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Archives for January 2019

The Tour Winners’ Invitational has finally arrived!

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This weekend, Jan 26th-27th, sees the inaugural UKBGF Tour Winners’ Invitational tournament taking place. The cream of 2018 tour players, both Master and Intermediate, will gather at Shrigley Hall Hotel near Macclesfield to decide ultimate backgammon bragging rights for the year.

Meet the Players: Masters

Jon Barnes: Our first TWI winner and UKBGF Tour runner-up. West Yorkshire Open and Blackpool Open champion.

Tim Cross: UKBGF Tour winner 2018, and Newcastle Open, Winchester Open and Manchester Open champion

Aref Alipour: Our third qualifier, and St Albans Open champion

John Wright: (right) Our fourth qualifier, and London Open champion

Yan Kit Chan: 5th qualifier, and Cambridge Open champion

Mark Calderbank: Liverpool Open champion, and also finalist in Newcastle.

David Brown: (left) 7th qualifier, and UK Open champion

Mardi Ohannessian: 8th to qualify, Bristol Open finalist.

Jamie MacPherson: The last of our automatic qualifiers, winner of the Worcester Christmas Turkey.

Eric McAlpine: Our highest non-winning qualifier. Finalist in both St Albans and Blackpool

Radu Ciortan: West Yorkshire Open semi-finalist, and Manchester Open finalist

Anna Price: Winner of the Consolation in St Albans, semi-finalist in the London Open, and Consolation winner in Winchester.

Neil Foston: Cambridge Open finalist

Daniel Molan: 4th place in Bristol, and Worcester finalist.

Martin Barkwill: Newcastle Open semi-finalist and Blackpool Open quarter-finalist

Sean Clennell: St Albans Open quarter-finalist and Winchester Open semi-finalist

Meet the Players: Intermediates

Richard Halvorsen (right): Our first Intermediate qualifier and London Intermediate Champion

Ben Owen: Runner-up on the Intermediate Tour and UK Open Advanced Champion

Simon Hopper: UKBGF Intermediate Tour champion, and Bristol Open Intermediate champion

Ana Mancino: Quarter-finalist in the West Yorkshire Open, and Worcester Intermediate Consolation winner

Cristian Cozos: Blackpool Open quarter-finalist and Manchester Open semi-finalist

Alex Polden: UK Open intermediate quarter-finalist and Bristol Open intermediate =5th

Roger Porter: Newcastle Open quarter-finalist and UK Open Intermediate quarter-finalist

Sean Jones: Manchester Open quarter-finalist.

 

Regular tournament updates should be available via social media throughout the weekend, and live match streaming (subject to venue internet connection) will be available – keep an eye on Facebook or Twitter for the links.

If you’d like to be featured here this time next year, the UK Tour kicks off in West Yorkshire in March, and both Masters and Intermediates can score points. For 2019, we have five Intermediate events for you with the addition of the Brighton Summer Open. Don’t forget, you need to be a UKBGF member to score Tour points!

Hampton Hill Backgammon

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Ken Gibson writes:

Back on 31 July 2017, Graham Titcombe, of London Backgammon League fame, posted an advertisement on the Nextdoor App entitled ‘Anyone for Backgammon?’

Graham was to become the founder father of what is now known as Hampton Hill Backgammon Club, but is more accurately, and certainly geographically, Twickenham.

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The Early Morning Club

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Most backgammon clubs meet up for an enjoyable evening’s play – but literally any time of day is a good time! Colin Whiers writes: 

Our early morning backgammon really started by accident about two years ago. I was teaching backgammon to my friend Keith, over an early morning coffee before work one day. We continued to play for a few weeks in Caffe Nero and suddenly I realised people were listening to me as I taught the importance of the 5 point and why you should consider your game plan after every roll and the probability of leaving 17 shots or 11 shots etc. Before long, I had invited some of the customers who had shown an interest, to start learning Backgammon.

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Harris + Hoole Cup 2019: A little sweetener

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Use your 10 % discount card at any of 37 H+H outlets in London and the Home Counties

Places are filling up fast, the cup is now half full in terms of maximum number, and with 3 of the top 10 on the UKBGF ratings list having registered so far the strength of the brew is at least a 4 or 5 on the Taylor’s of Harrogate scale.

Furthermore, though you may balk at the idea of any more sugar after the festive break you can now get 10% off your coffee and anything else at Harris + Hoole coffee shops.

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Manchester Open 2018: Red Rum is Dead, long live Tim Cross!

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79 players rolled into Didsbury, Manchester for the 3rd Manchester Open which this year had absolutely nothing to do with the Grand National. Whilst all the runners and riders were waiting for starters’ orders, a new prize was awarded by way of settling everyone down and allowing time for a few stray horses such as Michael Levi back into the playing room, carefully handled by his trainer, Steve Bibby.

The final: Tim v Radu (Photo; Martin Barkwill)

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