“Sports”. What did you brain come up with? Football? Basketball?
Surely, the image of “darts” will not be conjured in your mind unless you are a huge enthusiast. However, this game has roots which can be traced back in the middle ages: it was popular among Henry VIII and the Tudors.
The original version of darts is nowhere near the modern one –while royal families played it at home some six centuries ago, now it is typically enjoyed in public houses, pubs and taverns.
Officially recognized as sport in seven countries, including England, the United States, Germany, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Scotland, the game has interesting rules. Firstly, the circle board made of sisal has 20 equally divided sections. Each of the potions has numbers from 1 to 20, though placed in a chaotic order. The very middle part, usually red, is called “bulls-eye” and gives a score of 50 points, and the outer shell of bulls-eye gives half of it.
While these scores seem a lot, there is a greater and a more profitable spot for players – another circle which triples the number of section where a dart was shot at.
The highest score that can be gained here does not need high intellect in order to be calculated – it is exactly 60 points.
And that is the technique Harry Anderson used in 2016 World Championship Final: he scored 60 two times, and a 50 on his third shot.
Why these numbers though? Professional darts is played starting from 501 points, and as players score, these points are subtracted from the initial count. If a gamer is left with 170, he will try to do exactly what Anderson did and win the game. In case after three shots he is left with only one point, the round starts again, with the opponent winning.
Interesting, isn’t it? Hopefully, darts will be played by a greater percentage of the world, so that hidden talents can be discovered everywhere.
Gulchin Aliyeva
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