Registration

All Players

Please read this page carefully and then pre-register in one of the following categories or ‘flights’. Please also remember to book your accommodation at Woodland Grange (if required) because our allocation of rooms is limited.

If in doubt as to which flight you should enter, or if you have any other queries about registration, please email contact@ukbgf.com. It may be possible for you to register for the Masters flight on the day but, if you choose not to pre-register, we cannot guarantee that places will still be available.  The Intermediate flight (limited to 64 players) is now full (see below) and you will not be able to register on the day.

The Tournament Directors (TDs) may, at their discretion, refuse entry to any player into any of the scheduled events. Players are expected to enter whichever flight is commensurate with their backgammon skill and experience. The acknowledgement by us of an email from a player wishing to pre-register for the Intermediate flight (for example) does not guarantee that the player will be permitted to play in that flight. The Tournament Directors may subsequently require a player to upgrade to the Masters flight.

Note that registration fees for the 2019 UK Open do not depend on whether or not you are a member of the UK Backgammon Federation. However, exclusive UKBGF member benefits will include positive equity side events and added prizes. If you are not yet a UKBGF member but wish to join, please do so in advance of the UK Open using the online form. Details of membership benefits, with a link to this form, can be found on the Join page. We no longer accept membership applications or renewals in cash at tournaments.

UKBGF members in both Masters and Intermediate Flights will earn UKBGF Tour points. Those entering the Intermediate Flight will automatically be entered into the Intermediate Tour competition.

Masters Players

The Masters flight is limited to 96 players and spaces are still available. Please email contact@ukbgf.com to pre-register, stating that you wish to play in the Masters flight. If you also wish to play in the Super Jackpot, please mention that as well. Pre-registration will guarantee your place should we become over-subscribed. You will receive a confirmation email and your name will in due course appear on the ‘Who’s Coming‘ page. In most cases no advance payment of registration or entry fees is required and you may cancel at any time without penalty.

We reserve the right to charge a non-refundable registration fee in advance to any player who has in a previous year given us inadequate notice of their cancellation, or has simply failed to turn up. Please note that registration closes at 10am on Saturday 31st August 2019. Regardless of whether or not you have pre-registered by email, you must have paid your registration fee, entry fee and any side pool money by this deadline or you will not be included in the tournament draw.

Intermediate Players

The Intermediate flight is limited to 64 players and is now full, with a waiting list. To go on this waiting list, please email contact@ukbgf.com stating that you wish to play in the Intermediate flight (known in previous years as ‘Advanced’). You will receive an email acknowledgement and your name will shortly appear in the ‘Intermediate Waiting List’ on the ‘Who’s Coming‘ page. In the event of a cancellation, we will contact the player at the top of the waiting list. Providing that the tournament is still some weeks away, that player will be given a day or two to accept or refuse the place before we contact the next person. There will probably be some cancellations so it is worth getting your name on the list as soon as possible.

We reserve the right to charge a non-refundable registration fee in advance to any player who has in a previous year given us inadequate notice of their cancellation, or has simply failed to turn up. Please note that registration closes at 10am on Saturday 31st August 2019. Regardless of whether or not you have pre-registered by email, you must have paid your registration fee, entry fee and any side pool money by this deadline or you will not be included in the tournament draw.

You may not enter the Intermediate competition if the Tournament Directors consider that you belong in the Masters. This will be determined by several factors, including UKBGF rating. As a guide, any player whose rating is consistently or regularly higher than 1600 (with a meaningful number of experience points) will require TD approval to play in this flight. Other factors, such as past performance in this and other tournaments, general player reputation, whether they regularly enter open-level tournaments, and the player’s XG PR (Performance Rating) in any recorded matches will also be taken into consideration. Note that Intermediate players are not permitted to enter the Super Jackpot.

No prize money is payable to a player in the Intermediate Flight unless that player has opted for ‘Paid entry’.  See Entry and Registration Fees.

Social Swiss Players

As the name implies, this competition is for beginners or social (‘fun’) players who are unfamiliar with the use of the doubling cube. Only genuine social and novice players will be permitted to enter. Players who have previously played in a backgammon tournament involving an entry fee and prize money may not be eligible to play in the Swiss event unless prior approval is obtained from the Tournament Directors.

If you think you might like to play in the Social Swiss competitions please email us at contact@ukbgf.com in advance so that we can get an idea of numbers.