Back in 1979, backgammon was one of their favourite ways to spend an evening. William “Bill” Bailey and Dennis Angelica played whenever the opportunity presented itself, often with friends gathered around the board.
There was just one recurring problem: backgammon is a game for two, and more often than not there was a third player waiting for a turn. That sparked the idea: why not adapt the board so all three of us could play at the same time?
And so, Trigammon was born.
What began as a practical solution soon became a game with a character of its own. Three equal players sharing one board created new choices, risks and opportunities. Instead of watching from the sidelines, all three players were suddenly part of the action. Because each player must pass through another player’s Inner Board, Trigammon introduces an entirely new strategic dimension. Success calls for fresh tactics, careful timing and constant awareness of two opponents rather than one.
Nearly Five Decades of Development
As the years passed, Dennis stepped aside from the active development of Trigammon, while Bill continued to carry the project forward as best he could. Prototype boards remained in private play, while Bill continued refining the rules and board design and personally funding the project.
Efforts were also made to protect and advance Trigammon, including successful U.S. trademark registrations in 2003 and again in 2015. The desire to bring the game to market never went away, but the cost of maintaining trademark protection and funding large-scale production kept that goal out of reach for many years.
In 2026, nearly five decades after the first games were played, Trigammon entered a new phase of development. The board was redesigned, the rules revisited and the game refined with a clear goal: keep Trigammon as close to traditional backgammon as practical, changing familiar rules only where necessary to make three-player play work.
Today, Trigammon is being developed step by step, beginning with smaller-scale production and a practical path toward bringing the game to a wider audience.
TrigammonX™
The story does not end with the physical board.
TrigammonX™ is the digital evolution of Trigammon, being developed to bring the three-player game to computers, tablets and mobile devices. The digital project provides an opportunity to explore guided gameplay, player testing, modern interfaces and optional game variants while remaining connected to the core Trigammon playing system.
Trigammon and TrigammonX are being developed alongside one another: one as the physical tabletop game and the other as its digital counterpart.
Backgammon for Three
While other three-player adaptations of backgammon have appeared over the years, Trigammon has followed its own path since 1979. Carried forward and continually developed by Bill, it evolved around a distinctive three-player board and playing system designed specifically for three equal opponents.
Trigammon is, quite simply, Backgammon for Three.
Nearly five decades after the first games were played, the idea continues: three equal players, one shared board and a new strategic challenge built on the familiar foundations of backgammon.
Independent Development
Trigammon™ and TrigammonX™ are independently developed projects. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to other three-player backgammon games, variants, patents, publications or products that may use similar names or concepts.
Current status
Trigammon and TrigammonX are currently in prototype and development. Public access and sales are not yet available. Initial development and any intended release are Australia-focused, and neither project is currently offered for sale in the United States.
Last updated: August 2026