HORSHAM BACKGAMMON CLUB

 

Backgammon is one of the oldest board games in the world. Its origins date back 5,000 years to the Persian empire, with chess being a comparative newcomer,  bursting onto the scene in 6th Century India.

While chess may still be king of the strategic board games, backgammon is enjoying a resurgence, at least according to The Times, which ran a photo taken at a backgammon club on its front page last December. 

The UK Backgammon Federation’s (BGF) membership is rising, and several can be found at Horsham Backgammon Club. The club meets at Horsham Brewery and Tap Rooms at Blatchford Road Industrial Estate every Wednesday night, hosting everything from beginners’ games to intra-club tournaments and league matches. 

Neil Clarke, who founded the club in 2021, said: ‘I used to play backgammon in London, for Fox Reformed Backgammon Club. We met at the Fox Reformed Wine Bar on Stoke Newington Street and were well-known in backgammon circles. I played a lot of backgammon back then, but after moving to Horsham with my young family, didn’t have the same time or opportunities to play. Now, there are apps available that allow people to play online, but the social aspects of the game remain important too. 

‘So, after the pandemic, I founded Horsham Backgammon Club. We initially met at the King’s Arms in Bishopric, sharing the back room with a poker club. Landlady Jodie Munday was a fantastic host, but as we attracted new members, the space was too small. So, we moved to Horsham Brewery, where there’s more space and free parking too, which is useful for those travelling from outside of town.’

POINTS OF VIEW

Attracting new members isn’t easy, as it takes time to learn backgammon. In its most popular form, it’s a two-player game, with each beginning a game with 15 pieces called ‘Checkers’ or ‘Men’, which must be placed on triangular areas called ‘Points’. Using a pair of dice, players move the Checkers – one plays white and the other black – around the board. The winner is the player who clears all their Checkers off the board, called ‘Bearing Off’. Adding to the strategy, there are opportunities to send an opponent’s piece back to the start, while rolling a double allows players to move pieces twice.  

Neil said: ‘We sometimes offer tuition to new players, introducing them gently to the basics. It takes time to understand every aspect of the game, so we wouldn’t introduce variables such as the doubling cube (a six-sided die marked with numbers 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64, which is used to raise the stakes) until they had more experience. It doesn’t take long to learn the basics and you can play after a short introduction. You may not play to a particularly high standard, but because of the dice, there’s always an element of chance. If somebody was interested in coming along, it is a good idea to watch tutorials on YouTube and play online first.’ 

GALAXY QUEST

Some of the club’s more experienced players enter competitions organised by the UK Backgammon Federation (UKBGF). Kathryn Addy was runner-up in the ‘Intermediates Main’ category of the UK Championships, while Neil won the ‘Masters Consolation’ at Brighton Breezy, with 64 players entering the tournament’s Masters category. The leading online app is Backgammon Galaxy, which attracts players across the globe. Andreas Giannopoulos, widely acknowledged as Horsham’s strongest player, has been ranked in Galaxy’s UK top 10 and currently sits 11th. 

This July, Horsham was represented for the first time at the UK Club Championships, held at the University of Kent, Canterbury. Richard Granville, who lives in Leatherhead but travels to Horsham every Wednesday, was among those who represented the club. 

Richard said: ‘Some competitions are for individual players, but this was the first time we’ve entered the UK Club Championships. It takes time to build match-play experience, but we now have players of the calibre to enter flagship events. There were 32 teams at the Championships, each comprised of five players. We were undefeated in our qualifying group, but were knocked out 3 – 2 at the last 16 stage, which was a respectable effort. Some players also enjoy variations of the game such as chouette – a multi-player format of the game which is very strategic. These are essentially gambling games, although we play for low stakes!’ 

HIGH ROLLERS

Backgammon has a long association with gambling and at international tournaments, players can compete for high stakes. It’s therefore fitting that the Backgammon World Championships (BGWC) are held in Monte Carlo. However, many play simply for fun and take satisfaction from a game well-played. And while skill may be the most important factor, Lady Luck plays her part too…

Neil said: ‘At a recent Brighton tournament, I played a leading Grandmasters in the UK and beat him in a nine-point match. All things being equal, he would beat me more often than not, but he rolled particularly badly, allowing me to win. It can be a frustrating game because of that element of chance, but equally, it’s great fun and really addictive. What is great about backgammon is that it takes a lifetime to master. So, we always enjoy it, whether we win or lose.’ 

Further information: Horsham Backgammon Club meet at Horsham Brewery Company, Blatchford Close, RH13 5RG, Wednesdays from 7pm.  

Photos: Alan Wright Photography/Words: Ben Morris. First published on 1st September 2026.