BackGammonMoments » Events

In Abu Dhabi, During Holy Month of Ramadan…Play Backgammon

doclotto — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:40:29 +0000

Here is an interesting way to pass the time of day if you happen to be spending time in Abu Dhabi during the most holy month of Ramadan.

Play backgammon. This month, the Millennium Hotel Abu Dhabi will offer a lavish Iftar buffet complete with Ramadan juices for only AED135 per person for adults and AED75 for children between 6 and 12.

And while you’re waiting, enjoy a shisha with a game of chess or backgammon in the Layali Al Alfeya tent in Marakesh restaurant, open from 20:00 until Suhoor.

An Oudh player will entertain with traditional sounds of Arabia, and the a la carte menu offers oriental and authentic Ramadan food.

Sounds wonderful.

So, all of our Muslim friends, traveling to Abu Dhabi, here is a chance to not just worship but to also have some gaming fun on the side.

After all, backgammon, we know, is one of the most popular games in the mideast.

Enjoy.

The Road to the International Backgammon Championship Begins Here. Now!

doclotto — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:20:27 +0000

Those of you who read this posting regularly KNOW that I HATE to use press releases as sources of information. I’d rather use my contacts (real people) around the world.

Nevertheless, every once in a while an organization puts out a release that says it all. Hence this week, something from the U.S. Backgammon Federation….

Why am I doing this? Because I want you all to know about how to get involved in the world championships.

It all begins (in this country) at the U.S. Online Qualifying Events, where players have the opportunity to compete in numerous ABT and USBGF tournament events from now (it’s already started) and September 5th, 2011, to enter the playoffs to win one of four coveted seats representing the USA in the 1st International Backgammon Championship.

The 1st International Backgammon Championship (IBC) will challenge four players from each of approximately 15 countries from around the world, in a competition to be held between October 12th, 2011 through the end of December, 2011.

Early rounds will be played on an online venue to be announced. The four semi-final contenders will compete for the title of World Champion in a possibly live, televised grand finale playoff, tentatively scheduled during the first quarter of 2012. These details are not finalized and are subject to change.

Specifically, the path to become the International Champion will occur in four phases.

Phase I

The first phase takes place between now and September 5, 2011 and has a number of avenues into the second phase Playoffs. These include:

Contributing $20 to an IBC Donor Pool at an ABT Open event and being the donating player(s) going the furthest in the event. The number of qualifiers in any given event is dependent on the number of persons playing in the event (both donors and non-donors). For up to 31 players in an event, there will be only one Qualifier. For 32-63 entrants, there will be two Qualifiers. For 64 or more, there will be three Qualifiers. Players may re-enter ABT Open qualifying events, but a donation of $20 is required for each qualifying event or re-entry. If donors tie for the same place, all that tie will gain seats in the U.S. Online Playoffs.

ABT Open events during this period include:

Nevada Open April 2011 – Ray Fogerlund and Patrick Gibson, Qualifiers
Atlanta Open April-May 2011
Chicago Open end of May 2011
1st Golden Gate Open May 2011
LA Open June 2011
Michigan Open July 2011
Minnesota Open July 2011
Florida Open August 2011
Wisconsin Open September 2011

Winning selected USBGF sponsored events:

USBGF National Championships in Los Angeles June 9-12, 2011
USBGF World Giants’ Challenge Quiz in LA June 11, 2011
USBGF National Club Team Tournament — playoff among players on winning team

ABT Winners/Leaders:

2010 ABT Champion — Kit Woolsey, Qualifier
2011 ABT leader as of September 5, 2011

Other qualifying events:

Giants Invitational in Chicago May 2011
U.S. Local Club Qualifiers — details to be announced
Such other events as the organizers may designate

PHASE II

September 5th and October 10th, 2011.

Online Playoffs to select the top four U.S. players will be selected by an online competition among those qualifying in Phase One.

PHASE III

October 12 starts the international phase and ends in December 2011 by online competition.

The USBGF will pay the entry fees of the four US representatives of 1000 Euros and 50 Euro registration for each player.

PHASE IV

The semi-finals and Grande Finale competition will be held during the first quarter of 2012 in a location to be announced.

Check out the USBF for more information.

Pretty cool, huh?

Push to Excite (and Teach) New Backgammon Players is On: High Schoolers and College Students the Target

doclotto — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:54:32 +0000

I noted this item on a news web site and thought…in view of how much we all love backgammon, it would be good to get the word out about a growing movement:

The US Backgammon Federation is starting backgammon clubs at high schools and colleges all over the country.

The Fed said, “We will help provide boards, coaching, and on-line competition with other schools with prizes and scholarships.”

If you have a contact at a school and can help us in the door, we will do the rest.

Hey, the more people who play the better, as far as I’m concerned.

Beautiful Setting, Awesome Tournament: Get Thee Over to Meribel, France

doclotto — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 14:36:45 +0000

Top international BG players are coming to Meribel again this year.

And why not? Check out the setting. [Got to marinet.com]

What I like about this tournament is it provides an opportunity for amateurs (like me) to watch, play and learn from, top international players.

The tournament will be held from 8 to12 December at the Trois Hotels de la Chaudanne with 10,000 Euros prize money to play for.  

That’s the kind of money that will definitely draw players.

The organizer, current Portuguese Backgammon Champion Clive Kaye, will be better known to most Méribel visitors as owner of Barometer Bar.

He said that he started the tournament last year “because there wasn’t a serious tournament during the winter and it seemed a good way to bring Backgammon to Méribel during the start of the season.”  

For amateur players who would like to turn up and play for an hour or two, there will be Jackpots running throughout the weekend.

These mini-tournaments for 8 people are open to everybody and cost €20 to enter. More serious players can compete in one of two flights: the Méribel Masters is for top players only, and the Mid Flight is a more relaxed event open to all.

Entry fee for the latter is 150€ and 100% of the entry fees are returned as prize money  In addition, the biggest name in Backgammon, the 2009 World Champion Mochy, will be hosting an informal talk.

This will take the form of a discussion with the audience while solving some backgammon problems. “Mochy’s Hour” will be at 7.30pm on Saturday 11 December in the Grizzli Bar, Eterlou Hotel.

So if you are anywhere near Meribel, go to this one.

And I’ll see you there.

Backgammon Expert Releases Excellent Book on How to Play

doclotto — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 12:56:14 +0000

Before I begin, apologies to my regular viewers. I was sick as a junkyard dog all last week, so I fell behind on my backgammon postings. Well, I’ll do two this week. I promise.

Now to something pretty cool. Mary Hickey is a backgammon champion.

And a stay at home mom.

Now, she’s also an author. Of a book on backgammon… well, not a book, a CD book.

“Chouette and More: The World’s First and Only Backgammon Sci-Fi Soap Opera” is the weird title to this CD slash book.

Hickey, of Kirkersville, New Jersey created the book on CD as a fun and informational resource for aspiring backgammon champs to learn about the strategies behind the board game — complete with colored diagrams and a storyline involving a mansion, a trip to Africa and a Blue Persian cat named Wilberforce.

Well, OK, that might seem a little over the top, but you know what? It freakin’ works.

She is a former chemical engineer, then stay at mom, now backgammon expert.

She was introduced to the game during a business trip in the late 1970s when she stumbled into a backgammon game at a restaurant in Houston.

“I never really thought I would be playing again,” Hickey told a reporter in New Jersey. “Then I found out more people play it than I thought.”

She rwon the U.S. Open backgammon tournament in San Francisco in May.

Hickey stays up to date on the game as much as possible by reading backgammon books and reviewing plays from online games, in addition to teaching backgammon lessons — she has six students — and writing books on the subject.

Her next competition is in October in Peoria, Ill.

If she could wish a few things for the world of backgammon, it would be more television coverage and increased participation by women and a younger age group, Hickey said.

“There’s not enough young players. We need more of the younger ones,” said Hickey.

To her, and people like me (I confess) backgammon is more than just a game or even a hobby: with its blend of logic and probability, she said, it’s a small reflection of life.

So check her out.