The UK Backgammon Federation
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!”
Get ready for an exciting weekend of intense competition!
This weekend, October 12-13, the UK online team will once again face off against a powerhouse US team in the highly anticipated Magriel Cup. Geoff Hall, the UK’s new online captain, said: “Last year, the UK held a narrow lead on Saturday but ultimately lost in a nail-biting finish by Sunday. But fear not! After our thrilling victory over Germany in a recent friendly match, where the UK displayed tremendous performances and wins, we’re feeling confident about flipping the script and avenging last year’s result against the
US.”
Picture this: it’s 1999, and I’m at my favourite local casino, utterly engrossed in my usual blackjack routine. I’m juggling two hands like a pro, but tonight, the cards seem to be having a bit of a laugh at my expense. For instance, I get a ‘Queen’ and a ‘Six’ for my first card on each hand, and then a ‘Four’ and a ‘King’ for the second. So, one hand totals 14 and the other 16. “If only the ‘Four’ and the ‘Queen’ had swapped places,” I muttered to myself, “I’d be sitting pretty with a 20 and a 10!”
That night, a light bulb went off: why not create a game where you can actually switch cards around? And thus, ‘Blackjack Switch’ was born, spreading its charm to casinos worldwide!
On a miserable, rainy July 14th, eighteen courageous, cuboid-chucking, checker-chancers, set their satnavs to Whatcote, a picturesque village 10 miles away from Stratford-upon-Avon, to take part in a brand-new tournament format. A UBC-style event whereby points are awarded to players who win matches as well as points awarded for a better PR. However, the unique difference in this tournament is that each player has a ‘PR Handicap’ assigned to them at the start.
From left to right: Andy Darby, Oliver Squire, Dave Sanders, Dan Rovira, Chris Rogers, Safi Tracy, Steve Bibby, Gaz Owen, Sara Sathyanandha, Steve Peers, Jon Barnes, Tim Line, Pete Heskett, Hazel Harper, Eric McAlpine, Nick Sandqvist, Stefan Paliwoda, Rich Carter, Paul Plumptre, Julian Minwalla, Eric Westbrook, and Geoff Hall
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