Whatcote Open 2026

Another Fantastic Weekend of Backgammon, Friendship… and a Few Painful Anti-Jokers!

If ever there was proof that you don’t need a five-star hotel or a convention centre to stage a memorable backgammon tournament, the Whatcote Open provides it every year.

Thirty-two players made their way to the picturesque Warwickshire village of Whatcote for another weekend of competitive backgammon, great company, plenty of laughter and, inevitably, a few stories of “how I should have won that match!”

One of my own missions this year was to produce something a little different for the winners. That led me down a rabbit hole I’d never expected. Earlier this year I bought my first 3D printer with the ambitious idea of designing and printing unique trophies for the tournament. It sounded like a great idea at the time… Several weeks, countless hours of printing, numerous design changes and more than a little colourful language later, the trophies were finally ready. Let’s just say I now have a whole new respect for anyone who owns a 3D printer.

Tournament directing duties were shared between Dave Sanders and myself, although Dave once again performed his usual magic behind the scenes, keeping every result and spreadsheet perfectly up to date throughout the weekend. If spreadsheets were a backgammon variant, Dave would already be a Grandmaster.

Rolling Into Action

The 32 entrants were split into eight groups of four, with the top two players progressing to the Main event and the remaining two entering the Consolation. Each player faced everyone else in their group over 9-point matches. Clocks were compulsory and, for this event, dice on checkers were allowed.

One of the most encouraging aspects of this year’s tournament was the fantastic mix of players. Around a third of the field consisted of ladies (10 out of 32 competitors), while many players were visiting Whatcote for the very first time. It made for a wonderful combination of experienced campaigners, rising stars and enthusiastic newcomers.

After a hearty breakfast, everyone made the now traditional five-minute walk to the church, where the boards were set and the dice were ready to roll. As always, Dave uploaded every Main and Consolation result to the UKBGF website throughout the weekend, allowing players to keep track of proceedings almost in real time.

By the end of Saturday, the picture had become much clearer. Eight players had qualified for the Main knockout, sixteen remained in the Consolation and eight players headed into the Last Chance event for Sunday.

One trophy had already found its new owner before Saturday was over. Justin Kalay became the first player to dance with double six on a one-point board, earning himself one of the newly printed Tower Dice Rollers. Sadly, despite appearances, it still doesn’t qualify as an official baffle box.

Saturday evening saw many of the players head to the Indian Queen for the now customary curry night.

This also gave Hazel Harper a well-earned break from looking after everyone back at the house. Hazel quietly works miracles throughout the weekend, making sure everything runs smoothly while somehow remaining cheerful no matter how many hungry backgammon players appear looking for tea, coffee or food.

Those who chose to go made the 10-minute drive (7 minutes in Tim Line’s case). Everyone agreed that it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The food was excellent, the service exceptional, and the post-match analysis continued long after the plates had been cleared.

Sunday… When the Pressure Really Builds

Sunday always brings a different atmosphere.

The friendly chatter gives way to nervous glances at the draw sheets, calculators start appearing and suddenly every pip seems to matter.

Unfortunately, I spent much of the day organising refreshments and lunch, so I wasn’t able to watch as much of the action as I would have liked. I’m sure every player has at least one story involving an anti-joker, an unfortunate cube decision or “the luckiest sequence of rolls I’ve ever seen” if you happen to bump into them.

Jon Barnes also recorded his match against Steve Peers and has created a fascinating quiz later in this article. It’s well worth having a go.

The Race for the Main Title

The Main semi-finals featured Steve Peers against Merrin Rose, while Jon Barnes faced Peter Bull.

Special mention should go to Merrin, who was attending Whatcote for the very first time and produced an excellent run to reach the last four.

Peter Bull also deserves recognition. Having entered the tournament at the last minute, he admitted beforehand that he wasn’t sure his standard was quite good enough. A semi-final appearance in the Main event and runner-up in the Speedgammon competition suggest he may have underestimated himself just a little!

Steve and Jon both progressed to what promised to be a terrific 11-point final.

One quirky feature of this year’s event was that I had produced four Tower Dice Rollers to present to every member of the eventual winner’s qualifying group.

As fate would have it, both finalists—Steve and Jon—had started in the same group on Saturday, meaning they both won one, along with Matthew Fisher and Paul Moulton.

The final itself swung backwards and forwards throughout. Steve established an early advantage before Jon fought his way back into contention. My memory is that the match reached Double Match Point before Steve finally edged home to lift the coveted Whatcote Open title.

Jon was the perfect runner-up, immediately congratulating Steve and praising the quality of his play—a fine example of the sportsmanship that makes weekends like this so enjoyable.

Interestingly, Jon had predicted Steve would go deep in the tournament immediately after playing him during the Saturday group stage. Sometimes you really can spot a champion early.

I am just going to post the Main Final winner and runner up but if you wish to see all of the winners’ receiving trophies then you can go to the ‘Whatcote Invitational’ Facebook page.

Consolation Success

While attention focused on the Main event, the Consolation tournament produced plenty of excellent backgammon of its own.

Dave Pritchard defeated Ovidiu Poppa while Kevin Stebbing overcame Julia Hayward to book their place in the final.

Dave eventually claimed the title after an entertaining 7-point final, with both finalists taking home one of the specially designed Whatcote trophies.

Last Chance… But Certainly Not Least

The Last Chance event also produced some memorable moments.

Peter Hodson and Jeff Bale decided the glorious weather was simply too good to ignore and played their match back at the house, making the most of a beautiful summer evening. Who could blame them?

Peter progressed to the final after defeating Jeff, while Jamie MacPherson overcame Martin Barkwill in the other semi-final.

Jamie then completed his successful weekend by defeating Peter in the final to become this year’s Last Chance champion.

Switchgammon Returns

The ever-popular Switchgammon tournament once again attracted plenty of interest. For those unfamiliar with it, Switchgammon is a variation that I developed which removes much of the frustration caused by those heartbreaking anti-joker rolls that can turn a winning position into a losing one. It’s fast, different and surprisingly addictive.

This year’s final saw defending champion Mike Ireland take on Peter Bull. Mike successfully retained his title, proving that last year’s victory was no fluke.

If you’d like to give Switchgammon a try yourself, it’s available online at Backgammon Hub, and I’m hoping to organise another Triple Elimination online tournament later this year.

Weekend Reflections

Looking back, what makes the Whatcote Open special isn’t just who wins the trophies. It’s the atmosphere. Competitive without ever becoming unfriendly. Serious over the board, but full of laughter away from it. Players helping one another, sharing stories, enjoying great food and proving once again that the backgammon community is one of the friendliest around.

A huge thank you goes to Dave Sanders for keeping the tournament running like clockwork, Hazel Harper for somehow keeping everyone fed and watered all weekend, and to every single player who helped make the event such a success.

Finally, don’t forget to test your own backgammon skills by tackling Jon Barnes’ quiz at the end of this article. I found it surprisingly difficult—and that’s coming from someone who thought he knew the answers!

Until next year…

And now for the quiz…

You will be playing from my perspective. Scroll down to each position. Make a mental note of your play, then scroll down to find your score. Have a pen and paper handy to keep a running total of your score for the rating at the end. Why not post your rating in the comments?

These plays are not all difficult or surprising, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking of the ‘quiz factor ‘. Not all them were a mistake by yours truly and I haven’t included all my mistakes – otherwise this article would be a lot longer! We have 36 questions (hey, what else have you got planned now the World Championships are over – you can’t even water the garden) Each position has a brief description of how we got there with some hints/misdirections. Heh heh.

#1: A nice gentle start, just two moves in. Do you get out of dodge, move up to fight for the anchor or hit off the 4 point?

Choices:

• 24/15
• 13/4*
• 24/20 6/1*
• 24/20 13/8

#2: Black has escaped both men, and you are stuck on the 24 point. Is it too risky to initiate contact and try to get an anchor?

Choices:

• 8/2 6/5
• 24/18 6/5

#3: 1-0 down and another early decision. You could just bring one down, but would you like to keep the back checkers split? Do you go for the fancy duplication play? There is always the hit of course.

Choices:

• 23/21 6/5
• 6/3*
• 13/10
• 24/23 13/11

#4: You can hit with the 4 and pick and pass or leave the blot to try and make it next roll. Or maybe just make the 9 point.

Choices:

• 13/9 10/9
• 8/4* 4/3
• 10/9 8/4

#5: First opportunity to double? You definitely have the edge, and that blot is just waiting to be hit. There are market losing sequences, but what if you miss?

#6: A nice 66 start, the 6 is 13/7. What about the 5, you could break the anchor that you have just made, break the mid-point or play safe.

Choices:

• 18/7
• 13/8 13/7
• 13/7 6/1

#7: We are still stuck on that 18 point. Similar choices to #6. Run, safe or dupe those ones?

Choices:

• 13/7 8/4
• 7/1 6/2
• 18/8

#8: We get to this position, with a close race and a shot that (nearly always) determines the game in your favour if you hit it. Is this a legitimate “action double”?

#9: You have the race lead, do you come under the gun or volunteer another blot?

Choices:

• Bar/21
• Bar/24 13/10

#10: Steve correctly doubles this. Looks scary. Is it a take?

Bonus question for an extra point. How many points would you have to add to Steve’s score to make this a No Double? Hint: it’s an integer between 1 and 7 inclusive (Answer is with Q11)

#11: A gammon loss brings us to 6-2 down in the next game. Dock yourself 50 points if you don’t cover with the one. With a healthy race lead do you step up with the two?

Choices:

• 13/11 6/5
• 24/22 6/5

#12: We have the edge. We still have some work to do, we might not get out from the 24 point but there are some very good sequences. Is it a double?

#13: Rolling the three was welcome, I remember being torn with the four. Do you unstack or move off the bar point to reduce the return hits?

Choices:

• 18/14 13/10*
• 13/9 13/10*

#14: The very next move and another quandary. After covering with the 4, do you step up, hit or put a spare on the ten point?

Choices:

• 14/10 6/3*
• 24/21 14/10
• 14/10 13/10

#15: Is this a cube, or are more improvements needed?

#16: Coming out with the 6 looks right, but then what? Shifting the anchor, hitting on the 3 point or on the point you really want to make but with more return shots? Oh hang on, you could play safe.

Choices:

• 21/18 8/2
• 21/15 8/5*
• 21/15 6/3*
• 21/15 18/15

#17: Play to win? The hit on the 5 point looks automatic, but surely this is too dangerous? On the other hand, leaving a blotty board gives Black a free rein to bring his men home with little jeopardy.

Choices:

• 7/4 7/2
• 13/5*

#18: We’ve been cubed and have hit the shot – hurrah! Or have we?

Choices:

• 18/17* 4/1
• 8/5 6/5

#19: A nice double 3 and double 1 give us a burgeoning prime. Too early to cube?

#20: Next roll we get this 65. Bringing two down is the priming play but splits my army in two. Perhaps it’s time for anchors away. Double falcon anyone?

Choices:

• 21/10
• 21/16 21/15
• 13/8 13/7

#21: The blighter has escaped! Do we sit back and hold with an even race, or go for it?

Choices:

• 10/3
• 21/14*

#22: This is a doozy!

Choices:

• 21/14
• 6/2 5/2
• 15/8

#23: A shot rang out, and we are left with the blots in board, which to lift?

Choices:

• 21/20* 5/2
• 21/20* 6/3
• 21/20* 20/17

#24: A fortunate sequence for us and we come across this.

The two choices are shown below. Make your choice and give your reason.

#25: Now, I am such a nice guy that I am going to give you the XG analysis for money in this position for the two competing plays. As you can see they are pretty much tied. What you have to do is decide at this match score which play comes out clearly on top. In other words, is the Gammon Price for us bigger or less than what is for money? Things to think about: we are behind in the match, a gammon for us takes us to 3 away and tied in the match. A win for Black takes him to Crawford.

Choices:

• 9/5 4/off (3)
• 9/1 6/2 4/off

Here are the money equities:

#26: Back to a more mundane position. No gammon last game so we are 8-6 behind. Escaped a man, but Black has the start of a prime. Do we slot and bring one down to try and counter prime, just bring one down to the ten point, edge up a little, or edge up a lot?

Choices:

• 13/10
• 13/11 6/5
• 24/23 13/11
• 24/21

#27: Next move. Our path to freedom has been blocked. Lots of options. Consolidate with two down. Jump out anyway and duplicate 4s. Step up and safety the blot, or step up and try and gain a tempo hitting or perhaps make the 11 and disconnect his blots by hitting. Decisions, decisions.

Choices:

• 13/11 6/1*
• 23/16
• 23/21 6/1*
• 13/11 13/8
• 23/21 11/6

#28: After a brace of boxes his army is cleft in twain. I am itching to reach for that cube. Should I?

#29: A 65 double hit and a poor entry from Steve. How about now?

#30: We’ve covered but he’s anchored. Are we there yet?

#31: Where’s Dirk when you need him? A couple of hitting plays and a couple of non-hitting plays to consider.

Choices:

• Bar/23 13/11 13/9*
• Bar/23 8/4 6/4
• Bar/23 24/22 13/9*
• Bar/21 6/4(2)

#32: Four points away and I can smell blood. Too early, or have I got this one spot on?

#33: Do you make the point and dare him to leave his blot and hit if he rolls a 4?

Choices:

• 13/11 6/2
• 6/2 3/1
• 8/2

#34: Time to go for the jugular?

Choices:

• 21/16 12/6
• 12/6 8/3*

#35: How about now?

Choices:

• 16/13
• 6/3*

#36: Only a single in the previous game but we’re back in the lead. By the way, the 63 hit in #35 with identical dice rolls would have been the gammon for the match but it’s thinking like that that leads to madness,

Steve has the initiative in the next game. I haven’t made much progress and he has a decent board and some blots to prey on. Those mid-point checkers are about the join the party, but at the moment there are only 8 in the zone. It’s a good cube, but is it a take?

The DMP game was uninteresting bar this excellent play by Steve that drew some comments after the match but as Steve correctly asserted, gammons didn’t matter so he made the play that he believed won the most games, and he was right!

Well done Steve. A worthy champ.

RATINGS

Only a bit of fun, you understand, but here is your rating…

• 61 – 70 Mochy
• 51 – 60 ZZ
• 41 – 50 Petko
• 31 – 40 Jason
• 21 – 30 Chris R
• 11 – 20 Kev
• 1 – 10 Merrin
• -10 – 0 Nicky
• -20 – -11 John G
• -30 – -21 the other Chris R
• < -30 Rob H