Domino, a game of skill and strategy, involves the manipulation of small rectangular blocks, called dominoes, that have numbers printed on both sides. They are traditionally made of bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory, or a dark hardwood like ebony with black or white pips inlaid or painted on them. Some sets are made from other materials such as stone, metals, ceramic clay, or even frosted glass.
The earliest recorded mention of the game dates back to about the fourth century, though it is possible that it existed before this time. Today, dominoes are played in a wide range of ways with different rules and scoring systems, and they are used to build structures and create artworks.
There are many variants of the game, but all begin with a domino set that has been shuffled and is known as the stock or boneyard. The players draw tiles from this stack, which are then placed face down on the table to form a domino line or string that extends across the table. Each player then places a tile in the domino line, positioning it so that its open end matches one of the ends of the preceding domino in the line of play. The number of matching pips on the two adjacent tiles indicates the total count for the domino chain.
A player may take additional tiles from the stock, depending on the rules of the game, and add them to his hand. This is known as “byeing.” A player can also bye tiles from the stock that are already in his hand. In addition, some games permit players to buy tiles from the stock that they are not permitted to draw for their hands. These are sometimes referred to as chits or pegs.
In many domino games, a line of alternating singles and doubles is formed on the table as each player makes his play. Often, the first tile played is considered a “spinner,” meaning it can be played on both its left and right sides. The open ends of the other two dominoes in the line of play then match the corresponding halves of that double. The number of pips on both the matched doubles together is the total count for that domino chain.
Dominoes are arranged to form images, walls, 3-D structures, or flat arrangements. Hevesh begins each project by brainstorming and then planning how she wants the dominoes to be arranged. She then begins with the biggest, most complex sections and works her way down to smaller ones, making sure each works correctly before moving on to a new part of the installation. She also tests each section, and films the process for later review so that a slight error won’t bring the entire project crashing down.
Hevesh’s work is a testament to the value of incremental progress. It’s the little things that make a difference, and she believes that anyone can do it. It just takes a little bit of practice and a lot of perseverance.