When deciding on a backgammon set, make sure you choose a surface that makes sense. There are a whole slew of surfaces out there, here are examples of a few that we carry in the Zontik Games shop:

• One of many cork backgammon sets from Crisloid. The Crisloid tabletop sets are actually what’s pictured in the photo above, and it’s one of our bestsellers.
• Here are some wood backgammon sets from Neroulia, which come in a multitude of types.
• A billiard cloth backgammon set from Geoffrey Parker and a leather backgammon set from Genesis Naylor.
• And a different kind of fabric backgammon set. This Dal Negro set is actually a very vibrant colored bookcloth, and it joins the Crisloid set as one of our bestsellers.

If you’re just getting your feet wet in the backgammon scene and you’re not yet ready to commit to a major purchase but still want to have an “industry standard” set, the Crisloid cork backgammon sets are perfect for tournament or chouette play. The larger sets have greater “presence”, but they are more awkward to carry. The smaller sets fit a greater array of tables, and are more “user-friendly” for younger players.

Until we had started carrying high quality leather and billiard cloth sets, cork was our favorite playing surface. Of all the cork boards out there, Crisloid produces the highest quality. Contrary to what you might think, cork backgammon sets are actually less prone to extreme bounces from the dice than leather surfaces (in this sense, billiard cloth is the best surface). Additionally, the points are screened on rather than sewn or appliquéd on, which means that the backgammon checkers slide smoothly over the surface.

Generally, billiard and cloth surfaces are much more preferable to wood and cork because they’re much quieter. However, backgammon sets with a wooden playing surface (like Neroulia for example) are very popular in the Middle-East and adjoining Mediterranean countries (in particular Greece, Turkey, Israel and Egypt). In the United States, we’ve heard several players remark on the pleasant “clicking” sound made when the checkers meet the wooden frame during a move.

Of all the surfaces, we prefer billiard cloth, it’s extremely quiet and the checkers slide very easily. Our Geoffrey Parker billiard cloth sets are made of a fine woven 100% wool in Yorkshire mills in the north of England. Amazingly, to design his sets, Geoffrey Parker collaborated with some of the world’s best tournament backgammon players. His boards are as close to perfect as you can get.