NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE
OF PRIMETIME BACKGAMMON 

There’s something for everyone in the latest November-December issue of PrimeTime Backgammon. Mike Mannon has joined the list of exemplar backgammon analysts and authors in writing for the magazine. His column on “Using the Opening Move to Figure Out a Reply” illustrates how much failing to get the opening move affects play. We look forward to more interesting columns from Mike.

This issue features an article, “Home Field Advantage: The Comic Book, Episode II,” by USBGF Editor Bob Wachtel featuring Jeremy Bagai’s capture of the 2012 USBGF National Championship over Ed O’Laughlin. The fickle finger of fate is often a determining factor when two top-rated players face off.

Sabri Buyuksoy who just joined as a regular contributor to PrimeTime Backgammon in the last issue follows up with highlights from the Georgia Open. This feature is tailored to the interests of the growing international membership of the U.S. Backgammon Federation.

And from the heartland, Linda Rockwell reports on the 2013 Illinois State Championships, with an all-female staff that knows how to Take Time for Fun at this Halloween-themed tournament.

With this issue, we’ve started a new feature focused on local clubs with an article by Ken Larsen, director of the Durham/Chapel Hill Backgammon Club, founded in 2008. Ken shares his ideas for using point systems to stir the competitive juices of his members and motivate them to learn more about the game.

Phil Simborg, USBGF Education Adviser and lecturer extraordinaire, shares a sample of his USBGF teaching videos. Phil has created over 100 videos thus far, and all can be viewed on the USBGF website.

USBGF President Bill Riles outlines his Priorities and Plans and announces a new President’s Membership Challenge. He will give a new USBGF Crisloid backgammon board valued at $300 to the member who signs up the most new members between December 1, 2013 and February 28, 2014. He has set a goal of attracting 100 new members through this initiative, and will upgrade his Founding Sponsorship to the Gold level if we meet the challenge he has set. If you didn’t see it, check out the great article on Bill that ran recently in the Houston Chronicle.

There’s much more — profiles of online monthly circuit tournament winners Charles Raichle and Gerard Jendras, as well as a profile of one of the newest backgammon converts, Kevin Helton, who got introduced to the game in its birthplace during his tour of duty in Iraq with the Army Corps of Engineers.

You’ll find that PrimeTime Backgammon has features and news attuned to the interests of our entire membership, offering more and more ways to enhance your playing experience. Also check out the latest live and online Leader Boards. You won’t want to miss out on all the great action. If you’re not yet a member or your membership has lapsed, be sure to join or renew now and get set for what’s to come!

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JANUARY-FEBRUARY ISSUE
OF PRIMETIME BACKGAMMON

Perennial winner, larger-than-life giant, and unfailingly courteous gentleman Malcolm Davis is featured on the cover of the January-February 2014 issue of PrimeTime Backgammon. Malcolm has amassed numerous trophies over the last 20 years, from the 1993 Illinois State Championship to most recently the Masters Jackpot at the 1^st Capital Classic in Washington DC in November. He stands at #3 on the All-Time American Backgammon Tour, a testament to his assiduous recording and study of his game.

This issue of PrimeTime Backgammon features the newest offering on the U.S. Backgammon Federation online tournament circuit — the USBGF Team Championship won by a team of California players naming themselves Scared Hitless. Marty Storer, the USBGF Special Editor for Annotated Matches, analyzes key positions in the finals round. The online tournaments have become hugely popular as backgammon players from around the world compete for fame and the thrill of playing highly competitive matches with skilled players.

But live tournaments continue to trump online play, as the sight and sound of backgammon in action and camaraderie continue to captivate. Karen Davis covers the 1^st Capital Classic in the Washington DC area. Ben Friesen gives a collegiate competitor’s candid take on his match with Japan’s top young player Yuri Hiroki in the U.S.-Japan Youth Challenge Match in Las Vegas.

There’s lots in this issue for players of all levels. Raymond Kershaw from the UK presents examples of the Kauder Paradox, when it is correct to double at negative equity and it is correct to beaver!

Ken Larsen, director of the Durham-Chapel Hill Backgammon Club in North Carolina offers some thought-provoking ideas on a new way to rate top players based on points won per event entered. Phil Simborg, USBGF Education Adviser and lecturer extraordinaire, shares a sample of his USBGF teaching videos. Phil has created over 100 videos thus far, and all can be viewed on the USBGF website. And much more — see especially the profiles of online monthly circuit tournament winners Maya Peycheva and Harvey Gillis.

We salute the 8 local clubs that achieved Prime Club status in 2013 with USBGF members ranging from 10 in the Austin Backgammon Club to 34 in the Los Angeles area Gammon Associates.

USBGF President Bill Riles issues a call for volunteering on the part of members to help our member-run organization achieve its potential. Check it out, and as Bill says, Get in the Game!

Also check out the latest live and online Leader Boards. Get your name on the marquee by playing in the many USBGF online tournament offerings, or the upcoming American Backgammon Tour live events listed in the magazine.

You’ll find that PrimeTime Backgammon has features attuned to the interests of our entire membership, offering more and more ways to enhance your playing experience. You won’t want to miss out on all the great action.

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MARCH-APRIL ISSUE
OF PRIMETIME BACKGAMMON 

We are delighted, in this content-packed issue of PrimeTime Backgammon, to welcome two distinguished new authors to our galaxy of member-contributors. First Ray Fogerlund, three-time winner of the American Backgammon Tour and highest ABT annual point winner, lets readers inside his head to see how he conceived, executed, and almost successfully pulled off a daring game plan against world champion Mochy Mochizuki in the Dual-Duel event at the Texas Backgammon Championships. Then Jason Pack, a foreign-affairs expert who has written for (among others) the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, describes the game-theoretic strategy used by Slava Pryadkin in winning the 2013 Backgammon World Championship over former champion Lars Trabolt.

The excitement and buzz of first-class tournament play is attracting a growing field of entrants and world-wide streaming audiences. In this issue Steve Sax submits reports on two major events: the Texas Backgammon Championships and December’s California State Championships. From our foreign desk, the fine Turkish player Sabri Büyüksoy fills us in on the action in Cyprus, where several organizers have recently run very well-attended and successful tournaments, and provides a stunning pictorial album of the ISTAVDER 6th Anniversary Festival in Turkey. And I report, in prose and photos, on the New York Metro Open – where players from 10 countries converged at the beginning of the New Year to compete for Statue of Liberty trophies.

On the organizational front, Scott Butki, director of the Austin Backgammon Club, shares with us his approach to nurturing a local club. Scott, as a journalist and special education teacher, has received a wealth of on-the-job training in patience and persistence – qualities that he has put to good use in turning out his club members in force to enter this year’s Texas Backgammon Championships.

With its new President Bill Riles at the helm, the U.S. Backgammon Federation is thriving. Phil Simborg’s candid interview reveals what makes Bill such an effective leader. And speaking of leaders, the results of the first web-enabled, member-wide election of seats on the USBGF Board of Directors are in. Dorn Bishop and Neil Kazaross won seats on the Board, with Karen Davis, Patrick Gibson, and Richard Munitz coming back for second terms.

There’s much more – see especially the profile of Jamie Rosen, at age 14 the youngest participant in the NY Metropolitan Open event, and the feature on the Director’s Cup II online tournament winner Greg Kurrell.

Check out the live and online tournament rankings, and as Bill Riles says: Get in the Game!

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Young Lions Make Their Mark:
May-June 2014 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon 

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

This content-packed issue of PrimeTime Backgammon  shines the spotlight on strong new players — Saba Bejanishvili, Julius High, and David Presser. Marty Storer provides an analysis of a match between shooting star Saba Bejanishvili of Marietta, Georgia (who also hails from the Republic of Georgia) and Giant of Backgammon Matt Cohn-Geier (MCG) in the Dual-Duel event at the Texas Backgammon Championships. Saba stunned the online audience by winning on performance rating and score against MCG. Recently, he won the Tournament of Champions at the Chicago Open.

Ray Fogerlund reports on the Atlanta tournament, highlighting Julius High’s amazing trifecta: the Championship division, the Atlanta Cup jackpot, and the Seniors event. Ray also pays his respects to Frank Talbot, who captured the Bob Wilensky Memorial Masters.

See especially the profile of David Presser, the winner of the February and March 2014 USBGF Online Circuit and another of the young lions making their early mark in the backgammon world. David had the second highest score (after Falafel) on Mochy’s 4th Proficiency Exam administered at the Chicago Open.

Washington DC has emerged as a backgammon powerhouse. The Beltway Backgammon Club, under the directorship of Barry Silliman, has dominated the USBGF National Club Team Championship, with a second place finish in the inaugural event in 2011, first and second in 2012, and first in 2013. Frank Raposa, Jason Lee, and Bob Koca (the FrankLee Unflappable team) each provide commentary on the 2013 finals matches with the Jersey Boys (Jeff Acierno, Alan Grunwald, and Artie Sutton). Frank Raposa just won the Championship division of the Chicago Open, taking the lead in the ABT points race for the year.

Bill Davis shares with us his impressions of the Central States Invitational at the beginning of March, and I report, in prose and photos, on the 20th anniversary of the Ohio State Backgammon Championships in Cleveland in late March.

USBGF President Bill Riles explains the new USBGF policy on Legal Moves — a stance that was adopted by players voting at the Las Vegas U.S. Open tournament in April.

There’s much more — Jason Pack, with a breakthrough year himself, continues with his analysis of the World Backgammon Championship match between Slava and Lars. Paul Weaver analyzes a match between #1 Giant Mochy and #2 Giant Michy at the 2013 Las Vegas Open.

Congratulations to our latest USBGF Prime Clubs: Dallas Backgammon League, Arizona Backgammon Club, Las Vegas Backgammon Club, and Colorado Backgammon Club!

Check out the live and online tournament rankings, and as Bill Riles says: Get in the Game!

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July-August 2014 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon 

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Despite its population of only 6 million, Denmark has done more than any other country, over the last two decades, to spearhead the revitalization of backgammon and to foster a truly international community for the game. This issue of PrimeTime Backgammon puts a spotlight on that small country’s gala annual backgammon festival, the Nordic Open: the “toughest tournament in the world,” and one accompanied by a unique challenge match: Denmark vs. the World. Our coverage begins with a couple of far-ranging and candid interviews conducted before the event by the Bulgarian expert, Iancho Hristov, with playing captains Thomas Kristensen (Denmark) and Mochy Mochizuki (World). With the stage thus set, we move to the big match itself, with an eyewitness report by our editor and World team member, Bob Wachtel. Bob adds local color to his account by highlighting not only the actual moves that were played in the match but also the heated discussions, banter, and fearless side betting that accompanied them. Our Turkish friend Sabri Büyüksoy completes the Scandinavian sketch by sharing with us his panoramic photographic portrayal of the event.

Not that the U.S. does not have some superstrong tournaments itself. The release of the Giants of Backgammon list brought a number of Giants to Rory Pascar’s Chicago Open to receive their certificates. Five of the top six Giants participated (Chicagoan Neil Kazaross was sidelined for health reasons). Paul Weaver analyzes a round-robin match in the World Backgammon Tournament of Champions between #3 and #5 Giants, Falafel Natanzon and Matt Cohn-Geier. Jake Jacobs provides his own witty take on the Giants list.

We also showcase #8 Giant Bob Wachtel’s new book, In the Game Until the End, Volume II, a sequel to his pioneering 1993 pre-bot-era study of ace-point endings. Reviewing the book, John O’Hagan calls it a “great work” and a “must read” for serious students of the game. As Bob explains it, “some of the most intriguing – and mysterious – positions in the backgammon universe lie at contact’s 11th hour. Holding the opponent’s ace point, a competitor is ‘in the game until the end’ – an end which can run the gamut from utter disaster to miraculous deliverance.” After a hiatus of 20 years, Bob finally deploys the cuttingedge tool of deep computer (XG) rollout analysis to debug his prior research and to carefully extend it to a variety of more complex ace-point endings.

Around the U.S. tournament scene, we feature Steve Sax’s report on the LA Open, where perennial winner Ray Fogerlund added the LA championship title to his U.S. Open and California State Championship crowns, making him this year’s King of the West. We also profile: an outstanding club, Barry Silliman’s Beltway Backgammon Club; an active female player, Michelle Steinberg; and a promising junior, young Max Crosner. Finally, USBGF President Bill Riles brings us up to date on the Federation’s latest programs and initiatives, all designed to increase member benefits, encourage member participation, and recruit new blood from the great mass of recreational American backgammon players. Check out the live and online tournament rankings, and Get in the Game!

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September-October 2014 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon 

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Each year in August, players from around the world flock to backgammon’s mecca, Monte Carlo, for the gala tournament known as the “World Championship.” This year’s event, the 39th episode in its illustrious history, drew 224 players to the Main flight. The September-October 2014 issue of PrimeTime Backgammon maintains the international flavor of our coverage (the July-August issue featured an in-depth trio of articles on the 2014 Nordic Open and the Denmark vs. the World match) with an analysis of the final match, between Japan’s Akiko Yazawa and the USA’s Doug Mayfield, presented by participant and journalist Jason Pack. Jason’s close analysis of the strategic nuances of play is complemented by a stunning photo essay on the elegant spectacle, prepared by our Turkish correspondent, Sabri Büyüksoy.

Akiko won the prestigious crown with a spectacular comeback at DMP. With uncanny timing, Paul Weaver presaged her victory by preparing for this issue an in-depth analysis of her win over John O’Hagan at the Michigan Summer Championships in July. Along with his breakdown of the backgammon, Paul provides a first-hand description of this “must-attend” Michigan event – whose turnout, now that it no longer overlaps Monte Carlo – burgeoned to an impressive 175 entrants including side event entrants. Mochy provides an update on his PR 4.0 Club, which now numbers seven individuals, including most recently Paul Weaver.

We follow Paul’s article with another generous helping of world-class analysis – this time provided by the American legend and Giant #10, Stick Rice. Stick surveys the final match of the USBGF Tournament of Champions, between the young U.S. expert Ben Friesen and Germany’s Tilman Söhnchen. Twenty-nine winners of U.S. Backgammon Federation online tournaments from October 2012 to December 2013 competed in the event, with Friesen emerging victorious.

We are always interested in introducing our readers to the diverse galaxy of accomplished individuals who make up our community. This issue showcases a number of online tournament winners, including Peter Toftsø, winner of the USBGF Masters Divisional I; David Kettler, winner of the USBGF April 2014 Circuit; and Ted Chee, winner of the USBGF Circuit Monthly for December 2013. As a special treat, we explore the advanced training methods employed by the emerging Midwest star, Julius High. Julius’s concept of “backgammon study groups” deserves the attention of all serious students of the game.

Patti Rubin outlines her plans for the best ever 40th Backgammon World Championship in 2015. Correspondent Jason Pack offers his suggestions for improving players’ experience.

Finally, USBGF President Bill Riles brings us up to date on the Federation’s latest programs and initiatives, including a Prime Tournament designation with added money for USBGF members, a U.S. Backgammon Hall of Fame, and an annual USBGF Awards Dinner. All of these projects are designed to benefit USBGF members, encourage live and online tournament participation, and to recognize achievement.

Check out the live and online tournament rankings, and Get in the Game!

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November-December 2014 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon 

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Petko Kostadinov has emerged as the #6 ranked Giant of Backgammon — winning the International Backgammon Championship II in 2013 and the Tournament of Champions at the 2013 Chicago Open, joining the World Team for the 2014 Nordic Open, and most recently winning the Land of Lincoln Masters Jackpot in Illinois. In this issue Marty Storer, USBGF Editor for Annotated Matches, analyzes Petko’s 2014 Texas Championships Dual-Duel match with Saba Bejanishvili, where both played phenomenally, at under 3.0 PR. Petko and Saba then teamed up to win the 2014 USBGF Tournament of Stars, a doubles event for USBGF Founding Sponsors and Giants of Backgammon.

Jason Pack, recent winner of the UK Open and the 2014 Nordic Open Super Jackpot, and a finalist in the 2014 London Open Professionals’ Tournament, concludes his three-part series on the 2013 World Backgammon Championship match between Slava Pryadkin and Lars Trabolt, contrasting their aggressive and conservative cube strategies. Slava’s recube to 4 at 11-away/16-away, which XG++ deems a .109 blunder, was, as Jason explains, the tactic of a world champion — rewarded with a backgammon on a dramatic double-fives final roll.

Ray Fogerlund, current ABT-points leader, provides an in-person account of the DC Capital Classic. Karen Davis covers the 11th Carolina Invitational, and two regional events: the Ohio-Michigan Team Challenge and the Maryland-Virginia-DC Team Challenge.

This issue showcases two online tournament winners: Irina Litzenberger, winner of the May Circuit; and our own Bill Riles, winner of the June Circuit. Open and Advanced division winners of the 2013-2014 National Internet Championship, Jacob Atie and Tom Christner are profiled.

Finally, USBGF President Bill Riles brings us up to date on the Federation’s 2014 accomplishments, 2015 plans, and goals for the future of the organization. Planning and fund-raising for the Prime Tournament initiative are well underway, with Prime Benefactors contributing added money for USBGF-member players. The NY Metropolitan Open will kick off the Prime Tournament roster, followed quickly by the Texas Backgammon Championships, the D.C. Capital Classic, Ohio, and Atlanta. Make your plans to attend now!

Check out the live and online tournament rankings, and Get in the Game!

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January-February 2015 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

A special treat is in store for our readers. This issue features the inaugural American Backgammon Hall of Fame inductees — 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 & 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, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” in an article by Iancho Hristov. Other player profiles by Karen Davis include: Jonah Seewald, 2014 USBGF Grand Champion; and Zdenìk Žižka from the Czech Republic, winner of the online Masters Divisional IV.

And there are tournament reports galore: the inaugural U.K. Open by Peter Bennet, the Japan Open by Jake Jacobs, and the 2nd Merit Open in Cyprus by Sabri Büyüksoy 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 popular 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 including the upcoming D.C. Capital Classic, the Ohio State Championships, the U.S. 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!

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March-Apil 2015 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

We’re delighted with the positive response we’ve gotten to the USBGF bi-monthly PrimeTime Backgammon magazine. The electronic issue of the magazine is now available to all Premium and Youth members without charge. The print edition, at $25 a copy plus shipping, is increasingly in demand. If you’d like to subscribe to purchase a print version, sign up for automatic recurring purchase through our USBGF BG Shop and receive a 5 percent discount.

Victor Ashkenazi, the #11 ranked Giant of Backgammon, graces the cover of the March-April 2015 issue of PrimeTime Backgammon. Victor is off to a great start in 2015, leading in the newly-implemented USBGF Live Master Points System, with strong performances at both the New York Metro and the Texas Backgammon Championships, as well as the USBGF National Championship West. Having kept a low profile for years, Victor has emerged as one of backgammon’s superstars, winning a coveted place on the World Team in the Nordic Open’s 2014 event: The World vs. Denmark. In an insightful interview, Phil Simborg reveals the secrets behind Victor’s mastery.

In our feature article, Marty Storer analyzes an exciting final match between Bill Robertie (twice world champion and a recent Hall-of-Fame inductee) and fellow Bostonian Matt Reklaitis at the Connecticut State Championships last October.

Next, Stick, one of the world’s foremost opening experts, provides another fascinating column on first-roll responses. His subject this time: how to play 6-3 in response to an opening 5-4 split.

I hope you didn’t miss the American Backgammon Hall of Fame inaugural induction in San Antonio – but whether you made it or not, in this issue you’ll find heart-warming excerpts from the ceremony and a link to a video of the event.

The tournament scene has been action-packed of late, fueled by the launch of the USBGF Prime Tournament initiative (which provides added money in tournaments for USBGF members). We saw 128 entries to the NY Metro Mini-Match and 96 entries to the Texas USBGF Prime Tournament Freeroll! Our reporters cover the tournament beat. My article shows off the bright lights of the NY Metro; Ray Fogerlund reprises the Texas Backgammon Championships, with a special focus on the Dual Duel; and Steve Sax captures highlights of the California State Championships.

Backgammon is a game that attracts brilliant people and interesting personalities. Interviewing them is always a treat for me. In this issue I profile four of our recent online winners: Masters Divisional winners Frank Simon (Germany) and Igor Erovenko (currently leader of the USBGF Online Master Points race); Ralph Desimone, Advanced Divisional VI winner; and Harvey Gillis, winner of the November 2014 Circuit.

Putting a ribbon and bow on this issue, USBGF President Bill Riles brings us an update on the Federation’s recent membership growth.

Check out the live and online tournament rankings and master points, Prime Clubs, upcoming events, and Get in the Game!

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May-June 2015 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Saba Bejanishvili, the recent Atlanta Spring Classic champion, graces the cover of the May-June 2015 issue of PrimeTime Backgammon. Saba grew up in the Republic of Georgia, and came to the U.S. to study neurology at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, He got seriously interested in backgammon in February 2013 when he purchased eXtreme Gammon software out of curiosity. Within one year he played in the 2014 Texas Backgammon Championships Dual-Duel event, defeating top players Matt Cohn-Geier and Petko Kostadinov on Performance Rating. His polite demeanor, discipline, and sportsmanship make him a role model for many aspiring backgammon players.

In our feature article, Marty Storer analyzes an exciting match between Saba and Mochy in the finals of the Dual-Duel event in 2014. Saba won on match score but Mochy’s PR carried the day.

There’s lots of interesting tournament news. Sabri Büyüksoy captures the Istavder tournament in Istanbul in February with 346 attendees from 16 countries in a wonderful photo montage. Our reporters cover the tournament beat. Ray Fogerlund reprises the DC Capital Classic Championships and Bob Wachtel shares news of the oldest running tournament in the US, the Vietor Cup.

Online backgammon on the USBGF Circuit is a wonderful way to meet and test your skills against top players from around the world. In this issue I profile three of our recent online winners: Masters Divisional winner Cüneyt Argun Genc (Turkey); Intermediate Division winner Deborah Ferolito (FL); and December 2014 Circuit winner John Gamalielson (WA). Winners of all 2014 online tournaments are competing in the USBGF Tournament of Champions.

In an age when cyberbullying is a growing source of concern, USBGF President Bill Riles shares his thoughts on the importance of treating players with respect and consideration, whether in person or in social media.

Check out the live and online tournament rankings and master points, Prime Clubs, upcoming events, and Get in the Game!

Download the latest issue here: PrimeTime Backgammon May – June 2015
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July-August 2015 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Joe Russell, fresh from victories at the U.S. Open and the Atlanta Masters Jackpot, appears on the cover of our August 2015 issue. A spectacularly successful competitor, Joe won the World Championship (Monte Carlo) in 1989 and has consistently scored ABT titles over the years. He is a member of the USBGF Board of Directors and has been instrumental in the development of its collegiate program and master points system.

In our feature article, USBGF Editor and World Team member Bob Wachtel reports on this year’s Nordic Open, presenting material from the World vs. Denmark team event (Denmark won in a squeaker) and from the main draw itself. In his analysis, Bob weighs in on a controversy that divides both players and teachers: calculation or vision? Bob’s moral: check twice before you make the pretty play!

Our coverage of the inaugural cohort of American Backgammon Hall of Fame honorees continues with USBGF Historian Robert Stoller’s interview of all-time great, Malcolm Davis. Stoller, director of the Anchorage Backgammon Club, conceived and executed the idea of video interviews of Hall of Fame inductees and the induction
ceremony. Along with a generous helping
of lore, anecdote, and general backgammon wisdom, Malcolm provides us with a his- tory of the Dallas Backgammon League (a USBGF Prime Club, known locally as DBL!).

An important segment of this issue is devoted to the memory of leading members of our community who passed away recently. In homage to Herb Gurland, USBGF Match Editor Marty Storer analyzes a fascinating match he played with Herb at the New England Backgammon Club tournament in 2001. Then Paul Weaver provides a more formal obituary, including reflections of just a few of Herb’s many friends on his love of the game and unique sense of humor. We end with a fond remembrance of Elayne Feinstein, the fun and feisty director of local clubs in Baltimore and Fort Lauderdale and the Florida State Championships.

On the tournament front, Ray Fogerlund reports on the U.S. Open in April, and Sabri Büyüksoy presents a pictorially stunning report on the Russian Sport Backgammon Federation tournament in Sochi, Russia in May. I feature the highlights of the “player- friendly” event, the 7th Atlanta Spring Classic (April).

Online backgammon on the USBGF Circuit is a wonderful way to meet and test your skills against top players from around the world. In this issue I profile Argentina’s Fernando Neumark, winner of the USBGF Masters Divisional IX.

USBGF President Bill Riles, in his message to the membership, appeals for support of the streaming, transcribing, and archiving of major tournament matches. He then briefs us on the progress of the USBGF’s latest initiatives.

Check out the live and online tournament rankings and master points, Prime Clubs, upcoming events, and Get in the Game!

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September-October 2015 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

The September-October 2015 issue of PrimeTime Backgammon is now available. We apologize that its release is somewhat behind schedule, but we hope that you will agree it is well worth the wait. It includes coverage of one of the most elegant, luxurious events in the worldwide tournament calendar, the 40th anniversary edition of the Backgammon World Championship, held at the beachfront Fairmont Monte Carlo hotel in the richest (per capita) country in the world, Monaco.

 
The winner, Cihangir Çetinel, is the first Turkish player to claim the honor of World Champion; and the losing finalist was another Eastern European: the young Russian expert, Sergey Erokhin. Two other articles complete our coverage of this premier event. First, our editor and #8 Giant Bob Wachtel analyzes a few key positions from the final match; then Çetinel’s Turkish countryman, Sabri Büyüksoy, provides one of his signature essays, in which he profiles the new champion.

 
All this is not to say that nothing was happening domestically, with tournaments in Chicago in May and Michigan in July generating quite a buzz. On the way to winning the Markowitz Masters in Chicago, Giant #2, Michihito Kageyama (Michy) was paired with Giant #5 Matt Cohn-Geier. An epic match like this one is grist for the mill of USBGF Match Editor Marty Storer; and Marty does not disappoint, astutely analyzing ten key positions from the match. And in July it was Marty himself who took the spotlight, winning both the Michigan Summer Championship and the USBGF National Championship East!

 
Our tribute to the inaugural cohort of American Backgammon Hall of Fame honorees continues with USBGF Historian Robert Stoller’s interview of two-time world champion Bill Robertie who is featured on the cover. Bill is a gifted and prolific author, publisher, and promoter/director whose books have taught innumerable players both the basics and finer points of the game.

 
Each backgammon game begins with the opening; and in this issue expert Jeremy Bagai presents us, in an article entitled “Bagai’s Replies Surprise,” with a set of rules to make the choice of second-roll replies to opening moves foolproof. On another technical note, New Zealand’s Grant Hoffman shares a short cut, the “Rule of 8,” to facilitate over-the-board bearoff calculations of the 1296 possible two-roll dice combinations.

 
As the backgammon literature expands, players need extensive consumer reports to help keep up. In this issue Robert Stoller reviews Danish expert Marc Olsen’s new book, Backgammon: From Basics to Badass.
 

Online backgammon on the USBGF Circuit is a wonderful way to meet and test your skills against top players from around the world. The issue includes profiles of Dmitriy Obukhov and Walt Smith, winners of USBGF online tournaments, both of whom made the transition from chess to backgammon, as well as social player Genna Cowan. Supplementing his Hall-of-Fame duties, Robert Stoller gives us an insightful profile of Ed Sawyer, winner of the first USBGF Advanced Divisional.

 
USBGF President Bill Riles, in his message to the membership, urges members to participate in the upcoming election of directors and nominate qualified candidates for the American Backgammon Hall of Fame.

 
Check out the live and online tournament rankings and master points, Prime Clubs, upcoming events, and Get in the Game!

Download the latest issue here: PrimeTime Backgammon September – October 2015
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If you would like to print the current version of our magazine, download the print version here: PrimeTime Backgammon September – October 2015 – Press Quality Print Version

November-December 2015 Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Halloween trick or treat is just behind us, but we’ve saved the real treat for this issue of PrimeTime Backgammon with an in-depth analysis of Marty Storer’s march to victory in Michigan — by none other than our USBGF Editor for Annotated Matches, Marty Storer himself. Marty won both the Championship division and the USBGF National Championship East, compiling a remarkable 17-1 win-loss record in those two events.

Continuing to profile the inaugural cohort of Hall of Fame inductees, we present abridged interviews of tournament directors par excellence Bill Davis and Carol Joy Cole, conducted by USBGF historian Robert Stoller.

Following the ABT circuit, Steve Sax reports on the LA Open, in which Cliff Pappas climbed to backgammon fame after two decades at the poker table. Ray Fogerlund sends news from the Vietor Cup, and Linda Rockwell provides a spooky, spoofy report on the Halloween-themed Illinois tournament. Our international correspondent, Sabri Büyüksoy, treats us with one of his signature photo essays, from a gala tournament held in the Republic of Georgia.

The backgammon literature is constantly growing — and being vetted. John O’Hagan does the honors this month with his review of Ed Rosenblum’s new book, Conquering Backgammon.

Online backgammon on the USBGF Circuit is a wonderful way to meet and play top players from around the world. In this issue I profile the Czech Republic’s Jan Cerny, who won the USBGF Circuit Monthly for July — and his fellow country “man,” 14-year old Martin Zizka, winner of the Advanced Divisional IX.

In his bi-monthly briefing of the membership on the Federation’s affairs, USBGF President Bill Riles gives us a glimpse of some of the great happenings planned for 2016.

 
Check out the live and online tournament rankings and master points, Prime Clubs, upcoming events, and Get in the Game!

Download the latest issue here: PrimeTime Backgammon November – December 2015
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If you would like to print the current version of our magazine, download the print version here: PrimeTime Backgammon November – December 2015 – Press Quality Print Version

January – February Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Wishing the whole backgammon community a happy new year, we kick off 2016’s first issue of PrimeTime Backgammon by announcing the induction of four new members to the American Backgammon Hall of Fame. The ceremony honoring these backgammon greats took place at the Texas Backgammon Championships in San Antonio on February 5, 2016. Bill Riles presented plaques to the inductees who are profiled in this issue, and Jeremy Bagai contributes an essay on the honorees.

In our first feature, we train the spotlight on two of last year’s Hall of Famers, as USBGF historian Robert Stoller presents a lively interview with Kent Goulding and Michael Senkiewicz: pioneers whose acute analysis of the game in the pre-bot era helped raise the level of professional play.

Next, we move from the distant past to the recent past. This issue includes lists of top performers in 2015 – including the ABT point list topped by Dorn Bishop, the USBGF cumulative Elo over the period from 2009-2015 headed by Joe Russell, the newly instituted USBGF National Master Point list for 2015 with Ray Fogerlund finishing first, and the USBGF 2015 Online Master Points Leaderboard headed by Jan Honza Černý from the Czech Republic.

All these champions! Can you become one too? Improve your game with Marty Storer, our Feature Editor for Annotated Matches. Next up in this issue: Marty analyzes 11 key positions from the USBGF Online Tournament of Champions final match, between Israel’s David Presser and Germany’s Frank Simon. David and Frank were among the 23 winners of 2014 USBGF online tournaments who qualified for a coveted slot in the event.

After doing your homework with Marty, relax and let your mind wander with tournament reports from our far-flung correspondents: Ray Fogerlund on the Seattle Backgammon Classic; Jake Jacobs on the Japan Open; and Sabri Büyüksoy on the 3rd Merit Open in Cyprus.

A craftsman, the saying goes, is only as good as his tools. It is 2016, and by now we all know how to use programs like XG, but how many of us can remember all the replies to the opening moves? The solution may lie with an app created by American expert Jeremy Bagai. Jeremy calls his app, which uses the efficient learning-technique of flashcards, “FlashBack.” But before we rush to buy the app, let’s read the reviews. Canadian Bruce Farquhar lets us do just that, ably assessing FlashBack’s features and promise.

But backgammon is played by people, so we move from mathematical apps to mathemagicians, profiling the extraordinary accomplishments of USBGF Board member Art Benjamin. The second “person of interest” we introduce to our readers is a Rip Van Winkle character: Cleveland’s Ray Cifani, who is attacking the game with fresh enthusiasm after a three-decade layoff!

This issue opens with USBGF President Bill Riles’ updates on the recent Board of Directors election and his thanks for the generous contributions of 32 Founding Sponsors, Prime Benefactors, and major donors – who contributed over $40,000 in 2015. Looking towards a bright 2016, Bill previews his plan to implement a 1000-member campaign.

 
Check out the live and online tournament rankings and master points, Prime Clubs, upcoming events, and Get in the Game!

Download the latest issue here: PrimeTime Backgammon January – February 2016
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March – June Issue of PrimeTime Backgammon

By Karen Davis, Managing Editor

Just a few months into 2016, we barely have enough space in this issue to cover the burgeoning action on the U.S. backgammon scene. The first tournament of the year, the New York Metropolitan Open in January, was grander than ever, with ten of the top ten 2015 Giants in attendance.

The Metro Open featured two spectacular side events. The first was an inaugural challenge match between USA and the rest of the world. And who better to report on that elite competition than our correspondent Steve Sax, team member and Giant #9?

The second side event, the High Roller, drew gamblers from around the nation. Two of those fearless competitors, Bill Phipps and Stick, played a swingy match in which the question of whether to play for the gammon arose repeatedly. Using no less than ten positions from this match as examples, our resident analyst Paul Weaver explores the subtleties of this too-good-or-not theme.

Next on the calendar was the Texas Backgammon Championships in San Antonio in February. For anyone who missed that event or the show at its gala dinner, the 2016 American Hall of Fame honorees were Patrick Gibson, Tim Holland, Danny Kleinman, and Howard Markowitz. We include a transcript of the ceremony, and catch up with a couple of last year’s inductees with the conclusion of USBGF historian Robert Stoller’s interview with Kent Goulding and Michael Senkiewicz. Senkiewicz, the quintessential New York games player, hasn’t lost his touch — winning the New York Metro Championship (above) and finishing as finalist in the Liberty Cup Masters.

Next, Texas co-directors Bill Riles and Tara Mendicino share highlights of the San Antonio tournament, won by USBGF Board of Directors member Richard Munitz. The coveted Dual-Duel crown went to our own PrimeTime Backgammon editor (and Giant #12), Bob Wachtel, after a hard-fought final with Steve Sax.

But the younger generation is eager to make its mark. Brian Lonergan, an under-30 player from New Orleans, describes his determined effort to take his game to the top level. Another hopeful, Australia’s Cindy Belonogoff, gives us her perspective on the U.S. scene after a tour of major American tournaments and some fine results on the USBGF Online Circuit.

Others are pursuing regional fame. We present results of team tournaments in the heartland from Virginia to Illinois, and reprise the rise of the Columbus, Ohio backgammon club to USBGF Prime Club status under Jason Marshall’s leadership.

In other news, we describe USBGF Education Committee chairman Art Benjamin’s ongoing program of organizing backgammon social events at mathematics conferences.

This issue concludes with USBGF President Bill Riles’ column, updating the membership on new USBGF initiatives, including the recently launched online Federation Cup — a free tournament with cash prizes — and a new Newcomer/Novice initiative at Prime Tournaments. He shares his vision for the evolution of organized backgammon play in the U.S. and internationally.

 
Check out the live and online tournament rankings and master points, Prime Clubs, upcoming events, and Get in the Game!

Download the latest issue here: PrimeTime Backgammon March – June 2016
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If you would like to print the current version of our magazine, download the print version here: PrimeTime Backgammon March – June 2016 – Press Quality Print Version