Backgammon School

My Granddad was a big jolly man, who looked a lot like Santa Claus minus the white beard, he did have the same kind of happy manner though and everybody seemed to like him.

A lot of that was to do with the fact that nothing seemed to worry him, he never lost his temper in all the time I knew him, and he seemed to be content with his lot.

Grandma kept him in good shape and I think that had a lot to do with it too. But perhaps it was Granddad’s way to relax that really made him so comfortable. Because Granddad was by any bodies standard a games man, he loved to play games, Chess, Draughts, Cards especially Poker but his favourite of all was Backgammon.

In fact it was Granddad that taught me to play, and the way he taught me was special too. For months and months I had watched him playing this mysterious game, where he would open the polished wooden box that contained his backgammon set, and sit and play for hours against his friends or neighbours. I had just turned ten and I can remember it as if was yesterday, It was a Sunday afternoon we had gone to visit Granddad, the weather had been good for most of the morning, but later in the afternoon the sun disappeared and as it went in, the rain clouds opened up.

As I stood looking at the rain pouring down and the scent of boredom creeping into my day, Granddad saw my look and invited me to sit at the table. He took the box from under his arm and placed it on the table.

'Open it' He invited me to open his sacred box.

My fingers seemed nervous as I touched the polished surface, then I clipped the gold locks open and the polished board glistened. He took the board out and unfolded it in front of me; he smiled as I stared at this piece of polished board with its pointed spear designs, equal at both ends.

'These are called points,' said Granddad.

He opened a small felt bag, and opened it wider, as he pulled out the disc shaped pieces of wood.

'Draughts Granddad?'

' Not quite, these are called Checkers.'...Now watch this.'

He opened the bag wider and rolled two large red ivory dice onto the board.

'Beautiful aren’t they?'

' Yes Granddad...they’re dice aren’t they.

'Yes. But these are my beautiful ladies, because Lady luck rides with them'

'Really'

'Yes and now with these ladies and this magnificent board, I am going to teach you what I think is the best game in the world, a Game played by Kings and Caesars, Princes and Sultans the world over. It is probably the oldest game in the world. Though some people may dispute that. This is how we set the board up'.

I watched as his expert fingers placed the checkers on the points and took out a golden cup from the cupboard, the dice cup.

He placed his 'two ladies' into the cup and with a twist of his hand the ladies rolled around inside the cup. That noise I have never forgotten, as the dice spilled from the cup onto the board, Granddad placed his checkers on the two point and the five point.

'It’s your turn now. Granddad handed me the cup. I held it then rolled the dice onto the board. 'A double three'

I don’t know why or what it was but the wry smile that came over Granddad’s face told me that he thought I might enjoy this game.

He was right and now fifty years later I still enjoy the game that I call Granddad’s game, only today I am the teacher and it is my turn to teach my Grandchildren what Granddad taught me all those years ago.

The only thing that is different is that my Grandchildren are playing the game online, playing backgammon on the computer, everything looks exactly the same...except this.

I wonder why they call it a mouse?