The UK Backgammon Federation
Masayuki Mochizuki (Mochy), perhaps the strongest backgammon player in the world, has kindly invited us to reproduce his recent bear off seminar here on the UKBGF blog. Mochy gave this presentation over the weekend at the Merit Open 2013 in Cyprus, and it is our pleasure to share it here with our readers.
Mochy, who declared the formation of the UKBGF great news for the backgammon community, can be followed on Twitter here.
Hi – I’m Chris Bray. I have been playing backgammon for over thirty-five years and I am the backgammon correspondent for The Independent Newspaper in the UK. Tomorrow’s column announces the formation of the UKBGF to readers of The Independent.
Little did I know when I submitted my first article to the paper in February 1994 that I’d still be writing the column nearly twenty years later. Luckily my time ‘in office’ has coincided with huge developments in the theory of the game that have taken place because of modern computer technology and in particular the influence of backgammon computer programs, the best of which is undoubtedly Extreme Gammon.
I have been asked how I can find something different to write about the game each week but, in all truth, if I write the column for another twenty years I will never run out of material. The game is endlessly fascinating and just when you think you are beginning to understand it something new turns up to surprise you. Like all great games you can learn the basics in a few hours, you can become competent in three months, an expert in eighteen months and it takes you a lifetime to really understand it!
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Since the launch of the UKBGF website just two weeks ago, a total of 36 players have registered for the first UK Backgammon Open at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry next September. These include top UK experts such as Raj Jansari, Julian Fetterlein, Chris Bray, Lawrence Powell, Rachel Rhodes and Stuart Mann; and two prominent Irish players, Brendan Burgess and Dave “Cracker” McNamara.
Several more overseas players have expressed interest, and Paul Money and Carter Mattig (of course!), have both registered. Many more have indicated, either verbally or on the UKBGF Facebook page, that they will be coming. Find out who’s already registered by checking the regularly-updated list of tournament attendees.
With just under a year until the inaugural UK Backgammon Open, there is plenty of time to improve your game. Here are 5 things you can be doing between now and the UK Open to maximise your chances of winning it. In every example White is on roll.
It would be a shame to get to double match point in the final at the UK Open and not know how to play a simple 31.
Correct move: 24/21 8/7*
Reply charts such as this great one by Timothy Chow can be extremely useful. Be sure also to take a look at Phil Simborg’s Opening Ceremony video.
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We are delighted to announce the launch of the first UK Backgammon Open in association with Grosvenor Casinos, who operate 55 casinos across the UK. The tournament will be held at the spectacular Ricoh Arena in Coventry over the weekend of 19 – 21 September 2014.
Thanks to the support of Grosvenor, we are able to offer players:
For more details, please see the UK Open page. Registration is now open!
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