UK Open 2026, Woodland Grange, Leamington Spa, May 22-25, 2026

Backgammon – Somehow it looked… glorious

A magnificently run UK Open absorbed all who partook with wall to wall action and the addicts making over 20 trips to the scorer’s hut.

In the hottest May temps seen in history, al fresco play became a welcome option and the final of the Consultation doubles was a wonderful sight with old roues Pete Hodson and Michele De Havilland proving yet again what a potent partnership they are.  They anaesthetized Mr Giannopoulos and me in the Semis, with one of those, “you haven’t lost till you’ve lost” turns that drove Andreas and I quietly mad.  Pete loved my line to AG of, “if you do this I will become ill, but I accept.”  P & M bring so much colour, vibrancy [and truly great honey] to the game, and you always know that humour and pleasant repartee will occur.

None more so than the grand final which attracted a big crowd to the Gazebo, who were hooked as the fancied heavyweight Cat Bucur and Andy Silverman stormed into a 6-1 lead before the opposition went on one of their freakshow benders and clawed back to Double Match Point and then all but rescued a no-hoper in the last, but couldn’t deliver the knock-out blow.

Consolation Cream Rose To the Top

The Consolation was a remarkable event in that the last 16 was one of the strongest ever seen in the history of British backgammon.  Pick the bones out of this:

Quite simply a who’s who of Mid-2020s British BG.  In ratings terms the match-ups were:

177 vs 34
36 vs 58
108 vs 148
63 vs 39
17 vs 79
149 vs 64
188 vs 76
14 vs 70

You don’t necessarily have to know what you’re doing in backgammon – but it helps.  But even more impressive is Merrin Rose’s collection of wins to take the trophy: Powell, Jones, Mann & Owen.  Now that’s a fab four that would punch heavy at the World Teams!  Huge congrats to her, and she’s secured the highest female British rating of all time – 1746 to Cecilia’s 1742.

Forget the Emmy this was the Big One

After outstanding runs from Warner Solomon and our ever loyal Tromso stallion Andre Larsen, we had our finalists.  Krzysztof Cebula’s love affair with the National continues apace and his recent stats here are played 45, won 34, lost 11.  Nice work if you can get it.

As a movie buff I was excited to see David Strathairn treading the boards, and told him how much I enjoyed his chemistry with Robert Redford in Sneakers back in ’92.  He coquettishly replied, “yes, I get that all the time…”  For some reason David now goes by Daniel Rozenberg from Brussels, but it’s definitely him, with a somewhat more valuable trophy than his Emmy of 16 years ago:

A great 33 problem and a truly amazing race

Daniel has a recent top 50 return at the World Championships and this is a fascinating 33 for him in the final.  Your thoughts?

After much anguish he progressed his rear-gunners to the 19 point, but it’s the wrong idea.  Only a 1.5% mistake, but since he’s not in contact with the midpoint, he should stay back.

Given the moment, given the match, this is one of the most amazing races you’ll ever see, made all the more surreal by commentator Julian Fetterlein’s classic understated British reserve of never raising his voice and alerting us to the madness, only noting at this stage that the game looked “suspiciously like a win for blue.”  You don’t say.  Blue is on roll:

How on earth does Krzysztof lose it from here?  Even after his 21 21 and David’s 66, he was still huge favourite.  But blue kept on pummeling the ace, and a perfect 22 at the death sealed the match.  Brutal.

Sean’s 1 million year penance

As ever there were fascinating positions all over the place.  After Liviu Ionescu tried a Great Escape with me, I had a grim sense of foreboding when I shipped this 4 cube at 4-0 [9].  Is the cube ok, and is it a take?

Sean Clennell was fairly assertive:  “never in a million years is that a take…”  And to be fair I am 83%.  But it’s a .05 mistake for Liv to pass and he correctly took, having little response to my 44.  0-8, and on his trip to the powder room took a £20 offer from someone that there was no coming back from that.  Given his klutz of an opposition, it was taking candy from a baby.

The Blackwell Acorn continues to grow

It was good to see more of British online star Will Blackwell in the flesh.  A Galaxy wiz and now a UK Monte Carlo satellite qualifier, he has taken down Peter Jes Thompson in MC, and all but saw off last year’s world Champ Vataainen in a crazy thriller on the 16 cube.

But what’s all the fuss about?  To see Will approach the board would hold little fear as he carries the somewhat bemused air of the brilliant but slightly shambolic English professor – think Michael Caine in Educating Rita – but underneath that laconic reserve belies an inner steel, who some of the finest coaches in Britain have pumped thoroughly in the debriefing room.  So much so that Yankee ledg Kent Goulding had to give best in the Mega Jackpot, playing off 2.8 to Will’s 1.9.  Outstanding stuff, and all the best for the Worlds.

Tremendous quality in the Inters

As ever there were a few bandits and quality a plenty in the Inters of 1650 players who qualify for the sub 1600 rule due to their annual average.  We don’t mind this – they’re playing by the rules, and the sky-rocketing antics of the likes of Jay Hayter can only be praised.

Another player soaring on Galaxy is Michael Flesch, retired from 50 years at the Bar, as one of the most revered Tax Silks of the last few generations.  He has taken his pursuit of excellence, outstanding intellectual rigour and good humour to backgammon and ripped into the Quarters courtesy of white-washing a shell-shocked Yas Turan in the last 16.

The event was won by Sean Brodie who John Lennon had in mind when penning Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, with newspaper taxis and marmalade skies:

Warm congrats to Sean who just might be the first top 25 player in the UK to win an Inters tournament, in a year ending in 6.  It is a remarkable rise and Sean has caught us all napping, as he’s come in to the year with a 1546 rating and now sits at 1765.

The finalist Kathryn Addy is yet another player who’s enjoying a swift rise through the ranks and a new name to watch with interest.

Farewell to the Jones Boys

To our regret this was TDs Kev and Sean’s last aria at the UK Open.  They’re strict but kindly nurses and almost any question of mine is a dumb one, but maybe I should read the literature more closely?  They are hob-knobbed boots to fill, and we’ll miss them, but they leave with the National as the finest event on the calendar – which of course it should be.

What a salivating summer now kicks off:  Blackpool, Cambridge, Liverpool, Whatcote, the UK clubs, Worcester, Brighton, and all things World Teams and Individual at Earl’s Court in late August – do try to make that.

I arrived home, with that heady vibe that often follows a big event:  skint but happy; and my mood was only heightened by a proposal… from a servant of the King no less.  And this one was the best proposal that you could ask for: “Proposal for disqualification from driving”.  No more school runs; no more having to drive under 22mph.   I have written to Chas to say, “I do.”

Mark Calderbank’s wonderful results service of all 21 events [with numerous freerolls and board events from our sponsors at Artgammon  – see image below] – may be admired here: https://msc27.me.uk/uko2026/ and you can catch up on all the live stream coverage, with commentary, here: https://youtube.com/@UKBGF