As the post-pandemic appetite for live backgammon continues to surge, it’s appropriate that the UKBGF Accredited Organiser scheme also goes from strength to strength.
There are now 32 course-completing, exam-passing AOs running clubs and tournaments up and down our islands. You can see who they are here.
These are the only formally qualified backgammon organisers anywhere in the world. We should be proud of them and celebrate that we have taken an international lead in ensuring the highest level of competence in the organisation of the game we love.
AOs In Action
AO, Tom McMahon; Club, Bounds Green: Tom opened the new club on 11th September ’24 and in short order averages around 20 players per week. The club has 50 members and has introduced 10 new players to the UKBGF Ratings system.
AO, Steve Allott; Tournament, Scarborough: Steve runs one of the newer tournaments on the calendar and is another of our recently qualified AOs. He reports knotty issues that arose at his recent event regarding clock positioning and level of rules awareness among inexperienced players. He is aware, however, that in the AO Discussion Forum he can raise these matters to source best practice from his fellow Tournament Directors.
AO, Dave Gallagher; Club, Silloth (TD) and Kirkbampton (assisting): Dave is involved in organising two new clubs in the north of the Lake District. More evidence of the growth of interest in live backgammon and the role played by Accredited Organisers in helping to make this happen.
AO, Plamen Sivrev; Event, Plymouth 9-Pointer: Plamen recently hosted the first of what promises to be a regular monthly event under the English Riviera Backgammon Congress. He is one of our more recently qualified AOs and began by connecting with more experienced organisers via the Forum.
Congratulations to them and to all 32 members of our AO cadre.
The AO Discussion Forum
The Forum is a facility open only to AOs in which they can ask and answer questions relating to issues around organising BG events. It’s an invaluable resource which is increasing in depth and wisdom with each new query and response.
The topics discussed in recent weeks include:
- Bad habits, what to do? (Two-handed play, checker shuffling, etc…)
- Very weak players (Accommodating absolute learners in a small club setting)
- UK Open 2025 (When, why…)
- It’s A Dog’s Life (Should dogs be allowed at tournaments?)
- Score differences in rankings (How to separate tied players fairly)
You can become a contributor to the Forum by signing up to become a UKBGF Accredited organiser.
Read more about the AO scheme here.
Interested? Register to join the AO scheme here.
Some of you may have heard about my (free) AI tool, the “Backgammon Rules Assistant” (aka B.R.A.D.)
It’s a backgammon aid designed to help with rule familiarisation, process clarification, as well as providing a solution for rapid conflict resolution.
Hopefully the ‘self-service’ aspect should somewhat lighten to load of Tournament Directors and even reduce the number of rare, but occasionally volatile disagreements.
It can also benefit learners of the game to understand protocol, etiquette and best practice on their journey into formal club or tournament play from their informal beginnings.
I am close to launching version 2.0 on the web rather than the Open AI platform to maximise accessibility. I would like to have a few members of the community give it a test and let me know of any potential issues there may be.
Please could you fill out this form if you are interested in early access to the v2 beta and I’ll get in touch…
https://forms.gle/mS8Z42iYh28dYtVy5
Many thanks,
Wayne
Well done Simon Hopper for setting up the AO scheme!
Every club would benefit by taking the opportunity to encourage club members to get involved.
Hi Simon
Just a minor point regarding Devon 9 pointers
Nothing to do with The English Riviera Backgammon Congress
9 pointers A Rosemary and Gerald initiative supported by Plamen who asked to be TD for first one to get some practice prior to the big one
Not Plymouth but Devon monthly 9 pointers
Next one at Tavistock Golf club 23 March, already sold out
TDS on the day will vary depending on availability
Thanks for clarifying, Gerald and my apologies for misunderstanding your email.
Fantastic work by yourself, Rosemary and Plamen (Accredited Organisers all!) in creating these BG opportunities down in your corner of the UK.
Best wishes to you all and good luck in your Organising enterprises. Simon.
A fantastic scheme. We would encourage you to participate. It doesn’t take much time and it is very worthwhile.