuring no chip is left alone. Another strategy is blocking a few consecutive lines so as to block your opponent's chips from leaving a certain quadrant or forcing them to split up two chips in a line. Some play with an offensive strategy of always watching out for a lone chip and sending this back to the starting line. A good player performs with a good balance of different strategies.
As the game developed throughout the years, gambling and betting became part of Backgammon's history. The modern set has a doubling cube which allows a player to raise the stakes if that player feels he's in a good position to grab victory. Since it's normally played in upper social crusts, the stakes are usually staggering. I wouldn't be surprised if people have actually been killed from playing this game. The simplicity of the game has likewise allowed computer programmers to create computer opponents with excellent skills. This has allowed Backgammon aficionados to play the game even without a human opponent.
One favorite is the mobile phone version which allows a person to play anytime and anywhere. The skill level of the computer opponent may be adjusted according the human player's skills ranging from beginner to expert. At a maximum skill level, computer opponents have been know to defeat even the best of human players. Playing against a computer can really hone one's skills at the game. I wonder what the future holds for this old favorite. After more than 5,000 years and very little change, Backgammon will definitely stay and will still be played in the next 5,000 years.