Budapest provided a spectacular backdrop to the second EUBGF’s European Team Championships last weekend, with 15 teams comprising over 100 players competing for the title. The Hungarian capital is spread on both sides of the River Danube, combining the original two communities of Buda and Pest, the latter a Slavic word meaning ‘oven’ or ‘furnace’.
And it certainly was the intense heat of competition together with the extraordinary twists and turns of the game that could have burnt-out the UK’s seven representatives, but for their united team spirit, led by Tim Cross, their Captain.
For every round, countries selected four players to play one match each. UK drew the eventual champions, Croatia in the first round, losing 1-3. However UK earned a 2-2 draw against the eventual finalists, Germany – no penalty shoot-out – who also went on to beat Denmark, the 2014 Champions, in the semi-finals.
Losses to Russia, Romania and Iceland were a tough experience for all, with most of the matches going to DMP or within a point of DMP providing little consolation. Scores in the 15-point matches for the UK’s worst defeat, against Russia, were: 13-15, 13-15, 12-15, 10-15. That backgammon can be the cruellest game was never clearer.
However there was a shining consolation – Tim Cross and Yan Kit Chan played together in the Doubles. Defeating very strong pairs in the early rounds, they reached the quarter finals, and at DMP a bear-off race saw Tim rolling 2-1 in two successive rolls, leaving them with a checker on the 3 point and on the 1 point, and their opponents with a checker apiece on the 1 point and 4 point. Tim insisted Yan take over the dice, who promptly rolled… a 2-1. Their opponents matched it with a 1-1. Tim and Yan went on to win the tournament – thoroughly deserved compensation for enduring a tough sequence of losses in the Team Championships.
A note on the tournament format: the organisers, a more friendly, welcoming and helpful bunch you couldn’t wish for, had to tackle a tournament format that almost guaranteed long, overrunning rounds. Six rounds, 15 points, and a Swiss Robin draw with teams of four led to matches finishing at 2am on both nights, and the finals ending way past the time given for the prize giving ceremony. The semi-final between Denmark and Germany ended 2-2 at first, so, already some hours over schedule, one further deciding team-consulting match was played. It would be worth considering much shorter matches before the semi-finals, at 7 points, with teams of 3 or 5 (to ensure a winner/loser result) enabling a greater number of rounds to be played and to keep within the schedule.
The selection process for the 2016 event in Copenhagen will be announced here in due course, and we will welcome applications from anyone who is eligible to play for the UK. If you are interested in taking part, why not subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss it?
I’m pleased to confirm that Tim’s captaincy and diplomacy with the other teams were oustanding. Congratulations to UKBGF on selecting the right player!
It is immensely gratifying to read the comments from members of other teams and from other players about Team UK. I am sure that all members of the UKBGF Board (as well as the entire UK backgammon community) feels proud of the way the team represented us, under the very able captaincy of Tim Cross. It is obvious that Tim engendered an amazing team spirit, which augers well for his captaincy of the online UK team in the forthcoming EBIF online team championship next month.
Many congratulations also to Jim, Yan and Tim for their achievements in the singles and doubles events – well deserved compensation for the tough battles and cruel close finishes they had endured in the team event.
Well done Team UK!
Dia dhuit
Well done to UKBF for producing a great Backgammon team, they were a credit to your country and represented you well, OK, they didn’t win but they were a pleasure to play against, and socialise with. I have always said that you should, “Win with honor and loose with dignity”, and they did both. I hope that we in Ireland can produce a team like yours next year in Copenhagen (but with more wins) well done lads.
Hi Tim!
As the captain of Croatia, your first opponent and current European Team Champion (please excuse me, I still have too much adrenaline, it’s so incredible how we got there and the final consultation match was pure backgammon history…) I want to say that you were one of the most friendly and sympathic teams. Beside the fact that all of you guys show sportsmanship – and have a brilliant humor 🙂
It was really a great pleasure to meet you and to win new friends.
2 years ago Carl Dell visited us in Crotia at a tournament and since then me and Willi have plans to come to one of your tournaments. Hope this will be soon, can’t wait to meet you nice guys again.
Btw: there are quite comfortable and inexpensive flights from England to Croatia, so take a chance to play one of the tournaments at the beautiful Adria.
It’s good to have you all in there, it makes this cruel game even more exciting and wonderful, by meeting so kind and great people.
Thanks you all and see you soon!
Nino
PS: Raj, we missed you. Hope to see you in Kopenhagen 2016 🙂
Congratulations Nino and the team, I was there at 3.30am watching the final live consultation match and saw you all when Germany rolled 55 and you knew any other roll than 11 would win you the title, but watch out UK is coming after you next year!!
TEAM UK and especially Captain Tim Cross, a HUGE well done and thank you for your efforts from the UKBGF Board! We have received comments about the way the team handled itself from another team in the competition and we are proud to say that you were deemed to be a great credit to the UK. International backgammon and especially international team backgammon is no easy matter and winning isn’t the be all and end all although it is gratifying that although you didn’t have the luck in the team event, three of you individually did exceptionally well in a singles and the doubles events! The way you conduct yourselves is also important to the image of the UK. Team UK achieved everything and more in the view of the UKBGF Board and we cannot say enough that all of you that stepped forward and participated at your own expense and experienced the huge pressure of the event are due a great debt of gratitude from all the members of the UKBGF. Well done again!!
Well done to all of you guys – the fact the matches were so close is proof that you all deserved your place on the team. And Tim and Yan winning the European doubles is just brilliant!
It sounds very exciting and you guys have all inspired me – I’ll definitely be trying for the next one.
Also, a massive thank you to you all for taking the time and trouble, and bearing the cost, to represent UK.