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Date: 18 Oct 2007 22:01:58
From: Rich Hutnik
Subject: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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During the 1970s, chess and backgammon went through a near
simultaneous boost in popularity. I am curious if popularity might be
somehow connected between the two, like perhaps the Fischer-Spassky
chess match ended up rubbing off on backgammon in some way. Then,
after the 1970s, both went into decline.
Anyone see if there is a connection between the two?
- Rich
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Date: 28 Oct 2007 14:31:28
From: Grunty
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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On 28 oct, 03:31, "Jim In So Calif" <[email protected] > wrote:
> "Rich Hutnik" <[email protected]> wrote in message > Anyhow, on this
>
> note, anyone know how long they have been putting
>
> > backgammon on the back side of chess-checker sets? Could this of
> > started in the 1970s?
>
> They were doing it in the 1940's and perhaps earlier - I don't remember much
> from the 30's.
>
> Cheers, Jim.
Hey Jim.
Indeed I don't remember much from the 20's either!
Would you mind if I ask - how old are you?
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Date: 23 Oct 2007 20:58:31
From: Rich Hutnik
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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On Oct 19, 11:05 pm, [email protected] wrote:
> I learned chess around 1970, when I was very young, from my father.
> He became interested in the game due to all the coverage of Fischer.
> Later, an elementary school teacher had his students (including me)
> play chess once in a while. Neither of these men said anything at all
> about backgammon. On our own, we tried to learn the game and try it
> out, because the board came with 30 checkers and there was a
> backgammon board on the other side of the folding chess board. Thus,
> in these instances, there was total separation, in the early to late
> 1970s. Later, when I played on the chess team in high school, there
> was also no talk of backgammon by anyone.
So it is possible that, even if it was a small factor, people bought
combo chess/checker-backgammon sets and found backgammon on the other
side and then people decided to try backgammon?
Anyhow, on this note, anyone know how long they have been putting
backgammon on the back side of chess-checker sets? Could this of
started in the 1970s?
I know backgammon now is going through a resurgence, due to poker
being blocked all over, and online poker sites looking for some other
game to have people put money on.
- Rich
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Date: 28 Oct 2007 06:31:16
From: Jim In So Calif
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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"Rich Hutnik" <[email protected] > wrote in message > Anyhow, on this
note, anyone know how long they have been putting
> backgammon on the back side of chess-checker sets? Could this of
> started in the 1970s?
They were doing it in the 1940's and perhaps earlier - I don't remember much
from the 30's.
Cheers, Jim.
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Date: 20 Oct 2007 04:02:03
From: Piranha
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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I believe the popularity has not increased, only people have more time
to play
After the end of the war almost everyone was busy rebuilding property,
and after that most people would go for savings, just in case bad
times come back
Once the situation was stable enough and the income was enough to
grant a good living, people had more and more spare time to spend,
where playing all kind of games has ever been one of humans favourite
hobbies
So this is not a question of popularity of a specific game, but
related to the amount of spare time people have and it goes across
basically all games one can imagine, even the amount of available
games has increased big time
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 20:05:54
From:
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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I learned chess around 1970, when I was very young, from my father.
He became interested in the game due to all the coverage of Fischer.
Later, an elementary school teacher had his students (including me)
play chess once in a while. Neither of these men said anything at all
about backgammon. On our own, we tried to learn the game and try it
out, because the board came with 30 checkers and there was a
backgammon board on the other side of the folding chess board. Thus,
in these instances, there was total separation, in the early to late
1970s. Later, when I played on the chess team in high school, there
was also no talk of backgammon by anyone.
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 17:23:06
From: help bot
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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On Oct 19, 12:01 am, Rich Hutnik <[email protected] > wrote:
> During the 1970s, chess and backgammon went through a near
> simultaneous boost in popularity. I am curious if popularity might be
> somehow connected between the two, like perhaps the Fischer-Spassky
> chess match ended up rubbing off on backgammon in some way. Then,
> after the 1970s, both went into decline.
>
> Anyone see if there is a connection between the two?
>
> - Rich
On what do you base your assertion that after the 1970s,
both games went into decline?
As far as I know, the decline in USCF memberships was
due to the premature retirement of BF and the resulting
bust, but chess has not declined on an international level --
quite the contrary.
In all likelihood the game of backgammon has not gone
into decline at all; many players can play the game at
home on their computers via the internet, so perhaps the
perception of a decline is merely reflecting the fact that it
is no longer necessary to compete in person in order to
get a handle on one's level of play or to pit one's skills
against another.
As for a connection between the two games, I would
venture to guess that the development of ratings
systems may well have impacted both games almost
simultaneously, and the development of programs that
play strong chess or backgammon may also have
occurred around the same time, more or less.
-- help bot
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 14:34:44
From: bob
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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On Oct 19, 1:01 am, Rich Hutnik <[email protected] > wrote:
> During the 1970s, chess and backgammon went through a near
> simultaneous boost in popularity. I am curious if popularity might be
> somehow connected between the two, like perhaps the Fischer-Spassky
> chess match ended up rubbing off on backgammon in some way. Then,
> after the 1970s, both went into decline.
>
> Anyone see if there is a connection between the two?
>
> - Rich
Here is a theory:
The boom in chess came first. 90% of the players had no real chance
of winning a tournament. Many realized that
and turned to backgammon where there is a chance for a weaker player
to win.
Bob Koca
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 14:42:09
From: Back to Gammon
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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Have a look at a first person account of the beginnings of tournament
backgammon and the Golden age...
http://backgammon.ladbrokes.com/en/backgammon-articles
Specifically this : http://backgammon.ladbrokes.com/en/backgammon-articles/early-days-article
Not really about chess at all, but either way!
On Oct 19, 10:05 am, EJAY <[email protected] > wrote:
> > During the 1970s, chess and backgammon went through a near
> > simultaneous boost in popularity. I am curious if popularity might be
> > somehow connected between the two, like perhaps the Fischer-Spassky
> > chess match ended up rubbing off on backgammon in some way. Then,
> > after the 1970s, both went into decline.
>
> > Anyone see if there is a connection between the two?
>
> > Rich
>
> I think that the fischer Match had nothing to do with backgammon.If i
> recall the backgammon craze started later than chess 79-early 80's.I
> don't know what made backgammon so popular for a short period of
> time.the money element (betting cube) seemed to push the popularity of
> backgammon.Nowadays it is poker that is popular and i suspet will
> remain so as long as there is money to be made.IMHO I don't think
> there is any connection between chess and backgammon.
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 02:05:41
From: EJAY
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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> During the 1970s, chess and backgammon went through a near
> simultaneous boost in popularity. I am curious if popularity might be
> somehow connected between the two, like perhaps the Fischer-Spassky
> chess match ended up rubbing off on backgammon in some way. Then,
> after the 1970s, both went into decline.
>
> Anyone see if there is a connection between the two?
>
> Rich
I think that the fischer Match had nothing to do with backgammon.If i
recall the backgammon craze started later than chess 79-early 80's.I
don't know what made backgammon so popular for a short period of
time.the money element (betting cube) seemed to push the popularity of
backgammon.Nowadays it is poker that is popular and i suspet will
remain so as long as there is money to be made.IMHO I don't think
there is any connection between chess and backgammon.
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Date: 19 Oct 2007 09:01:02
From: Mihai Suba
Subject: Re: Were the rise in popularity of chess and backgammon in the 1970s linked somehow?
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On Oct 19, 7:01 am, Rich Hutnik <[email protected] > wrote:
> During the 1970s, chess and backgammon went through a near
> simultaneous boost in popularity. I am curious if popularity might be
> somehow connected between the two, like perhaps the Fischer-Spassky
> chess match ended up rubbing off on backgammon in some way. Then,
> after the 1970s, both went into decline.
>
> Anyone see if there is a connection between the two?
>
> - Rich
Of course there is and we can probably add on the Bridge and Go. Many
chess players are good bridge and/or backgammon players. These games
accompanied chess tournaments as a free time activity.
Some of the strongest Bridge and Backgammon players also come from
organised chess players. In the 80's the PC revolution gave younger
gamers and gamblers other options and horyzons. The need for heroes
in the western countries (e.g. satisfaction followed by
dissappointment with Fisher) could have been another reason.
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