The first US Backgammon Open!

Backgammon has been around for several years now but there has yet to be a regularization of the game. Till recently, there was no government body that declared rules of the game and even held regular tournaments to select a state or a country winner. But times have changed! Backgammon has increased in popularity over the last few years to be incredibly popular online. Several thousand website shave popped up over the years to be really popular and well maintained. Established players are playing the game online and teaching the game to novice players online through the easy and instant medium of the internet.

As a result, the first Backgammon Tour by the World Backgammon Association came as a pleasant surprise. Several world class backgammon players from North America took part in the game. The competition was fierce and the eventual winner was Carol Joy Cole who won a tough finish to be finally appointed as the undisputed Queen of North America in backgammon. The other semifinalists were Brian B.Smith and Richard Munitz. The competition was held between 25 players who attending the US Backgammon Open and the main tournament as expert players. There were also several players who took part in the intermediate and beginner divisions too.

The tournament was hosted by Chiva Tafazzoli who also directed the different rounds of the game. He also runs the World Backgammon Organization that also maintains the European backgammon Organization. The winner Carol Joy Cole is already well known in backgammon circles for her playing skill. She also runs the Flint Area Backgammon Club and is No 18 on the world circuit. Special trophies were also awarded to players Ray Fogerlund and Austrian player Werner Schmuck for wonderful play performances.

There will now be regular annual or biannual events that will be hosted by the US Backgammon Organization to catch new talents and to expose experts to other players in the field.