The Royal Game of Ur

Have you heard of the Royal Game of Ur?

I hadn’t either, but it’s quite fascinating. It’s the oldest game we have rules for and was popular and widespread for a good long while. Some think it was the forerunner for backgammon. But then, it’s hard to tell such things for sure.

One thing that is for sure, this video of curator Irving Finkel (who reconstructed the game’s rules based on variations and house rules) playing the game of Ur with YouTuber Tom Scott is nothing short of fantastic.

Tom Scott vs Irving Finkel: The Royal Game of Ur

Besides the enjoyment of learning about the history of the game itself and getting to see a piece of history being played by a couple pros, there is some wonderful interaction between the two men.

Finkel himself is a real character to say the least. I could watch the guy play pretty much any game and be happy. And Scott is a charming guy as well, a foil to Finkel if you will.

I won't give away too much more, as there are a few great surprises, but I really love the moment around 18:15 when Finkel says, matter of factly, “You never know who’s going to win until you’ve won. And this is a good message for life.”

I think he’s hit on something significant here. One hallmark of great games is that they teach (or reveal) some truth about human life.

Perhaps this very fact is what made the game of Ur such an enduring one. Either way, it’s good to see that even way back when, humanity knew how to sit down and enjoy a good board game session. I, for one, am glad that hasn’t changed.