Blog Archive - Page 5 of 7 - KATGAMMON

10JunJune 10, 2020

US Backgammon Champion 2010

US Backgammon Champion 2010 What are the odds that the same player would win a seat at a backgammon championship in an online qualifier and then outplay eight matches in a row to triumph the championship itself? “It is a highly improbable sequence of events” said Mary Hickey, also known as “mamabear64″, who had won both the Play65 US Open qualifier and the 2nd US Backgammon Open championship itself, “winning eight matches in a row, not a likely occurrence on any given day or weekend.” “Sure, it rates...

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10JunJune 10, 2020

The Backgammon Blitz

The Backgammon Blitz I believe the best way to understand how to do a proper blitz in backgammon is to start with the dictionary. The dictionary defines the word blitz as follows: An overwhelming all-out attack. The idea of the blitz is to barrage your opponent by hitting him and making points and hopefully, if you are successful, closing him out completely so that he has one or more checkers on the bar while you proceed to win a gammon or backgammon. Of course the word blitz...

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09JunJune 9, 2020

Switching Gears

Switching Gears Many backgammon games follow a definable thread from beginning to end. The game plays out more or less as both sides expect, the strategic themes are well understood, and what is required from the players is mostly accuracy of technique. (Not that this is always so easy.) Sometimes, however, something quite different happens. A game appears to be following a certain course for awhile, then a tactical possibility arises which allows one of the players to wrench the game...

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09JunJune 9, 2020

With Backgammon Players-Chiva Tafazzoli

Chiva Tafazzoli Chiva Tafazzoli is one of the most respected and prominent figures in backgammon today. Less of a player and more of an organizer and Tournament Director, Chiva founded the World Backgammon Association (WBA) and made it the leading authority for international tournaments in less than a decade. Well-traveled players will tell you that Chiva's tournaments are the best organized, offer the most fun and have the highest equity and added money of the circuit. WBA is currently running the 4th Season...

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06JunJune 6, 2020

New Ideas in Backgammon by Kit Woolsey & Hal Heinrich

New Ideas in Backgammon by Kit Woolsey & Hal Heinrich Does anyone know what piece of technology revolutionized backgammon? Picture a time so remote that assigning it a date would serve no useful purpose. Imagine a troglodyte, toiling in his lonely cave. Gnawing absently on the shank of a sheep (the tallow waxing his matted beard), he grunts in concentration. He seeks to invent...something. Fire, the wheel, papyrus, or perhaps a Maytag washer. Anything that will change the course of history....

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01JunJune 1, 2020

World Rank 3-Thomas Kristensen

Born in 1978 in Copenhagen Denmark, Thomas Kristensen discovered backgammon in 1996 on the streets of Copenhagen where professional ‘hustlers’ played it for money. In the strong Danish backgammon environment he quickly improved and decided to become a full-time professional player in 2000. He continued living solely off backgammon until 2003 where poker took over as his main game. His notable recent tournament victories include winning the European Championships for national teams both live and online in 2014. In both championships,...

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28MayMay 28, 2020

With Backgammon Players-Eva Zizkova

EVA ZIZKOVA Winner of the 2013 USBGF Circuit Monthly for June When and why did you start playing backgammon? I was told about backgammon in 2003 by my husband. Up to that moment, it was a totally unknown game to me. In fact, I didn’t like it much in the beginning. Some time a!er that, I discovered the GNUBG program; and once I managed to move the checkers, I thought I had learned the game. We played backgammon with our son, who was...

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25MayMay 25, 2020

Frank Raposa, ABT Rising Star

Frank Raposa, ABT Rising Star In a short time Frank Raposa has become a rising star on the American Backgammon Tour. With several wins already under his belt, here we get some information on his background and the secrets to his success. Please tell us a little about yourself — about your family, where you live, your schooling, and what you do professionally. I grew up in Fitchburg, Massachusetts to a great family. It was a unique situation, with several members of my extended...

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25MayMay 25, 2020

With Backgammon Players-Part 2-Mochy

Masayuki Mochizuki, or "Mochy" as we know him, won the 2009 World Championship in Monte Carlo, defeating Lars Trabolt 25-20 in the most exciting finals, and becoming the first Japanese to win the coveted title. Mochy is a full-time backgammon professional player, teacher, and student of the game. More importantly, he is known as a generous, fair, and friendly player. Here are some interesting insights he has agreed to share with us How did you get introduced to backgammon? I played Japanese chess...

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