All about carved backgammon

Probably, each of us at least once heard about backgammon. The game has a thousand-year history, appearing about 3500 BC in the East, and then spreading to almost the entire world. They represent a playing field divided into two parts on a board, dice (cubes) and a set of checkers (counters).

In terms of the process of action, backgammon is a bit like checkers, but there is an element of randomness. Are dice with dots on each side representing numbers from one to six... It is they who determine the sequence of the next moves.

Backgammon develops the mental abilities of a person, forcing him to intensively calculate the options for further moves. People are attracted by the large number of the latter and the unpredictability of the course of the game.

Backgammon is very popular nowadays. Even competitions are held in many parts of the world.

For the manufacture of all elements of backgammon, materials such as wood, plastic, glass, stone and many others are used. You can find both inexpensive, unpretentious models, and exquisite ones, made of expensive materials, decorated with precious stones.

Wooden backgammon - the most popular options... Carved wooden models are often made to order... The master tries to fulfill the wishes of the client as accurately as possible. The carving can be very different, but geometric patterns, images of animals, birds, and so on are often used.

The features of such models are:

• individual design of the game board and chips;
• very careful study of surface and side details;
• long term of use and practicality.

When making handmade backgammon, there are secrets and subtleties. First you need to choose the wood. Hardwoods work best.eg oak, ash, walnut, sometimes linden is used. Only dry boards up to 50 mm thick are taken... Other masters with drying chambers are engaged in drying independently. But without drying equipment, such work will be rather difficult and very long.

Dry boards need to be cut into elements, from which the frame and the playing field will subsequently be assembled.

On the outside, you can cut out a beautiful pattern, which looks very impressive. Of course, no thread is applied to the playing field, since it must be perfectly smooth. If you do not have woodcarving skills, then a milling machine can be used. But when using mechanization, individuality will be lost - the machine makes only a small number of carved elements, moreover, they are rather unoriginal.

After the frame and the game board are fully prepared, they need to be covered special impregnations to protect against the influence of the external environment and the hands of players... Then you will need to tint and apply varnish. And when the varnish layer dries up, it is imperative to sand all surfaces and varnish everything again. Allow the coating to dry.

Now it will be possible to assemble the individual backgammon elements into a single structure and let them lie down for a while.

After a few days, you need to finalize backgammon: apply appropriate paints, varnish again and set aside again until the varnish is completely absorbed into the wood and dries. Only after completing these processes can you start playing backgammon or use them as a gift.

True, for the game you still need to make additional accessories - chips (zars), bones, and sometimes a glass for mixing bones. To get chips, you need to take a wooden cylinder of a suitable diameter, cut the pieces (chips), and then polish them and cover them with dark and light varnish. Some craftsmen apply additional carving to the chips, thereby decorating them.

Dice have recently been made from epoxy or other polymers because they have to be heavy. Drilling is used to draw symbols on the edges of the cubes. The dice must be perfectly balanced, free of internal voids or other defects that could affect the result of the throw.

At the moment, there is no specific standard for the size of the playing field for backgammon. But there were 3 specific types: large, medium and small... Large ones are used in tournaments, so they can have truly impressive dimensions - up to 1 meter on one side. This is done to make it convenient for spectators and referees to watch the game.

Medium backgammon is designed for playing at home with friends in a warm environment. Their dimensions are no longer so impressive - up to 50 cm. And for a camping life, small backgammon is produced - less than 40 cm, which are convenient to transport in a suitcase or fit in a backpack.

And since this game came to us from the East, backgammon made by manufacturers from Armenia is the most popular in the expanses of the former USSR.

• Model "Star and Tiger" by Sarkis Petrosyan... In its manufacture, beech was used, which is a fairly durable tree that will last a long time.The size of the board is 62x61x3 cm, weight with packaging - 5 kg. Very nice carved design on the outside. The master puts into his products, as they say, in addition to skill, also a piece of his soul. The result is a high-end product that is not too expensive. The price for this product is about $ 150.

• The name of Karen Khaleyan is known to every lover of board games... Real works of art come out of his hands, such as, for example, a game board with the image of Mount Ararat on the outside. This sample is also made of beech, but has more modest dimensions: 31x36x2.5 cm. The weight of the product is only 1 kg, the set includes a cover. Quite a hiking option.

• Master Hrachia Ohanyan offers to purchase an exclusive sample, on the outer surface of which there is an image of the Russian Emperor Peter the Great and a chessboard. The playing field allows you to play backgammon, chess and checkers. Dimensions are 64x60x2 cm, weight - 4.5 kg. But this pleasure will cost $ 300.

There are many more worthy craftsmen whose products deserve attention. In addition, enterprises are engaged in the production of carved backgammon, for example, Decor (Ukraine), Games Dealer (RF) and many others... Their assortment is very wide, you can order backgammon for every taste and budget.

The first thing that people usually pay attention to is the financial side of the issue. If you decide to make a gift to a loved one or your boss, then there is no need to save money. Pay attention to exclusive designs with non-trivial design.

The second point is practicality... The quality of the materials from which backgammon is made is important. The cost of the product depends on this. If the game is bought for a child, then you should not buy expensive models - with age, he can cool down to backgammon, and the money will be wasted.

And the third criterion for selection is the size... If backgammon will often be taken out of the house and intended for tournaments in the park or entertainment on the road, then they should be of modest size. In the case when they are bought for themselves or as a gift, the parameters can be any. It all depends on the purpose of this game in the future.

Handmade wood backgammon is presented in the video below.