Backgammon as a metaphor of life - a game that swings between luck and skill, and although the dice rolls guide our movements, we are the ones who make the decisions – lies in the heart of The World is Big and Salvation Lurks around the Corner (Svetat e golyam i spasenie debne otvsyakade), a Bulgarian-German-Slovenian-Hungarian co-production directed by Bulgarian filmmaker Stephan Komandarev.

Backgammon has more than a metaphoric presence in the film. Bai Dan, one of the two protagonists, is a talented amateur player who was even named King of Backgammon by the small café regulars in the small Bulgarian town. Alex, the second protagonist and Bai Dan’s grandson, continues the family tradition and becomes the new Backgammon King of the town, of course, only after he completed a the journey from Germany to Bulgaria through his past and present.

Watch a part of the movie:

More Backgammon Films:

Backgammon (USA, 1998) also uses backgammon is a tool of communication between grandfather and grandchild. In this film, the grandfather is a new Iranian immigrant and the grandchild is a granddaughter who carries double identity: American and Iranian.

Emotional Backgammon (UK, 2003) tagline: "Love is like a game of backgammon… You take your chances."

Reversal of Fortunes (USA, 1990) is based on the true story of Claus and Sunny von Bulow, he a famous playboy and former backgammon champ and she a wealthy heiress who is one day found unconscious on the bathroom floor. Guess who becomes the immediate suspect. The real story, by the way, had just ended recently, when Sunny, who remained in coma for 28 years, died.

In the TV series Lost, backgammon plays a frequent role. Where else?

Play65 is all around the world

Play65 or Play56?

Continuing with the Christmas spirit, here is a nice story on how handmade backgammon boards can make happier holidays for less fortunate children, as well as for those who have created the boards in their own hands.

The Daily Herald, the information source of Suburban Chicago, reports on the traditional charity auction held every year at the St. Charles East High School Little Theater for the benefit of the disadvantaged children of Mooseheart. The items sold on this auction were all created in the wood workshop of East High School by students and include various furniture, wooden toys such as hockey tables, backgammon, chess and checkers sets, and more. All the incomes from the wooden items sales will benefit the Christmas wishlists of, hopefully, 200 children from neighboring Mooseheart. The students-craftsmen are especially satisfied seeing their creations make other students happy.

St. Charles East High School is not the first organization to discover the joy of giving away backgammon boards. Last summer, Play65 donated 100 backgammon boards to special schools in Israel during the "Good Deeds" day. Well, great minds and all…

So, what are you buying me for Christmas? Some backgammon related suggestions for variety of budgets: 

Up to $10 

You can pamper your iPhone with the Gameloft latest version of Backgammon Classics for just $4.99. This iPhone backgammon game allows you to compete against real players (providing you two own the same mobile), just like in Play56. Moreover, you to roll the dice you shake the device, as long as you don’t do it in crowded places, someone might get hit.

Up to $50 

If you desperately seek play partners, a T-shirt with the inscription: "I backgammon", would make those backgammon players chasing you like a sweatshop employees after their morning train. Price for a basic 100% cotton white, large size T-shirt starts at $15.95.

don’t we all just luv backgammon

Up to $100 

An edible backgammon set made of chocolate in varying levels of darkness in which you can bear off the checkers right onto your mouth. Yet if you resist the temptation, this $75 chocolate board will last for 6 months, assuming you will not insist on taking it to the beach.

there’s also a chocolate molar for dentists

Up to $1,000

Speaking of backgammon boards, check out this psychedelic backgammon board looks like someone had accidently spilled pink, green and red paints and then let the cat walk all over it. The checkers and dice are surprisingly standard looking. This eye treat costs $795 and it includes a matching suitcase.

gr000vy!

Over $1,000

If you fancy a designer’s board, pay $1,144 and a backgammon board decorated by a woman face – smiling at the home board and frowning at the outer board – designed by Italian Piero Fornasetti, could be all yours.

Play65 new tell a friend bonus: 

Get $100 bonus on EVERY friend you refer to Play65

Your friend will get 100% bonus on his/her first deposit (up to $300)

yes, we are completely out of our minds

• €6,000 tournament with 128 potential winners. The tournament is scheduled to December 28 at 8:00 PM. Entry fees are priced at €60.
• €3,000 tournament: on Dec. 21 and Dec. 27 at 8:00 PM. 64 players will win prizes. Entry fees - €35
• €2,000 tournament: Dec. 20 and Dec. 14 at 8:00 PM. 64 players will win prizes. Entry fees - €23.

In addition, the next €1,000 online backgammon tournament will take place on December 13, 8 PM (€11.5 entry fees) and the next €600 tourney – in which you pay only €7 for the opportunity to be one of the 64 players who win prizes – will take place today on 8 PM.

and the holy grail

Just a quick reminder: the biggest backgammon tournament online with $30,000 1st prize will take place today at 20:00 GMT. 

Note that it might be the last grand online tournament of the season, so don’t miss the opportunity to be one of the 128 players who’ll win prizes and maybe even the one who wins the $30,000 grand prize.