In April 2009, players from Gent and Leuven came up with an idea to encourage play between players from different Belgian backgammon clubs. This initiative became known as the 4 Cubes. It was loosely based on the Ashes (England-Australia, cricket) and the Boat Race (Oxford-Cambridge, rowing) and resulted in some fiercely contested battles between Leuven, Gent and Hasselt (who joined in 2010). Today, the 4 Cubes has become Belgium’s most coveted team trophy. For more information, see www.backgammon-leuven.be/4Cubes.html.
In the past two years, however, the Belgian backgammon landscape has changed : a new club was founded in Brugge, whereas in Brussels, backgammon evenings frequently draw 16 or more players. These recent developments have brought a need with them to rethink the 4 Cubes format in order to include more teams/players in this prestigious competition. The time has come to finish the chapter ‘The 4 Cubes – The Early Years (2009-2011)’ and move on to a national interclub competition.
Every Belgian club (or team representing a club) can now compete for the title of ‘BBBC – Belgium’s Best Backgammon Club’ symbolized by the 4 Cubes trophy. The current holders are Gent, who successfully defended the trophy six consecutive times since acquiring it in January 2010. Gent will therefore keep the title till the end of 2012. At the end of the year, Gent will offer the ‘4 Cubes’ to the winner of the competition, the ‘BBBC 2012’.
In 2012, the 4 Cubes will be set up as a single round-robin between teams of 3 players. Check out the tournament format or the calendar and results page.
Registration and start of the 4 Cubes 2012
All clubs are hereby invited to subscribe one or more teams for the ‘4 Cubes 2012’. Simply send an email to tournament director Guy Van Middelem on guy.van.middelem@pandora.be.
Subscriptions need to be filed by Sunday 29 January 2012.
The following information needs to be provided:
- Name of team or club (the name of the city/town where the team has its clubhouse needs to be part of the name)
- Name of the team captain, e-mail, home phone or cell
- Address of the clubhouse
- (if available) Website
- List of players (this list can be extended in the course of the year)
The draw is scheduled to take place on Friday 3 February 2012 during the Brussels Friendly, Tennis-, Hockey- and Bridgeclub Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, B-1150 Sint-Pieters-Woluwe, Brussels, starting at 20:00. The calendar will be ready on Sunday 5 February and will be announced by email to the respective team captains and on the 4 Cubes calendar.
We believe that this new format will lift backgammon in Belgium to another level and look forward to an exciting competition.
We wish you a lot of fun with ‘live’ backgammon in 2012!
Michel Lamote,
Johan Segers,
Guy Van Middelem