David Levy, in a 2003 GammOnLine forum discussion, references Francis Willughby’s Book of Games: a 17th Century Treatise on Sports, Games, and Pastimes (ca 1660 in England), edited by David Cram, Jeffrey L. Forgeng and Dorothy Johnston, and published by Ashgate in 2003. In “Ticktack,” one of the described backgammon-like games, doubling the stakes is part of the rules. The term “vie” means to double. If a player accepts the double, he says “I see it.” Otherwise, he can yield the game. The big difference is that only the initial “vie” doubles the stakes. Future “vies” in the same game triple and next quadruple the stakes.

But that is ancient history and doesn’t relate directly to our game. Permitting players to optionally double and redouble the stakes prior to rolling was responsible for backgammon’s resurgence in the United States (and later across the globe) from about 1927 into the 1930s. Let’s lay out what we know regarding doubling and then offer the best possible documentation for our statements:


STATEMENT #1
The concept of doubling was introduced into modern backgammon in 1926, or possibly 1925.

DOCUMENTATION
In the 1926 edition of Hoyle’s Games by R. F. Foster -- the accepted standard for game rules at that time -- there is no mention of either doubling or automatic doubles. Of course Hoyle printed the standardized rules for games and would not have included a new rule until it had been widely accepted.

The 1928 edition of Modern Backgammon by Grosvenor Nicholas is the earliest book we have found that mentions backgammon “doubling” and/or “automatic doubles.” Nicholas calls the advent of doubling and chouettes “Twentieth Century elaborations.” On page 23 of his book, Nicholas writes:

“It is said that doubling, which has so greatly increased the possibilities of the game, as well as its popularity, was first originated on the continent of Europe in connection with the game of golf. It may be described as follows: After the game has commenced, either player may, at any time before he throws his dice, double the stake for which the game is played. When this is done his opponent may, at his option, give up, surrender the stake and commence a new game, or he may accept the double and proceed with the game.”

“About eighteen months ago Backgammon awoke from its Rip Van Winkle sleep, and suddenly became the mode at the smart summer resorts in the East. During the past winter the game has been strengthening its hold on the public, and today this fine old game, which combines the chance of the throw with the skill of the play, seems to be on its way back to its former position among society’s leading games.”

Boyden goes on to mention “the introduction of doubles” as a modern innovation.

By reviewing the dates and time periods, it's clear that Boyden is referencing the summer of 1928 as the era of backgammon's awakening. Grosvenor Nicholas completed the forward to his book Modern Backgammon on January 4, 1928 which means he probably wrote it in 1927. It is hard to imagine that doubling was a totally untested concept when Nicholas was writing his book. And since books of the early 1930s call doubling a “modern invention,” a good guess is that backgammon doubling originated in 1926 (or 1925 at the earliest) and didn’t start to become popular nationally until after the publication of Nicholas’s book in early 1928.


STATEMENT #2
Doubling and the doubling cube almost certainly originated in New York City, perhaps at the Racquet and Tennis Club by an unknown player or players.

DOCUMENTATION
New York City was the hotbed for backgammon during the latter part of the Roaring Twenties. In his 1930 book Backgammon of Today, John Longacre states in his Foreword that “The development and perfection of what may fairly be called—in this country, at least—the Backgammon of today, may be attributed to two New York Clubs in which the game has been played intensively for over a generation.”

We have not found one author of a backgammon book written between 1928 and 1931 that didn’t live or play in New York City. As further evidence of NYC’s impact on backgammon, the Backgammon and Card Committee of the Racquet and Tennis Club of New York City prepared the first nationwide “Laws of Backgammon” in 1931 including doubling rules that were officially approved by 25 clubs across the United States.


STATEMENT #3
The first method for keeping track of doubles was with parlor matches. A pointing device was also used prior to general acceptance of the doubling cube.

DOCUMENTATION
In Modern Backgammon (1928), there is no mention of how opponents should keep track of the value of the game and/or who had accepted the last double. Elizabeth Clark Boyden’s book The New Backgammon (July 1930, page 34) is also the first to describe a method for scoring when playing the optional double game:

“Scoring in Backgammon consists mainly in keeping a record of the doubles and then in applying them to the type of game which is being played.
“At the present time the popular method of counting the doubles is by the use of common matches. A match is placed upon the bar whenever an Automatic or Optional Double is made. When the game is finished, the score is reckoned on the basis of a double for each match on the bar. The matches are then removed.”

The April 11, 1931 Collier’s magazine front cover shows a woman playing backgammon with a container of bakelite scoring matches on the side.

“Many players, especially in Chouette, prefer to keep track of their doubles and the current stake with a device known as a doubling cube.
“This is a cube, like a large die, numbered on its six faces as follows: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64.
“For convenience, at the beginning of the game, the cube is usually placed with the 64 face up.
“As soon as a double is established (automatic or optional) the 2 is turned up. At the second double, the cube is turned to 4, and so on.
“As a further tally, the cube should be placed before the player who has the privilege of the next double.”

Hattersley puts no exact date on her 1930 book so we don’t know if it was published before or after The New Backgammon (Boyden’s July 1930 book) that states “At the present time the popular method of counting the doubles is by the use of common matches.” But if Boyden did not even mention the existence of a cube (and she was a well-known bridge teacher in New York at the time), it seems reasonable to assume that the doubling cube made its appearance in New York City on a limited basis no earlier than 1929,

The earliest dated picture of a doubling cube that I have found is one of 1930s movie actress Miriam Hopkins. The original caption for the picture shown below reads: “When Miriam Hopkins completed her role opposite Maurice Chevalier in Paramount’s ‘The Smiling Lieutenant’ at Eastern Studios and was summoned to Hollywood to play a featured part in ‘24 Hours,’ she paused at her hotel just long enough to unpack her trunks, then hurried to the nearest Pacific coast beach.”

“The Smiling Lieutenant” was released August 1, 1931 and “24 Hours” was released October 10, 1931, so this picture was taken sometime in the Summer of 1931.

Send any and all findings to bg@chicagopoint.com