The Beauty of Ceramic Backgammon Sets

By Stuart Brown

Backgammon is a beautiful and ancient game. If you explore the history of backgammon, it is widely reported that the game first originated somewhere around the Iraq Iranian region, and was played on all manner of different surfaces, including bone, pottery and shell and some of the most beautiful sets have been found from periods up to 2600 BC! Indeed, the Romans were known to play an early version of backgammon, and it was apparently quite a popular game with Emperor Claudius even liking it so much he actually wrote a history about it (though no copies have survived). What this means in terms of backgammon sets, is that there are so many different types, that it almost boggles the imagination. Including sets made of ivory, bone, and wood, as well as the type of backgammon sets that we will talk about in this article, ceramic backgammon sets.

In these days of the Internet, it is actually quite nice to play backgammon on a traditional set! Because these days it has become more and more common to play backgammon online. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of advantages to this approach. When you play backgammon online, you are able to immediately connect with thousands of players around the world. You can immediately match up with people of a similar standard to your own, and you can also play whenever and wherever you like. So there is much to be said for it. However, one aspect that playing backgammon online really lacks, is that personal touch. It means that you cannot directly interact between the board, and your opponent. And in many respects this is a shame, because a well made backgammon set, is more like a piece of art, than a game!

One thing to consider when looking for a ceramic backgammon set, is the weight of the board. This shouldn't be underestimated, because if you are looking for something that is lightweight, and well-suited to travel, then, a ceramic backgammon sets should not necessarily be your first choice. They tend to be quite heavy, and so are better suited to being the centrepiece of a well laid out room, rather then being items that are moved frequently. Tied in with this, is the size of the board. These can vary, and so you need to decide what size you require for example, some boards will be 21 times 26 inches (when open), whilst others will be 24 x 15 inches. And you also need to decide, whether you want, the Checkers to be in ceramics, or an alternative material. The same is also true for the dice cupholder, and the dice itself.

One of the first steps that you should take, is to look at other backgammon sets in materials other than ceramics. The reason to do this, is not to dissuade you from having a ceramic backgammon set, but rather because there tend to be far more sets made in other materials, and so you will get a better idea about such things as colour schemes, board sizes and general layouts. Once you've done that, then the world is your oyster, and you can really start to hunt down that ceramic backgammon set that you have always dreamed about owning! I discuss many more of your backgammon options at the links below, so check them out if you are interested in learning more about backgammon.

For more backgammon information about playing backgammon online and other backgammon resources. Visit http://www.NewsDealers.info where you can also learn about leather backgammon sets

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