PRIMETIMEB A C K G A M M O N
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE USBGF JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2015
Us Backgammon federation visit us at usbgforg
online master poinT leaderS
Ted Chee tops the Online Circuit leaderboard
2014 player of the year
Ray Fogerlund wins the coveted ABT title
for the 4th time
American backgammonhall of fame13 of the games most extraordinary contributors are honored for their achievements
Early GameStick analyzes the 64 split
52 second roll sequence
Simply the Worldrsquos nestBackgammon since 1961
wwwgeoreyparkercom
H A N D M A D E I N E N G L A N D
Simply the Worldrsquos nestBackgammon since 1961
wwwgeoreyparkercom
H A N D M A D E I N E N G L A N D
wwwgeoffreyparkercom
Karen Davis is Chairman of the USBGF Board of Directors and Managing Editor of PrimeTime Backgammon
KAREN DAVIS
Featuring the inaugural American Backgammon
Hall of Fame and USBGF Awards
5USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
This issue features the
inaugural American
Backgammon Hall
of Fame inductees mdash
with snapshots of each
of the 13 honorees
an insightful essay by
Jeremy Bagai on the
class and a description
of the process used to
derive the winners hellip
ldquoBy Karen Davis Managing Editor
january - February Issue PrimeTime Backgammon
A special treat is in store for our
readers This issue features the
inaugural American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame inductees mdash with
snapshots of each of the 13 honorees an
insightful essay by Jeremy Bagai on the
class a description by Karen Davis of the
process used to select these individuals and
plans going forward by Bill Riles USBGF
President and Executive Director
Ted Chee USBGF All-Time and 2014
Online Master Points winner was honored
along with the Hall of Famers at the USBGF
Awards dinner in San Antonio on January
30 2015 He is featured in a report on the
online master point leaders since the launch
of the USBGF Online Tournament Circuit
in the fall of 2012
Ray Fogerlund who won the coveted 1
spot on the American Backgammon Tour
for 2014 is profiled by Karen Davis A
feature on Frank Raposa 2 ABT winner
for 2014 is reprinted with permission from
his hometown Fitchburg Massachusetts
newspaper the Sentinel amp Enterprise
Stick makes his debut as a regular columnist
for PrimeTime Backgammon with his first
article on common errors in the early game
that result in significant match equity loss
This issue also showcases Bill Phipps ldquoThe
Wolf of Wall Streetrdquo in an article by Iancho
Hristov Other player profiles by Karen
Davis include Jonah Seewald 2014 USBGF
Grand Champion and Zdeněk Žižka from
the Czech Republic winner of the online
Masters Divisional IV
And there are tournament reports galore
the inaugural UK Open by Peter Bennet
the Japan Open by Jake Jacobs and the 2nd
Merit Open in Cyprus by Sabri Buumlyuumlksoy
on the international scene and the Illinois
State by Linda Rockwell closer to home
The Kansas City Backgammon Club formed
a decade ago by Eric Barr is thriving with
the addition of Julius High and his popu-
lar Backgammon Study Group It is the
newest addition to the USBGF list of 15
Prime Clubs
Finally USBGF President Bill Riles brings
us up to date on the Federation with the
recent election of Board members Julius
High and Michelle Steinberg Make plans
to attend 2015 Prime Tournaments includ-
ing the upcoming DC Capital Classic
the Ohio State Championships the US
Open in Las Vegas Atlanta Spring Classic
Chicago Open Los Angeles Open and the
Michigan Summer Championships and
take home added money exclusively for
USBGF members
Check out the live and online tournament
rankings and Get in the Game
- KAREN DAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
2015INDUCTEES
50 90
16
54Questions or comments about PrimeTime
Backgammon We want to hear from you
Contact us via e-mail at infousbgforg
32
2014 PLAYER OF THE YEARRay Fogerlund employs psychology serious study and lots of tournament play to make it to the top of the ABT
6 7USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION After a couple of years of disciplined study
Jonah Seewald had a breakout year in 2014
THE INAUGURAL UK OPENJapanese team of World Champion Akiko with
Giant 2 Michy (L) and Giant 1 Mochy (R) shown with UKBGF Board member Peter Bennet
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEESAmerican Backgammon Hall of Fame recognizes 13 inductees who paved the way for modern backgammon
2ND MERIT CYPRUS OPENThe ultimate backgammon playing experience
In This Issue
FEATURED 16 AMERICAN BACKGAMMON HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Respect paid to 13 inaugural Hall of Famers for their
accomplishments and contributions to the game
BY JEREMY BAGAI KAREN DAVIS amp BILL RILES
32 RAY FOGERLUND ABT 2014 PLAYER OF THE YEAR AGAIN
Ray Fogerlund tops the American Backgammon
Tour for the fourth time and takes the title
BY KAREN DAVIS
40 USBGF AWARDS ONLINE MASTER POINT LEADERS
Ted Chee is recognized for his outstanding perfor-
mance in the popular USBGF Online Circuit
BY KAREN DAVIS
46 THE EARLY GAME 64 SPLIT 52Stick analyzes the opening sequence of 64 split
followed by 52 and demonstrates the importance
of avoiding errors in second-roll positions
BY STICK
50 JONAH SEEWALD 2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION
The coveted Grand Champion title goes to Jonah
Seewald winner of National Championship West
BY KAREN DAVIS
January -February 2015
CY
PR
US
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MA
CFA
RLA
NE
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OP
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ID S
TAR
TIN
8 9USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
FEATURED 54 THE INAUGURAL UK OPEN
Peter Bennet captures the highlights of the
inaugural UK Open with photos by David Startin
BY PETER BENNET
64 THE STORY OF BILL PHIPPSBill Phipps has found success on Wall Street and
over the backgammon board
BY IANCHO HRISTOV
74 LOTS OF FISH THE JAPAN OPENJake Jacobs provides witty and insightful coverage
of the highly acclaimed 2014 Japan Open
BY JAKE JACOBS
88 TOUGH MIDDLE-GAME PLAYMaster teacher Phil Simborg discusses the
intricacies and pitfalls of middle game play
BY PHIL SIMBORG
90 THE 2ND MERIT OPENThe 2nd Merit Cyprus Open raises the bar on
backgammon tournament perfection
BY SABRI BUumlYUumlKSOY
PLAYER PROFILES amp CLUB NEWS 98 FITCHBURGS KID IS NO 1
Hometown boy Frank Raposa makes it to the big
time in this featured piece from the Fitchburg
Massachusetts Sentinel amp Enterprise
BY ANNE OCONNOR CORRESPONDENT
FOR THE SENTINEL amp ENTERPRISE
January -February 2015
100 ZDENĚK ŽIŽKAYoung star Zdeněk wins the Cyprus intermediate
division in his first international tournament foray
BY KAREN DAVIS
102 KANSAS CITY BG CLUBEverything is state-of-the-art in this recently
designated Kansas City USBGF Prime Club
BY KAREN DAVIS
104 QUALIFYING PRIME CLUBSUSBGF Prime Clubs reflect growing local club
interest and participation
In This Issue
ON THE COVERAnother amazing achievement by Ray Fogerlund to win the title of American Backgammon Tour Player of the Year for 2014 photographed by Tara Mendi-cino at the recent Las Vegas Open in November
CONGRATULATIONS UKBGFThe US Backgammon Federation congratulates Peter Bennet Sean Williams Raj Jansari Ian Tarr Jon Barnes Simon Morecroft and Eric McAlpine as newly elected members of the Board of the UKBGF We look forward to working with you in the future
In This Issue
TOURNAMENT NEWS 94 ILLINOIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Illinois with its Halloween-themed tournament is a
consistent standout on the ABT tour
BY LINDA ROCKWELL
108 LIVE TOURNAMENT RESULTSSee all the results from ABT tournaments held in
Florida Connecticut Las Vegas and Los Angeles
plus results from the Merit Cyprus Open
113 ONLINE CIRCUIT WINNERSView recent winners of USBGF Online Circuit
tournaments from late June through October 2014
USBGF NEWS 12 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE USBGF
Bill Riles provides succinct insight into 2014
achievements and 2015 priorities
BY BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
GEO
FFR
EY P
AR
KER
GA
MES
13 USBGF BOARD OF DIRECTORSElections bring fresh enthusiasm and
energy to the USBGF Board of Directors
14 FOUNDING SPONSORSWe thank Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart Domeshek
Frank Talbot John Bird Victor Ashkenazi Jason
Pack and Albert Steg for their support
USBGF LIVE amp ONLINE RATINGS 114 LIVE LEADERBOARD
Open Advanced and Novice leaders in USBGF Elo
ratings in live events and 2014 ABT Points
BY BARRY SILLIMAN
116 ONLINE LEADERBOARDSee the latest leaders from USBGF online tourna-
ments plus wins losses and tournaments won
118 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTSMark your calendar for upcoming ABT events
PRIMETIMEB A C K G A M M O N
MARK ANTRANIKIANMark Antranikian Assistant Editor was a member of the USBGF Team Championships winning team Scared Hitless
BOB WACHTELBob Wachtel Editor of PrimeTime
Backgammon is a renowned author ranked 8 on the 2013
Giants of Backgammon
10 11USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
publisherBill Riles
editorBob Wachtel
Founding EditorMatt Cohn-Geier
Managing EditorKaren Davis
Production EditorTara Mendicino
Assistant EditorMark Antranikian
Assistant Editor and Design AnalystLisa Rockwell
USBGF PhotographerSteve Sax
Rankings EditorBarry Silliman
Feature EditorAnnotated MatchesMarty Storer
Editorial Advisory BoardKaren Davis (Chair) Chuck Bower Matt Cohn-Geier Carol Joy Cole Gus Contos Mike Corbett Bill Riles Justin Nunez Bob Wachtel Kit Woolsey
informationPrimeTime Backgammon is the official magazine of the US Backgammon Federation
contact usE-Mail infousbgforg Website usbgforg
Volume 6 Issue 1copy 2015 US Backgammon Federation
Staff ampVolunteers
from the editorOpinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the US Backgammon Federation B
ILL
RIL
ES S
TEV
E SA
X
PresidentExecutive Director TreasurerWilliam Riles
Chair Education CommitteeArt Benjamin
Governance and Nominating CommitteeDorn Bishop
Board Chair Co-Chair Membership and Marketing CommitteeKaren Davis
Executive Committee Chair Tournament Directors liaison Rules and Ethics CommitteePatrick Gibson
Membership and Marketing CommitteeJulius High
Rules and Ethics CommitteeNeil Kazaross
SecretarySteve Mellen
vice president Vice-Chair Membership and Marketing Committee Governance and Nominating CommitteeTara Mendicino
Chief Technology Officer Chair Ratings and Stats Committee Governance and Nominating Committee Rules and Ethics CommitteeRichard Munitz
Director Local Club Initiative Rules and Ethics CommitteeJustin Nunez
Executive CommitteeJoseph Russell
Membership and Marketing CommitteeMichelle Steinberg
Special Adviser to Board of Directors Carol Joy Cole
Education AdviserPhil Simborg
Accounting ManagerSheryl R Lennon
USBGF Boardof Directors
TARA MENDICINOTara Mendicino Production Editor Vice President and member of the USBGF Board of Directors and co-director of the Texas Backgammon Championships
KARE
N D
AVI
S
KA
REN
DA
VIS
12 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
presidents columnHappy New Yearto the USBGFBy Bill Riles President and Executive Director
At this special time of year appro-
priate for reflection on the past
and anticipation of the future I
would like to share with you a few thoughts
We have accomplished many things and
many more are on the horizon Our oppor-
tunities are abundant
Prime TournamentsWith the New York Metro and Texas Back-
gammon Championships in January the
USBGF will begin our Prime Tournament
Initiative with the USBGF contributing
added money for USBGF members We
are confident that this program designed
to increase membership and tournament
attendance will be successful However we
will need more benefactor support and the
assistance of as many tournament directors
as possible
Master PointsIn 2015 the USBGF Master Points program
will be in place Initially members will be
able to earn and accumulate master points
for online USBGF tournaments and for live
ABT tournament play and be recognized
through annual awards and recognition
in the USBGFs PrimeTime Backgammon
magazine Facebook page and website
The plan after that is to phase in local
and regional live-tournament-play master
points mdash something that several local club
directors and players have requested
Hall of FameI am excited by the establishment of the
American Backgammon Hall of Fame and
the election of the first thirteen inductees
As a game and as an organization we can
best define our identity and goals by first
recognizing where we have been and who
has contributed to our growth and direc-
tion This recognition will represent a
significant step forward for backgammon
in the United States
Board of Directors ElectionWith the recently completed second annual
Board of Directors elections nine of the
thirteen Directors have now been demo-
cratically elected by the membership Next
year we will complete the process by then
all of the Board members will be so elected
Irsquod like to thank retiring Board members
Alfred Mamlet and Jeb Horton for the
years of service they have provided to the
USBGF Both are friends and valued advis-
ers Their support for the USBGF and for
backgammon itself is warmly appreciated
I wish to also extend congratulations to
Art Benjamin Julius High Joe Russell and
Michelle Steinberg upon their election to
the Board of Directors As reelected incum-
bents I expect Art and Joe to continue to
provide the organization with their valuable
service and counsel By the same token
I am excited by the election of Julius and
Michelle I am confident that their new
blood will bring the energy enthusiasm
and creativity that the USBGF will require
to progress
Congratulations to Tara Mendicino on her
promotion to Vice President It is going to
be a great year for the USBGF
ldquoGet Into the Game ndash Become a Memberrdquo
usbgf board of directorsJulius High amp Michelle
Steinberg Join the Board
The US Backgammon Federa-
tion is pleased to announce that
Julius High and Michelle Stein-
berg have been elected to the Board of
Directors Upon being informed of the
result Bill Riles President and Executive
Director of USBGF issued this statement
ldquoThe US Backgammon Federation is
fortunate to have acquired Julius High
and Michelle Steinberg as members of
the Board of Directors Julius High brings
his experience in leading the Kansas City
Backgammon Study Group his cutting-
edge computer programming skills and
his extensive tournament experience to
the Board He will serve as Co-Chair of
the USBGF Membership and Marketing
Committee Michelle Steinberg is likewise
an important addition and will serve as
director of USBGF streaming services She
brings important insight into the interests
of a new generation of backgammon play-
ers The pairrsquos exuberance social skills and
visibility in the backgammon community
will serve the USBGF well in our outreach
and growth campaignrdquo
Art Benjamin and Joe Russell were re-
elected to the BOD Both have been vital
contributors to the USBGF Education
Committee The newly-elected directors
join Karen Davis Bill Riles Dorn Bishop
Patrick Gibson Neil Kazaross Steve Mellen
Tara Mendicino Rich Munitz and Justin
Nunez on the BOD
Julius High is a frequent presence on the
American Backgammon Tour His achieve-
ments include the 2009 Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship the trifecta of the 2014
Atlanta Spring Championship Atlanta Cup
and Seniors events the 2014 Wisconsin
Badger Classic and second place in the 2014
Florida State Championships At home
he won the 2014 Kansas City Champion-
ship
Michelle Steinberg is a fierce competitor
in USBGF online tournaments and is also
a frequent participant on the American
Backgammon Tour She won the 2013-2014
USBGF National Internet Championship
Intermediate division and the Advanced
Divisional III She has generously volun-
teered her time in transcribing streamed
and videotaped tournament matches and
is a frequent contributor to the USBGF
Facebook site and the bgonline forum She
studied history liberal arts and elementary
education at Brooklyn College receiving a
Masterrsquos degree in Environmental Sciences
for elementary school teachers She lives
in New Jersey with her husband where
she pursues a variety of interests including
wildlife photography hiking and craft-
beer brewing
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
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REN
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17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
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18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
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HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
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OLD
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AR
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IS
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ILL
RO
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20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
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OW
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MM
ON
LIFE
CO
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PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
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22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
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HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportMake hotel reservations by April 13th Call 770-997-1100Contact Jerry Godsey at jerrygod2000hotmailcomVisit wwwatlantaspringclassiccom or call 404-403-1957 for details
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
Mobile The power of eXtreme Gammon in the palm of your hands
eXtreme Gammon is now available on your Android device iPhone and iPad
Play with instant feedback using the Tutor Mode
Setup a position and analyze it using the same engine than XG desktop (up to 3-ply)
Games are saved and can be emailed for a full analyze in XG
2 player mode use XG Mobile as a portable board
High Quality Graphics
Track your Progress results and dice statistics
iOS
wwwxg-mobilecom
US
BG
FB
GS
HO
P
USBGF Baffle Box
Transparent Baffle Box with Etched USBGF Circular Logo by Phil Simborg A USBGF BG Shop exclusive Absolutely gorgeous transparent baffle box with the beautiful USBGF logo etched on the front
Be the envy of your friends at your local backgammon club or stand out at the next ABT tournament
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alle
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pane
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artin
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ns
http
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flick
rcom
pho
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rivie
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Simply the Worldrsquos nestBackgammon since 1961
wwwgeoreyparkercom
H A N D M A D E I N E N G L A N D
Simply the Worldrsquos nestBackgammon since 1961
wwwgeoreyparkercom
H A N D M A D E I N E N G L A N D
wwwgeoffreyparkercom
Karen Davis is Chairman of the USBGF Board of Directors and Managing Editor of PrimeTime Backgammon
KAREN DAVIS
Featuring the inaugural American Backgammon
Hall of Fame and USBGF Awards
5USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
This issue features the
inaugural American
Backgammon Hall
of Fame inductees mdash
with snapshots of each
of the 13 honorees
an insightful essay by
Jeremy Bagai on the
class and a description
of the process used to
derive the winners hellip
ldquoBy Karen Davis Managing Editor
january - February Issue PrimeTime Backgammon
A special treat is in store for our
readers This issue features the
inaugural American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame inductees mdash with
snapshots of each of the 13 honorees an
insightful essay by Jeremy Bagai on the
class a description by Karen Davis of the
process used to select these individuals and
plans going forward by Bill Riles USBGF
President and Executive Director
Ted Chee USBGF All-Time and 2014
Online Master Points winner was honored
along with the Hall of Famers at the USBGF
Awards dinner in San Antonio on January
30 2015 He is featured in a report on the
online master point leaders since the launch
of the USBGF Online Tournament Circuit
in the fall of 2012
Ray Fogerlund who won the coveted 1
spot on the American Backgammon Tour
for 2014 is profiled by Karen Davis A
feature on Frank Raposa 2 ABT winner
for 2014 is reprinted with permission from
his hometown Fitchburg Massachusetts
newspaper the Sentinel amp Enterprise
Stick makes his debut as a regular columnist
for PrimeTime Backgammon with his first
article on common errors in the early game
that result in significant match equity loss
This issue also showcases Bill Phipps ldquoThe
Wolf of Wall Streetrdquo in an article by Iancho
Hristov Other player profiles by Karen
Davis include Jonah Seewald 2014 USBGF
Grand Champion and Zdeněk Žižka from
the Czech Republic winner of the online
Masters Divisional IV
And there are tournament reports galore
the inaugural UK Open by Peter Bennet
the Japan Open by Jake Jacobs and the 2nd
Merit Open in Cyprus by Sabri Buumlyuumlksoy
on the international scene and the Illinois
State by Linda Rockwell closer to home
The Kansas City Backgammon Club formed
a decade ago by Eric Barr is thriving with
the addition of Julius High and his popu-
lar Backgammon Study Group It is the
newest addition to the USBGF list of 15
Prime Clubs
Finally USBGF President Bill Riles brings
us up to date on the Federation with the
recent election of Board members Julius
High and Michelle Steinberg Make plans
to attend 2015 Prime Tournaments includ-
ing the upcoming DC Capital Classic
the Ohio State Championships the US
Open in Las Vegas Atlanta Spring Classic
Chicago Open Los Angeles Open and the
Michigan Summer Championships and
take home added money exclusively for
USBGF members
Check out the live and online tournament
rankings and Get in the Game
- KAREN DAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
2015INDUCTEES
50 90
16
54Questions or comments about PrimeTime
Backgammon We want to hear from you
Contact us via e-mail at infousbgforg
32
2014 PLAYER OF THE YEARRay Fogerlund employs psychology serious study and lots of tournament play to make it to the top of the ABT
6 7USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION After a couple of years of disciplined study
Jonah Seewald had a breakout year in 2014
THE INAUGURAL UK OPENJapanese team of World Champion Akiko with
Giant 2 Michy (L) and Giant 1 Mochy (R) shown with UKBGF Board member Peter Bennet
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEESAmerican Backgammon Hall of Fame recognizes 13 inductees who paved the way for modern backgammon
2ND MERIT CYPRUS OPENThe ultimate backgammon playing experience
In This Issue
FEATURED 16 AMERICAN BACKGAMMON HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Respect paid to 13 inaugural Hall of Famers for their
accomplishments and contributions to the game
BY JEREMY BAGAI KAREN DAVIS amp BILL RILES
32 RAY FOGERLUND ABT 2014 PLAYER OF THE YEAR AGAIN
Ray Fogerlund tops the American Backgammon
Tour for the fourth time and takes the title
BY KAREN DAVIS
40 USBGF AWARDS ONLINE MASTER POINT LEADERS
Ted Chee is recognized for his outstanding perfor-
mance in the popular USBGF Online Circuit
BY KAREN DAVIS
46 THE EARLY GAME 64 SPLIT 52Stick analyzes the opening sequence of 64 split
followed by 52 and demonstrates the importance
of avoiding errors in second-roll positions
BY STICK
50 JONAH SEEWALD 2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION
The coveted Grand Champion title goes to Jonah
Seewald winner of National Championship West
BY KAREN DAVIS
January -February 2015
CY
PR
US
OP
EN I
AN
MA
CFA
RLA
NE
UK
OP
EN D
AV
ID S
TAR
TIN
8 9USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
FEATURED 54 THE INAUGURAL UK OPEN
Peter Bennet captures the highlights of the
inaugural UK Open with photos by David Startin
BY PETER BENNET
64 THE STORY OF BILL PHIPPSBill Phipps has found success on Wall Street and
over the backgammon board
BY IANCHO HRISTOV
74 LOTS OF FISH THE JAPAN OPENJake Jacobs provides witty and insightful coverage
of the highly acclaimed 2014 Japan Open
BY JAKE JACOBS
88 TOUGH MIDDLE-GAME PLAYMaster teacher Phil Simborg discusses the
intricacies and pitfalls of middle game play
BY PHIL SIMBORG
90 THE 2ND MERIT OPENThe 2nd Merit Cyprus Open raises the bar on
backgammon tournament perfection
BY SABRI BUumlYUumlKSOY
PLAYER PROFILES amp CLUB NEWS 98 FITCHBURGS KID IS NO 1
Hometown boy Frank Raposa makes it to the big
time in this featured piece from the Fitchburg
Massachusetts Sentinel amp Enterprise
BY ANNE OCONNOR CORRESPONDENT
FOR THE SENTINEL amp ENTERPRISE
January -February 2015
100 ZDENĚK ŽIŽKAYoung star Zdeněk wins the Cyprus intermediate
division in his first international tournament foray
BY KAREN DAVIS
102 KANSAS CITY BG CLUBEverything is state-of-the-art in this recently
designated Kansas City USBGF Prime Club
BY KAREN DAVIS
104 QUALIFYING PRIME CLUBSUSBGF Prime Clubs reflect growing local club
interest and participation
In This Issue
ON THE COVERAnother amazing achievement by Ray Fogerlund to win the title of American Backgammon Tour Player of the Year for 2014 photographed by Tara Mendi-cino at the recent Las Vegas Open in November
CONGRATULATIONS UKBGFThe US Backgammon Federation congratulates Peter Bennet Sean Williams Raj Jansari Ian Tarr Jon Barnes Simon Morecroft and Eric McAlpine as newly elected members of the Board of the UKBGF We look forward to working with you in the future
In This Issue
TOURNAMENT NEWS 94 ILLINOIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Illinois with its Halloween-themed tournament is a
consistent standout on the ABT tour
BY LINDA ROCKWELL
108 LIVE TOURNAMENT RESULTSSee all the results from ABT tournaments held in
Florida Connecticut Las Vegas and Los Angeles
plus results from the Merit Cyprus Open
113 ONLINE CIRCUIT WINNERSView recent winners of USBGF Online Circuit
tournaments from late June through October 2014
USBGF NEWS 12 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE USBGF
Bill Riles provides succinct insight into 2014
achievements and 2015 priorities
BY BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
GEO
FFR
EY P
AR
KER
GA
MES
13 USBGF BOARD OF DIRECTORSElections bring fresh enthusiasm and
energy to the USBGF Board of Directors
14 FOUNDING SPONSORSWe thank Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart Domeshek
Frank Talbot John Bird Victor Ashkenazi Jason
Pack and Albert Steg for their support
USBGF LIVE amp ONLINE RATINGS 114 LIVE LEADERBOARD
Open Advanced and Novice leaders in USBGF Elo
ratings in live events and 2014 ABT Points
BY BARRY SILLIMAN
116 ONLINE LEADERBOARDSee the latest leaders from USBGF online tourna-
ments plus wins losses and tournaments won
118 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTSMark your calendar for upcoming ABT events
PRIMETIMEB A C K G A M M O N
MARK ANTRANIKIANMark Antranikian Assistant Editor was a member of the USBGF Team Championships winning team Scared Hitless
BOB WACHTELBob Wachtel Editor of PrimeTime
Backgammon is a renowned author ranked 8 on the 2013
Giants of Backgammon
10 11USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
publisherBill Riles
editorBob Wachtel
Founding EditorMatt Cohn-Geier
Managing EditorKaren Davis
Production EditorTara Mendicino
Assistant EditorMark Antranikian
Assistant Editor and Design AnalystLisa Rockwell
USBGF PhotographerSteve Sax
Rankings EditorBarry Silliman
Feature EditorAnnotated MatchesMarty Storer
Editorial Advisory BoardKaren Davis (Chair) Chuck Bower Matt Cohn-Geier Carol Joy Cole Gus Contos Mike Corbett Bill Riles Justin Nunez Bob Wachtel Kit Woolsey
informationPrimeTime Backgammon is the official magazine of the US Backgammon Federation
contact usE-Mail infousbgforg Website usbgforg
Volume 6 Issue 1copy 2015 US Backgammon Federation
Staff ampVolunteers
from the editorOpinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the US Backgammon Federation B
ILL
RIL
ES S
TEV
E SA
X
PresidentExecutive Director TreasurerWilliam Riles
Chair Education CommitteeArt Benjamin
Governance and Nominating CommitteeDorn Bishop
Board Chair Co-Chair Membership and Marketing CommitteeKaren Davis
Executive Committee Chair Tournament Directors liaison Rules and Ethics CommitteePatrick Gibson
Membership and Marketing CommitteeJulius High
Rules and Ethics CommitteeNeil Kazaross
SecretarySteve Mellen
vice president Vice-Chair Membership and Marketing Committee Governance and Nominating CommitteeTara Mendicino
Chief Technology Officer Chair Ratings and Stats Committee Governance and Nominating Committee Rules and Ethics CommitteeRichard Munitz
Director Local Club Initiative Rules and Ethics CommitteeJustin Nunez
Executive CommitteeJoseph Russell
Membership and Marketing CommitteeMichelle Steinberg
Special Adviser to Board of Directors Carol Joy Cole
Education AdviserPhil Simborg
Accounting ManagerSheryl R Lennon
USBGF Boardof Directors
TARA MENDICINOTara Mendicino Production Editor Vice President and member of the USBGF Board of Directors and co-director of the Texas Backgammon Championships
KARE
N D
AVI
S
KA
REN
DA
VIS
12 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
presidents columnHappy New Yearto the USBGFBy Bill Riles President and Executive Director
At this special time of year appro-
priate for reflection on the past
and anticipation of the future I
would like to share with you a few thoughts
We have accomplished many things and
many more are on the horizon Our oppor-
tunities are abundant
Prime TournamentsWith the New York Metro and Texas Back-
gammon Championships in January the
USBGF will begin our Prime Tournament
Initiative with the USBGF contributing
added money for USBGF members We
are confident that this program designed
to increase membership and tournament
attendance will be successful However we
will need more benefactor support and the
assistance of as many tournament directors
as possible
Master PointsIn 2015 the USBGF Master Points program
will be in place Initially members will be
able to earn and accumulate master points
for online USBGF tournaments and for live
ABT tournament play and be recognized
through annual awards and recognition
in the USBGFs PrimeTime Backgammon
magazine Facebook page and website
The plan after that is to phase in local
and regional live-tournament-play master
points mdash something that several local club
directors and players have requested
Hall of FameI am excited by the establishment of the
American Backgammon Hall of Fame and
the election of the first thirteen inductees
As a game and as an organization we can
best define our identity and goals by first
recognizing where we have been and who
has contributed to our growth and direc-
tion This recognition will represent a
significant step forward for backgammon
in the United States
Board of Directors ElectionWith the recently completed second annual
Board of Directors elections nine of the
thirteen Directors have now been demo-
cratically elected by the membership Next
year we will complete the process by then
all of the Board members will be so elected
Irsquod like to thank retiring Board members
Alfred Mamlet and Jeb Horton for the
years of service they have provided to the
USBGF Both are friends and valued advis-
ers Their support for the USBGF and for
backgammon itself is warmly appreciated
I wish to also extend congratulations to
Art Benjamin Julius High Joe Russell and
Michelle Steinberg upon their election to
the Board of Directors As reelected incum-
bents I expect Art and Joe to continue to
provide the organization with their valuable
service and counsel By the same token
I am excited by the election of Julius and
Michelle I am confident that their new
blood will bring the energy enthusiasm
and creativity that the USBGF will require
to progress
Congratulations to Tara Mendicino on her
promotion to Vice President It is going to
be a great year for the USBGF
ldquoGet Into the Game ndash Become a Memberrdquo
usbgf board of directorsJulius High amp Michelle
Steinberg Join the Board
The US Backgammon Federa-
tion is pleased to announce that
Julius High and Michelle Stein-
berg have been elected to the Board of
Directors Upon being informed of the
result Bill Riles President and Executive
Director of USBGF issued this statement
ldquoThe US Backgammon Federation is
fortunate to have acquired Julius High
and Michelle Steinberg as members of
the Board of Directors Julius High brings
his experience in leading the Kansas City
Backgammon Study Group his cutting-
edge computer programming skills and
his extensive tournament experience to
the Board He will serve as Co-Chair of
the USBGF Membership and Marketing
Committee Michelle Steinberg is likewise
an important addition and will serve as
director of USBGF streaming services She
brings important insight into the interests
of a new generation of backgammon play-
ers The pairrsquos exuberance social skills and
visibility in the backgammon community
will serve the USBGF well in our outreach
and growth campaignrdquo
Art Benjamin and Joe Russell were re-
elected to the BOD Both have been vital
contributors to the USBGF Education
Committee The newly-elected directors
join Karen Davis Bill Riles Dorn Bishop
Patrick Gibson Neil Kazaross Steve Mellen
Tara Mendicino Rich Munitz and Justin
Nunez on the BOD
Julius High is a frequent presence on the
American Backgammon Tour His achieve-
ments include the 2009 Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship the trifecta of the 2014
Atlanta Spring Championship Atlanta Cup
and Seniors events the 2014 Wisconsin
Badger Classic and second place in the 2014
Florida State Championships At home
he won the 2014 Kansas City Champion-
ship
Michelle Steinberg is a fierce competitor
in USBGF online tournaments and is also
a frequent participant on the American
Backgammon Tour She won the 2013-2014
USBGF National Internet Championship
Intermediate division and the Advanced
Divisional III She has generously volun-
teered her time in transcribing streamed
and videotaped tournament matches and
is a frequent contributor to the USBGF
Facebook site and the bgonline forum She
studied history liberal arts and elementary
education at Brooklyn College receiving a
Masterrsquos degree in Environmental Sciences
for elementary school teachers She lives
in New Jersey with her husband where
she pursues a variety of interests including
wildlife photography hiking and craft-
beer brewing
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
M T
OP
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OW
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REN
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VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
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18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
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IS
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M T
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OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
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MM
ON
LIFE
CO
M O
PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
x15
4211
9406
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pho
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ream
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e at
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22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
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N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
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HALL OF FAM
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MIKESENKIEWICZ
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ERI
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WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportMake hotel reservations by April 13th Call 770-997-1100Contact Jerry Godsey at jerrygod2000hotmailcomVisit wwwatlantaspringclassiccom or call 404-403-1957 for details
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
Mobile The power of eXtreme Gammon in the palm of your hands
eXtreme Gammon is now available on your Android device iPhone and iPad
Play with instant feedback using the Tutor Mode
Setup a position and analyze it using the same engine than XG desktop (up to 3-ply)
Games are saved and can be emailed for a full analyze in XG
2 player mode use XG Mobile as a portable board
High Quality Graphics
Track your Progress results and dice statistics
iOS
wwwxg-mobilecom
US
BG
FB
GS
HO
P
USBGF Baffle Box
Transparent Baffle Box with Etched USBGF Circular Logo by Phil Simborg A USBGF BG Shop exclusive Absolutely gorgeous transparent baffle box with the beautiful USBGF logo etched on the front
Be the envy of your friends at your local backgammon club or stand out at the next ABT tournament
Baffle Box $5200 each Baffle Box Carrying Case $1000 each
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er B
alle
t G
olde
n Ja
pane
se K
oirsquo b
y M
artin
a Ra
thge
ns
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
rivie
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Karen Davis is Chairman of the USBGF Board of Directors and Managing Editor of PrimeTime Backgammon
KAREN DAVIS
Featuring the inaugural American Backgammon
Hall of Fame and USBGF Awards
5USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
This issue features the
inaugural American
Backgammon Hall
of Fame inductees mdash
with snapshots of each
of the 13 honorees
an insightful essay by
Jeremy Bagai on the
class and a description
of the process used to
derive the winners hellip
ldquoBy Karen Davis Managing Editor
january - February Issue PrimeTime Backgammon
A special treat is in store for our
readers This issue features the
inaugural American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame inductees mdash with
snapshots of each of the 13 honorees an
insightful essay by Jeremy Bagai on the
class a description by Karen Davis of the
process used to select these individuals and
plans going forward by Bill Riles USBGF
President and Executive Director
Ted Chee USBGF All-Time and 2014
Online Master Points winner was honored
along with the Hall of Famers at the USBGF
Awards dinner in San Antonio on January
30 2015 He is featured in a report on the
online master point leaders since the launch
of the USBGF Online Tournament Circuit
in the fall of 2012
Ray Fogerlund who won the coveted 1
spot on the American Backgammon Tour
for 2014 is profiled by Karen Davis A
feature on Frank Raposa 2 ABT winner
for 2014 is reprinted with permission from
his hometown Fitchburg Massachusetts
newspaper the Sentinel amp Enterprise
Stick makes his debut as a regular columnist
for PrimeTime Backgammon with his first
article on common errors in the early game
that result in significant match equity loss
This issue also showcases Bill Phipps ldquoThe
Wolf of Wall Streetrdquo in an article by Iancho
Hristov Other player profiles by Karen
Davis include Jonah Seewald 2014 USBGF
Grand Champion and Zdeněk Žižka from
the Czech Republic winner of the online
Masters Divisional IV
And there are tournament reports galore
the inaugural UK Open by Peter Bennet
the Japan Open by Jake Jacobs and the 2nd
Merit Open in Cyprus by Sabri Buumlyuumlksoy
on the international scene and the Illinois
State by Linda Rockwell closer to home
The Kansas City Backgammon Club formed
a decade ago by Eric Barr is thriving with
the addition of Julius High and his popu-
lar Backgammon Study Group It is the
newest addition to the USBGF list of 15
Prime Clubs
Finally USBGF President Bill Riles brings
us up to date on the Federation with the
recent election of Board members Julius
High and Michelle Steinberg Make plans
to attend 2015 Prime Tournaments includ-
ing the upcoming DC Capital Classic
the Ohio State Championships the US
Open in Las Vegas Atlanta Spring Classic
Chicago Open Los Angeles Open and the
Michigan Summer Championships and
take home added money exclusively for
USBGF members
Check out the live and online tournament
rankings and Get in the Game
- KAREN DAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
2015INDUCTEES
50 90
16
54Questions or comments about PrimeTime
Backgammon We want to hear from you
Contact us via e-mail at infousbgforg
32
2014 PLAYER OF THE YEARRay Fogerlund employs psychology serious study and lots of tournament play to make it to the top of the ABT
6 7USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION After a couple of years of disciplined study
Jonah Seewald had a breakout year in 2014
THE INAUGURAL UK OPENJapanese team of World Champion Akiko with
Giant 2 Michy (L) and Giant 1 Mochy (R) shown with UKBGF Board member Peter Bennet
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEESAmerican Backgammon Hall of Fame recognizes 13 inductees who paved the way for modern backgammon
2ND MERIT CYPRUS OPENThe ultimate backgammon playing experience
In This Issue
FEATURED 16 AMERICAN BACKGAMMON HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Respect paid to 13 inaugural Hall of Famers for their
accomplishments and contributions to the game
BY JEREMY BAGAI KAREN DAVIS amp BILL RILES
32 RAY FOGERLUND ABT 2014 PLAYER OF THE YEAR AGAIN
Ray Fogerlund tops the American Backgammon
Tour for the fourth time and takes the title
BY KAREN DAVIS
40 USBGF AWARDS ONLINE MASTER POINT LEADERS
Ted Chee is recognized for his outstanding perfor-
mance in the popular USBGF Online Circuit
BY KAREN DAVIS
46 THE EARLY GAME 64 SPLIT 52Stick analyzes the opening sequence of 64 split
followed by 52 and demonstrates the importance
of avoiding errors in second-roll positions
BY STICK
50 JONAH SEEWALD 2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION
The coveted Grand Champion title goes to Jonah
Seewald winner of National Championship West
BY KAREN DAVIS
January -February 2015
CY
PR
US
OP
EN I
AN
MA
CFA
RLA
NE
UK
OP
EN D
AV
ID S
TAR
TIN
8 9USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
FEATURED 54 THE INAUGURAL UK OPEN
Peter Bennet captures the highlights of the
inaugural UK Open with photos by David Startin
BY PETER BENNET
64 THE STORY OF BILL PHIPPSBill Phipps has found success on Wall Street and
over the backgammon board
BY IANCHO HRISTOV
74 LOTS OF FISH THE JAPAN OPENJake Jacobs provides witty and insightful coverage
of the highly acclaimed 2014 Japan Open
BY JAKE JACOBS
88 TOUGH MIDDLE-GAME PLAYMaster teacher Phil Simborg discusses the
intricacies and pitfalls of middle game play
BY PHIL SIMBORG
90 THE 2ND MERIT OPENThe 2nd Merit Cyprus Open raises the bar on
backgammon tournament perfection
BY SABRI BUumlYUumlKSOY
PLAYER PROFILES amp CLUB NEWS 98 FITCHBURGS KID IS NO 1
Hometown boy Frank Raposa makes it to the big
time in this featured piece from the Fitchburg
Massachusetts Sentinel amp Enterprise
BY ANNE OCONNOR CORRESPONDENT
FOR THE SENTINEL amp ENTERPRISE
January -February 2015
100 ZDENĚK ŽIŽKAYoung star Zdeněk wins the Cyprus intermediate
division in his first international tournament foray
BY KAREN DAVIS
102 KANSAS CITY BG CLUBEverything is state-of-the-art in this recently
designated Kansas City USBGF Prime Club
BY KAREN DAVIS
104 QUALIFYING PRIME CLUBSUSBGF Prime Clubs reflect growing local club
interest and participation
In This Issue
ON THE COVERAnother amazing achievement by Ray Fogerlund to win the title of American Backgammon Tour Player of the Year for 2014 photographed by Tara Mendi-cino at the recent Las Vegas Open in November
CONGRATULATIONS UKBGFThe US Backgammon Federation congratulates Peter Bennet Sean Williams Raj Jansari Ian Tarr Jon Barnes Simon Morecroft and Eric McAlpine as newly elected members of the Board of the UKBGF We look forward to working with you in the future
In This Issue
TOURNAMENT NEWS 94 ILLINOIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Illinois with its Halloween-themed tournament is a
consistent standout on the ABT tour
BY LINDA ROCKWELL
108 LIVE TOURNAMENT RESULTSSee all the results from ABT tournaments held in
Florida Connecticut Las Vegas and Los Angeles
plus results from the Merit Cyprus Open
113 ONLINE CIRCUIT WINNERSView recent winners of USBGF Online Circuit
tournaments from late June through October 2014
USBGF NEWS 12 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE USBGF
Bill Riles provides succinct insight into 2014
achievements and 2015 priorities
BY BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
GEO
FFR
EY P
AR
KER
GA
MES
13 USBGF BOARD OF DIRECTORSElections bring fresh enthusiasm and
energy to the USBGF Board of Directors
14 FOUNDING SPONSORSWe thank Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart Domeshek
Frank Talbot John Bird Victor Ashkenazi Jason
Pack and Albert Steg for their support
USBGF LIVE amp ONLINE RATINGS 114 LIVE LEADERBOARD
Open Advanced and Novice leaders in USBGF Elo
ratings in live events and 2014 ABT Points
BY BARRY SILLIMAN
116 ONLINE LEADERBOARDSee the latest leaders from USBGF online tourna-
ments plus wins losses and tournaments won
118 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTSMark your calendar for upcoming ABT events
PRIMETIMEB A C K G A M M O N
MARK ANTRANIKIANMark Antranikian Assistant Editor was a member of the USBGF Team Championships winning team Scared Hitless
BOB WACHTELBob Wachtel Editor of PrimeTime
Backgammon is a renowned author ranked 8 on the 2013
Giants of Backgammon
10 11USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
publisherBill Riles
editorBob Wachtel
Founding EditorMatt Cohn-Geier
Managing EditorKaren Davis
Production EditorTara Mendicino
Assistant EditorMark Antranikian
Assistant Editor and Design AnalystLisa Rockwell
USBGF PhotographerSteve Sax
Rankings EditorBarry Silliman
Feature EditorAnnotated MatchesMarty Storer
Editorial Advisory BoardKaren Davis (Chair) Chuck Bower Matt Cohn-Geier Carol Joy Cole Gus Contos Mike Corbett Bill Riles Justin Nunez Bob Wachtel Kit Woolsey
informationPrimeTime Backgammon is the official magazine of the US Backgammon Federation
contact usE-Mail infousbgforg Website usbgforg
Volume 6 Issue 1copy 2015 US Backgammon Federation
Staff ampVolunteers
from the editorOpinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the US Backgammon Federation B
ILL
RIL
ES S
TEV
E SA
X
PresidentExecutive Director TreasurerWilliam Riles
Chair Education CommitteeArt Benjamin
Governance and Nominating CommitteeDorn Bishop
Board Chair Co-Chair Membership and Marketing CommitteeKaren Davis
Executive Committee Chair Tournament Directors liaison Rules and Ethics CommitteePatrick Gibson
Membership and Marketing CommitteeJulius High
Rules and Ethics CommitteeNeil Kazaross
SecretarySteve Mellen
vice president Vice-Chair Membership and Marketing Committee Governance and Nominating CommitteeTara Mendicino
Chief Technology Officer Chair Ratings and Stats Committee Governance and Nominating Committee Rules and Ethics CommitteeRichard Munitz
Director Local Club Initiative Rules and Ethics CommitteeJustin Nunez
Executive CommitteeJoseph Russell
Membership and Marketing CommitteeMichelle Steinberg
Special Adviser to Board of Directors Carol Joy Cole
Education AdviserPhil Simborg
Accounting ManagerSheryl R Lennon
USBGF Boardof Directors
TARA MENDICINOTara Mendicino Production Editor Vice President and member of the USBGF Board of Directors and co-director of the Texas Backgammon Championships
KARE
N D
AVI
S
KA
REN
DA
VIS
12 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
presidents columnHappy New Yearto the USBGFBy Bill Riles President and Executive Director
At this special time of year appro-
priate for reflection on the past
and anticipation of the future I
would like to share with you a few thoughts
We have accomplished many things and
many more are on the horizon Our oppor-
tunities are abundant
Prime TournamentsWith the New York Metro and Texas Back-
gammon Championships in January the
USBGF will begin our Prime Tournament
Initiative with the USBGF contributing
added money for USBGF members We
are confident that this program designed
to increase membership and tournament
attendance will be successful However we
will need more benefactor support and the
assistance of as many tournament directors
as possible
Master PointsIn 2015 the USBGF Master Points program
will be in place Initially members will be
able to earn and accumulate master points
for online USBGF tournaments and for live
ABT tournament play and be recognized
through annual awards and recognition
in the USBGFs PrimeTime Backgammon
magazine Facebook page and website
The plan after that is to phase in local
and regional live-tournament-play master
points mdash something that several local club
directors and players have requested
Hall of FameI am excited by the establishment of the
American Backgammon Hall of Fame and
the election of the first thirteen inductees
As a game and as an organization we can
best define our identity and goals by first
recognizing where we have been and who
has contributed to our growth and direc-
tion This recognition will represent a
significant step forward for backgammon
in the United States
Board of Directors ElectionWith the recently completed second annual
Board of Directors elections nine of the
thirteen Directors have now been demo-
cratically elected by the membership Next
year we will complete the process by then
all of the Board members will be so elected
Irsquod like to thank retiring Board members
Alfred Mamlet and Jeb Horton for the
years of service they have provided to the
USBGF Both are friends and valued advis-
ers Their support for the USBGF and for
backgammon itself is warmly appreciated
I wish to also extend congratulations to
Art Benjamin Julius High Joe Russell and
Michelle Steinberg upon their election to
the Board of Directors As reelected incum-
bents I expect Art and Joe to continue to
provide the organization with their valuable
service and counsel By the same token
I am excited by the election of Julius and
Michelle I am confident that their new
blood will bring the energy enthusiasm
and creativity that the USBGF will require
to progress
Congratulations to Tara Mendicino on her
promotion to Vice President It is going to
be a great year for the USBGF
ldquoGet Into the Game ndash Become a Memberrdquo
usbgf board of directorsJulius High amp Michelle
Steinberg Join the Board
The US Backgammon Federa-
tion is pleased to announce that
Julius High and Michelle Stein-
berg have been elected to the Board of
Directors Upon being informed of the
result Bill Riles President and Executive
Director of USBGF issued this statement
ldquoThe US Backgammon Federation is
fortunate to have acquired Julius High
and Michelle Steinberg as members of
the Board of Directors Julius High brings
his experience in leading the Kansas City
Backgammon Study Group his cutting-
edge computer programming skills and
his extensive tournament experience to
the Board He will serve as Co-Chair of
the USBGF Membership and Marketing
Committee Michelle Steinberg is likewise
an important addition and will serve as
director of USBGF streaming services She
brings important insight into the interests
of a new generation of backgammon play-
ers The pairrsquos exuberance social skills and
visibility in the backgammon community
will serve the USBGF well in our outreach
and growth campaignrdquo
Art Benjamin and Joe Russell were re-
elected to the BOD Both have been vital
contributors to the USBGF Education
Committee The newly-elected directors
join Karen Davis Bill Riles Dorn Bishop
Patrick Gibson Neil Kazaross Steve Mellen
Tara Mendicino Rich Munitz and Justin
Nunez on the BOD
Julius High is a frequent presence on the
American Backgammon Tour His achieve-
ments include the 2009 Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship the trifecta of the 2014
Atlanta Spring Championship Atlanta Cup
and Seniors events the 2014 Wisconsin
Badger Classic and second place in the 2014
Florida State Championships At home
he won the 2014 Kansas City Champion-
ship
Michelle Steinberg is a fierce competitor
in USBGF online tournaments and is also
a frequent participant on the American
Backgammon Tour She won the 2013-2014
USBGF National Internet Championship
Intermediate division and the Advanced
Divisional III She has generously volun-
teered her time in transcribing streamed
and videotaped tournament matches and
is a frequent contributor to the USBGF
Facebook site and the bgonline forum She
studied history liberal arts and elementary
education at Brooklyn College receiving a
Masterrsquos degree in Environmental Sciences
for elementary school teachers She lives
in New Jersey with her husband where
she pursues a variety of interests including
wildlife photography hiking and craft-
beer brewing
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
M T
OP
UN
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OW
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REN
DA
VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
OP
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GM
CO
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KA
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18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
GA
MM
ON
LIFE
CO
M O
PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
x15
4211
9406
2in
pho
tost
ream
Li
cenc
e at
http
cr
eativ
ecom
mon
sorg
lice
nses
by
20
22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportMake hotel reservations by April 13th Call 770-997-1100Contact Jerry Godsey at jerrygod2000hotmailcomVisit wwwatlantaspringclassiccom or call 404-403-1957 for details
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
Mobile The power of eXtreme Gammon in the palm of your hands
eXtreme Gammon is now available on your Android device iPhone and iPad
Play with instant feedback using the Tutor Mode
Setup a position and analyze it using the same engine than XG desktop (up to 3-ply)
Games are saved and can be emailed for a full analyze in XG
2 player mode use XG Mobile as a portable board
High Quality Graphics
Track your Progress results and dice statistics
iOS
wwwxg-mobilecom
US
BG
FB
GS
HO
P
USBGF Baffle Box
Transparent Baffle Box with Etched USBGF Circular Logo by Phil Simborg A USBGF BG Shop exclusive Absolutely gorgeous transparent baffle box with the beautiful USBGF logo etched on the front
Be the envy of your friends at your local backgammon club or stand out at the next ABT tournament
Baffle Box $5200 each Baffle Box Carrying Case $1000 each
A single baffle box purchase ships FREE within the USA International purchases will be credited with a $700 shipping discount at checkout
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
2015INDUCTEES
50 90
16
54Questions or comments about PrimeTime
Backgammon We want to hear from you
Contact us via e-mail at infousbgforg
32
2014 PLAYER OF THE YEARRay Fogerlund employs psychology serious study and lots of tournament play to make it to the top of the ABT
6 7USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION After a couple of years of disciplined study
Jonah Seewald had a breakout year in 2014
THE INAUGURAL UK OPENJapanese team of World Champion Akiko with
Giant 2 Michy (L) and Giant 1 Mochy (R) shown with UKBGF Board member Peter Bennet
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEESAmerican Backgammon Hall of Fame recognizes 13 inductees who paved the way for modern backgammon
2ND MERIT CYPRUS OPENThe ultimate backgammon playing experience
In This Issue
FEATURED 16 AMERICAN BACKGAMMON HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Respect paid to 13 inaugural Hall of Famers for their
accomplishments and contributions to the game
BY JEREMY BAGAI KAREN DAVIS amp BILL RILES
32 RAY FOGERLUND ABT 2014 PLAYER OF THE YEAR AGAIN
Ray Fogerlund tops the American Backgammon
Tour for the fourth time and takes the title
BY KAREN DAVIS
40 USBGF AWARDS ONLINE MASTER POINT LEADERS
Ted Chee is recognized for his outstanding perfor-
mance in the popular USBGF Online Circuit
BY KAREN DAVIS
46 THE EARLY GAME 64 SPLIT 52Stick analyzes the opening sequence of 64 split
followed by 52 and demonstrates the importance
of avoiding errors in second-roll positions
BY STICK
50 JONAH SEEWALD 2014 USBGF GRAND CHAMPION
The coveted Grand Champion title goes to Jonah
Seewald winner of National Championship West
BY KAREN DAVIS
January -February 2015
CY
PR
US
OP
EN I
AN
MA
CFA
RLA
NE
UK
OP
EN D
AV
ID S
TAR
TIN
8 9USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
FEATURED 54 THE INAUGURAL UK OPEN
Peter Bennet captures the highlights of the
inaugural UK Open with photos by David Startin
BY PETER BENNET
64 THE STORY OF BILL PHIPPSBill Phipps has found success on Wall Street and
over the backgammon board
BY IANCHO HRISTOV
74 LOTS OF FISH THE JAPAN OPENJake Jacobs provides witty and insightful coverage
of the highly acclaimed 2014 Japan Open
BY JAKE JACOBS
88 TOUGH MIDDLE-GAME PLAYMaster teacher Phil Simborg discusses the
intricacies and pitfalls of middle game play
BY PHIL SIMBORG
90 THE 2ND MERIT OPENThe 2nd Merit Cyprus Open raises the bar on
backgammon tournament perfection
BY SABRI BUumlYUumlKSOY
PLAYER PROFILES amp CLUB NEWS 98 FITCHBURGS KID IS NO 1
Hometown boy Frank Raposa makes it to the big
time in this featured piece from the Fitchburg
Massachusetts Sentinel amp Enterprise
BY ANNE OCONNOR CORRESPONDENT
FOR THE SENTINEL amp ENTERPRISE
January -February 2015
100 ZDENĚK ŽIŽKAYoung star Zdeněk wins the Cyprus intermediate
division in his first international tournament foray
BY KAREN DAVIS
102 KANSAS CITY BG CLUBEverything is state-of-the-art in this recently
designated Kansas City USBGF Prime Club
BY KAREN DAVIS
104 QUALIFYING PRIME CLUBSUSBGF Prime Clubs reflect growing local club
interest and participation
In This Issue
ON THE COVERAnother amazing achievement by Ray Fogerlund to win the title of American Backgammon Tour Player of the Year for 2014 photographed by Tara Mendi-cino at the recent Las Vegas Open in November
CONGRATULATIONS UKBGFThe US Backgammon Federation congratulates Peter Bennet Sean Williams Raj Jansari Ian Tarr Jon Barnes Simon Morecroft and Eric McAlpine as newly elected members of the Board of the UKBGF We look forward to working with you in the future
In This Issue
TOURNAMENT NEWS 94 ILLINOIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Illinois with its Halloween-themed tournament is a
consistent standout on the ABT tour
BY LINDA ROCKWELL
108 LIVE TOURNAMENT RESULTSSee all the results from ABT tournaments held in
Florida Connecticut Las Vegas and Los Angeles
plus results from the Merit Cyprus Open
113 ONLINE CIRCUIT WINNERSView recent winners of USBGF Online Circuit
tournaments from late June through October 2014
USBGF NEWS 12 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE USBGF
Bill Riles provides succinct insight into 2014
achievements and 2015 priorities
BY BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
GEO
FFR
EY P
AR
KER
GA
MES
13 USBGF BOARD OF DIRECTORSElections bring fresh enthusiasm and
energy to the USBGF Board of Directors
14 FOUNDING SPONSORSWe thank Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart Domeshek
Frank Talbot John Bird Victor Ashkenazi Jason
Pack and Albert Steg for their support
USBGF LIVE amp ONLINE RATINGS 114 LIVE LEADERBOARD
Open Advanced and Novice leaders in USBGF Elo
ratings in live events and 2014 ABT Points
BY BARRY SILLIMAN
116 ONLINE LEADERBOARDSee the latest leaders from USBGF online tourna-
ments plus wins losses and tournaments won
118 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTSMark your calendar for upcoming ABT events
PRIMETIMEB A C K G A M M O N
MARK ANTRANIKIANMark Antranikian Assistant Editor was a member of the USBGF Team Championships winning team Scared Hitless
BOB WACHTELBob Wachtel Editor of PrimeTime
Backgammon is a renowned author ranked 8 on the 2013
Giants of Backgammon
10 11USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
publisherBill Riles
editorBob Wachtel
Founding EditorMatt Cohn-Geier
Managing EditorKaren Davis
Production EditorTara Mendicino
Assistant EditorMark Antranikian
Assistant Editor and Design AnalystLisa Rockwell
USBGF PhotographerSteve Sax
Rankings EditorBarry Silliman
Feature EditorAnnotated MatchesMarty Storer
Editorial Advisory BoardKaren Davis (Chair) Chuck Bower Matt Cohn-Geier Carol Joy Cole Gus Contos Mike Corbett Bill Riles Justin Nunez Bob Wachtel Kit Woolsey
informationPrimeTime Backgammon is the official magazine of the US Backgammon Federation
contact usE-Mail infousbgforg Website usbgforg
Volume 6 Issue 1copy 2015 US Backgammon Federation
Staff ampVolunteers
from the editorOpinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the US Backgammon Federation B
ILL
RIL
ES S
TEV
E SA
X
PresidentExecutive Director TreasurerWilliam Riles
Chair Education CommitteeArt Benjamin
Governance and Nominating CommitteeDorn Bishop
Board Chair Co-Chair Membership and Marketing CommitteeKaren Davis
Executive Committee Chair Tournament Directors liaison Rules and Ethics CommitteePatrick Gibson
Membership and Marketing CommitteeJulius High
Rules and Ethics CommitteeNeil Kazaross
SecretarySteve Mellen
vice president Vice-Chair Membership and Marketing Committee Governance and Nominating CommitteeTara Mendicino
Chief Technology Officer Chair Ratings and Stats Committee Governance and Nominating Committee Rules and Ethics CommitteeRichard Munitz
Director Local Club Initiative Rules and Ethics CommitteeJustin Nunez
Executive CommitteeJoseph Russell
Membership and Marketing CommitteeMichelle Steinberg
Special Adviser to Board of Directors Carol Joy Cole
Education AdviserPhil Simborg
Accounting ManagerSheryl R Lennon
USBGF Boardof Directors
TARA MENDICINOTara Mendicino Production Editor Vice President and member of the USBGF Board of Directors and co-director of the Texas Backgammon Championships
KARE
N D
AVI
S
KA
REN
DA
VIS
12 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
presidents columnHappy New Yearto the USBGFBy Bill Riles President and Executive Director
At this special time of year appro-
priate for reflection on the past
and anticipation of the future I
would like to share with you a few thoughts
We have accomplished many things and
many more are on the horizon Our oppor-
tunities are abundant
Prime TournamentsWith the New York Metro and Texas Back-
gammon Championships in January the
USBGF will begin our Prime Tournament
Initiative with the USBGF contributing
added money for USBGF members We
are confident that this program designed
to increase membership and tournament
attendance will be successful However we
will need more benefactor support and the
assistance of as many tournament directors
as possible
Master PointsIn 2015 the USBGF Master Points program
will be in place Initially members will be
able to earn and accumulate master points
for online USBGF tournaments and for live
ABT tournament play and be recognized
through annual awards and recognition
in the USBGFs PrimeTime Backgammon
magazine Facebook page and website
The plan after that is to phase in local
and regional live-tournament-play master
points mdash something that several local club
directors and players have requested
Hall of FameI am excited by the establishment of the
American Backgammon Hall of Fame and
the election of the first thirteen inductees
As a game and as an organization we can
best define our identity and goals by first
recognizing where we have been and who
has contributed to our growth and direc-
tion This recognition will represent a
significant step forward for backgammon
in the United States
Board of Directors ElectionWith the recently completed second annual
Board of Directors elections nine of the
thirteen Directors have now been demo-
cratically elected by the membership Next
year we will complete the process by then
all of the Board members will be so elected
Irsquod like to thank retiring Board members
Alfred Mamlet and Jeb Horton for the
years of service they have provided to the
USBGF Both are friends and valued advis-
ers Their support for the USBGF and for
backgammon itself is warmly appreciated
I wish to also extend congratulations to
Art Benjamin Julius High Joe Russell and
Michelle Steinberg upon their election to
the Board of Directors As reelected incum-
bents I expect Art and Joe to continue to
provide the organization with their valuable
service and counsel By the same token
I am excited by the election of Julius and
Michelle I am confident that their new
blood will bring the energy enthusiasm
and creativity that the USBGF will require
to progress
Congratulations to Tara Mendicino on her
promotion to Vice President It is going to
be a great year for the USBGF
ldquoGet Into the Game ndash Become a Memberrdquo
usbgf board of directorsJulius High amp Michelle
Steinberg Join the Board
The US Backgammon Federa-
tion is pleased to announce that
Julius High and Michelle Stein-
berg have been elected to the Board of
Directors Upon being informed of the
result Bill Riles President and Executive
Director of USBGF issued this statement
ldquoThe US Backgammon Federation is
fortunate to have acquired Julius High
and Michelle Steinberg as members of
the Board of Directors Julius High brings
his experience in leading the Kansas City
Backgammon Study Group his cutting-
edge computer programming skills and
his extensive tournament experience to
the Board He will serve as Co-Chair of
the USBGF Membership and Marketing
Committee Michelle Steinberg is likewise
an important addition and will serve as
director of USBGF streaming services She
brings important insight into the interests
of a new generation of backgammon play-
ers The pairrsquos exuberance social skills and
visibility in the backgammon community
will serve the USBGF well in our outreach
and growth campaignrdquo
Art Benjamin and Joe Russell were re-
elected to the BOD Both have been vital
contributors to the USBGF Education
Committee The newly-elected directors
join Karen Davis Bill Riles Dorn Bishop
Patrick Gibson Neil Kazaross Steve Mellen
Tara Mendicino Rich Munitz and Justin
Nunez on the BOD
Julius High is a frequent presence on the
American Backgammon Tour His achieve-
ments include the 2009 Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship the trifecta of the 2014
Atlanta Spring Championship Atlanta Cup
and Seniors events the 2014 Wisconsin
Badger Classic and second place in the 2014
Florida State Championships At home
he won the 2014 Kansas City Champion-
ship
Michelle Steinberg is a fierce competitor
in USBGF online tournaments and is also
a frequent participant on the American
Backgammon Tour She won the 2013-2014
USBGF National Internet Championship
Intermediate division and the Advanced
Divisional III She has generously volun-
teered her time in transcribing streamed
and videotaped tournament matches and
is a frequent contributor to the USBGF
Facebook site and the bgonline forum She
studied history liberal arts and elementary
education at Brooklyn College receiving a
Masterrsquos degree in Environmental Sciences
for elementary school teachers She lives
in New Jersey with her husband where
she pursues a variety of interests including
wildlife photography hiking and craft-
beer brewing
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
KA
REN
DA
VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
OP
BK
GM
CO
M
BIL
L D
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IS
KA
REN
DA
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18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
GA
MM
ON
LIFE
CO
M O
PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
x15
4211
9406
2in
pho
tost
ream
Li
cenc
e at
http
cr
eativ
ecom
mon
sorg
lice
nses
by
20
22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportMake hotel reservations by April 13th Call 770-997-1100Contact Jerry Godsey at jerrygod2000hotmailcomVisit wwwatlantaspringclassiccom or call 404-403-1957 for details
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
Mobile The power of eXtreme Gammon in the palm of your hands
eXtreme Gammon is now available on your Android device iPhone and iPad
Play with instant feedback using the Tutor Mode
Setup a position and analyze it using the same engine than XG desktop (up to 3-ply)
Games are saved and can be emailed for a full analyze in XG
2 player mode use XG Mobile as a portable board
High Quality Graphics
Track your Progress results and dice statistics
iOS
wwwxg-mobilecom
US
BG
FB
GS
HO
P
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
8 9USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
FEATURED 54 THE INAUGURAL UK OPEN
Peter Bennet captures the highlights of the
inaugural UK Open with photos by David Startin
BY PETER BENNET
64 THE STORY OF BILL PHIPPSBill Phipps has found success on Wall Street and
over the backgammon board
BY IANCHO HRISTOV
74 LOTS OF FISH THE JAPAN OPENJake Jacobs provides witty and insightful coverage
of the highly acclaimed 2014 Japan Open
BY JAKE JACOBS
88 TOUGH MIDDLE-GAME PLAYMaster teacher Phil Simborg discusses the
intricacies and pitfalls of middle game play
BY PHIL SIMBORG
90 THE 2ND MERIT OPENThe 2nd Merit Cyprus Open raises the bar on
backgammon tournament perfection
BY SABRI BUumlYUumlKSOY
PLAYER PROFILES amp CLUB NEWS 98 FITCHBURGS KID IS NO 1
Hometown boy Frank Raposa makes it to the big
time in this featured piece from the Fitchburg
Massachusetts Sentinel amp Enterprise
BY ANNE OCONNOR CORRESPONDENT
FOR THE SENTINEL amp ENTERPRISE
January -February 2015
100 ZDENĚK ŽIŽKAYoung star Zdeněk wins the Cyprus intermediate
division in his first international tournament foray
BY KAREN DAVIS
102 KANSAS CITY BG CLUBEverything is state-of-the-art in this recently
designated Kansas City USBGF Prime Club
BY KAREN DAVIS
104 QUALIFYING PRIME CLUBSUSBGF Prime Clubs reflect growing local club
interest and participation
In This Issue
ON THE COVERAnother amazing achievement by Ray Fogerlund to win the title of American Backgammon Tour Player of the Year for 2014 photographed by Tara Mendi-cino at the recent Las Vegas Open in November
CONGRATULATIONS UKBGFThe US Backgammon Federation congratulates Peter Bennet Sean Williams Raj Jansari Ian Tarr Jon Barnes Simon Morecroft and Eric McAlpine as newly elected members of the Board of the UKBGF We look forward to working with you in the future
In This Issue
TOURNAMENT NEWS 94 ILLINOIS STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Illinois with its Halloween-themed tournament is a
consistent standout on the ABT tour
BY LINDA ROCKWELL
108 LIVE TOURNAMENT RESULTSSee all the results from ABT tournaments held in
Florida Connecticut Las Vegas and Los Angeles
plus results from the Merit Cyprus Open
113 ONLINE CIRCUIT WINNERSView recent winners of USBGF Online Circuit
tournaments from late June through October 2014
USBGF NEWS 12 HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE USBGF
Bill Riles provides succinct insight into 2014
achievements and 2015 priorities
BY BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
GEO
FFR
EY P
AR
KER
GA
MES
13 USBGF BOARD OF DIRECTORSElections bring fresh enthusiasm and
energy to the USBGF Board of Directors
14 FOUNDING SPONSORSWe thank Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart Domeshek
Frank Talbot John Bird Victor Ashkenazi Jason
Pack and Albert Steg for their support
USBGF LIVE amp ONLINE RATINGS 114 LIVE LEADERBOARD
Open Advanced and Novice leaders in USBGF Elo
ratings in live events and 2014 ABT Points
BY BARRY SILLIMAN
116 ONLINE LEADERBOARDSee the latest leaders from USBGF online tourna-
ments plus wins losses and tournaments won
118 UPCOMING TOURNAMENTSMark your calendar for upcoming ABT events
PRIMETIMEB A C K G A M M O N
MARK ANTRANIKIANMark Antranikian Assistant Editor was a member of the USBGF Team Championships winning team Scared Hitless
BOB WACHTELBob Wachtel Editor of PrimeTime
Backgammon is a renowned author ranked 8 on the 2013
Giants of Backgammon
10 11USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
publisherBill Riles
editorBob Wachtel
Founding EditorMatt Cohn-Geier
Managing EditorKaren Davis
Production EditorTara Mendicino
Assistant EditorMark Antranikian
Assistant Editor and Design AnalystLisa Rockwell
USBGF PhotographerSteve Sax
Rankings EditorBarry Silliman
Feature EditorAnnotated MatchesMarty Storer
Editorial Advisory BoardKaren Davis (Chair) Chuck Bower Matt Cohn-Geier Carol Joy Cole Gus Contos Mike Corbett Bill Riles Justin Nunez Bob Wachtel Kit Woolsey
informationPrimeTime Backgammon is the official magazine of the US Backgammon Federation
contact usE-Mail infousbgforg Website usbgforg
Volume 6 Issue 1copy 2015 US Backgammon Federation
Staff ampVolunteers
from the editorOpinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the US Backgammon Federation B
ILL
RIL
ES S
TEV
E SA
X
PresidentExecutive Director TreasurerWilliam Riles
Chair Education CommitteeArt Benjamin
Governance and Nominating CommitteeDorn Bishop
Board Chair Co-Chair Membership and Marketing CommitteeKaren Davis
Executive Committee Chair Tournament Directors liaison Rules and Ethics CommitteePatrick Gibson
Membership and Marketing CommitteeJulius High
Rules and Ethics CommitteeNeil Kazaross
SecretarySteve Mellen
vice president Vice-Chair Membership and Marketing Committee Governance and Nominating CommitteeTara Mendicino
Chief Technology Officer Chair Ratings and Stats Committee Governance and Nominating Committee Rules and Ethics CommitteeRichard Munitz
Director Local Club Initiative Rules and Ethics CommitteeJustin Nunez
Executive CommitteeJoseph Russell
Membership and Marketing CommitteeMichelle Steinberg
Special Adviser to Board of Directors Carol Joy Cole
Education AdviserPhil Simborg
Accounting ManagerSheryl R Lennon
USBGF Boardof Directors
TARA MENDICINOTara Mendicino Production Editor Vice President and member of the USBGF Board of Directors and co-director of the Texas Backgammon Championships
KARE
N D
AVI
S
KA
REN
DA
VIS
12 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
presidents columnHappy New Yearto the USBGFBy Bill Riles President and Executive Director
At this special time of year appro-
priate for reflection on the past
and anticipation of the future I
would like to share with you a few thoughts
We have accomplished many things and
many more are on the horizon Our oppor-
tunities are abundant
Prime TournamentsWith the New York Metro and Texas Back-
gammon Championships in January the
USBGF will begin our Prime Tournament
Initiative with the USBGF contributing
added money for USBGF members We
are confident that this program designed
to increase membership and tournament
attendance will be successful However we
will need more benefactor support and the
assistance of as many tournament directors
as possible
Master PointsIn 2015 the USBGF Master Points program
will be in place Initially members will be
able to earn and accumulate master points
for online USBGF tournaments and for live
ABT tournament play and be recognized
through annual awards and recognition
in the USBGFs PrimeTime Backgammon
magazine Facebook page and website
The plan after that is to phase in local
and regional live-tournament-play master
points mdash something that several local club
directors and players have requested
Hall of FameI am excited by the establishment of the
American Backgammon Hall of Fame and
the election of the first thirteen inductees
As a game and as an organization we can
best define our identity and goals by first
recognizing where we have been and who
has contributed to our growth and direc-
tion This recognition will represent a
significant step forward for backgammon
in the United States
Board of Directors ElectionWith the recently completed second annual
Board of Directors elections nine of the
thirteen Directors have now been demo-
cratically elected by the membership Next
year we will complete the process by then
all of the Board members will be so elected
Irsquod like to thank retiring Board members
Alfred Mamlet and Jeb Horton for the
years of service they have provided to the
USBGF Both are friends and valued advis-
ers Their support for the USBGF and for
backgammon itself is warmly appreciated
I wish to also extend congratulations to
Art Benjamin Julius High Joe Russell and
Michelle Steinberg upon their election to
the Board of Directors As reelected incum-
bents I expect Art and Joe to continue to
provide the organization with their valuable
service and counsel By the same token
I am excited by the election of Julius and
Michelle I am confident that their new
blood will bring the energy enthusiasm
and creativity that the USBGF will require
to progress
Congratulations to Tara Mendicino on her
promotion to Vice President It is going to
be a great year for the USBGF
ldquoGet Into the Game ndash Become a Memberrdquo
usbgf board of directorsJulius High amp Michelle
Steinberg Join the Board
The US Backgammon Federa-
tion is pleased to announce that
Julius High and Michelle Stein-
berg have been elected to the Board of
Directors Upon being informed of the
result Bill Riles President and Executive
Director of USBGF issued this statement
ldquoThe US Backgammon Federation is
fortunate to have acquired Julius High
and Michelle Steinberg as members of
the Board of Directors Julius High brings
his experience in leading the Kansas City
Backgammon Study Group his cutting-
edge computer programming skills and
his extensive tournament experience to
the Board He will serve as Co-Chair of
the USBGF Membership and Marketing
Committee Michelle Steinberg is likewise
an important addition and will serve as
director of USBGF streaming services She
brings important insight into the interests
of a new generation of backgammon play-
ers The pairrsquos exuberance social skills and
visibility in the backgammon community
will serve the USBGF well in our outreach
and growth campaignrdquo
Art Benjamin and Joe Russell were re-
elected to the BOD Both have been vital
contributors to the USBGF Education
Committee The newly-elected directors
join Karen Davis Bill Riles Dorn Bishop
Patrick Gibson Neil Kazaross Steve Mellen
Tara Mendicino Rich Munitz and Justin
Nunez on the BOD
Julius High is a frequent presence on the
American Backgammon Tour His achieve-
ments include the 2009 Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship the trifecta of the 2014
Atlanta Spring Championship Atlanta Cup
and Seniors events the 2014 Wisconsin
Badger Classic and second place in the 2014
Florida State Championships At home
he won the 2014 Kansas City Champion-
ship
Michelle Steinberg is a fierce competitor
in USBGF online tournaments and is also
a frequent participant on the American
Backgammon Tour She won the 2013-2014
USBGF National Internet Championship
Intermediate division and the Advanced
Divisional III She has generously volun-
teered her time in transcribing streamed
and videotaped tournament matches and
is a frequent contributor to the USBGF
Facebook site and the bgonline forum She
studied history liberal arts and elementary
education at Brooklyn College receiving a
Masterrsquos degree in Environmental Sciences
for elementary school teachers She lives
in New Jersey with her husband where
she pursues a variety of interests including
wildlife photography hiking and craft-
beer brewing
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
KA
REN
DA
VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
OP
BK
GM
CO
M
BIL
L D
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IS
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REN
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18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
GA
MM
ON
LIFE
CO
M O
PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
x15
4211
9406
2in
pho
tost
ream
Li
cenc
e at
http
cr
eativ
ecom
mon
sorg
lice
nses
by
20
22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
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tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PRIMETIMEB A C K G A M M O N
MARK ANTRANIKIANMark Antranikian Assistant Editor was a member of the USBGF Team Championships winning team Scared Hitless
BOB WACHTELBob Wachtel Editor of PrimeTime
Backgammon is a renowned author ranked 8 on the 2013
Giants of Backgammon
10 11USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
publisherBill Riles
editorBob Wachtel
Founding EditorMatt Cohn-Geier
Managing EditorKaren Davis
Production EditorTara Mendicino
Assistant EditorMark Antranikian
Assistant Editor and Design AnalystLisa Rockwell
USBGF PhotographerSteve Sax
Rankings EditorBarry Silliman
Feature EditorAnnotated MatchesMarty Storer
Editorial Advisory BoardKaren Davis (Chair) Chuck Bower Matt Cohn-Geier Carol Joy Cole Gus Contos Mike Corbett Bill Riles Justin Nunez Bob Wachtel Kit Woolsey
informationPrimeTime Backgammon is the official magazine of the US Backgammon Federation
contact usE-Mail infousbgforg Website usbgforg
Volume 6 Issue 1copy 2015 US Backgammon Federation
Staff ampVolunteers
from the editorOpinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the US Backgammon Federation B
ILL
RIL
ES S
TEV
E SA
X
PresidentExecutive Director TreasurerWilliam Riles
Chair Education CommitteeArt Benjamin
Governance and Nominating CommitteeDorn Bishop
Board Chair Co-Chair Membership and Marketing CommitteeKaren Davis
Executive Committee Chair Tournament Directors liaison Rules and Ethics CommitteePatrick Gibson
Membership and Marketing CommitteeJulius High
Rules and Ethics CommitteeNeil Kazaross
SecretarySteve Mellen
vice president Vice-Chair Membership and Marketing Committee Governance and Nominating CommitteeTara Mendicino
Chief Technology Officer Chair Ratings and Stats Committee Governance and Nominating Committee Rules and Ethics CommitteeRichard Munitz
Director Local Club Initiative Rules and Ethics CommitteeJustin Nunez
Executive CommitteeJoseph Russell
Membership and Marketing CommitteeMichelle Steinberg
Special Adviser to Board of Directors Carol Joy Cole
Education AdviserPhil Simborg
Accounting ManagerSheryl R Lennon
USBGF Boardof Directors
TARA MENDICINOTara Mendicino Production Editor Vice President and member of the USBGF Board of Directors and co-director of the Texas Backgammon Championships
KARE
N D
AVI
S
KA
REN
DA
VIS
12 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
presidents columnHappy New Yearto the USBGFBy Bill Riles President and Executive Director
At this special time of year appro-
priate for reflection on the past
and anticipation of the future I
would like to share with you a few thoughts
We have accomplished many things and
many more are on the horizon Our oppor-
tunities are abundant
Prime TournamentsWith the New York Metro and Texas Back-
gammon Championships in January the
USBGF will begin our Prime Tournament
Initiative with the USBGF contributing
added money for USBGF members We
are confident that this program designed
to increase membership and tournament
attendance will be successful However we
will need more benefactor support and the
assistance of as many tournament directors
as possible
Master PointsIn 2015 the USBGF Master Points program
will be in place Initially members will be
able to earn and accumulate master points
for online USBGF tournaments and for live
ABT tournament play and be recognized
through annual awards and recognition
in the USBGFs PrimeTime Backgammon
magazine Facebook page and website
The plan after that is to phase in local
and regional live-tournament-play master
points mdash something that several local club
directors and players have requested
Hall of FameI am excited by the establishment of the
American Backgammon Hall of Fame and
the election of the first thirteen inductees
As a game and as an organization we can
best define our identity and goals by first
recognizing where we have been and who
has contributed to our growth and direc-
tion This recognition will represent a
significant step forward for backgammon
in the United States
Board of Directors ElectionWith the recently completed second annual
Board of Directors elections nine of the
thirteen Directors have now been demo-
cratically elected by the membership Next
year we will complete the process by then
all of the Board members will be so elected
Irsquod like to thank retiring Board members
Alfred Mamlet and Jeb Horton for the
years of service they have provided to the
USBGF Both are friends and valued advis-
ers Their support for the USBGF and for
backgammon itself is warmly appreciated
I wish to also extend congratulations to
Art Benjamin Julius High Joe Russell and
Michelle Steinberg upon their election to
the Board of Directors As reelected incum-
bents I expect Art and Joe to continue to
provide the organization with their valuable
service and counsel By the same token
I am excited by the election of Julius and
Michelle I am confident that their new
blood will bring the energy enthusiasm
and creativity that the USBGF will require
to progress
Congratulations to Tara Mendicino on her
promotion to Vice President It is going to
be a great year for the USBGF
ldquoGet Into the Game ndash Become a Memberrdquo
usbgf board of directorsJulius High amp Michelle
Steinberg Join the Board
The US Backgammon Federa-
tion is pleased to announce that
Julius High and Michelle Stein-
berg have been elected to the Board of
Directors Upon being informed of the
result Bill Riles President and Executive
Director of USBGF issued this statement
ldquoThe US Backgammon Federation is
fortunate to have acquired Julius High
and Michelle Steinberg as members of
the Board of Directors Julius High brings
his experience in leading the Kansas City
Backgammon Study Group his cutting-
edge computer programming skills and
his extensive tournament experience to
the Board He will serve as Co-Chair of
the USBGF Membership and Marketing
Committee Michelle Steinberg is likewise
an important addition and will serve as
director of USBGF streaming services She
brings important insight into the interests
of a new generation of backgammon play-
ers The pairrsquos exuberance social skills and
visibility in the backgammon community
will serve the USBGF well in our outreach
and growth campaignrdquo
Art Benjamin and Joe Russell were re-
elected to the BOD Both have been vital
contributors to the USBGF Education
Committee The newly-elected directors
join Karen Davis Bill Riles Dorn Bishop
Patrick Gibson Neil Kazaross Steve Mellen
Tara Mendicino Rich Munitz and Justin
Nunez on the BOD
Julius High is a frequent presence on the
American Backgammon Tour His achieve-
ments include the 2009 Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship the trifecta of the 2014
Atlanta Spring Championship Atlanta Cup
and Seniors events the 2014 Wisconsin
Badger Classic and second place in the 2014
Florida State Championships At home
he won the 2014 Kansas City Champion-
ship
Michelle Steinberg is a fierce competitor
in USBGF online tournaments and is also
a frequent participant on the American
Backgammon Tour She won the 2013-2014
USBGF National Internet Championship
Intermediate division and the Advanced
Divisional III She has generously volun-
teered her time in transcribing streamed
and videotaped tournament matches and
is a frequent contributor to the USBGF
Facebook site and the bgonline forum She
studied history liberal arts and elementary
education at Brooklyn College receiving a
Masterrsquos degree in Environmental Sciences
for elementary school teachers She lives
in New Jersey with her husband where
she pursues a variety of interests including
wildlife photography hiking and craft-
beer brewing
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
KA
REN
DA
VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
OP
BK
GM
CO
M
BIL
L D
AV
IS
KA
REN
DA
VIS
18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
GA
MM
ON
LIFE
CO
M O
PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
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2in
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tost
ream
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cenc
e at
http
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mon
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lice
nses
by
20
22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportMake hotel reservations by April 13th Call 770-997-1100Contact Jerry Godsey at jerrygod2000hotmailcomVisit wwwatlantaspringclassiccom or call 404-403-1957 for details
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P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
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alle
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olde
n Ja
pane
se K
oirsquo b
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artin
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ns
http
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flick
rcom
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rivie
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1
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ttp
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0
74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
KA
REN
DA
VIS
12 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
presidents columnHappy New Yearto the USBGFBy Bill Riles President and Executive Director
At this special time of year appro-
priate for reflection on the past
and anticipation of the future I
would like to share with you a few thoughts
We have accomplished many things and
many more are on the horizon Our oppor-
tunities are abundant
Prime TournamentsWith the New York Metro and Texas Back-
gammon Championships in January the
USBGF will begin our Prime Tournament
Initiative with the USBGF contributing
added money for USBGF members We
are confident that this program designed
to increase membership and tournament
attendance will be successful However we
will need more benefactor support and the
assistance of as many tournament directors
as possible
Master PointsIn 2015 the USBGF Master Points program
will be in place Initially members will be
able to earn and accumulate master points
for online USBGF tournaments and for live
ABT tournament play and be recognized
through annual awards and recognition
in the USBGFs PrimeTime Backgammon
magazine Facebook page and website
The plan after that is to phase in local
and regional live-tournament-play master
points mdash something that several local club
directors and players have requested
Hall of FameI am excited by the establishment of the
American Backgammon Hall of Fame and
the election of the first thirteen inductees
As a game and as an organization we can
best define our identity and goals by first
recognizing where we have been and who
has contributed to our growth and direc-
tion This recognition will represent a
significant step forward for backgammon
in the United States
Board of Directors ElectionWith the recently completed second annual
Board of Directors elections nine of the
thirteen Directors have now been demo-
cratically elected by the membership Next
year we will complete the process by then
all of the Board members will be so elected
Irsquod like to thank retiring Board members
Alfred Mamlet and Jeb Horton for the
years of service they have provided to the
USBGF Both are friends and valued advis-
ers Their support for the USBGF and for
backgammon itself is warmly appreciated
I wish to also extend congratulations to
Art Benjamin Julius High Joe Russell and
Michelle Steinberg upon their election to
the Board of Directors As reelected incum-
bents I expect Art and Joe to continue to
provide the organization with their valuable
service and counsel By the same token
I am excited by the election of Julius and
Michelle I am confident that their new
blood will bring the energy enthusiasm
and creativity that the USBGF will require
to progress
Congratulations to Tara Mendicino on her
promotion to Vice President It is going to
be a great year for the USBGF
ldquoGet Into the Game ndash Become a Memberrdquo
usbgf board of directorsJulius High amp Michelle
Steinberg Join the Board
The US Backgammon Federa-
tion is pleased to announce that
Julius High and Michelle Stein-
berg have been elected to the Board of
Directors Upon being informed of the
result Bill Riles President and Executive
Director of USBGF issued this statement
ldquoThe US Backgammon Federation is
fortunate to have acquired Julius High
and Michelle Steinberg as members of
the Board of Directors Julius High brings
his experience in leading the Kansas City
Backgammon Study Group his cutting-
edge computer programming skills and
his extensive tournament experience to
the Board He will serve as Co-Chair of
the USBGF Membership and Marketing
Committee Michelle Steinberg is likewise
an important addition and will serve as
director of USBGF streaming services She
brings important insight into the interests
of a new generation of backgammon play-
ers The pairrsquos exuberance social skills and
visibility in the backgammon community
will serve the USBGF well in our outreach
and growth campaignrdquo
Art Benjamin and Joe Russell were re-
elected to the BOD Both have been vital
contributors to the USBGF Education
Committee The newly-elected directors
join Karen Davis Bill Riles Dorn Bishop
Patrick Gibson Neil Kazaross Steve Mellen
Tara Mendicino Rich Munitz and Justin
Nunez on the BOD
Julius High is a frequent presence on the
American Backgammon Tour His achieve-
ments include the 2009 Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship the trifecta of the 2014
Atlanta Spring Championship Atlanta Cup
and Seniors events the 2014 Wisconsin
Badger Classic and second place in the 2014
Florida State Championships At home
he won the 2014 Kansas City Champion-
ship
Michelle Steinberg is a fierce competitor
in USBGF online tournaments and is also
a frequent participant on the American
Backgammon Tour She won the 2013-2014
USBGF National Internet Championship
Intermediate division and the Advanced
Divisional III She has generously volun-
teered her time in transcribing streamed
and videotaped tournament matches and
is a frequent contributor to the USBGF
Facebook site and the bgonline forum She
studied history liberal arts and elementary
education at Brooklyn College receiving a
Masterrsquos degree in Environmental Sciences
for elementary school teachers She lives
in New Jersey with her husband where
she pursues a variety of interests including
wildlife photography hiking and craft-
beer brewing
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
KA
REN
DA
VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
OP
BK
GM
CO
M
BIL
L D
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IS
KA
REN
DA
VIS
18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
GA
MM
ON
LIFE
CO
M O
PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
x15
4211
9406
2in
pho
tost
ream
Li
cenc
e at
http
cr
eativ
ecom
mon
sorg
lice
nses
by
20
22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportMake hotel reservations by April 13th Call 770-997-1100Contact Jerry Godsey at jerrygod2000hotmailcomVisit wwwatlantaspringclassiccom or call 404-403-1957 for details
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
Mobile The power of eXtreme Gammon in the palm of your hands
eXtreme Gammon is now available on your Android device iPhone and iPad
Play with instant feedback using the Tutor Mode
Setup a position and analyze it using the same engine than XG desktop (up to 3-ply)
Games are saved and can be emailed for a full analyze in XG
2 player mode use XG Mobile as a portable board
High Quality Graphics
Track your Progress results and dice statistics
iOS
wwwxg-mobilecom
US
BG
FB
GS
HO
P
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Transparent Baffle Box with Etched USBGF Circular Logo by Phil Simborg A USBGF BG Shop exclusive Absolutely gorgeous transparent baffle box with the beautiful USBGF logo etched on the front
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alle
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pane
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artin
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http
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rivie
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
14 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf founding sponsorsOutstanding Supporters of our Organization
The US Backgammon Federations
Founding Sponsors initiative has
attracted donors who share its
vision of drawing thousands of people
throughout the country to the exciting
skill-based game of backgammon through a
rich array of activities appealing to all play-
ers young and young-at-heart alike The
support of our Founding Sponsors during
this critical period will be appreciated for
years to come and includes recognition on
our website in perpetuity and benefits not
available to any other class of Membership
The USBGF salutes the individuals and orga-
nizations who have generously supported
our Federation by becoming Founding
Sponsors and Prime Benefactors These 106
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
have provided the seed capital needed for
the launch of the US Backgammon Federa-
tion andor have contributed to the Prime
Tournament Initiative In appreciation of
this support a doubles event pairing Found-
ing Sponsors and Prime Benefactors with
Giants of Backgammon mdash The Tournament
of Stars mdash is held annually honoring the
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefac-
tors who have been instrumental in the
success of the organization We welcome
additional Founding Sponsors and Prime
Benefactors who wish to help us grow the
game we all love
Thanks to Vladimir Gudgenov Stuart
Domeshek Frank Talbot John Bird Victor
Ashkenazi Jason Pack and Albert Steg for
their support in becoming the most recent
Founding Sponsors and Prime Benefactors
More information on the benefits of becom-
ing a Founding Sponsor may be found at
USBGF Founding Sponsor Benefits
FOUNDERS CUBES BY LAWRENCE SONNEacuteFounding Sponsors are presented with an exquisite personalized engraved doubling cube specially designed for the USBGF by Lawrence Sonneacute of Backgammon Elegance
106
Founding Sponsors
Within each level names are presented in the order of becoming Founding Sponsors
DiamondMalcolm DavisAlan and Joan GrunwaldHugh SconyersMike Svobodny
platinumKaren DavisMorten Holm
goldAnna Covlin Myles Covlin Rod Covlin Patrick and Carla Gibson Harvey GillisPerry GartnerLarry TaylorAlfred MamletEdward B BennettRichard Munitz Joseph Russell Jeffrey Acierno Masayuki Mochizuki Falafel NatanzonJim PaskoDavid LeibowitzJason LeeMichael Louis RosenJamie Erin RosenArt BenjaminLloyd E Webber (LEW)Saba BejanishviliFrank Talbot
silverLynn EhrlichChiva Tafazzoli
Silver cont Alex GerdingBruce NewbergLarry LiebsterBen FriesenJim StutzGus ContosDion HoganAlbert Steg
bronzePat McCormick Carol Joy ColeNeal and Kathy WeinerNeil Kazaross Kit WoolseyMichael WeinbergerChuck BowerPreston GuidryJake JacobsSean CearleyKristina VigPlay65 Backgammon Judy FieldRory PascarGreg Cottle Bill FinneranJames G AllenSean Williams Pat GeoffroyMark Gordon Rochelle HassonDennis CulpepperAndrew MartinezDrew Giovanis James E Roland Bill RilesJosh RackoRussell Sands
bronze contSteve SchreiberBob GlassJohn CalcottJeff BurdsallJustin and Rynell NunezSteve SaxDorn BishopScott KellandArthur SteinStepan NuniyantsPowhatan FrenchRobert E StollerJoe PottsArkadiy TsinisCarla GibsonDavid KettlerMichael FlohrMario SavanJeb HortonCloyd LaPorteSecil BaysalDavid RennieAlan PrucePhil SimborgEd SawyerTwain PigottJerry GodseyJulius HighMichelle SteinbergTariq SiddiqiSteve BlanchardJohn HamlinAnthony AntonVladimir GudgenovStuart DomeshekJason Pack
youthIstvaacuten Eacuteger
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
KA
REN
DA
VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
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N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
OP
BK
GM
CO
M
BIL
L D
AV
IS
KA
REN
DA
VIS
18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
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GA
MM
ON
LIFE
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E K
AR
EN D
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IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
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2in
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tost
ream
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cenc
e at
http
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mon
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nses
by
20
22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
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N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International AirportMake hotel reservations by April 13th Call 770-997-1100Contact Jerry Godsey at jerrygod2000hotmailcomVisit wwwatlantaspringclassiccom or call 404-403-1957 for details
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
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alle
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olde
n Ja
pane
se K
oirsquo b
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artin
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ns
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
KA
REN
DA
VIS
17USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Hall of Fameinductees
2015AMERICAN BACKGAMMON
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NACKBALLARD
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
CAROLJOY COLE
Nack Ballard - San Francisco California
Regarded as a consummate gentleman Nack Ballard is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception in 1993 He has
also distinguished himself at Scrabble Go and Color Lines
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including three successive times as 1 twice as 2 and a sixteen-year span in the top ten
raquo Won 1982 World Professional Championship in Las Vegas
raquo Voted 1 player in the world at US Invitational in Washington DC in 1984
raquo Won the prestigious Pro-Am Doubles Championship three times 2001 with Harvey Huie 2003 and 2004 with Wayne McClintock
raquo Co-authored Backgammon Openings (2007) with Paul Weaver
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Carol Joy Cole - Flint Michigan
Widely regarded as the Queen of backgammon in the United States Carol Joy Cole
is revered and beloved by all She founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978
publishing the Flint Area Backgammon News She has directed the Michigan Summer
Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament since 1982 and served
on the staff of numerous tournaments She has played a pivotal role in maintaining US
backgammon tournament events and results on the Chicago Point website since 1993
and created and maintains the Giants of Backgammon website
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo US Open Champion 2009 Washington DC
raquo Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot 2014 Los Angeles CA
raquo Finalist in the inaugural USBGF National Championship (2011)
FRO
M T
OP
BK
GM
CO
M
BIL
L D
AV
IS
KA
REN
DA
VIS
18 19USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MALCOLMDAVIS
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KENTGOULDING
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BARCLAYCOOKE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLDAVIS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Barclay Cooke (1912-1981) - Englewood New Jersey
Named by Sports Illustrated as ldquothe father of modern backgammonrdquo Barclay Cooke was
renowned for his fairness and generosity and was eulogized by Les Levi as ldquoperhaps
backgammonrsquos most gracious ambassador and eloquent spokesmanrdquo
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Champion with his son Walt of the 1973 British-American Cup
raquo Champion with Oswald Jacoby Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Six time champion of the Vietor Cup (1963 1966 1974 1979 1980 1981)
raquo Author of Backgammon The Cruelest Game (1974) with Jon Bradshaw Paradoxes and Probabilities (1978) and Championship Backgammon (1980)
Bill Davis - Chicago Illinois
Bill Davis is widely respected for his contributions innovations and promotion of the
game He is the founder of the American Backgammon Tour has directed the Chicago
Bar Point Club since 1983 directed the Midwest Backgammon Championships from 1984
thru 2009 and has directed the Central States Invitational since 2010 He has published
the Chicago Point newsletter website and the Facebook page reaching thousands of
backgammon players around the world
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Founder and director of the American Backgammon Tour
raquo The 15 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points with 5 career ABT tournament victories
raquo 2 all-time points leader in Chicagoland Backgammon (1974 ndash 2014)
raquo Winner of the 2012 Chicago Open
Malcolm Davis - Dallas Texas
The epitome of a gracious gentleman Malcolm Davis is one of only seven players to have
been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception One of the first
to videotape and analyze his matches he has been a consistent winner of Championship
and Masters Jackpot events
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Won the World Cup in 1996 and the Williams Island Pro-Am with Jim Scott in 1986
raquo Defeated IBMrsquos TD-Gammon in 1997 and 1998
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo The 3 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points 2 all-time with 9 career ABT tournament victories and was 1 in the ABT rankings in 2003
raquo 1st or 2nd in more than 75 major events over 40 years (1975-2014)
Kent Goulding - Germantown Maryland
An innovative force in the game Kent Goulding is esteemed as a backgammon player
publisher directororganizer witty auctioneer and raconteur extraordinaire He intro-
duced the first US backgammon rating system and as director of the World Cup he
instituted the use of clocks and recorded matches
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Winner Tournament of Champions Paradise Island Bahamas 1978
raquo Publisher of Backgammon with the Champions (12 issues of annotated matches 1981-1982) and Inside Backgammon magazine with Bill Robertie (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Bill Robertie of the World Cup (known as the US Invita-tional in early years) from 1984 through 1998
raquo He was voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon six consecutive times from its inception
FRO
M T
OP
FA
ING
OLD
K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N B
ILL
RO
BER
TIE
20 21USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
PAULMAGRIEL
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
BILLROBERTIE
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
OSWALDJACOBY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
NEILKAZAROSS
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Oswald Jacoby (1902 ndash 1984) - Dallas Texas
One of the preeminent gamesmen of the twentieth century Oswald Jacoby was regarded
both as a leading backgammon player and co-author of the first analytic book on backgam-
mon He is also a member of the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame (1965)
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Backgammon World Champion 1972 Las Vegas
raquo Champion with Barclay Cooke Paul Magriel and Lee Genud of the 1979 ITT Telecom USA vs Europe match
raquo Author of The Backgammon Book (1970) with John R Crawford
raquo Namesake of the Jacoby Rule
Neil Kazaross - Chicago Illinois
Noted for his brilliant analytical mind Neil Kazaross is famous for inventing ldquoNeilrsquos
Numbersrdquo a short-hand method of calculating match equities over the board and co-
author of the RockwellKazaross MET (Match Equity Table) He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including ten con-secutive top ten ratings since 1995 Since 2005 he has been in the top five each poll
raquo The 1 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in numerous categories ndash career points 1 six times top three eight times 17 career tournament victories and much more
raquo Inaugural USBGF National Championships winner (2011)
Paul Magriel - Las Vegas Nevada
Author of the ldquoBiblerdquo of backgammon the name Paul Magriel has been synonymous
with backgammon since the publication of his groundbreaking book Backgammon in
1976 still viewed as backgammonrsquos leading textThe original backgammon celebrity he
helped popularize the game
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1978 Bahamas
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon list eight consecutive times from its inception
raquo Author of Backgammon (1976)
Bill Robertie - Boston Massachusetts
A gifted and prolific author publisher and promoterdirector widely respected for his intel-
ligence and insight Bill Robertie is a two-time World Champion He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo World Champion 1983 and 1987 Monte Carlo
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Author of Advanced Backgammon Volumes 1 and 2 (1991) Backgammon for Winners (1993) Backgammon for Serious Players (1997) 501 Essential Backgammon Problems (2000) and Modern Backgammon (2001)
raquo Publisher of Inside Backgammon magazine with Kent Goulding (1991 to 1998)
raquo Organizerdirector with Kent Goulding of the World Cup (known as the US Invi-tational in early years) from 1984 through 1998
FRO
M T
OP
UN
KN
OW
N
GA
MM
ON
LIFE
CO
M O
PP P
AG
E K
AR
EN D
AV
IS
TEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPSTEXA
S BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSH
IPS
Congratulations2015 American Backgammon
Hall of Fame Inductees- Bill Riles amp Tara Mendicino
lsquoRiv
erw
alk
Brid
ge 3
rsquo by
Jim N
ix
http
sw
ww
flick
rcom
pho
tos
jimni
x15
4211
9406
2in
pho
tost
ream
Li
cenc
e at
http
cr
eativ
ecom
mon
sorg
lice
nses
by
20
22 23USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
KITWOOLSEY
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
MIKESENKIEWICZ
AM
ERI
CAN BACKGAM
MO
N
HALL OF FAM
E
WALTERTRICE
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
Mike Senkiewicz - New York New York
Master chess player Scrabble legend backgammon champion and mainstay of the New
York games scene for four decades Mike Senkiewicz raised the level of backgammon
play since the early 1980s with his insightful analyses of the game He is one of only seven
players to have been voted onto every Giants of Backgammon listing since its inception
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times including once as 1 twice as 2 and a ten-year span in the top ten
raquo Author of articles in Backgammon Times and Backgammon Galore among others
Walter Trice (1948 ndash 2009) - Boston Massachusetts
Backgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical theorist Walter Trice is known for development
of the Effective Pip Count and his best-selling book Backgammon Boot Camp
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon five times
raquo The 14 all-time leader on the American Backgammon Tour in career points tied for 6 all-time with 6 career ABT-event tournament victories including the Las Vegas Open in November 2004
raquo Author of Backgammon Boot Camp (2004) and Can a Fish Taste Twice as Good (1996) with Jake Jacobs
Kit Woolsey - San Francisco California
Noted bridge and backgammon author Kit Woolsey is one of backgammonrsquos leading
experts on the doubling cube and tournament play Kit has been on the vanguard of the
computer revolution ndash writing his own programs for analysis in the early 1980s and
running the First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) created by Andreas Schneider
He is editor of the first online backgammon magazine GammOnLine (53 issues) on the
GammonU website He is one of only seven players to have been voted onto every Giants
of Backgammon listing since its inception He was inducted into the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame in 2005
Notable Awards and Accomplishments
raquo Voted to the 32 Giants of Backgammon eleven consecutive times
raquo Winner of Backgammon Pro-Am Championship (2005) with Tami Jones
raquo Author of How to Play Tournament Backgammon (1993) New Ideas in Backgammon (1996) with Hal Heinrich Backgammon Encyclopedia Vol 1 (2002) Understanding Backgammon (2003) with Tami Jones 52 Great Backgammon Tips (2007) with Patti Beadles MatchQiz computer software with Hal Heinrich among other works
24 25USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
The InducteesBy Jeremy Bagai
I first heard of the of the American Back-
gammon Hall of Fame when Patrick
Gibson asked me to be a member of
the select committee along with Dennis
Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
I was honored to be considered I often
feel like a newbie but apparently Irsquove been
plugging away at this game for some time
now I first met Patrick just as I started
playing in 1990 He was my introduction
to organized backgammon I was happy to
help him in any way
It turned out that my biggest contribution
to the selection process stemmed not from
any backgammon-related wisdom but
from my having taught some uncountable
number of college classes mdash and having
thereby created some uncountable number
of grade-distributions I quickly saw that
the problem of separating lsquoArsquos from lsquoBrsquos was
similar to the problem of separating our
inductees from hopefuls Patrick told us that
our goal was to end up with ten to fifteen
inductees Richard Munitz provided some
thoughtful vote-modeling and suggested
using a cutoff criterion somewhere between
60 and 75 of total votes But my grading
experience had shown me that distributions
tend to be stranger than you expect and
that any criterion based on percentage of
total votes might well generate far too few
or far too many Hall of Famers
Instead I proposed that we let the shape
of the distribution be our guide We knew
we wanted ten to fifteen inductees mdash so
we should just say so We could draw the
specific cutoff within that ten-to-fifteen
range by looking for a gap in the distribu-
tion For example suppose the top thirteen
candidates each received at least 18 (out of
a possible 26) votes and that the next best
candidate (number fourteen) received only
16 votes In that hypothetical case there is
a gap in the distribution since no candidate
received exactly 17 votes That gap would
become our cutoff criterion and the top
thirteen candidates would be inducted
In fact I proposed something just a little
more complicated for dealing with unlikely
edge cases and there was some debate Pat-
rick did that thing that all good tournament
directors must do he made a decision We
used the simpler version of this system and
the voters cooperated by producing a clean
distribution with a lovely gap between the
top thirteen candidates and the rest of the
field Well done voters And my heartfelt
congratulations to our inaugural inductees
Karen and Bill asked me to write some
notes on the incoming class So here are
some personal reflections on thirteen indi-
viduals that Irsquom terribly proud to have
associated with
Nack BallardHis impact on backgammon cannot be
overstated Certainly one of the all-time
great players (simultaneous multiple event
wins at the World Cup and Las Vegas tour-
naments winner of three Pro-Am Doubles
events in four years etc) Voted 1 Giant
three consecutive cycles But then therersquos
the other stuff His book on Openings with
Paul Weaver Nactation Nackgammon
I donrsquot have much personal experience with
Nack as a competitor but he does drop
by our local club now and again to watch
his wife play In a world overfilled with
showmen hersquos a quiet pleasant decent
and thoughtful guy Itrsquos always a pleasure
to talk with him
Oh and hersquos also one of the worldrsquos best
Scrabble players one of the (European)
worldrsquos best Go players and perhaps the
worldrsquos best at Color Lines Irsquove recently
seen him reading books on poker Watch
out poker
Carol Joy ColeWhere would backgammon be today with-
out Carol Without her longest-ever con-
tinuously published newsletter Without
her always-updated Tournament Calendar
Without her Backgammon Boutique
Without her running the largest and most
beloved US tournament Just where would
we be I donrsquot like to even think about it
CJC is indisputably the nicest person in the
world Therersquos no need for me to back that
statement up because no one would dispute
it She has been my friend my confidant
my supporter my adviser and my silent
partner in most all things backgammon
Maybe shersquos been yours too Thanks for
sharing these past twenty-five years with
me and making them so special Carol
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2009 US Open And welcome to the
Hall of Fame
Barclay Cooke I never met the man but feel a connection
of sorts by way of my book Classic Back-
gammon Revisited (2001) In it I went over
the ldquobiggest errors from the best authorsrdquo
with the help of computer analysis And
by far the biggest criticism of my book
was that I was too cruel to the author of
The Cruelest Game Barclay Cooke There
may be some truth to this mdash I am not the
best person to judge My honest defense
is that I was merely trying to write prose
as engaging as Barclayrsquos
Cooke won many tournaments (six Vietor
Cups including a consecutive run of three)
but he will be best remembered for his
popular books which brought genera-
tions of players to the table Backgammon
The Cruelest Game (1974) Paradoxes and
Probabilities (1978) and Championship
Backgammon (1980) His first was very
successful and still serves as an excellent
and charming introduction to the game
His last is an important and entertaining
historical document capturing the state
of play in the late 70s His middle book
is indeed paradoxical Yes over half the
answers are now known to be wrong to
some degree But as I once wrote ldquoWhere
else can one find a reference to Debussy
and an extended baseball analogy together
on the same page much less accompanied
by a backgammon positionrdquo
Thank you for all your many contributions
Mr Cooke I wouldnrsquot change a word
Bill DavisI think itrsquos safe to say that no American has
done more to organize backgammon than
Bill Davis Itrsquos quite possible that no human
has done more to organize backgammon
since the beginning of time The newslet-
ter The list of American clubs The web
resources The Bar Point Club The Midwest
Championships The Central States Invita-
tional The American Backgammon Tour
Bill is not generally known for his modern
viewpoints (see Clocks Computers Politics
etc) He is an old-fashioned gentleman
He likes dress codes for his tournaments
But he has been a constant innovator in
organized backgammon for forty years
Congratulations once again on winning
the 2012 Chicago Open And welcome to
the Hall of Fame
Malcolm Davis Malcolm wins a lot of backgammon tourna-
ments An awful lot For a long long time
now From the 1996 World Cup and the
1998 Nordic Super Jackpot to the 2013
Texas Championships and the 2014 Las
Vegas Super Jackpot Malcolm keeps win-
ning He won the ABT Player of the Year
in 2003 Hersquos been voted to the Giants List
(top 32) in every cycle (1993ndash2013)
Interestingly hersquos not known as a top ana-
lyst You wonrsquot see him at tournaments
discussing positions at length with the
gang He doesnrsquot write articles He just wins
matches I had the pleasure of interviewing
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
26 27USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
him at length to collect material for Marty
Storerrsquos Backgammon Praxis The Matches
of Malcom Davis He told me
If I knew why I make the plays I make Irsquod
feel better but I donrsquot I just really have to
play enough so that it looks right to me and
I do it you know Irsquove noticed years ago that
good players who are well-intentioned and
honest and talented and knowledgeable
would give me reasons and the reasons
just turned out not to be right The only
thing I could do any better was just not
give reasons I hate to give them if Irsquom not
pretty sure theyrsquore right
Refreshingly modest sentiment from a man
who has so much to be proud of
Kent GouldingSimply the best auctioneer of all time That
alone should be enough to put him in the
Hall of Fame You want more Ok therersquos
his Backgammon with the Champions (our
gamersquos first series of annotated matches)
Inside Backgammon (the highest-quality
instructional magazine ever published)
The KG Rating List The World Cup tourna-
ments Kent has done a lot for backgammon
He also won lots back when he was playing
The 1977 Paradise Island Tournament of
Champions The 1978 Florida State Cham-
pionships A gazillion events throughout
the 80s and 90s of course And then he
won the Czech Open in 2000 and cashed
in the Party Gammon Million in 2007
But what really sets Kent apart from the
typical superstar hellip is how much fun it
is to hang around with him Hersquos a nice
helpful funny cheerful light-hearted yet
droll competitor with more than enough
amusing anecdotes to distract you from
the fact that he just took you out of the
main flight Come back anytime KG We
miss you
Oswald Jacoby Winner of the 1972 Backgammon World
Championship (Las Vegas) Co-author of
The Backgammon Book which Robertie
later described as the first ldquoto approach
the game from an analytic point of viewrdquo
Hall of Fame contract bridge player and
author Immortalized by the Jacoby rule
in backgammon (no gammons awarded
in money play unless the cube has been
turned) and by several contract bridge
bidding conventions that bear his name
Died in 1984 at the age of eighty-one I
wish I had met him
Neil KazarossClearly one of the very best players the
game has ever seen Won the American
Backgammon Tour a record six times (Is
that even possible) Seventeen individual
ABT victories Author of innumerable
high-quality articles Essential contributor
to newsgroups Frequent collaborator on
projects ranging from Match Equity Table
construction to the training of the current
BG bots The Neil behind Neilrsquos Numbers
Somehow he has managed to give back to
backgammon a sum even greater than all
the prize pools he has taken
I worked on the floor of the Philadelphia
Options Exchange for a brief period and
would occasionally run into folks who had
worked with him ldquoNever had to ask how
his day had beenrdquo was one memorable
comment Not a shy man that Neil
Or is it possible that observation is out-
dated Has there been something of a hellip
mellowing of late Time will on occasion
smooth out some rough edges However
he got there Neil has become backgam-
monrsquos venerated elder statesmen Perhaps
our greatest playeranalystambassador
Who is still more likely than not to win
next yearrsquos ABT
Paul MagrielCan you be granted backgammon immor-
tality on the basis of one book Yes if itrsquos
as good as Magrielrsquos Backgammon
Not that he hasnrsquot done a lot more There
was that World Championship in 1978 The
New York Times column All those seminars
and live commentaries The return to the
public eye through poker But a hundred
years from now when all of us are gone and
most else has faded there will still be that
book Perhaps yoursquove read it
The year 2001 saw my second trip to Monte
Carlo but this time I had copies of my just-
published Classic Backgammon Revisited
with me I was a little nervous I knew Paul
was there I knew he wanted to meet me
And I didnrsquot know what he thought of my
book Was it possible he had a problem
with my ldquocorrectingrdquo his masterpiece Soon
enough I found myself eating pizza at the
Tip Top across the table from a legend
Braced for the worst what I got instead was
a deluge of near stream-of-consciousness
observations concepts enthusiasms and
idiosyncrasies And an invitation to col-
laborate on his next book Heady times
That book never happened nor did the next
few he proposed Still Irsquoll never forget the
times Irsquove spent with him nor will I ever
forget the elegant structure and magnificent
prose of his wonderful book Long live
backgammonrsquos unique mad-genius
Bill RobertieMy vote for backgammonrsquos best author His
ideas and his voice defined backgammon
analysis in the 80s and 90s Remember the
pre-bot era When ldquodoing a rolloutrdquo meant
spending a few hours playing both sides of
a position over a board Robertie owned
that era Lee Genud Vs Joe Dwek (1982)
Advanced Backgammon (1984 1991) Reno
1986 (1987) Learning From The Machine
(1993) Modern Backgammon (2001) And
eight full years of Inside Backgammon (1991-
1998) the highest-quality periodical that
backgammon has ever seen Thatrsquos a lot of
indispensable writing (And thatrsquos just the
serious stuff mdash intermixed with those were
the mass-market books for beginners and
intermediates)
Billrsquos prose reflects his personality smart
organized wry and reserved Bill tells
wonderful stories mdash both in person and
in print But he doesnrsquot tell three-page
stories that have you looking at your watch
before skimming ahead for the punchline
He writes exactly enough to make his
point clearly yet finds room within for
understated irony or a sardonic turn of
phrase Would that more authors were to
emulate this
I suppose I should mention somewhere that
he won the World Championship Twice
For the past decade Bill turned his atten-
tion to poker and produced with Dan
Harrington some of the very best poker
books ever written But he tells me that
more backgammon writing is on the way
and I couldnrsquot be more excited
Mike SenkiewiczChess master Scrabble legend (is it true that
he first proposed what would later become
the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary)
backgammon champion Part of the famed
crew at New Yorkrsquos Mayfair Club in the
70s and the Coterie Club in the 80s The
professional gamesman gambler
I first met him at the Ace Point Club in
the 90s My memory is that he was mostly
playing cards but perhaps I wasnrsquot aware
of the higher-stakes backgammon games
I remember the acerbic wit of course We
did not become friends to speak of but I
was pleased and touched when he pointed
out an error in the first edition of my book
(problem 32) Thanks again Senk
Ok there is one other story that comes to
mind Dinner with a bunch of players at
some Vegas buffet As usual there were
the talkers and the listeners And there was
Senk who might well have been reading
a newspaper One of the talkers hit upon
the subject of unfair taxes and began some
generic conservativelibertarian rant against
government interference I may have thrown
in a contrasting comment or two but lacked
the courage of my convictions So the rant
continued But then seemingly from out
of nowhere in stepped Senk hellip who pro-
ceeded to eviscerate the ranterrsquos arguments
world view and perhaps a large fraction of
his social confidence Senk held the floor
for an impassioned three minutes There
was an extended games analogy mdash how the
country used to offer a level playing field
but now only the rich get a seat at the table
and the super-rich get to play by different
rules Or something like that How I long
for a recording It was magnificent
Respect to you Senk
Walter TriceBackgammonrsquos preeminent mathematical
theorist His contribution of the Effective
Pip Count alone would guarantee him
immortality But there was also his Bearoff
Quizmaster the first race-database training
program Can A Fish Taste Twice as Good
his collaboration with Jake Jacobs on the
theory of unequal matches And his many
many articles Convincing Walter to publish
his set of Beginnerrsquos Boot Camp columns
as a book may well prove to be my greatest
contribution to the game Itrsquos one of my
proudest achievements
It was a joy to work with him We did a
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
28 29USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
lot of editing together and conversations
that started on language and backgammon
often found their way to art and politics
He seemed to know at least one delightful
something about everything Boot Camp
was published in 2004 and Walter proved
himself a master of marketing technique by
winning the Las Vegas Open that November
He signed a lot of books that day
Walter died unexpectedly at the age of 60
I spoke at his funeral and hearing others
speak I learned for the first time about his
enthusiasm for cycling and his virtuosity
at the piano He contained multitudes I
miss him just as you do
Kit WoolseyKit and Oswald Jacoby before him are the
only members of this inaugural class to
also be members of the American Contract
Bridge League Hall of Fame Like Jacoby
Kit has written definitive ground-breaking
books for both games and like Jacoby he
even has a bridge convention named after
him He doesnrsquot yet have a backgammon
rule named after him so I hereby propose
for the sake of parity that our next official
rule change bear his name (Sure there
is the justly famous ldquoWoolseyrsquos Lawrdquo for
doubling but thatrsquos more of a guideline
rather than a rule Your call Kit)
Perhaps more than any other player Kit
has been on the vanguard of the computer
revolution mdash both in backgammon study
and also in the world at large Long before
the neural nets Kit was writing programs
for his own backgammon analysis back in
the early 80s And then there was MatchQiz
a fantastic use of the early 90s personal
computer to display his annotated matches
on screen (I still have all my discs and get
frustrated every time my modern laptop
fails to run them) And then there was the
First Internet Backgammon Server cre-
ated by Andreas Schneider in 1992 Once
again Kit somehow got involved to the
result that he has effectively run the server
since 1996 And yes when TD-Gammon
changed everything somehow Kit was
there convincing Gerry Tesauro to analyze
matches with him (One such match was
against me mdashplayed on FIBS of course Kit
invited me to write commentary in parallel
with him and our joint effort became some
of the very first instructional backgammon
writing to appear online) And certainly not
least there was GammOnLine backgam-
monrsquos first online magazine discussion
board and interactive match
I once asked Kit why his published analysis
so often makes use of odds notation (Black
is a four-to-one favorite) instead of the more
common percentage lingo (Black has 80
winning chances) Kit broke into a wide
grin mdash ldquoFrom a well-spent youth playing
the ponies my boyrdquo Congratulations on
your second-place finish at the 2014 Las
Vegas Open Kit And welcome to your
second Hall of Fame
An impressive group no
Was this exactly the list of candidates I
voted for Of course not But this list is bet-
ter than mine mdash it reflects the communal
judgment of many more years of experience
than Irsquoll ever have Congratulations to our
inaugural class
- JEREMY BAGAI
About JeremyJeremy Bagai received his doctorate
in Psychology from the Univer-sity of Pennsylvania in 1999 where he studied the ways in which we evaluate outcomes assign prob-abilities and select actions He has taught at the Wharton School of Business and UC Berkeley and enjoyed his four years as Senior
Product Manager at CyberArts writing software specifications and managing teams of developers
He wrote the critically acclaimed Classic Backgammon Revisited and published it along with Backgam-mon Boot Camp (Trice) and Back-gammon Praxis (Storer) through his company The Fortuitous Press
2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame Inductees
On January 30 2015 at the USBGF
Annual Awards Dinner held
in conjunction with the 3rd
Texas Backgammon Championships in San
Antonio TX Federation President Bill Riles
named the inaugural class of 13 inductees
into the American Backgammon Hall of
Fame This honor is intended to recog-
nize the extraordinary contributions that
these individuals have made to the theory
growth and enjoyment of the mind game
of backgammon Plaques honoring each
inductee will be maintained in perpetuity
on the USBGF website
Origin of the Hall of FameIn June 2014 in an e-mail addressed to
USBGF Board of Directors Chairman
Karen Davis Mr Riles wrote ldquoIrsquove come
up with another idea hellip that I think is
creative exciting interesting and enter-
taining I suggest we create hellip a USBGF
Backgammon Hall of Famehellip I think Hall
of Fame members should be elected based
on their total contribution to the USBGF
and to backgammon -- skill play results
support visibility sportsmanship citizen-
ship and contributions of every sort hellip
Some organization or group is ultimately
going to do this ndash I think it should be
the USBGFrdquo Karen suggested forming a
committee of respected members of our
community to think through the issues
and oversee the process
Billrsquos draft proposal for the establishment
of a Hall of Fame was accepted in concept
at the June 24 2014 Board meeting The
document stipulated in part ldquoThe USBGF
will initiate a USBGF Hall of Fame to recog-
nize and honor those players directors and
other individuals who have made significant
contributions to the game over a substantial
period of time Nominees and candidates
do not have to be USBGF members may
be from abroad and may be posthumously
consideredhellip It is anticipated that the Hall
of Fame would be a very exclusive group-
ing of the most significant individuals in
the history of the modern game hellip The
select committee should comprise members
of long and extensive participation and
expertise in the backgammon community
possessing the knowledge and perspective
of individual contributions ndash absolutely
and relatively ndash over timerdquo
Process of SelectionAt the next monthrsquos Board meeting Bill
reported that a Select Committee chaired by
Patrick Gibson (one of the longest-serving
tournament directors in the US and a
Board member) would choose a slate of
candidates and set the parameters for the
process The Select Committee would be
comprised of Directors and of representa-
tives from the USBGF membership Patrick
had researched the procedures used by vari-
ous sports as well as other games like chess
in establishing and maintaining similar
honorary groups and after some discus-
sion the Board unanimously approved a
motion to proceed with the Hall of Fame
in accordance with the committeersquos written
proposal with the understanding that the
The Origin amp Selection ProcessBy Karen Davis
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
30 31USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
initiative would be implemented with limited costs to the USBGF
and executed within the currently-approved budget
The Select Committee was formed and provided regular updates
to the Board on its progress On September 30 it recommended
raquo Name US Backgammon Hall of Fame (subsequently changed
to American Backgammon Hall of Fame)
raquo Criteria Important contributions accomplishments and
achievements relating to the game of backgammon in the United
States Skill and success over the board will be considered as
will comportment and reputation within the backgammon
community It should be difficult to get selected ndash an excep-
tional body of work over a significant period of time Not a
mere popularity contest
raquo Eligible individuals Players authors directors promoters
publishers teachers and similar individuals will all be worthy
of consideration For the initial year candidates for ballot
will be chosen by a Select Committee in future years back-
gammon community may also be allowed to submit names
for consideration although not all submitted names would
necessarily appear on ballot
raquo Initial ballot Each of the members of the Committee submitted
15 names for consideration (self-nomination not allowed)
resulting in a total of 50 individual names 11 of these were
categorized as ldquoold-timersrdquo who were barely recognized even
by several experienced members of the Committee individuals
in this category might be chosen through a separate process
possibly as a different category of historical contributors
raquo Electors Individuals responsible for choosing HOF inductees
should be experienced members of backgammon community
This mirrors the procedure used by most other halls of fame
Holding a vote of the entire membership is less desirable
because many will not have the experience to select among
the candidates and induction is a permanent honor The
proposal is that each member of the Committee would choose
2 more electors for a total of 15 adding the remaining Board
members would bring the total electors to 26 Elected HOF
members can serve as electors in future years
raquo Class size The initial class would have a maximum of 15
inductees all of whom should be clearly recognized as ldquounas-
sailable choicesrdquo Historical contributors would not be part
of the initial class Future years would have a class size of
4-8 or 5-10
The Board discussed these and other items at length most notably
the process for selecting names to appear on the ballot and the
question of whether electors and committee members should be
precluded from appearing on the ballot or simply prohibited from
voting for themselves It concluded that the Select Committee
would be reconstituted to include only individuals willing to be
excluded from consideration for the current year
The reconstituted Select Committee consisted of Patrick Gibson
Jeremy Bagai Dennis Culpepper Doug Mayfield and Joe Russell
It presented a ballot of 36 individuals to the Board at its November
6 meeting and the ballot received unanimous approval Voting
was conducted by confidential e-ballot by members of the Board
of Directors the Select Committee and electors chosen by the
Select Committee a total of 26 electors
Based on the Boardrsquos recommendation the goal was to end up
with ten to fifteen inductees The Select committee decided to
make the cutoff depend on the shape of the distribution of votes
by looking within that ten-to-fifteen range for a gap in the dis-
tribution Such a gap did in fact emerge between the top thirteen
candidates and the rest of the field The result was a final inaugural
set of 13 distinguished inductees
- KAREN DAVIS
The Origin amp Selection Process
Going ForwardBy Bill Riles
Hall of FameAMERICAN BACKGAMMON
In this initial year of the American Backgammon Hall of Fame the US Backgammon Federation (USBGF) Hall of Fame Com-
mittee chose to provide for an inaugural induction class of thirteen members The Committee felt a large group was necessary to
appropriately include a number of significant individuals from the decades-old history of the modern game In subsequent years
the Committee believes smaller induction classes will be appropriate
The Committee is currently working on the refinement of Hall of Fame selection processes and procedures going forward and will
submit their recommendations to the Board of Directors for approval Members are invited to submit suggestions for candidates or
the selection process at HallofFameusbgforg Subsequently the policies will be made public and distributed to the membership
Candidates should include individuals who have
raquo made important contributions to the game of backgammon in the US over a significant period of time as players directors
authors publishers promoters teachers or innovators
raquo realized exceptional accomplishments
raquo demonstrated remarkable skill through success over the board or
raquo gained achievements and recognition among the community
The USBGF applauds the 2015 American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees for their contributions to the game We look forward
to the recognition of other deserving individuals in the future
- BILL RILES
TAR
A M
END
ICIN
O
32 33USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
4-Time ABT Player of the Year
KA
REN
DA
VIS
By Karen Davis
ray fogerlund American Backgammon Tour2014 Player of the Year Again
Ray Fogerlund has done it again
winning the American Backgam-
mon Tour Player of the Year award
for the fourth time (2007 2009 2011 2014)
not to mention his other achievements
highest all-time annual points winner (8880
points in 2011) holder of most cumulative
points in three consecutive years (14792 in
2009-2011) most years in a row winning
ABT points (13) highest points in past five
years hellip you get the drift
How does he do it Bill Davis Director of
the American Backgammon Tour has this
take ldquoRay Fogerlund is the most dedicated
player on the American Backgammon
Tour Although Ray doesnrsquot believe he has
the technical skills of backgammon greats
like Neil Kazaross and Mochy nobody is
better at winning on a psychological level
Ray is a streak player mdash a requirement for
winning tournaments In 2014 he won
three ABT main events in a year when his
win-loss record was just a couple points
over 50 Thatrsquos impressive When 2015
comes to an end Ray Fogerlund will likely
have surpassed Neil Kazaross as the all-time
ABT master point leader over the circuitrsquos 23
year run And nobody is more deservingrdquo
Mike Senkiewicz once said that only an
insane desire can lead to consistent winning
and Ray certainly has a deep competitive
streak He confesses to not being a good
loser saying itrsquos a constant struggle and that
he is working on it though conflicted To
learn to be a good loser he says you have to
do a lot of losing He quotes a buddy ldquoI may
not be the worst loser in the world but Irsquoll
do until we find himrdquo He says hersquos working
at controlling his temper but doesnrsquot want
to lose his intensity for winning Hersquod rather
just work on getting better and beating the
other guy noting that ego and financial
interest are powerful stimulants
Ray spent 27 years as a firefighter which
he describes as one of the most difficult
occupations to get into Once he was one
of over 3000 people who showed up at
the Anaheim (CA) Stadium for five job
openings in Orange County It took him
9 years from ages 17 to 26 testing all over
California before getting a coveted spot in
the Kern County (CA) fire department
following in the footsteps of his dad who
was a Santa Monica fireman Successful
candidates must pass a series of tests 1) a
background investigation that establishes
a good citizen record 2) a written test with
only 300 out of 3000 applicants permitted
to proceed to the next test (Ray got an
associate degree in fire science as well as
one in automotive technology from Santa
Monica Community College to master
the field) 3) an endurance gauntlet that
only those in top-notch physical shape can
pass and 4) finally an oral interview that
probes interpersonal skills and leadership
qualities But those who pass muster have
the reward of a well-paying challenging
job and a comfortable pension check in
retirement that can support an avocation
mdash like playing backgammon
Ray was promoted to engineer in his last
ten years of service bringing with it the
awesome fun responsibility of driving the
fire engine But he passed on pursuing the
career path to captain recognizing it would
be hard to combine those responsibilities
with backgammon Still he misses the
friendly rivalry among firemen whether
on the golf course or in the stationhouse
That rivalry however did not extend to
the backgammon board his fellow fire-
men wouldnrsquot play with him because they
hated losing
Ray took up backgammon after college
when a buddy from Venice High School
challenged him to a chess match after a
basketball game on Muscle Beach His
buddy was city chess champion in high
school and taunted Ray that he could
never beat him When Ray did so twice
he never played him again Instead the
pair gravitated to Chippendales in Los
Angeles the famous disco that featured
ladies-only nights with male strippers
But most of the time Chippendales was
a regular disco with backgammon boards
and tournaments
Ray got hooked and started playing in local
tournaments all over the San Fernando
Valley Burbank and other locations The
clubs changed locations a lot mdash because
Ray says backgammon players donrsquot tip He
therefore makes a point of always leaving
a 100 percent tip himself and of tipping
tournament staff generously or taking them
out to dinner recognizing how hard they
work for very little compensation
Ray characterizes his study of backgammon
as one of total immersion Like others he
early on read Bruce Beckerrsquos Backgammon
for Blood mdash which he now names as the
worst backgammon book ever written Hersquos
read Magrielrsquos Backgammon at least ten
times and still goes back to it whenever
hersquos struggling He was also fascinated by
Barclay Cooke a great writer (even if he
got a lot of stuff wrong) who was fond of
the precepts of the Chinese warlord Sun
Tzu He says hersquos read anything and every-
thing mdash including Kit Woolseyrsquos books and
magazines or newsletters by Kent Goulding
(Backgammon with the Champions) Carol
Joy Cole (Flint Area BackgammoNews) Bill
Mike Senkiewicz once
said that only an insane
desire can lead to
consistent winning and
Ray certainly has a deep
competitive streak
ldquo
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
34 35USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
1st Place Tournament Wins from 1993 to 2014 Date Place Event Tournament
2014 Sep 1st Open ABT 2nd Capital Classic2014 Jul 1st Gopher Classic ABT 19th Minnesota Open2014 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles Open2014 Apr 1st Championship ABT US Open 2013 Dec 1st Open ABT California State2013 Mar 1st Grand Crystal Beaver XVI ABT Central States Invitational2011 Jul 1st Open ABT 36th Michigan Summer2011 Mar 1st Ohio Masters ABT 17th Ohio State2011 Feb 1st Open ABT 33rd Pittsburgh2010 Oct 1st ProAm Doubles wGerding EBGTWBGT 6th European2010 Apr 1st Georgia Masters ABT Atlanta Spring2009 Oct 1st European Doubles-wTaherzadeh EBGT 5th European2009 Jun 1st Open ABT Los Angeles2009 Feb 1st Super Jackpot ABT 2009 Pittsburgh2008 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2008 Jul 1st Masters Jackpot ABT 13th Minnesota2008 Jun 1st Open ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Jun 1st Super-32 ABT 2008 Los Angeles Open2008 Feb 1st Grand Crystal Beaver ABT 2008 Midwest2006 Nov 1st Super Jackpot ABT Las Vegas Open2006 Aug 1st Al Tesoro Palm Classic ABT Florida State2006 Jul 1st Nations Cup-wGartner amp Markowitz Nations Cup amp Riviera Backgammon Festival2005 Nov 1st $1000 Jackpot Backgammon Pro Am2005 Oct 1st 1st Super Jackpot 3rd Lucien Barriegravere Enghien-les-Bains2005 Jul 1st Super Jackpot 1st Lucien Barriegravere Cannes2004 Oct 1st Royal Palm Classic Masters ABT Florida State 2003 Aug 1st Championship ABT 51st Indiana Open2002 Apr 1st Open ABT 49th Gammon Associates1998 Apr 1st Masters Invitational ABT Las Vegas 5th Worldwide Twin1993 1st Open Nevada State
Davis (Chicago Point) and Bill Robertie
(Inside Backgammon with Kent Gould-
ing) Hersquos used all the bots that have come
along mdash JellyFish Gnu Snowie and now
eXtreme Gammon and hersquos played on vari-
ous online sites starting with Games Grid
(which is now GridGammon) The biggest
problem with having learned the game 30
years ago says Ray is adapting To keep
current one has to constantly unlearn or
modify old techniques and conclusions
After a slow start his game took off when
he tore an Achilles tendon in a firemanrsquos
Olympics and was off work for six months
He made a two-hour drive from Bakersfield
to LA to play on Tuesdays and Sundays And
at the end of the evening when he lost he
had that two-hour drive home to reflect on
his errors Once he got over fuming about
his opponentrsquos lucky doubles he realized
that the outcome might have been differ-
ent if he had made better cube decisions
Rayrsquos dad was his gaming mentor They
played pinball together on the Santa Monica
pier where Ray learned about the ldquosucker
shotrdquo (which lost you the ball) Ray applied
this lesson to backgammon by trying to
determine the most harmful mistakes that
he could make over the board He then
worked to avoid them
Rayrsquos dad also used to buy him backgammon
boards every time he came across one Ray
eventually donated this extensive collec-
tion to the US Backgammon Foundation
Boards for Kids program
Many find the key to Rayrsquos winning ways in
his application of psychology to the game
Ray is a believer in activating his opponentrsquos
imagination Rather than doubling quickly
or rolling quickly in a kneejerk way he rubs
his chin looks at the score mentions his
opponentrsquos blots and gives his opponent
plenty of time for his imagination to envi-
sion bad scenarios instead of just slamming
down an aggressive cube He finds fear
feeds on itself His attitude induces many
opponents to pass cubes they should take
He asks himself what he doesnrsquot like mdash
being blitzed being primed mdash and tries
to put himself in the opponentrsquos shoes Itrsquos
important he says to test the waters early
in a match He might send an early cube
to see if they pass and adjust if they snap
it up And to send a message that your
opponent canrsquot steal a point from you Ray
may take a small pass early Gather and give
information let your opponent know you
wonrsquot be pushed around
He also keeps a mental notebook on his
opponents He has me pegged accurately
as playing too fast and notes that Irsquom cash-
ing more in the masters since Irsquove slowed
down He recognizes players who are tech-
nically accomplished (like Neil Kazaross)
and does not try to fool around as much
with them Malcolm Davis says Ray is a
formidable adversary who rarely makes a
cube error Another stubborn opponent
is Ed OrsquoLaughlin who wonrsquot back down
sometimes even to his detriment He can
steal a point or two from his former student
Julius High whom he urges to be braver
and even from his friend and tournament
director extraordinaire Patrick Gibson
Ray just finds it pays to know your cus-
tomers and to do that he plays more than
anybody else He got the USBGF started into
entering drawsheets at ABT tournaments
back in 2009 by sharing his photographs
of brackets from ABT tournaments he
attended Patrick Gibson assembled a team
to enter the results in Michael Daroogersquos
backgamesorg software arranged to get a
copy of the drawsheets of all ABT tourna-
ments by photograph or assistance from
the tournament director and the rest is
history Since 2009 Ray has entered 171
USBGF-recorded ABT events (Champion-
ship and Masters Jackpots) By comparison
Ed OrsquoLaughlin is second with 134 Bill
Riles third with 120 and Malcolm Davis
fourth with 100 Ray notes that after hersquos
been to Ohio ten times he knows more
about Mary Hickeyrsquos game than most local
players He gets to know the personali-
ties mdash whether itrsquos Atlanta Connecticut
Florida Peoria Minnesota or Wisconsin
and makes mental notes
Hersquos had such success on the backgam-
mon circuit that itrsquos hard to pick his most
memorable experience His first big win
was the 1993 Nevada State tournament
He had just stepped up to playing in the
Championship division from the Intermedi-
ate division because he wanted to compete
at a higher level For one thing he decided
it was less annoying to lose to a player who
plays well A fellow player from LA stuck
with the Intermediate division and lost in
the finals to a ldquocareer intermediaterdquo in one
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
36 37USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
game on a 16 cube Ray defeated Harvey
Huie a multi-millionaire Texan who loved
high-stakes play in the finals of the Open
division
His biggest prize was in the 1998 Las Vegas
Masters Invitational which he won over
Dean Muench and Mike Senkiewicz He
remembers well losing to Kit Woolsey in the
finals of the Nevada State Championships
in 2003 in a field of 92 players He was up
9-4 when Kit made a comeback and won
He had offered Kit 6-5 odds to hedge since
there was a $14000 difference between
first and second but Kit declined He later
analyzed the match on Snowie and while
his PR was better it was the big swings on
little mistakes that did him in
A high point was winning both the Super-32
Jackpot and the Open at the Los Angeles
Open in 2008 but there have been many
major wins along the way including the
LA Open in 2002 Indiana Open in 2003
Royal Palm Classic Masters in Florida in
2004 Super Jackpot in Cannes in 2005 over
Mochy and the Grand Crystal Beaver at the
Central States Invitational twice (in 2008
and 2013) While he doesnrsquot enter a lot of
international tournaments he treasures
winning the 2006 Nationrsquos Cup in Cannes
with Howard Markowitz and Perry Gartner
and the European Doubles Championship
in Paris with Sasan Taherzadeh in 2009
Not surprisingly that impressive string of
victories has landed him on every Giants
list (where he is currently ranked 20)
since 2007 He also made the US team in
the inaugural International Backgammon
Championship co-sponsored by the USBGF
the Japanese Backgammon League and the
Danish Backgammon Federation mdash the
veritable Olympics of backgammon
Hersquos certainly been on a roll of late In 2014
he won the US Open in Las Vegas in April
the LA Open in June the Gopher Classic in
Minnesota in July and the Capital Classic
in Washington DC in September (and 2nd
in the Masters Jackpot to Ed OrsquoLaughlin)
He came in second in the Texas Dual-Duel
in February losing to World Champion
Mochy (and 3rd4th in the Longhorn Clas-
sic Masters Jackpot) second in the Atlanta
Wilensky Masters Jackpot in April and the
Florida Gator Masters in October 3rd4th
in the Super Jackpot in Seattle in September
as well as 3rd4th in the Super Jackpot in
Las Vegas in November to name a few
No wonder he captured the ABT crown
yet another time
But he remembers the losses and keeps
working on his game He lost to Malcolm
Davis in the Las Vegas Super Jackpot in
November after being up 11-3 to 15 He
never scored another point after that los-
ing in four games (unusual since he views
himself as a grinder) He thinks he was
affected by a key mistake he made in a
match against Malcolm in Peoria the month
before where he wasnrsquot aggressive enough
He overcompensated in Vegas and took
a cube he shouldnrsquot have mdash so one step
forward two steps back But he tips his hat
to Malcolm ldquoI just got outplayedrdquo he says
Ray has thought long and hard about how to
make backgammon flourish in the US He
admires Carol Joy Cole Bill Davis Patrick
Gibson and Howard Markowitz mdash who
have put on ABT tournaments year after
year out of their love for the game even
though itrsquos hard to just break even Hersquod
like to see every ABT tournament charge
a $100 registration fee to Open players
maybe $40-$50 for Advanced players and
$20 for beginners instead of having to charge
hospitality fees or set high entry fees for
Main events and Jackpots with a rake to
cover tournament costs Lower entry fees
he reckons would attract more entrants to
those events
The economics are tough for players as
well Travel costs can run $300-$500 for
a flight $300-$500 for a hotel and with
entries running $1000-$1500 players have
to make $2000 just to break even Some
players he says have a life and canrsquot get
away from jobs or family but others just
canrsquot afford the expense As a result many
players canrsquot attend tournaments other than
those in their own locale In this regard
Ray counts himself lucky He loves to play
at the highest level for the most money
against the best players and is glad he has
the wherewithal to put his money down
put his hat in the ring and face down the
best in his quest for the trophies and prize
winnings
Player recognition he says is also important
to increasing participation in both online
and live events He loves the USBGF online
tournament circuit (run by Tara Mendicino
whom Ray credits with doing a fabulous
job) Now that the USBGF is implementing
its master point system and giving annual
awards for leading online master point
players he plans to participate in more
USBGF online tournaments
He also thinks the American Backgammon
Hall of Fame is a good idea Hersquos pleased
that the ABT Player of the Year award is
continuing He also looks forward to the
annual USBGF awards dinner as well
thinking it just adds to the glory motiva-
tion and interest in participating as does
the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative
(with added money for USBGF members)
He tries to do his part Hersquos always happy to
give seminars at tournaments Hersquos joined
in Julius Highrsquos Backgammon Study Group
which is being streamed to participants
around the world The more people who get
hooked on learning the endless intricacies
of the game Ray says the more tournament
attendance will grow and the more enjoy-
ment everyone will get out of the game
- KAREN DAVIS
IN HIS ELEMENTRay keeps up his patter in a
match with Stepan Nuniyants as onlookers enjoy the repar-
tee and first-class play KA
ELEY
KIN
G
Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again Ray Fogerlund 2014 ABT Player of the Year Again
7th Annual Atlanta Spring ClassicApril 30 - May 3 2015Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta GA
bull All events return 90 side pool returns 100bull $500 Prime Tournament freeroll for USBGF membersbull Robert Wilensky Memorial 13 point matchesbull Jackpots and After Tournament Jackpotbull Complimentary shuttle service to and from
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P R I M E T O U R N A M E N TApril 15 - 19 2015
Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas NV
bull Super and Limited Jackpots - round of 32 starting Wednesdaybull $1000 Prime Tournament added money for USBGF membersbull Blitz tournaments held dailybull Visit the casinorsquos 24-hour poker room with daily
tournaments and non-stop cash gamesMake hotel reservations by March 14th Call 888-373-9855Contact Howard Markowitz at howardmarkowitzyahoocomVisit wwwnvbgcom for details
US OPENBACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS
Watch championship backgammon amp learn from the
Giants View over 200 videotaped matches of the worlds leading
backgammon players filmed at American Backgammon Tour
events across the nation
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
youtubecomuserUSBGFbroadcast FRO
M L
EFT
AN
DR
EAS
HU
MK
E B
ILL
RIL
ES
40 41USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
usbgf awards online master point leadersBy Karen Davis
Ted Chee has won two-thirds of over 100 matches on the USBGF Online Circuit making him the All-Time USBGF Online Master Point Leader
GREAT PERFORMANCEAt an awards dinner held in con-
junction with the Texas Back-
gammon Championships in
San Antonio TX on January 30 2015 Bill
Riles President and Executive Director of
the US Backgammon Federation crowned
the all-time USBGF Online Master Point
Leader Ted Chee who also ranked 1 on
USBGF Online Master Points in 2014 and
2 in 2012-2013 The festivities which will
become an annual event are designed
to recognize USBGF members for their
accomplishments and to highlight the
newly-implemented USBGF Master Points
System That system tracks the achieve-
ments of USBGF members in both the
Online Tournament Circuit (directed since
October 2012 by Tara Mendicino) and in
live play at American Backgammon Tour
(ABT) and live USBGF events
A goal of the Master Points system is to
encourage regular participation in competi-
tive live and online backgammon tourna-
ments and to provide players with concrete
goals extending the spirit of competition
beyond a single event Master Points accu-
mulate over time mdash and once earned are
never lost Master Points are awarded
to players based upon matches won and
placing Details and formulas are posted
on the USBGF website
With this issue we are pleased to announce
the top twenty online Master Point lead-
ers since initiation of the USBGF Online
Tournament Circuit the top twenty lead-
ers for 2014 and the top twenty leaders
for 2012ndash2013 The Leaderboard will be
updated in subsequent issues of PrimeTime
Backgammon
As shown in the accompanying table Ted
Chee is not only the All-Time Online
Master Point Leader he also led the field
in 2014 and was second for 2012ndash2013
One of the most active participants in the
USBGF Online Tournament Circuit Ted
has won 77 matches overall and some big
events (1) the 32-entrant Masters Divisional
II (restricted to players above 1650 online
USBGF Elo and featuring matches up to 21
points) and (2) the December 2013 Circuit
Monthly Hersquos an active live player as well
in 2012 he won the Championship divi-
sion of both the 4th US Open and the 2nd
Golden Gate Open And he regularly wins
side events in Las Vegas and Los Angeles
Second on the All-Time Online Leader-
board (and number one in 2012ndash2013)
is the indefatigable Mario Savan Mario
has played more matches than any other
player on the Online Circuit a total of
120 with 72 wins (a 60 percent record)
Mario has a solid background in live play
he got hooked when he won a Blitz at the
2002 Nevada State Championship in Las
Vegas (320 entries) He went on to win the
Advanced division at the 10th International
Cup Backgammon Tournament in Las
Vegas in 2004 (248 entries) Two years
later (June 2006) he won the Advanced
All Time - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 779247 684075 95172 77 - 39 6638 1838322 Mario Savan 714323 653262 61061 72 - 48 6000 1727143 Eva Zizkova 578858 500684 78174 68 - 40 6296 1806604 Peter Toftsoe 566230 507499 58731 70 - 40 6364 1825905 Dmitriy Obukhov 522953 480521 42432 38 - 21 6441 1895376 David Presser 521946 455800 66146 59 - 25 7024 1922767 Alfred Mamlet 501424 443234 58190 57 - 33 6333 1841948 David Kettler 476488 426863 49624 60 - 35 6316 1878959 John Klein 465324 404636 60688 47 - 32 5949 185507
10 Jan Cerny 460827 424837 35990 54 - 39 5806 17882711 Jacob Atie 456798 396080 60719 41 - 28 5942 18101212 Jason Lee 445856 424445 21412 47 - 41 5341 17265213 Adam Versaw 441017 385274 55743 18 - 6 7500 19479414 Karen Davis 430190 389038 41152 57 - 45 5588 17620615 Joseph Russell 420480 379951 40530 38 - 27 5846 18395816 David Rennie 373086 336659 36427 57 - 40 5876 17731717 Lynda Clay 371841 363991 07850 40 - 45 4706 16504518 Toby Tabet 368572 348986 19586 43 - 37 5375 16939919 Jason Marshall 363512 349406 14105 36 - 42 4615 16140220 Tilman Soumlhnchen 359363 321953 37410 25 - 11 6944 190558
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
PA
TRIC
K G
IBSO
N
42 43USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
2014 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Ted Chee 357628 307435 50193 40 - 24 6250 1838322 David Presser 352519 290631 61889 32 - 5 8649 1922763 Dmitriy Obukhov 322798 288556 34242 18 - 9 6667 1895374 Jacob Atie 320806 270896 49910 20 - 14 5882 1810125 Eva Zizkova 297630 249527 48103 39 - 18 6842 1806606 Peter Toftsoe 290367 262321 28047 32 - 18 6400 1825907 Zdeněk Žižka 267225 216920 50305 30 - 18 6250 1792578 Jeffrey Acierno 266956 241827 25128 27 - 16 6279 1891219 Igor Erovenko 259485 230826 28658 39 - 16 7091 171381
10 John Klein 258349 222074 36276 18 - 8 6923 18550711 David Kettler 216967 193787 23180 31 - 17 6458 18789512 Maya Peycheva 200828 177732 23096 25 - 18 5814 18170813 Jan Cerny 198146 178546 19600 25 - 20 5556 17882714 John Manning 183812 172087 11725 25 - 16 6098 16298515 Karen Davis 174313 147323 26990 23 - 21 5227 17620616 Tilman Soumlhnchen 174271 154758 19513 11 - 4 7333 19055817 Michelle Steinberg 170529 139409 31119 21 - 13 6176 15963118 Tom Christner 168512 139114 29398 10 - 11 4762 16197419 John Graas 162319 159129 03190 23 - 15 6053 18053020 Bill Riles 162035 143712 18323 22 - 12 6471 178705
2012-2013 - Online Master Points Leaderboard Name Master Pts Match Pts Rank Pts Win - Loss Win Rating
1 Mario Savan 552751 507356 45396 52 - 25 6753 17272 Ted Chee 421619 37664 44979 37 - 15 7115 18383 Alfred Mamlet 393007 34272 50287 36 - 15 7059 18424 Joseph Russell 333652 302146 31506 31 - 19 6200 18405 Adam Versaw 315913 26767 48243 12 - 3 8000 19486 Lynda Clay 311105 306855 0425 27 - 25 5192 16507 Jason Lee 306005 287783 18222 29 - 24 5472 17278 Petko Kostadinov 298909 278807 20101 14 - 3 8235 19429 Eva Zizkova 281228 251157 30071 29 - 22 5686 1807
10 Toby Tabet 276229 271516 04713 26 - 22 5417 169411 Peter Toftsoe 275862 245178 30684 38 - 22 6333 182612 Jan Cerny 26268 246291 1639 29 - 19 6042 178813 Doug Amenda 260285 226515 3377 24 - 16 6000 187714 David Kettler 259521 233076 26444 29 - 17 6304 187915 Karen Davis 255877 241715 14162 33 - 24 5789 176216 Jason Marshall 252531 251008 01523 20 - 27 4255 161417 Bruce Newberg 242107 218423 23684 23 - 6 7931 182118 Svilen Todorov 223315 209768 13547 18 - 14 5625 183819 Michael Ginat 223216 210867 12349 24 - 17 5854 170520 David Rennie 222623 2081 14523 33 - 24 5789 1773
division at the LA Open and in 2013 he
won the Paul Dingwell Amateur Jackpot at
the California State championships Mario
has great determination discipline and
stamina often lasting to the very end of
long tournaments and often cashing in
large-field side events like the Frank Talbot
Newcomers Free Roll at the 2013 Michigan
Summer Backgammon Championships
and the $100 Jackpot at the 2013 Texas
Backgammon Championship
Two international players Eva Zizkova and
Peter Toftsoe have also risen to the top of
the USBGF Online Leaderboard ranking
3rd and 4th respectively in the All-Time
Online Master Points list and 5th and
6th in 2014 Eva has earned 579 points
to Peterrsquos 566 points since the beginning
of the USBGF Online Circuit Eva from
the Czech Republic has won two Circuit
Monthly events mdash June 2013 and Janu-
ary 2014 She is one of the most frequent
entrants to USBGF Online events having
played 108 matches with an impressive
score of 63 wins While shersquos only been
playing competitive backgammon for 10
years and can rarely play outside her home
country her name is starting to appear in
the winnerrsquos circle of major tournaments
She placed 2nd in the Ladies Tourna-
ment at the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus
in November 2014 Her 16-year old son
Zdeněk Žižka captured the Intermediate
division in Cyprus (71 entries) Zdeněk
ranked 7th on the 2014 Leaderboard only
a few paces behind his mother and won
the very strong Masters Divisional IV as
well They are a mother-son team to watch
Peter Toftsoe a top Danish player won
the Masters Divisional I landing him in
4th place in the All-Time Leaderboard
Peter has played 110 matches with a 64
winning record He reports that his fondest
backgammon memory is being part of the
2007 winning Mama Lustra team at the
Danish Team Championship in 2007 His
teammates were international superstars
Peter Jes Thomsen Gus Hansen Karsten
Bredahl Steen Groslashnbech Lars ldquoBusterrdquo
Bentzon and Mik Larsen (two world cham-
pions a double Nordic Open winner and
the current Nordic Open director)
Sixth in the All-Time Online Master Points
race and 2nd in 2014 was David Presser
with an incredible 70 winning record in
84 matches He won back-to-back USBGF
Online Circuit tournaments in February
and March 2014 each with 128 entrants as
well as the Masters Divisional III in August
2014 One of our younger stars David has
notched a number of live victories as well
In 2013 as a graduate student in finance at
Northwestern University he was captain
of the winning Northwestern team in the
USBGF Collegiate tournament It was only
at the 2013 Chicago Open that he entered
his first championship flight but since
then he has gone on to capture a number
of trophies He won the Limited Jackpot at
the NY Metro in January 2014 was a finalist
in the 2014 Central States Invitational in
March won the 2014 Minnesota Masters
Jackpot in July and was the finalist at the
2014 Wisconsin Badger Classic in August
In addition he cashed at a number of other
2013 and 2014 tournaments and aced
Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06) Master Points are calculated by adding Match Points + (Rank Points 06)
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
44 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
USBGF quizzes in Chicago and Carolina
In 2014 Dmitriy Obukhov a member of
the coveted PR 40 Club consisting of those
who have finished ten pre-announced live
matches with an average performance
rating under 40 was in 3rd place in the
2014 Leaderboard Fourth place in 2014
went to Jacob Atie who racked up lots
of points by winning the Championship
division of the 2013-2014 National Internet
Championship Because Jacob lives far away
(in Panama) he does not make it to many
live events but makes it count when he
does For example he came in 3rd in the
consolation at Las Vegas in 2013 defeating
top-ranked players John OrsquoHagan Rick
Barabino and Bill Riles
And hats off as well to Alfred Mamlet 3rd
place winner in 2012ndash2013 to the 4th place
2012ndash2013 finisher Joe Russell winner
of the 1989 World Championship and to
Adam Versaw in 5th place in 20122013 by
virtue of winning the 2012-2013 National
Internet Championship division
But past is prologue The race for USBGF
Online Master Point Leaders is on Get
in the game and join the list of winners in
2015 See your name on the scoreboard
and collect cash awards at the 2nd Annual
Awards Dinner
- KAREN DAVIS
DAVID PRESSERDavid Presser won the February and March 2014 USBGF Monthly Circuit tournaments to catapult him into second place on the 2014 USBGF Online Master Points Leaderboard
USBGF Awards Online Master Points Leaders
P R I M E T O U R N A M E N T
Growing Membership amp Growing the Game
The goal of the three-year USBGF Prime Tournament Initiative is to increase USBGF membership among tournament
attendees increase tournament attendance and participation in events and enhance the USBGF role visibility and influence Approximately 2000 players have participated in ABT tournaments since 2009 mdash only 25 are USBGF members We want to encourage the remaining 75 and many others to become USBGF members enjoy our resources and help us fulfill our mission to promote and grow the game The Prime Tournament Initiative attempts to accomplish this and allows the USBGF to target a membership of 1000 by the end of 2015 We need your support to reach our goalLearn more at usbgforgmediaprimept-initiativepdf Contribute at usbgforgmediaprimebenefactor
Become a Prime Tournament Benefactor
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[162015 103412 PM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 157
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a----EaC---dE--ac-e----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 61 eq -0205PlayerOpponent
4489 (G1203 B041)5511 (G1544 B073) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0213-0197) - [1000]
2 Book1 2422 138 eq -0261 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
4365 (G1079 B040)5635 (G1535 B064) Conf plusmn 0007 (-0268-0254) - [00]
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 3232012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 47698798Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 219206pre-release
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 157 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 1
Money Game Black to play 52
Going through the matches from the recent
ABT event in Las Vegas I stumbled over
this one for the nth time There are only
two reasonable choices or one according
to XG Why is it so correct to hit and split
When we hit so deep in our inner board
itrsquos usually at least partially a tempo hit
A tempo hit is a hit that deprives your
opponent of half his roll so that he isnrsquot
able to clean up his position by making a
new point safetying a blot anchoring etc
Often when the opponent splits in the early
game and we miss his blot on the 18pt we
will use a five to swipe at him on the ace
point It is overly clear here because if left
to his own devices he is assured of doing
something good on his roll Letrsquos look at a
portion of his position only
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5246 47USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
By Stick
The early game 64 Split Followed by 52
MASTER OF THE EARLY GAMEStick stresses studying early game second-roll positions
I can never stress enough how important
the early game is in backgammon for
a variety of reasons When I started
playing oh so many years ago (okay it hasnrsquot
been that long but it was still during the
Snowie days when lengthy and strengthy
rollouts were a rarity) what jumped out at
me immediately was the lack of opening
game rollouts Now turns out there were
some people like Nack Ballard and Paul
Weaver already amassing a collection but
as far as I could tell there were no readily
available rollouts for the early game
I immediately went home and tossed on
various opening move rollouts letting them
go a full 1296 trials I then brought them
back the next week to show to Chris Yep and
Mary Hickey the big dogs at my local club
They were rightfully less impressed than I
expected because they had probably done
them on their own seen someone elsersquos or
knew that 1k rollouts with Snowie were not
the end-all of backgammon answers Still
I was on a mission Having dabbled too
much in chess I felt an understanding of
the early game was essential hellip yada yada
yada hellip my website bgonlineorg was born
Why is correct opening play so important
Because every game has an opening You
will always have an opening roll a reply a
third and even a fourth roll Always For
you nitpickers out there nobody cares about
your free drop situations If you take the
time and understand the opening roll it
will greatly help you understand the second
roll If you understand the first and second
rolls it will deepen your understanding of
potential third and fourth-roll situations
and so on and so forth Now the backgam-
mon world has come a long way since
my younger years and there are far fewer
mistakes on the second roll of the game
thanks to some jackassrsquos web site A well-
known player from Chicago sent me one of
his matches recently to look over where he
played a nice PR I went through the match
and he made over 100 of mistakes on the
second roll having lost the opening roll
only a handful of times Unacceptable to
have a mistake so easy to rectify plaguing
your game time and time and time again
So this month Irsquom only going to discuss one just one second-roll
reply The way you should go about learning the replies is slowly
over time You canrsquot understand and memorize them all in just a
sitting or three If nothing else at the end of this article you will
hopefully have added one more feather to your cap mdash if it didnrsquot
exist already For the most part when ranting on about proper
replies I try to focus on the bigger errors players are still making
With more and more live matches being recorded and shared
therersquos a lot more material we can study
This is a common early game occurrence
Take a minute and go through all the rolls
imagining how they play Pretty power-
ful arenrsquot they So often we make either
a higher inner board point such as the
five point or four point or a strong block-
ing point in the bar point There are a
few scraggly numbers such as [51 32] but
the overwhelming majority are a major
improvement If we now add on to this the
back checkers being split it is an even more
threatening position It is a structure that
should send a message from your eyes to
your brain that says if your roll doesnrsquot do
anything especially productive a tempo
hit is called for We need to hit and keep
the opponent off balance Doing this in
our original position 64S-52X will force
the opponentrsquos sixes to play not too well
Splitting is way too passive here
When you study one position such as
this you can couple it with other similar
positions like 63S-52 and 62S-52 and ask
yourself if yoursquod make the same play what
has changed and then check it with the bot
If the bot tells you something you didnrsquot
expect dig further into the positions until
you understand them This is often how I
memorized groupings of similar positions
by studying them all at once and picking
out the similarities and differences among
them
- STICK
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 0 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 115
Position 2
About StickStick is a member of the USBGF
Board of Governors and ranked 10 on the Giants of Backgam-mon 2013 list He has one of the most popular online backgammon
forums bgonlineorgforums which is frequented by many world-class players and Giants He won the Ohio State Championship in 2012 and the Consolation in Las Vegas in 2012
The Early Game 64 Split Followed by 5248 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
PrimeTime in Print Subscribe for $150 annually not including shipping
6 issues for $25 each E-mail infousbgforg for details
ADVERTISEIN PRIMETIME
Full Page $100frac12 Page $50
50 51USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
jonah seewald2014 USBGF Grand Champion By Karen Davis
BIL
L R
ILES
KA
REN
DA
VIS
Winner of USBGF NationalChampionship West
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE2014 was a great breakout year for Jonah cashing in every tournament he entered and coming in second to Mochy in the final of the Texas Back-gammon Championships
2014 GRAND CHAMPIONJonah won USBGF National Championship West in San Antonio and then went on to best Sweet Mary Hickey in the USBGF Grand Championship in Vegas shown here with Mary and Bill Riles
A highlight of the live tournament season for USBGF
Premium members is the Grand Championship The
tournament begins in two regions the USBGF National
Championship West held in San Antonio at the Texas Backgam-
mon Championships and the USBGF National Championship
East held in Charlotte at the Carolina Invitational Championships
Premium members (92 of all members) receive a free entry to
each Cash prizes are generated by optional side pools (100 return)
and re-entries ($50 85 return) with re-entries still eligible for
side-pool money Once the preliminaries have been decided the
East and West winners meet to play for the Grand Championship
with a trophy and three-year membership extension going to the
winner as added prizes The losing finalist in addition to his cash
prize receives a one-year membership extension
This year Jonah Seewald was the West champion (defeating Phil
Simborg) while Mary Hickey won the East (over Bob Koca) The
playoff took place at the Las Vegas Open and Mary (whom Jonah
affectionately describes as a ldquogreat ladyrdquo and whom he has listed
in his cellphone contacts as Sweet Mary) never had a chance It
was a blitzkrieg with the dice going Jonahrsquos
way throughout Normally he takes two to
three pictures of positions per match for
later analysis but not this time He would
double Mary would appropriately take and
he would gammon her Jonah sympathized
with his friend but still holding up that
trophy at the awards ceremony felt good
Like many of us Jonah grew up in a games-
playing family ndash Monopoly Scrabble back-
gammon and various card games His aunt
who ran a bar in Breckenridge Colorado
whetted his appetite for the game at age
nine It gets cold in Colorado in the winter
and board games (it was the pre-video-
game era) passed the time In high school
in Denver Jonah played chess checkers
and backgammon but found little time
for these hobbies after he joined the Navy
In 1998 he came across Yahoo backgam-
mon and while he says that he was largely
ldquogoofing aroundrdquo he became highly rated
on that site He then moved on to Games
Grid and TrueMoneyGames and started
taking the game seriously reading books
and analyzing matches with Snowie His
two favorite books are Bill Robertiersquos 501
Essential Backgammon Problems and Walter
Tricersquos Backgammon Boot Camp
Jonahrsquos first major tournament was the
Nevada State Backgammon Tournament
in April 2003 where he was second in
the consolation in the Intermediate divi-
sion (108 players) He followed that up in
November by making it to the semi-finals
of the Limited Jackpot (64 players) of the
2014 USBGF Grand Champion
52 53USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Las Vegas Open where he lost to Masayuki
ldquoMochyrdquo Mochizuki
Jonah ventured to the Midwest Backgam-
mon Championship in Illinois in March
2005 where he won the Bear-Bluff Back-
gammon contest (16 qualifiers) a combi-
nation of poker and backgammon using
cards with a bear theme First prize was a
$1200 Taki Beargammon Board ndash but what
made it really special is that his nickname
is Jonah Bear
He won the consolation in the Intermedi-
ate division (128 entrants) at the Las Vegas
Open in November 2004 and a Limited
Jackpot (16 players) at the 10th International
Cup in Vegas in May 2004 He continued
to cash in the intermediate division win-
ning consolation in April 2005 at Nevada
State (84 players) the semis of the Las
Vegas Open intermediate consolation (128
players) in November 2006 winning the
intermediate consolation of the Las Vegas
Open (120 players) in November 2007 and
in April 2008 breaking into the winnerrsquos
circle winning the intermediate division
of Nevada State (98 players)
He was then urged by Vegas tournament
director Howard Markowitz to ldquomove uprdquo
to the Open even though many other long-
term intermediate players were permitted
to continue on in intermediate Jonah didnrsquot
think it made sense to risk money playing
the best in the world when he was far from
their level Instead he took a break from
out-of-town backgammon tournaments
although in 2011 he won the Royal Gorge
Limited Jackpot (16 players) at the Colorado
State Championship and placed second in
the doubles with Alain Azoulay
He turned to online poker until it was
crippled by the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) On April 15
2012 it was shut down and he decided
to make a commitment to studying back-
gammon in earnest and began readying
himself to play at the Championship level
rereading Robertie and Trice and buying
eXtreme Gammon in 2013
Jonahrsquos confidence got a huge boost when
he won the Colorado State Championship
in November 2013 Following a promise he
had made to himself he visited backgam-
mon buddies in LA mdash David Taniguchi
and Alain Azoulay mdash who had befriended
him at his first Vegas tournament a decade
earlier when as a young 32-year-old he
found himself a stranger in a room full of
older players He entered the California
State Open division in December 2013 and
cashed in the Consolation (3rd4th) Now
having at least broken even he decided
to go to San Antonio and play in the 2nd
Texas Backgammon Championships It was
a major turning point He placed second in
the Open (72 players) losing to Mochy in
the finals and he won the USBGF National
Championship West All of a sudden he had
gained major visibility on the American
tournament circuit
He followed it up with an amazing string
of victories in 2014 He came in second
in the Grand Crystal Beaver in the Cen-
tral States Invitational in March won a
$100 Saturday Jackpot (23 players) at the
US Open in Vegas in April and finished
4th5th in the LA Open in June He won
the Colorado State championship for the
second year in a row in November ndash which
he calls along with his wins in Texas one
of the highlights of his career In Vegas in
November he scored a second place in the
doubles with fellow Denver player Charlie
Raichle And he capped off the year by plac-
ing 2nd in the Super-32 at the California
State Championships in December losing
to Norm Wiggins in the final What a year
It landed him among the top 20 spots on
the American Backgammon Tour
When asked how he managed to cash in
every tournament he entered in 2014 Jonah
responded that you ldquohave to be lucky for
surerdquo But he also cited an inner overwhelm-
ing desire to compete battling in every
position good or bad He says his play has
improved from sometimes playing at a 3
PR level sometimes 8 or 9 to more 3s and
4s and fewer 7s and 8s Most importantly
his confidence has taken a major leap He
really enjoys playing the top Giants and
perhaps because of his poker experience
he doesnrsquot get nervous against them In
fact he finds that he plays better against
stronger opponents
Jonah studies hard In a typical week he
plays an average of three hours a day on
GridGammon and studies another 10 hours
on top of that He analyzes his matches on
eXtreme Gammon and when he doesnrsquot
understand a cube or checker play he hits
ldquoplay from hererdquo and plays the position
many times over or adjusts it slightly until
it is hard-wired into his brain Instead of a
photographic memory he thinks of this gift
as a ldquoreference memoryrdquo Once he under-
stands the theory behind a decision he
doesnrsquot have to think about it again When
hersquos preparing for a major tournament he
will increase his study time even more
But he isnrsquot a rote ldquobotrdquo player Sometimes
when he realizes he doesnrsquot understand a
position he may pass a borderline take
(since XGrsquos calculations are based on the
assumption of perfect play) On the other
hand when he knows there is a good chance
his opponent will misplay a position he
may take a marginal pass especially if
he has a good lead He rates himself as
good at math (he tutored his Navy mates
at college algebra) but thinks there is an
element of ldquofeelrdquo (what he calls the inner
Jiminy Cricket) telling him he should
make a certain play that may be right or
not wrong by much
To be a serious player it helps to have a
supportive family and a day job that accom-
modates it With his Associate degree in
electronics he has worked as a mechanic at
the Denver airport for a major aerospace
transportation manufacturer for the last 21
years He gets an early start to the day mdash
which rules out late night local tournament
play He arrives at 6 am but gets off work
and is home by 3 pm mdashwhere he can play
for three hours undisturbed Evenings are
family time with his wife and two sons
now ages 15 and 22 He feels lucky that his
wife supports him in his love of backgam-
mon tolerating his long hours of study
and long weekends away at tournaments
Though they will watch their dad play a
streamed crucial match his sons havenrsquot
taken to backgammon preferring music
and video games
When asked what the US Backgammon
Federation can do to promote the growth
of backgammon he points to the need for
sponsorship and added money to make the
equity better for players As things stand
only a few people can come out ahead The
future of the game will depend on finding
a way to get more money involved The
hard economics are that most tournaments
cost around $1400-1500 to enter mdash $800
for entry fees $400 for hotel and $200
for airfare Hersquos very selective about the
tournaments he attends ndash depending on
availability of cheap flights from Denver and
hotel rates And he has to carefully gauge
use of his vacation time and wonrsquot attend
tournaments which require an extra day off
While he hasnrsquot turned to backers to share
the action and lower the financial risk many
top players do so But with a backer even
if a player wins therersquos rarely much money
left after expenses to split with the backer
Thatrsquos like playing for free and then you
need backing again for the next tournament
Itrsquos like a ldquoliving contractrdquo that needs to be
continually renewed one tournament at a
time To play competitive backgammon he
says ldquoYou gotta love it you gotta winrdquo
- KAREN DAVIS
2014 USBGF Grand Champion2014 USBGF Grand Champion
The Inaugural UK OpenSeptember 19 - 21 2014 By Peter Bennet with photos by David Startin
9-point full-consulting match between
the two teams Sadly for Team UK Japan
capitalised on their 3-0 advantage and
were the runaway winners 9-2 Several
of the 3-point match files are available on
the UKBGF website and the video of the
entire consulting match can be followed
in two parts Part 1 and Part 2
Much like its sister organization the USBGF
a principal aim of the UKBGF is to grow
interest in backgammon so it was pleas-
ing to see fourteen aspiring Beginners
on Saturday morning all hoping to win
a luxury roll-up travel board donated by
our sponsor Geoffrey Parker Games Ltd
The youngest of these was eight-year-old
David Broomfield who fought off all the
other hopefuls to claim his board mdash an
impressive achievement for such a young
player Although he was allowed to play
on the Sunday as well David wasnrsquot eligible
to win another boardhellipwell we had to
give the other Beginners a chance Flavia
Losniceriu was the lucky Sunday winner
In the Intermediate Flight Yan Kit Chan
had reached the semi-finals but was trail-
ing Donna Sherred 5-9 to 11 It looked
as though it could soon be all over for Yan
in the following position mdash with Donna
(White) on roll
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 12723 PM]
is Yan Kit Chan
score 5pip 108
11 point match
pip 12score 9
is Donna SherredXGID=--BCBBB-AA------------bcB-00-1005901110
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 9300 (G7169 B5275) 9297 (G7354 B4558)Opponent Winning Chances 700 (G000 B000) 703 (G000 B000)Cubeless Equities +1984 +2244
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +2004DoubleTake +2079 (+0075)DoublePass +1000 (-1004)
Best Cube action Too good to double PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 930
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 12 Donna Sherred2-Away
6-Away Yan Kit ChanPip 108
Position 1
Game 10 White (Donna Sherred) on roll
The Inaugural UK Open54 55USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
It will probably never happen again
No I donrsquot mean that there wonrsquot be
another UK Open mdash the next one is
already on the calendar What is unlikely
to happen again is the formation of a team
comprising the current Backgammon
World Champion and the number 1 and
number 2 players in the world hellip all from
the same country These three Japanese
players mdash Akiko Mochy and Michy mdash were
visiting the UK not only to play in the first
UK Open Backgammon Championships
but also to take part in a challenge match
against the UKrsquos best
The idea of staging a UK Open tourna-
ment which would hopefully be worthy
of that title and establish itself as a major
international event emerged in April 2013
Planning for the tournament was initially
driven by John Wright of the Liverpool
Backgammon Club who solicited the
cooperation of a group of tournament
directors and players from around the
UK including Ian Tarr Sean Williams
Raj Jansari and myself Within a short
time this group evolved into the Interim
Board of the nascent UK Backgammon
Federation which has just held elections
to form a new Board More information
on that process and its implications for
British Backgammon can be found on the
ukbgfcom website
The Ricoh Arena in Coventry was chosen
as the venue for the first UK Open This
is a football stadium and entertainment
conference complex which is the home of
Coventry City Football Club mdash as well as
more recently Wasps Rugby Football Club
The Legends Lounge within the Ricoh
was the perfect size for the 140 or so pre-
registered players For some who began to
gather on the Friday afternoon this was a
kind of backgammon reunion there hadnrsquot
been a UK tournament this large outside
London for many years Others came early
to watch the much-anticipated challenge
match between the lsquoJapanese Giantsrsquo and the
formidible UK team of Julian Fetterlein
Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
In the first phase of this battle each team
member played a 3-point match against
every member of the opposing team
The result was 6-3 in Japanrsquos favor which
translated to a 3-0 start in phase two a
Itrsquos great fun to play single-color-checker
backgammon with Yan As implied all
thirty checkers are the same color and you
have to remember which are yours and
which are your opponentrsquos The under-
sides of the checkers can be marked to
show what colors they lsquoreallyrsquo are in case
of dispute As Yan is completely blind
this variant provides a more level playing
field where both players have to remember
who owns which checkers If you want to
go one step further try a game of lsquovirtual
backgammonrsquo in which you cannot see or
touch the checkers because the entire board
only exists in your head These games are
fun to try but playing a whole tournament
blind as Yan does is an awe-inspiring feat
of concentration and stamina
In Position 1 Donna obviously played on
for the gammon but left a shot on her next
roll Yan hit it and fought his way back to
win that game and eventually the match
11-9 Yan then went one better beating
Andreas Sophocleous in the final mdash his
biggest win to date Both the semi-final
and the final were recorded and in the
former Yan played at a sub-5 XG PR mdash a
result which few of the worldrsquos best could
match under the same conditions
In the Championship Flight the Japanese
Giants did not fare as well as they had in
the Team challenge The final was con-
tested between Jason Pack (from the USA
but a longtime UK resident) and Martin
Birkhahn of Germany The second game
of this match was the most dramatic each
player at different times was threatening to
blow his opponent away Martin (White)
trailing 0-1 to 13 was attempting a blitz
when the following doubling decision arose
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 25444 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 172
13 point match
pip 157score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=-ac---DBC--AbB--a--baabAbB00-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 5751 (G3431 B249) 5807 (G3474 B303)Opponent Winning Chances 4249 (G1147 B064) 4193 (G1142 B062)Cubeless Equities +0401 +0877
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0539 plusmn0015 (+0525+0554)DoubleTake +0535 (-0004) plusmn0026 (+0509+0561)DoublePass +1000 (+0461)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 09Rollout details1296 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 612Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 29 minutes 24 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 157 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 172
Position 2
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
DA
VID
STA
RTI
N
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open56 57USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Jason has two men on the bar and Martin is a big favorite to make
another point in his board Many of his wins will be gammons
but the ammunition to complete the attack is in short supply XG
says the doubling decision is a tossup so itrsquos an easy take despite
the possibility of quickly losing four points
QUIZ MASTERAkiko draws attention to Tim
Lines world-beating score of 42 out of 50 in Mochy and Michys Backgammon Proficiency Test
TOUCH AND GOFeeling his way round the board Yan Kit Chan salvages an almost lost posi-tion watched by his girlfriend Su Lim who played in the Beginners Flight
Continued on page 60
Championship finalist Martin Birkhahn fully focused on his game01
A more-relaxed Martin Birkhahn receiving his trophy from UKBGF co-founder and Board member Peter Bennet
04
Eight-year-old David Broomfield surveys the battlefield on his way to becoming Saturday Beginners Champion
02
Who let that dude in Is there a tournament on this planet which Carter hasnt attended
05
Tim Lines outstanding result in the Backgammon Proficiency Test earns him a special trophy presented by Mochy
All photos (except 03) courtesy of David Startin
07
The UKJapan Team Chal-lenge decider - a consulting match with (counter-clockwise from left) Michy Mochy and Akiko versus Julian Fetterlein (standing) Raj Jansari and Lawrence Powell
03
Flavia Losniceriu Sunday Begin-ners Champion receiving her trophy from Eric McAlpine recently elected to the UKBGF Board of Directors
06
01 02 03
04
05
06
07
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open58 59USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 42050 PM]
is Martin Birkhahn
score 0pip 156
13 point match
pip 149score 1
is Jason PackXGID=aaaB-bCCBA---A--a-abAbbBb-111D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7116 (G3290 B300) 7144 (G3390 B307)Opponent Winning Chances 2884 (G718 B031) 2856 (G729 B032)Cubeless Equities +0713 +1376
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0933 (-0067)RedoubleTake +1098 (+0098)RedoublePass +1000
Best Cube action Redouble PasseXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 156 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 149
Position 3
Game 2 Black (Jason Pack) on roll Cube action
Jason did take and turned the tables he
eventually reached this position where
he has one of Martinrsquos checkers on the
roof and is shooting at two more blots in
the outfield On the plus side Martin has
the 20-point anchor and a stronger board
However recirculating the hit checkers will
not be easy Jason is likely either to extend
his outside prime or to switch the attack
to his own inner board Martin loses too
many gammons and should have let this
gohellipbut he took and regained the upper
hand There was more excitement to follow
a few rolls later
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 43742 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 125score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbbCCBC----A----bcbb-bA2-1-1001001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in Rollout No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6203 (G3543 B046) 6233 (G3473 B072)Opponent Winning Chances 3797 (G702 B021) 3767 (G940 B009)Cubeless Equities +0545 +0807
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +0675 (-0039) plusmn0017 (+0658+0693)RedoubleTake +0714 plusmn0025 (+0690+0739)RedoublePass +1000 (+0286)
Best Cube action Redouble TakeRollout details162 Games rolled with Variance ReductionMoves 3-ply cube decisions XG Roller
Double Decision confidence 994Take Decision confidence 1000Duration 4 minutes 13 seconds
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 125 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 4
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Would you redouble to 8 here I regard
crunching as a speciality of mine even when
I have three escaping numbers In Martinrsquos
position I would have been dreading to
see one of the 16 non-escaping rolls pop
out of my dice cup But if we look more
closely seven of those rolls (41 31 21 and
11) donrsquot crunch the board at all mdash and a
further five (43 32 and 22) retain some
kind of five-point board Only 42 44 and
33 are seriously destructive And from
Jasonrsquos side of the board wouldnrsquot he hate
to see that 8-cube coming towards him with
a match-ending gammon looming large
So this was a chance for Martin to pile on
the pressure Not redoubling at this score
is actually only a small error and the take
is scary but clear but with the cube at this
level it is interesting to note how a small
change in the score can make a huge dif-
ference in the correct cube action In the
first game of a 13-point match redoubling
to 8 here would be a big error while if
White is trailing 0-3 instead of 0-1 he has
a monster recube and now taking would
be close to a blunder Because of overage
every extra point already chalked up by
the match leader significantly reduces the
value of 8-cube ownership
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
Continued from page 57
60 61USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
A total of 9 matches were recorded from the 2014 UK Backgammon Open The match files in XG format are available for download at ukbgfcom
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[12162014 44200 PM]
is Jason Pack
score 1pip 127
13 point match
pip 118score 0
is Martin BirkhahnXGID=---BbaCCBC--a-A----bcbb-bA2-1-1D1001310
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No redouble RedoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 7572 (G5150 B056) 7578 (G5117 B058)Opponent Winning Chances 2428 (G411 B021) 2422 (G412 B020)Cubeless Equities +1013 +1515
Cubeful EquitiesNo redouble +1130RedoubleTake +1449 (+0318)RedoublePass +1000 (-0130)
Best Cube action Too good to redouble PassPercentage of wrong take needed to make the double decision right 291
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Pip 118 Martin Birkhahn13-Away
12-Away Jason PackPip 127
Position 5
Game 2 White (Martin Birkhahn) on roll Cube action
Martin held onto the cube and rolled an
escaping 52 (2013) Jason danced again
and so Martin had another cube decision
It is fairly obvious that Jason now has a pass
but Martin has no crunching numbers (even
44 can be handled hellip just) so he should
play on At this score the position is much
too good to redouble but with an 8-cube in
the offing merely reversing the score from
0-1 to 1-0 makes the play-on borderline
Give Martin a 3-1 lead and now the correct
action is no redoubletake In the match
Martin cashed but went on to win only
one more game as Jason added the UK
Open to his growing list of tournament
victories The entire match as well as Yanrsquos
previously mentioned semi and final can
be downloaded from the UKBGF website
When the last dice had been rolled early
on Sunday evening and players were either
heading for home or converging on the
Grosvenor Casino for a late dinner over
pound30000 in prize money 18 trophies and
three Parker backgammon boards had been
distributed to the winners As the players
left the question I was most frequently
asked was ldquoWhenrsquos the next onerdquo At the
time I didnrsquot have an answer but the second
UK Open is now scheduled for the first
weekend in September 2015 once again
at the Ricoh Arena Coventry Maybe you
US players should make a quick hop across
the pond to join us there
- PETER BENNET
JAPAN TRIUMPHS OVER UK hellip hellip but Peter Bennet muscles in on Team Japans victory photo
The Inaugural UK OpenThe Inaugural UK Open
All photos courtesy of David Startin
62 63USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
JASON DOES IT AGAINFollowing his victory in the Nordic Open Super Jackpot earlier in the year Jason Pack takes the 2014 UK Open Championship title
The Wolf of Wall Street
KA
REN
DA
VIS
64 65USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Iancho To start please introduce yourself
What do you do for a living How did you
end up working on Wall Street
Bill Irsquom 51 years old I started playing back-
gammon in 1981 when I was still in high
school actually Backgammon was pretty
popular back then There were tournaments
in bars and restaurants across the country
hellip I fell in love with the game immediately
Actually my trajectory is that I dropped out
of college to play chess backgammon and
poker for a living
Iancho What did you study
Bill I was in college but was undecided
about what to study I was not interested in
school but rather in girls and playing games
so after one year of college I dropped out
And of course my mother was horrified and
all the people in my family were worried
about me but I went and did what I loved
which was backgammon poker and chess
I did that for about a decade and ended up
being recruited to work for a Wall Street
firm by Howard Ring mdash a very famous
backgammon playertrader who died a
few years ago Howard was fantastic He
actually was looking to recruit professional
gamblers I went for my interview and was
very nervous but when they took out some
dice and a deck of cards I immediately
relaxed My interview started with a bunch
of probability questions just what I had
been studying the last 10 years I ended
up getting the job leaving gambling and
going to Wall Street as an options trader
Iancho But when you started working on
Wall Street didnrsquot you miss this lifestyle
Bill Usually gamblers know that they have
all the free time in the world mdash they can
gamble they can go to bars or do whatever
It is not like working every day when you
have to wake up at a certain hour and stay
busy all day
Iancho This must have been a huge change
in your life
Bill It was a huge change There are a lot
of attractive things about being a profes-
sional gambler You get to make your own
schedule and you are your own boss That
is nice but I got pretty sick of it At that
time if you were a professional gambler
you were not in mainstream society I
could not get a credit card for example I
remember going to a Blockbuster and try-
ing to rent a movie mdash and I couldnrsquot rent
one even though I had like $25000 cash
in my pocket And if you are interested
in a woman and tell her ldquoI play poker or
backgammon for a livingrdquo it did not really
play that well And a lot of things about the
lifestyle were not healthy for me mdash staying
up late lack of physical activity So I real-
ized that (since nobody else would hire me)
options trading was an opportunity I had
no job resume and this was really my one
chance to switch professions If it did not
work out I was going to commit fully to
poker and backgammon But interestingly
they hired David Wells at the same time as
me I had never met David before then We
actually met for the first time in a training
program in Philadelphia And we lived
there for two and a half months together
We had very similar backgrounds he had
not gone to college he was playing games
professionally For David it was never a very
good fit to have a normal job and a more
structured life so I ended up staying with
it and David ended up leaving mdash but we
have been good friends ever since
Iancho So when you started working
on Wall Street did you completely quit
gambling
Bill Yes I completely quit for several
years Well that it is not entirely true mdash I
completely quit backgammon and anything
outside my profession but on Wall Street I
did a lot of sports betting and poker playing
with brokers and co-workers because it was
sort of a way of networking with people
Iancho So hellip but when you were playing
backgammon before you became an options
trader how and when did you realize that
you were a good player
Bill When I first saw backgammon it was
in a coffee shop and I was playing speed
chess for 25 cents a game trying to make
some money so I could eat And I saw
that a lot of the people that I was better
than in chess were playing chouette and
the amount of money they were winning
or losing was over $100 a night while at
speed chess I was trying to make $6 mdash
enough to go and buy a hamburger So I
started watching the backgammon games
and started playing with my sister at home
I really liked the game so I went out and
bought every backgammon book I could
find and threw myself into studying Only
six months later I was one of the best players
in Seattle (along with Alan Steffen) And I
could tell this just because my results were
very good and at that time people were
making extraordinary mistakes The level
of play in 1983 was very very poor
Iancho So back then when there were no
computer programs like XG and Snowie
What was the main method to improve
You said you read all possible books but
was that the main method
Bill Yes books were the best way to learn
mdash and playing over recorded matches But
I also solved a lot of positions by hand
The Wolf of Wall Street
the Story of Bill PhippsInterview by Iancho Hristov
QampA
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street66 67USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
I had a friend who created a computer
program to solve all the non-contact posi-
tions and back then you could not store it
on a disk There was limited access to the
computer so he printed it all out and had
10 big cardboard boxes filled with results
He had it organized and I tried to learn
about non-contact positions from it Or I
would do hand rollouts hellip Sometimes I
would just spend hours rolling a position
out and recording the results Which can
be a pretty unreliable method but it is bet-
ter than nothing mdash and if you are the only
person doing that you gain an advantage
It was hard to get good back then and this
is why nobody was very good
Iancho Wow This is amazing I canrsquot
imagine now sitting and doing hand roll-
outs (smile)
Bill We used to play a lot of propositions
mdash just playing the same position over and
over again for money
Iancho So when you were away from
backgammon for so many years what
brought you back Backgammon is not
as popular as it once was mdash not so many
tournaments not so many players
Bill I reached the point where I started
having some free time I actually retired
about 10 years ago for a few years and I
played a lot of poker during that time I
found out I did not like poker as a game
that much I get pretty bored with it I never
really loved poker the way I love backgam-
mon And I think there is some part of me
that loves playing games and I just picked
backgammon back up to satisfy that And
a lot of that was about MCG (Matt Cohn-
Geier) He made me more interested in the
game It helps to have a friend in the game
Iancho Irsquom sure especially if it is this
kind of friend
So what do you like to do aside from back-
gammon and work Do you have any other
hobbies You said you play poker but do
you enjoy playing or doing something else
Bill Not so much just the normal things
I have a big movie hobby I watch a lot
more movies than most people and I read
a lot of books One of my weaknesses is I
should be exercising more I used to play
basketball I should do this more because
Irsquom very sedentary these days Most of my
time off is spent on games like backgammon
or sports betting or some project involving
numbers It is always numbers
Iancho So basically you came back to
backgammon as you did not like poker
so much and you realized that you love
backgammon more so backgammon is
giving you something Can you compare
playing backgammon with anything else
That feeling
Bill Let me think for a secondhellipI noticed
it feels good to know you are becoming
pretty good at something For me I have
a challenge of trying to become one of the
top players I feel Irsquom not too far away and
I want to challenge myself to see if I can
become much better at the game Irsquom also
very fascinated by how much the game has
changed since I left it I left right as JellyFish
was produced and seeing how the game
has evolved since then has been fascinating
for me So many of the things we took for
granted were actually totally wrong
Iancho You play a lot online at Grid-
Gammon Which do you prefer live or
online play
Bill I prefer live play but unfortunately
there is just not a lot of it I play a lot online
but most of that is after a whole day of
work It is just pure relaxation I am way
too tired to think
Iancho Yes but it is still a good way to
prepare for live events hellip
Bill It is but it is not as good as organized
study You can improve some by just playing
a lot of games but I think over the last two
weeks in Denmark I learned a lot more and
grew a lot more as a player than I have in
my last several months online
Iancho What do you think is the key
Bill Well it is focus for one thing When
you play live it is just that match There is
nothing to focus on but the move in front
of you But if you are around other top
players you can exchange ideas you can
debate positions and you get an idea of
how other people are thinking about the
game and this can help you grow
Iancho Recently you were selected to
represent the World team in the Denmark
vs The World challenge What does this
mean to you
Bill Well I considered it a big honor I
felt hellip my initial reaction was that I felt
honored that I had been asked but also
I felt somewhat undeserving as there are
some players who are clearly better than I
am who were not invited So I asked Falafel
and Mochy rdquoWhat about Paul Weaver or
what about Ralf Jonas etcrdquo but it turns out
these players did not want to play this year
For me being chosen for the team mdash I love
the idea of the best players getting together
and competing against each other and I feel
that everybody grows I feel that the game
benefits It is good for the spectators the
players themselves get a lot out of it hellip It
is good for everyone And I felt privileged
to be part of that environment I feel it was
really good for my game
Iancho But exactly how do you think
they selected you
Bill My understanding of how the team
is selected is Falafel Michy Mochy and
Matt sit on top and I donrsquot think you can
find anyone who would disagree that those
four people belong on the team Those are
four of the best players in the world and
they deserve to be there Then they started
proposing names I donrsquot know how they
got to my name but I know that Falafel
and Matt know me well I donrsquot think that
Mochy and Michy knew me very well
until recently But I think that Falafel and
Matt understand that I play pretty well I
donrsquot play as well as they play but I play
pretty well
Iancho How did you prepare We know
that each year the World team runs a boot
camp just before the start of the challenge
Can you tell us please what exactly did you
do there and how you trained
Bill For me the boot camp was my favorite
part of the entire experience For a couple
of weeks leading up to Denmark you saw
Victor Petko Wells and Falalel playing
online and they were trying their best
they knew they would be playing and
they were training for the event So when
we were in Denmark we actually rented
an apartment David Wells Matt and I
stayed there And we had group training
sessions at the apartment And everyone
except Victor was there because he arrived
just the day before his event So for several
days we gathered there and played speed-
gammon doubles lot of DMPs singles
matches and everything was recorded All
the matches were taken seriously It was a
very pure backgammon experience It was
great seeing how everyonersquos mind works
And I think we all had a certain amount of
pride where you see other people playing
at a phenomenal level and you donrsquot want
to be the one guy who sucks We were all
trying to bring the best out of ourselves
and it was a very positive experience
Iancho And I also think that this year
was the first when the team was so solid
I mean that every year there is a player
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street68 69USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
who is clearly worst and is not as good as
the others mdash but this year there were no
real flaws all the players were very solid
world-class players
Bill For me what was great also was the
way everybody supported each other There
was a good sense of teamwork For example
Petko was supposed to play speedgammon
During the first few practice matches Petko
was playing pretty badly He ran out of
time a few times got some high PRs and
people got a bit worried thinking maybe
speedgammon is not a good fit for Petko
Remember though he had just gotten off a
plane across six time zones And as a team
we worked through it There was a meet-
ing to discuss possibly switching him to
another event but people were supportive
and Petko rose to the occasion and found
his stride By the end he was playing speed
matches with low 20 PRs mdash just phenom-
enal backgammon
Iancho So you think that everybody
grew as players just for those 2 weeks in
the disciplines they were about to play
Bill It is not like you can relearn backgam-
mon in a few days What it really does is
your pride kicks in and I think people can
find another level of focus All of the people
inside that room are capable of playing great
backgammon and it is just a question in
finding that level of focus and determina-
tion and I think everybody found it the
level of play was very very strong
Iancho You played in the doubles event
with David Wells Did you two play a
lot of consultation matches against other
players there
Bill The first night we played doubles
against Matt and Petko I believe and the
combined PRs were I think 16 or 17 I think
they played 9 and we 7 something crazy
(laugh) but then we slept more and the
next day started playing recorded doubles
matches against MichyMochy and Falafel
Petko We played 3 consecutive matches
under a 2 and MM played 2 matches
under a 2 It helped build confidence for
playing the Danes
Iancho But when you play doubles do
you split the tasks for example I will do
the running pip count or anything like that
Bill Well as far as pip count no but in my
opinion and I think Dave will agree we
play our best when I make the moves and
he is consulting The reason for this is that
it helps me engage by playing and touching
checkers but more importantly the person
with the dice kind of controls the ultimate
decisions and also controls the flow of the
game I know Davidrsquos game very very well
He is a brilliant backgammon player and I
know what his strengths are and what he is
weak at For instance in our match against
the Danes we were trailing 0-4 and a very
difficult cube came up We talked about it
for a long time and I was leaning towards
the pass and he was leaning towards a take
Finally the way we made the decision was
I asked Dave Do you want to bet And
I could tell by the way he said yes that he
had a lot of confidence in his opinion We
gamble with each other on a lot of things
and trust me mdash you donrsquot want to be bet-
ting against David Wells when he feels that
confident about something So it was clear
that we were going to take
Iancho Wow I like your method very
clever ) So this is kind of how you work
on Wall Street
Bill I work with a lot of models I have
a lot of computer programs that give you
numbers and things but ultimately it is my
job as a trader to know what those tools are
good for and not good for and same thing
for Dave I know my partner I know what
he is good at and what he is not good at
Iancho So basically you used what he
likes to bet on to find the right decision hellip
Bill Right we treated it like that we try
to see how confident we are by how much
money we will bet And by the way a lot
of strong players in the room thought this
was a pass Dave found a very good take
Iancho It looks like you get along very
well with David Wells What is important
in creating a good team such as yours
Bill You have to be comfortable with
each other you have to not be afraid to say
something stupid and also have to not be
overly attached to your own opinion Some
people are very good players but they are
not good doubles partners because they
think they are always right And also some
people are very good players but they are
kind of too passive in speaking up and
they donrsquot effectively help their partner
find the right move
Iancho Then do you think you can make
a good team with someone you donrsquot know
Is your friendship with David important
Bill I tried to play doubles with Matt I did
not think we did very well He did not think
we did very well I think it takes some time
to play with each other to get used to it
Iancho So for sure you need to know the
person and have some experience with
them hellip So when you were there what
was your feeling Who was the player you
were most impressed by from each team
Bill Well I think that everybody from the
World team will agree that during the train-
ing session nobody was more impressive
than David Wells In the training sessions
for several days and even at the tournament
he was playing at a phenomenal level he
was just on his game Obviously Mochy
always impresses but we have come to expect
that But I think Dave showed what he is
capable of On the Danish team Sander
was special When you get good enough
at the game you can spot talent right away
mdash and he has a crazy amount of talent
Also Thomas Kristensen impressed me a
lot mdash especially in the doubles He is very
clear thinking and open to his partnerrsquos
ideas He was playing the checkers for the
team consultation and the way he led the
discussion mdash I was very impressed by the
way he conducted himself He is a student
of the game and overall his play is very
strong I liked everything about him If he
ever needs backing in a high stakes game
I hope he calls me
Iancho Would you like to attend the event
next year as well
Bill Since I was right on the cusp of being
in it is my job over the next year to get
better and to earn my spot on the team
But yes I would like to play
Iancho And maybe next year you would
like to play singles or speed I think you
will be very suitable for speed
Bill The first goal is just to be good enough
to make the team
Iancho In the July-August 2014 edition
of PrimeTime magazine Mochy told us the
story of how you met Matt It looks like after
that you became very good friends Could
you say a few words about him
Bill Letrsquos see hellip he is a super sweet kid
and very smart I liked him right away
and I guess I feel some paternal instinct
toward Matt We are good friends but I
also feel protective of him like a mentor
in some way
We talk every day by instant messaging
he comes to visit me in NY frequently
and we travel to tournaments I value that
backgammon is only a small piece of our
friendship In my opinion in the last few
years I have seen Matt really grow he is
finding his voice and coming into his own
I like that I have gotten to watch that and
I feel proud of him
Iancho From your posts in the forums it
is obvious you like numbers What do you
think is the best way to compare playersrsquo
strength
Bill Obviously PR is the best measure
However I think something is missing from
the way we currently look at it which is
the component of how the opponent plays
against you Because it is possible to steer
games towards complexity and if you do
that you are going to raise your PR but you
will also raise your opponentrsquos PR And what
matters of course is having the maximum
spread between the PRs Letrsquos take Mike
Senkiewicz for instance he is possibly the
greatest player in the history of the game
I have played with him online and his PR
is not the lowest but he plays to increase
complexity in his games and I think it is
quite possible that he makes everyone play
a little bit worse My PR after 25 matches is
higher than my average PR and it would
not surprise me if everybodyrsquos PR is a bit
higher when they play him
Iancho What is your own PR
Bill Seems to be about 385
Iancho Can you explain to all our readers
who try very hard to achieve this level what
does it take to achieve a world-class level
or letrsquos say around 4 on average
The Wolf of Wall Street The Wolf of Wall Street70 71USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Bill Well when you see natural players like
Sander and Abe Mosseri what strikes me
about them is that they have a positional
sense of where the checkers belong and
understand various structures I think
a good way to learn is to answer some
strategically important questions like
When are you slotting or splitting When
are you trying for a priming game When
are you trying for a blitz or a race This
is how beginners should start and then
you begin to refine over time into more
complex positions
I know some people will give lessons and
part of the package will be ldquowhat is your
doubling windowrdquo ldquowhat is your take-point
at the scorerdquo and I will say that if you are
a beginner intermediate or even a low-
level Open player you might do well to
totally ignore that mdash because what is really
important about the game is what is going
on in this position and how to address key
elements of the game strategically For
instance in the World final match when
we were leading 120 to 17 we asked each
other what is the match equity -5 away -17
away Nobody on the team knew and the
reason that nobody knew is that honestly it
is not that important As long as you can get
a reasonably accurate approximation that
is good enough Just making plays that are
reasonably close and avoiding 200 errors
will get you a long way in backgammon
If I were an intermediate player trying to
get good I would play over the matches of
top players I would want to find out why
Irsquom thinking this and they are thinking
that and then check XG and find who was
right and try to discover what was going on
with each decision Try to find the thought
process behind the moves
I also think people learn differently so if
you are not a numbers person donrsquot try to
force yourself to become one Falafel for
example can barely count pips You can
still become one of the best players in the
world even with that kind of weakness It
is really about strategic understanding of
the game
Iancho You said that now you average
around 38 What level do you aim to
achieve
Bill I think I have 33 in me I think if I
work hard it is kind of realistic to be a low
3rsquos player If I just quit doing the dumb stuff
I think I can get to 33 easily
Iancho So talking about 3s who do you
think is the best player in the world now
Bill I donrsquot know hellip I donrsquot know It is
Falafel Mochy and Matt and among the
players who are not that active Gus and
Sander and from that pool of 5 you can
debate I guess
Iancho You are known as a very open and
straightforward person You often speak
directly even when people donrsquot like it you
get into debates in the forums and you
are never afraid to separate yourself from
the crowd to express your opinion Often
people talk about something or someone
privately but they are afraid to say it pub-
licly and I think that if there were more
people like you it would be better for the
community What does it take to be like
you in this closed backgammon society
Bill (Laugh)You will see Irsquom not posting
that much anymore and there is a reason
I was maybe idealistic and naiumlve I thought
that if I just expressed my opinion and
tried to be fair and logical and fact-based
other people would join me and together
we would find the way to the truth But
actually what happened was a lot of people
got defensive and took things personally I
found myself disappointed in many people
in the backgammon community and I found
that posting wasnrsquot particularly construc-
tive So I stopped
Iancho Can you tell us the sickest story
of your gambling life
Bill Ah this is an easy one Irsquove been
looking for the opportunity mdash this is such
a good story this is the luckiest Irsquove ever
been in any gambling activity So was
playing at Mike Svobodnys tournament in
Cancunhellip I donrsquot remember the entry fee
is $5000 or $10000 so I was playing the
first round against Christian Toth who is
a good player from Brazil who was there
with his family He is a very nice man and
his family is very very nice I was playing
that match and he got a big lead I donrsquot
remember all the details but it was a long
match (15 points) and Irsquom down something
like 13 to 6 and a game comes up where
I have an ace-point game and if he gam-
mons me he wins the match We reach a
position where he has taken 14 men off and
I have a shot at his last checker I have to
roll a 1 to hit then to try to contain him (I
had absolutely no forward position) Well
I miss the shot and the people watching
start to congratulate him his family and
friends etc And I had to be the jerk who
says ldquowait wait you can roll 11 and then
I can hit you etc hellip and I made him roll
Sure enough he rolled 11 I hit him I won
that game and then I won all the remain-
ing games to win the match Then I went
on to win first place and $125000 At the
point where I made him roll my equity in
the tourney was something like $5 And
somehow I turned that into $125000 Very
lucky And he was such a gentleman I was
very impressed the way he took the loss
Iancho Tell us something that people
donrsquot know about you
Bill Maybe that I exist))) Maybe that in
my 20s I went to massage school I lived
in the mountains I was a vegetarian who
had long hair and I did not eat meat for
10 years mdash basically the whole alternative
lifestyle and now Irsquom on Wall Street with
short hair wearing suits and things
Iancho Usually people do that in the
other direction hellip Do you miss that kind
of lifestyle now
Bill Yes I do it is still part of me
Iancho Ok now letrsquos go 30 years back in
time Would you change anything about
your life 30 years back Ok letrsquos say 40
what did you want to be when you were
a kid
Bill I wanted to go into psychology I
think it would have been a good fit and
I actually kind of regret not doing some-
thing more people-involved Everybody
has some regrets but in the big picture I
did pretty well So no I would not really
change anything hellip
Iancho Do you feel you can challenge the
top players in the world and be in the top
10 in the Giants list for example
Bill No I think that best players in the
world are better than I am I have played
them I know their PRs I know the amount
Irsquom expected to lose but you knowhellipMochy
and Falafel and these guys are better than
I am but I still play them and take it as a
challenge If I get to the Giants list it will
be nice but I also think that would not
measure how good a player I am anyway
You can tell who the best players are from
who wants to play and who does not want
to play you
Iancho Ok now we said that after the
Nordic you have been very motivated to
work hard and improve that you can get to
33 In the next few years if you can do this
do you see yourself in the top 5 or top 10
Bill Probably I think probably I think
it will be hard to find 10 players who are
playing below 33 on average and are active
Iancho I agree maybe less hellip are you
The Wolf of Wall Street72 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
willing to take this road
Bill I donrsquot know As long as things are
interesting and fun for me Irsquom planning
to do that It also depends on other things
as backgammon is just a hobby
Iancho When you lose in a tournament
do you get upset or depressed Or does
this motivate you to work even harder
Bill Honestly winning or losing mdash I could
care less It is about playing well or poorly
Playing poorly is the thing that bothers me
It bothers me because mdash letrsquos face it Irsquom
now over 50 years old Mentally Irsquom going
to be getting worse as I get older so Irsquom
motivated to stay sharp I hang around with
MCG a 27-year-old kid who is mentally
very sharp and his memory is very good
It motivates me to stay sharp because I
remember myself at 27 and I am fighting
to try to keep up So honestly I donrsquot care
about winning or losing but I do have
pride and I care if I play badly I care if I
embarrass myself
Iancho Are there any things you donrsquot
like about the current rules of the game
tournaments or something you would
like to change
Bill Ok first I donrsquot like the Last Chance I
think it is quite crazy to make people show
up on Sunday when many do not want
to be there (or at least not there playing
short matches for small amounts of prize
money) Also I think the game should move
into the technology age It is starting to do
that but the more matches we can get on
the Internet the more opportunities for
people to play online mdash the better for the
game For me it is ridiculous that after so
many years of running events we have
not learned how to manage them All the
delays all this waiting the whole LC thing
is ridiculous people waiting and sitting for
2 hours for their match I think we should
keep the clocks Speedgammon is another
interesting thing to do
Iancho What is your favorite tournament
venue Director Why
Bill NY Metro It is close to home I can
sleep in my own bed The venue is gorgeous
and a lot of old school players like Senk
and Kent Goulding show up
Iancho How do you think the game can
grow and especially the USBGF What
are your ideas
Bill Any TV time would be great any
internet time the way all the matches from
the Nordic were posted on YouTube the
Falafel commentary mdash those are all great
things for the game
Iancho Do you read PrimeTime maga-
zine
Bill Yes every edition )
Iancho What are your future backgammon
goals ) What would you like to achieve
Bill Hopefully if things work all right
I should be retired in 2 years and I will
have a lot more free time to go to more
tournaments In the next year or two Irsquom
planning to go to Chicago maybe Monte
Carlo San Antonio Nordic I want to go
to events which attract other top players
I like that competition
- IANCHO HRISTOV
About IanchoIancho Hristov shown with his dog
Sunny fresh from a dip in the sea is a rising Bulgarian backgammon star He has won 20 or so trophies including the Porto Caras in Greece in 2012 and the doubles event with Petko Kostadinov at the North
Cyprus Open in 2014 His analy-sis of player performance ratings of GridGammon online matches has spurred interest in worldwide player rankings based on quantitative metrics ndash not just opinion of peers
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74 75USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Lots of FishSome Totally Raw Some
slightly NaiumlveBy Jake Jacobs
I have been attending the Japan Open
since back in the last Millennium I
have only missed two or three over
the years but I decided to miss this one
There were a number of reasons for doing
so but here is the best one I was putting
the finishing touches on my book
Yes I have a new book out The Battered
Butterfly This one I started working on
around the time of my first Japan Open
When I went to work full time overseas ten
years ago it was put on a shelf awaiting a
final polish Then two years ago an editor
pried loose a copy He was eager to get it
in print but his publisher cancelled the
house fiction line So I did it myself with
a little help from some paid consultants
who designed my cover The print version
is available through Amazon Amazon
UK and Amazon Europe the Kindle
edition through Amazon Reviews have
been enthusiastic
Meanwhile despite the demands of this
project events were tugging me Tokyo-
ward Carter Mattig was going to Tokyo
Carter who had traveled halfway around
the world hacking his way through the
Thai jungle to serve as best man at my
wedding then hacking his way through
his own arm trying to prove how adept
he was at opening beer And from Phil
Simborg came word that he was bringing
a number of his students which in turn
seems to have prompted a horde of foreign
players to tag along
Actual conversation between two of the
naiumlfs while in Tokyo
Player One ldquoAfter she tried to run me and
my mother over with the car I had to sit on
her for twenty minutes until the paramedics
showed up with restraintsrdquo
Player Two ldquoThatrsquos nothingrdquo
In good conscience how could I let guys
like that loose in Roppongi without being
there to chaperone them
I neednrsquot have worried I was the only one
who managed to get lost The night before
the tournament Akiko Yazawa Japanrsquos
third World Champion of the past five
years was feted at a party at Argento Aso
a Michelin-starred restaurant in Ginza Itrsquos
a place I have been to several times and on
this go-round I even had a Google map
But after circling the block all I managed
to find was Roberto Litzenberger Luckily
Japanese people are incredibly helpful mdash
and Ginza is chock-full of Japanese people
We asked a local touting one of the area
nightclubs if he knew where the restaurant
was mdash and with the combination of my
map and his knowledge of the area we only
had to circle the block twice more before
Roberto spotted a sign I should explain
that the restaurant was on the eighth floor
of an office building and its sign was a
small plaque in a vestibule near an eleva-
tor practically around the corner from the
street But at least it was in English
You can see some of the lights of Ginza
through the drapes behind Kenji Shimod-
aira On the mike offering a toast to Akiko
is Masaki Takemiya Before Takemiya took
up backgammon he earned a 9-dan ranking
in Go along with two world championships
He is a decent backgammon player and
would be better than that mdash but his current
competitive passion is ballroom dancing
This fellow is some sort of performance
artist I am told he is very famous the
BALANCING ACTFamous Japanese performance
artist pours champagne from a bottle on his head
AKIKO HONOREDGo champion Masaki Takemiya offers a toast to backgammon World Champion Akiko Yazawa
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
76 77USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Japanese all recognized him He placed a
bottle on top of his head and then refilled
Akikorsquos glass by bowing to her He also
spilled some on her He then balanced a
can on its rim where it stayed until people
tried tapping the table to see what would
happen It also spilled By then Keiko the
magician was ready with her act
That isnrsquot Keiko thatrsquos her son He is already
as adept as some professionals I have seen
so you can imagine how good his mom is
HALLOWEEN IN JAPANIt sometimes seems that every day is Halloween in Japan but as you see from the decorations outside the restaurant downstairs in Shidax Tower the official holiday was approaching
MAGIC VIRTUOSITYThe festivities included a magic act by Keikos son
FOLLOW THE SIGNThe tournament was upstairs via an interior elevator this sign points the way
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 1
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Another year another Othello Quiz Each
year ten fresh problems are posted on
the entry wall along with pencils answer
blanks and a box into which to drop your
choices Players are on the honor system
since you may enter as late as Sunday night
at the end of the second day of play No
one has ever taken advantage Irsquoll reveal
the answer at the end of the article For
those who would like to try the entire quiz
yoursquoll find it on Othello Itikawas website
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 104017 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 160
Unlimited GameJacoby Beaver
pip 167score 0
is Player 1XGID=-b----E-C---dE---bbe----B-00152003010
to play 52
1 Book1 2422 138 eq -0218PlayerOpponent
4490 (G1142 B048)5510 (G1596 B064) Conf plusmn 0008 (-0226-0211) - [1000]
2 Book2 1311 138 eq -0284 (-0065)PlayerOpponent
4337 (G1223 B070)5663 (G1713 B114) Conf plusmn 0011 (-0295-0273) - [00]
3 XG Roller++ 138 64 eq -0324 (-0106)PlayerOpponent
4246 (G1075 B044)5754 (G1736 B104)
4 XG Roller++ 136 eq -0357 (-0139)PlayerOpponent
4129 (G1059 B044)5871 (G1723 B083)
1 Generated by David Rockwell on 5102012 using eXtreme Gammon 2005184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 30746486Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
2 Generated by David Rockwell on 662010 using eXtreme Gammon 1145184 Games rolled with Variance ReductionDice Seed 7876781Moves and cube decisions 3-ply
eXtreme Gammon Version 210
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 160 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 167
Position 3
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test Black to play 52
Now try Position 3 Your choices are a)
2422 138 b) 138 1311 c) 138 64
d) 136
It is the second roll of the game shouldnrsquot
we all know the right play As it happens I
know a couple of general principles posited
by pros positive that they know profound
things about precocious positions One
is that you usually prefer to mimic the
opponentrsquos strategy If you mentally clas-
sify some positions as defensive others as
offensive then if he chooses offense so do
you and vice versa That is if he plays an
opening 21 by slotting and you roll 21 you
slot If he splits you split Second I have
seen learned lore warning that if he opens
with 61 you should not split because that
would give him options with numbers that
might otherwise play awkwardly
Or so I heard back when everyone was
rolling the openings out 128000 times
on 5-ply gargantuan space Today I sup-
pose they are busy rolling them all out
128000000 times on 13-ply hyperspace
and we will find out that Bruce Becker
was right after all Meanwhile I had two
perfectly good principles that both pointed
the same way 1311 138 But no (sigh)
it is correct to splitJA
KE
JAC
OB
S
78 79USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
Another quiz awaited me that morning
Actually it was a full-blown test the 4th
Backgammon Proficiency Test Maestros
Mochy and Michy created it Takers have
one hour to answer fifty questions covering
all aspects of the game Unlike the Othello
Quiz which is known for fiendishly dif-
ficult plays the test tries to confine itself
to bread-and-butter plays with sections
covering early game middle game and
end game checker plays and cube decisions
Some are very easy
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 145 WhiteUnlimited Game
Unlimited Game BlackPip 47
Position 2
4th Backgammon Proficiency Test
Playing as safely as possible how many rolls will force Black to leave a shot It is multiple choice with any number from eight to twelve
available The answer is twelve 13 15 35 36 44 56 and 66 Easy isnrsquot it
GEOGRAPHY QUIZPlayers were encouraged to place a red dot to show where they came from Can you guess which of those is mine Can you guess the locations of all three
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 113525 AM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 139
11 point match
pip 91score 7
is Player 1XGID=aBBBaBBAB---b-a-AbAdb-b---001557301110
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 188 166 eq +1515PlayerOpponent
8786 (G5403 B049)1214 (G079 B003)
2 XG Roller++ 183 1611 eq +1471 (-0044)PlayerOpponent
8650 (G5238 B045)1350 (G104 B004)
3 XG Roller++ 188 1611 72 eq +1459 (-0056)PlayerOpponent
8772 (G4714 B035)1228 (G069 B002)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 139 Michihito Kageyama4-Away
8-Away Jake JacobsPip 91
Position 4
Black (Jake Jacobs) to play 55
I drew Michy in the first round of the Super
Jackpot I didnrsquot play well but here was a
bright spot How should I play 55
I chose 188 166 leaving a 43 Michy rolled
a 43 Now what
There was some discussion afterward I had
decided before playing 55 that my play was
clearly better than 188 1611 72 unless
he rolled 43 If he did roll 43 I would cube
and it would be up to him to decide if he
should take My play proved 5 better and
I have a strong double after he rolls 43 He
did correctly take but I went on to win the
match only to lose in the second round to
Robin Swaffield
Continued on page 82
Later I won a first-round fifteen-point
match in the Open and then at ten was
off to Fukumoto Sushi Fukumoto was
recently on Japanese television and it
is in the Michelin Guide so it isnrsquot quite
under the radar But it is in a residential
neighborhood twenty minutes by taxi from
Shibuya heading away from town and is in
a basement beneath a dental practice Kenji
was able to book the entire restaurant for
our party and with so many neophytes in
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
80 81USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
If you are guessing I did not score well on this yearrsquos quiz you are correct I got more than half right and had very good excuses for a
couple of others (That is if mismarking an answer and not noticing it counts as a ldquogood excuserdquo)
MUSHROOMSYou thought I was kidding about those mushrooms Yama-moto is a happy winner
MYSTERIOUS EVENTSThere are lots of mysterious events There are events for ladies and events for gents events for youngsters and events for not-so-youngsters events where the prizes are mush-rooms and events where the play-ers are mushrooms Stick with the basics the Super Jackpot the Open the Doubles and if you are knocked out early the special jackpots
MEET KENJI EAT SUSHIKenji gives sushi eating
lessons at Fukumoto
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 115513 AM]
is Player 2
score 2pip 149
15 point match
pip 145score 10
is Player 1XGID=-a---BCBBA--fCA--b-cb-a--A001D10201510
on roll cube action
Analyzed in XG Roller++ No double DoubleTakePlayer Winning Chances 6469 (G1720 B077) 6470 (G1721 B082)Opponent Winning Chances 3531 (G850 B028) 3530 (G834 B025)Cubeless Equities +0377 +0616
Cubeful EquitiesNo double +0363DoubleTake -0100 (-0463)DoublePass +1000 (+0637)
Best Cube action No double TakePercentage of wrong pass needed to make the double decision right 296
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
6
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 149 Jake Jacobs13-Away
5-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 145
Position 5
Black (Robin Swaffield) doubles to 2
If there is such a thing as a ldquoscore beaverrdquo
this would qualify But I have found that
two qualities of tournament winners are
aggression mdash and really good dice Robin
had the dice ndash and as this cube indicates
was not hesitant about doubling
I lost 15-2 and when my consolation match
rolled around was knocked out by Yuri
Nakamura Yuri is one of the younger play-
ers She is around twenty or twenty-one
which is impressive especially when you
realize she has been coming to the Japan
Open as long as I have (She wasnrsquot playing
Open back in 1999 but still hellip)
Once again it was time for dinner
If you play in Japan you will notice the JBL
backgammon boards advertise ldquoMogami
Restaurantrdquo Kazuko Numazawa owns sev-
eral restaurants by that name which offer
kushiage a type of Japanese cooking you
seldom find outside Japan I once described
it as ldquoHush-Puppyingrdquo anything you could
skewer Items are placed on thin wooden
sticks covered with breading and fried
There is a plate with dipping sauces before
you and when the waiters serve the skewers
they position them so that the base of the
skewer points to the sauce you should use
By Monday afternoon the finals were in
progress World Champion Nevzat Dogan
of Denmark defeated Masahiko Nasu in
the Super Jackpot There was an upset in
the Consolation Pat Gibson Los Angelesrsquos
long-time tournament director led Lon-
donrsquos Jysen Quah 7-1 to 9 when his time
ran out Pat said that he didnrsquot notice that
he was in trouble
The finals of the main saw Mick Dyett of
Australia squaring off against Robin Swaf-
field (As both of them run clubs it meant
that three of the four main and consolation
finalists were club directors)
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 164 Mick Dyett14-Away
17-Away Robin SwaffieldPip 204
Position 6
Black (Robin Swaffield) to play 55
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
82 83USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
the crowd he asked Mr Fukumoto to make it a ldquoTuna Paradiserdquo
by scoring the best tuna to be had at Tsukiji Market It was that It
was more than that One bite and you expected Poseidon himself
to appear and snatch back the rest
I won some matches the next day but then met Robin Swaffield
once again in the round of sixteen
Continued from page 80
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 121235 PM]
is Player 2
score 3pip 164
17 point match
pip 204score 0
is Player 1XGID=-a--BaC-a---cE--bb-eA-AAB-001550301710
to play 55
1 XG Roller++ 205 138 eq +0112PlayerOpponent
5180 (G1579 B097)4820 (G1562 B120)
2 XG Roller++ 138(2) 83(2) eq -0005 (-0116)PlayerOpponent
4834 (G1378 B078)5166 (G1378 B070)
3 XG Roller++ 2010 138(2) eq -0044 (-0155)PlayerOpponent
4829 (G1259 B064)5171 (G1530 B093)
4 XG Roller++ 238 138 eq -0049 (-0160)PlayerOpponent
4802 (G1152 B051)5198 (G1353 B071)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
Mick took the early lead and Robinrsquos choice of 238 138 was a blunder here Correct is 205 138 But Robin was not to be stopped
this weekend and went on to win the match
fileC|UsersuserDesktopPositionhtm[152015 94233 AM]
is Player 2
score 0pip 158
7 point match
pip 131score 5
is Player 1XGID=--BaBbDB----bC--bbbbbB----00164500710
to play 64
1 XG Roller++ 2111 eq -0613PlayerOpponent
3863 (G1339 B042)6137 (G1371 B052)
2 XG Roller++ 133 eq -0694 (-0080)PlayerOpponent
3612 (G1103 B025)6388 (G1277 B047)
3 XG Roller++ 137 62 eq -0717 (-0104)PlayerOpponent
3541 (G946 B016)6459 (G1239 B042)
eXtreme Gammon Version 210 MET Kazaross XG2
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Pip 158 White7-Away
2-Away BlackPip 131
Position 7
Othello Quiz Black to play 64
Now its time to reveal the answer to the
Othello Quiz from Position 1
Othello gets his problems from his own
matches He includes the original score
whether it matters or not which adds a
level of complexity We are accustomed to
seeing quiz problems and telling ourselves
ldquoAha this hinges on that scorerdquo But in an
Othello Quiz maybe it does and maybe it
doesnrsquot If this were a money game I would
shrug my shoulders and run 2111 Black is
running out of time and if you donrsquot want
to run the other option would seem to be
hitting What does hitting accomplish Letrsquos
suppose you hit and White fans are you
doubling Are you even close to doubling
Of course not In other words sometimes
you are hit back and that is very bad The
rest of the time you arenrsquot hit back and
yoursquove gained little or nothing But leading
5-0 to 7 perhaps you need to play super
safe Could 137 62 be right
No it isnrsquot You should shrug your shoulders
and play 2111
There was still one more meal to be eaten
84 85USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
SWAFFIELD WINSHong Kongs Robin Swaffield brings it home defeating Austral-ian Mick Dyett in the final
MCG GETS A MEDALThatrsquos Matt Cohn-Geier receiving a medal from Mochy for scoring
910 on the Othello Quiz
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
JAK
E JA
CO
BS
86 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine
ONE MORE MEALThirty-six stories above Tokyo as may be seen through the windows in the background high atop the ANA Intercontinental Hotel in Akasaka Carter Mattig Mick Dyett and Phil Simborg are ready for teppanyaki
LEGENDARY KOBE BEEFMagnificent dinner of
Japanese Kobe beef
Perhaps you have heard stories of Kobe
beef the beef from legendary Japanese
cattle that are fed a diet of beer and receive
daily massages to make the meat as tender
as possible If you look closely I think you
can see the masseusersquos fingerprints
All of the innocents made it home after all
mdash some a little wealthier all a bit heavier
but all safely home And after weighing me
shrugging their shoulders and crossing their
fingers Singapore Airlines let me board I
returned home too
- JAKE JACOBS
About JakeJake Jacobs is a member of the
USBGF Board of Governors and serves on its Education Committee He is a prolific writer well-known to those in the backgammon commu-nity for his wit and insight He also manages interconnected compa-nies in Singapore and Japan Mr Jacobs spends a lot of time in Tokyo but lives in Singapore with his wife Khampha and daughter Sasithon
Lots of Fish Some Totally Raw Some Slightly Naiumlve
FRO
M T
OP
JA
KE
JAC
OB
S J
AKE
JA
CO
BS P
ATR
ICK
GIB
SON
tough middle-game checker playExclusive USBGF Teaching VideoBy Phil Simborg USBGF Teaching Pro
Video Lesson USBGF resident Teaching Pro
Phil Simborg has been creat-
ing videos covering just about
every aspect of the game you can imagine
He does anywhere from 1 to 3 a week and
is often joined by guest lecturers to offer
their insights into these checker and cube
decisions
Phil has created over
100 videos thus far
and all can be viewed
by going to usbgforgcategorybg-prob-
lemsvideo Most of Phils videos are from
10 to 25 minutes long but here is a short
5-minute sample of the kind of wonderful
insights you can gain from these videos
Phil is a full-time professional backgammon
teacher and lecturer and has given private
lessons to more than 300 students all over
the world via the Internet In addition
Phil is an adviser to our Education Com-
mittee and has started backgammon clubs
at elementary high schools and colleges
throughout the country and he donates free
lessons and seminars to students on behalf
of the USBGF Phil encourages members
to become sponsors of clubs and mentors
of children locally and he will help you
get started provide backgammon boards
on consignment and help with teaching
materials For more information contact
Phil at pjsimborggmailcom
- PHIL SIMBORG
To be able to view this video you must have Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader installed and set as the default PDF viewer in your browser Internet Explorer does this by default Chrome and Firefox users should see Adobe Acrobat Help for complete Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader plug-in configuration instructions
PHIL SIMBORGPhil Simborg was honored at the 2013 London Open for being the No 1 contributor to the game worldwide He is the USBGF Teaching Pro and Manager of the USBGF Facebook page as well as being a highly ranked tournament player and the leading lecturer on the US Tour
KA
REN
DA
VIS
88 89USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine