The Origin of Backgammon

Shilin Guangji 事林廣記 / 事林广记 - Chen Yuanjing 陳元靚 / 陈元靓, 1266

The oldest edition that survives today is from the Zhishun 至順 period (1332). The introduction written by Zha Fuxi tells that Shilin Guangji was composed by Chen Yuanjing (1200-1266) during the Southern Song Dynasty (1126-1279) and was revised several times in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

Shilin Guangji provides the following details :

“各有十五馬” - Each has 15 horses

"各以其彩行，白馬自右歸左，黑馬自左歸右” - Movement depends on color, white horses turn from right to left, black horses turn from left to right

"馬先出盡為勝" - The first player to bear off all of his horses wins the game

In his article “Suspicions Regarding What Are Alleged To Be Glass and Agate Weiqi Chess Pieces” [China Archaeology and Art Digest 4.4 (2002)], Dong Li of Shaanxi History Museum put an illustration from Shilin Guangji showing two men playing Shuanglu. We recognize the initial position of the modern backgammon.

Special thanks to Jean-Louis Cazaux and Thierry Depaulis for this scan.