BGFed

Author: Michel Lamote

  • BMS : Johan Huyck launches Belgium Speedgammon (+ video).

    For many years, speedgammon has been a side event in international tournaments. At the 2017 Nordic Open, speedgammon even replaced the traditional Last Chance event. Also in Monte Carlo (the World Championship) and Reykjavik (the European Team Championship), speedgammon proved very popular.

    In Reykjavik, Johan Huyck reached the semi-final in speedgammon and made it his mission to introduce this fun but challenging backgammon variation in Belgium.

    Johan Huyck, inspiration behind Belgium Speedgammon.

    Johan : Speedgammon is exactly the same as backgammon, but with less time on the clock. Instead of 2 minutes per point and 12 seconds increment, players only get 20 seconds per point and 10 seconds increment. So for a 7-point match, each player only gets 2’20” in the time bank instead of 14 minutes. As a consequence, time management becomes of utmost importance.

    M : So this means that you have to play backgammon without thinking?

    Johan : Well, you certainly cannot spend 30 seconds doing a pip count or something. You have to manage your time well, which means that you have to feel intuitively where you can spend time thinking and where not.

    M : So what did you do exactly when you came back from Iceland?

    Johan : Well, I was able to convince the BMS Committee to introduce a Speedgammon Grading Table and a separate Speedgammon ELO Ranking. This was implemented on 1 November 2017. The main purpose of this initiative is to see in how far PR’s deviate from PR’s achieved under normal playing conditions.

    M : Was anybody interested?

    Johan : I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic response. 7 players have already taken up the gauntlet and accumulated 422 EP, which is equivalent to about sixty 7-point matches. Geert Van der Stricht and Paul Van Dijke even played a 49-point speedmatch [16 minutes and 20 seconds on the clock], but since the maximum match length is 21, this match could not be validated.

    M : And the PR’s?

    Johan : It looks like PR’s will deviate from normal PR’s by about 1 to 1,5 PR-point. For the moment Marc Van Damme is the only exception. He managed to play 4,82 PR over 63 EP, which is very close to his acknowledged skill level under normal playing conditions. But all in all it is way too early to draw conclusions.

    M : Ok, thank you Johan for this initiative.

    Note : The Conditions of Play for Speedgammon are the same as for the BMS Grading Table and can be found by clicking on BMS(BE) in the black banner above.

    Also : watch the video below to get an impression of Tuesday evening backgammon action at the Sandeman Club in Gent. The video was made by Robin (‘Rain‘) Bilderbeek :

  • BMS : great PR earns Marc Van Damme victory at Brussels BG Day.

    Marc Van Damme is the only player in Belgium who currently holds a Master (Class 1) grading (< 4,75 PR). At the most recent Brussels Backgammon Day his performance over ten 5-point matches was almost exactly the same as his ranking on the BMS Grading Table reflects :

    PR Marc Van Damme (10 x 5)

    Marc was one of 6 players who won 7 matches out of 10. The others are : Akhbar Soltani, Nick De Ruyck, Leonidas Sotiriadis, Dan Pascu, and Serge Alard.

    Dan Pascu was close to winning the event convincingly with 8/10, but in his final match he saw the decisive dmp-game slip through his fingers against a hard-battling Leonidas. Bad luck for Dan, as the computer programme awarded the victory to Marc based on the Buchholz criteria.

    Marc (middle) with Nick (l) and neutral observer Alain Chif.

    The event was a success. Tournament organiser Guy Van Middelem kept a tight rein on proceedings, making sure matches started on time and the playing schedule was respected. The catering was excellent, with croissants in the morning and sandwiches and three kinds of homemade soups for lunch.

    BMS-participants were slightly dismayed, however, to find out that only 8 minutes were allotted for a 5-point match, instead of the standard 10 (i.e. 2 minutes per point). This whimsical approach stems from the wish to schedule “more matches”, but comes at the cost of valuable thinking time. 5-pointers are notoriously difficult, since take-points and gammon values are skewed from game 1. It is not like in a longer match, where the opening games have normal take-points (25%) and gammon values (0,5). Have a look at this position, for instance : Marc Van Damme is faced with a difficult cube decision in his match against me :

    White redoubles. Can Black take or should he pass?

    Let us have a look at the same position “for money” (or : in Unlimited Games):

    White redoubles. Can Black take or should he pass?

    With three blots floating and faced with a stronger board, Black faces a huge amount of gammons (45%). This results in a clear pass, not just “for Money”, but also at a 0-0 score in a 11-point match. Accepting this cube would be a clear blunder :

    However, in a 5-point match, things become very complicated. After the cube is turned, it will have a value of 4 and with the gammon price being only 0,25, the 45% gammons only have a value of 11%, instead of 22% (for Money). Moreover, should Black ever have the chance to recube to 8, the gammon price would become 0 ( = zero) and all White’s gammons would evaporate. Here is the correct cube action ats ( = at the score). Suddenly, not accepting the cube would be a clear blunder :

    (!!) Needless to say that this is a fantastic, world-class take by Marc. I think most players, even very good ones, would drop with a sigh of relief, myself included.

    This shows that 5-point matches are very difficult from Game 1, especially the cube actions. Marc’s Cube PR (10,24) should illustrate that abundantly. I therefore urge tournament organisers to allow the EUBGF-approved and BMS-conform 2 minutes per point even for shorter match lengths.

    To round off : BMS(BE) welcomes 5 new players on the BMS GT. Dan Pascu, Kristoffer De Weert, Leonidas Sotiriadis, Antoine Demey and Serge Alard decided to take advantage of the newly introduced CoP to play their match against Marc under ‘mutual PR agreement’ and thereby gained access to the BMS GT. Antoine Demey managed to do so with a Master (Class 1) result! Thanks for participating, guys.

    M

     

  • BMS : revised Conditions of Play come into effect on 1 November 2017.

    In an effort to facilitate participation and make procedures more transparent, BMS(BE) has revised the Conditions of Play ( = CoP). We asked Geert Van der Stricht what the revisions entail :

    Geert Van der Stricht, BMS Committee Chairman

    Geert :  An important change is the fusion of the BMS Grading Table and the BPR Ranking Table. When the two tables were conceived we expected a significant discrepancy between both tables because of match length. This has turned  out not to be the case. After processing the data of more than 1000 matches the average PR of the 11 players represented on both tables appeared to be less than 0,01 PR.

    M : So now there is only 1 tabel?

    Geert : Yes, the BMS Grading Table.  A lot of work went into the merging of both tables, but it is done. By the way, another improvement is the change of the rolling EP to 750. This decreases volatility and is more accurate.

    M : Anything else?

    Geert : Yes, something important.  From 1 November onwards, opponents of BMS-applicants [ = players who film for BMS-validation] will have the option to have their PR’s incorporated in the BMS GT, if they so wish. We call this ‘Mutual PR agreement’. That means that if you are a BGFed.be member who is not yet listed on the BMS GT and you play an official match in a tournament, Four Cubes encounter, or BIC match, against a BMS-applicant, you can  gain a spot on the BMS GT by saying so to your opponent, the BMS applicant. That means that your PR will be mentioned on the GT and you will be considered a BMS participant from then on. This was done to lower the access threshold and allow players who do not film themselves to gain access to the table. There was quite a lot of interest for that

    M : Sounds good. More things BGFed.be members need to know?

    Geert : Well, because the BPR RT has merged into the BMS GT, all applications for Master Series or other PR matches need from now on be sent to Johan Huyck, and no longer to Walter Meuwis. This can be done by mail (johan.huyck@wiskin.be) or even with a text message (0496/644872), no later than 5 minutes before start of the recorded match.

    M : Ok, so one table instead of two and one person who processes the data instead of two. That sounds like simplification to me.

    Geert : We hope so. We have also added an extensive appendix covering what to do in cases of ‘technical failure’. We needed some rules to guide us in cases where recordings were flawed.

    M : Where can people find these revised Conditions of Play?

    Geert : By clicking on BMS(BE) in the black banner above.  A printed copy will also be available for perusal at the Brussels Backgammon Day of 1 November 2017 since that is the day when the new CoP come into effect.

    M : Ok, thank you, Geert, for the update. Good luck further with BMS(BE)!

     

     

  • BMS : signs of progress at the top.

    Four of Belgium’s top-5 players finished another Master Series. With very encourageing results.

    Marc Van Damme (2) and Geert Van der Stricht (3) played, recorded and transcribed ten 15-point matches in the course of 2 months. The encounter ended in a 5-5 draw. Here is how they did :

    PR Marc Van Damme (10 x 15)
    PR Geert Van der Stricht (10 x 15)

    Johan Huyck (5) and Michel Lamote (1) chose a slightly less demanding format. They played six 13-point matches of which Michel won 5 and lost 1. Both players managed to do well :

    PR Johan Huyck (6 x 13)
    PR Michel Lamote (6 x 13)

     

     

  • EUBTC 2017 : Did Belgium fail?

    In Reykjavik last week, the Belgium Backgammon Team played 24 matches to 13 points against 6 other countries : Greece, Norway, France, Sweden, Gibraltar and Turkey. We only won 11 of those. That’s bad, right?

    Not quite. Let’s hear what Johan Huyck has to say about this. Johan is a professional math teacher and responsible for data processing in the BMS Committee.

    Johan (middle), setting up his recording equipment against Norway.

    Johan : We can look back on the tournament with pride. Sadly, Lady Luck was not on our side.

    M : Isn’t that an easy way out? Saying the dice were against us?

    Johan : No. Let’s look at it objectively : over the 24 matches we played a PR of 5,52, which is very close to the PR of 5,40 that we could expect based on the current BMS rating. Belgium was the best team in every encounter. Only France came close. This means that based on performance, we could, or should, have won every encounter. None of the encounters yielded a fair result.

    M : With fair you mean that the team who played best also won?

    Johan : Right. Of the 24 matches we played, 20 times the Belgian player played better than his opponent. Still we only won 11 matches. Our performance was also very consistent. Our worst PR in 24 matches was PR 7,89, whereas in 10 ( = ten) matches our opponents played an 8+ PR.

    M : I agree. I saw it happening on the boards with my own eyes. You cannot lose a match against a player who plays worse without having some brutal swings against you.

    Johan : It is of course not unusual to lose matches against weaker players, but the frequency in Iceland bordered on the bizarre. Have a look at 5 of our losses :

    Walter Meuwis (PR 6,87) loses to George Lazaris (PR 11,33)

    Marc Van Damme (PR 5,72) loses to Nikos Dikaros (PR 7,98)

    Johan Huyck (PR 6,16) loses to Johan Bynell (PR 9,01)

    Johan Segers (PR 6,73) loses to Steve Blake (PR 15,32) (!)

    Marc Van Damme (PR 3,64) loses to Kasuto Mahir (PR 7,10)

    Losing these 5 matches is “very unlucky”, I would say.

    M : Sure. Do you think we were among the best teams?

    Johan : I think there is a fair chance that only Denmark and Germany performed better as a team than we did. Maybe France also deserved a place in the Final Four. But of Norway I am not so sure.

    M : Hm… The UK maybe? And I think you are a bit harsh on Norway. A batch of 52 EP ( = four 13-point matches) is not really big enough to base a final evaluation on, right? And let us not forget that one of their very best players, Elias Kritikos, did not play against us.

    Johan : OK, you have a point there. But let’s look at it in another way : if we were to award points based on performance and we agree that 2-2 would be a fair result if PR’s are within 1, we would be expected to have scored 19 victories out of 24. If a draw would be fair with PR’s within 2, we would have scored 18/24 and if we agree on a draw with PR’s within 3, we would still be expected to reach 16,5/24. In short, there is no doubt in my mind that 13 losses and 11 wins is a very unfortunate outcome, especially knowing that 14/24 would always have ensured a ticket for the Final Four.

    M : I see. Anything else you want to highlight?

    Johan : Well, Marc’s performance was really outstanding of course. His overall PR of 4,28 (!) surely ranks among the 10 best performances of the whole championship.

    Marc (middle) before the Belgium v Turkey encounter.

    And you did well too, of course, with a PR of 3,25 (3 x 13) on Day 2. Walter also played within his skill window, which is something of a feat if you know that his luggage had stayed behind in Brussels Airport. It is not easy to play well if your mind is burdened by worry. Me and Johan (Segers) feel we could have done better. We played slightly worse than our acknowledged skill level. All in all, I think we did very well as a team and have lots of positive things to take with us to the next EUBTC.

    M : Any idea when and where that will be?

    Johan : It was decided that Gibraltar will host the 2018 European Backgammon Team Championships in the first weeks of July 2018. We can be sure that the organisation will be excellent, as the organisers are quite experienced. Let’s hope we can send a strong team and play as well as we did in Reykjavik, maybe even a bit better.

    M : How can we ensure this?

    Johan : By keeping up the study and dedicated practice. And the good spirits. I feel that we stand a fair chance of reaching the Final Four, if we can only be spared some extreme bad luck.

    M : I agree, although next year more strong teams may show up because the venue is more attractive. I’m thinking countries like Croatia, Italy, Russia, …

    Johan : That’s true. We’ll see…

    Ok, let’s conclude with a quote about ‘success’. Sadly, most have something to do with “overcoming failure” and I think it is clear that we did not fail in Iceland. Maybe Pele  sums it up best : “Success is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all love of what you are doing or learning to do”.

    Thank you, Johan, for the insights.

     

     

  • EUBTC : R6 : Belgium goes for broke against Turkey.

    Some unfortunate swings of fortune left Belgium needing a 4-0 victory against Turkey to qualify for the Final Four. Chances of this happening are small, but stranger things have happened in backgammon…

    Sadly, despite being the better player on every board, we only managed a draw : 2-2.

    Here are the team PR’s :

    PR Belgium v Turkey (4 x 13)

    Every player excelled in this team effort and this resulted in a high-class performance, our best of the tournament. Sadly, outplaying your opponent is never a guarantee for victory in this fickle game, as was amply demonstrated in the 6 encounters we played in Iceland.

    PR Turkey v Belgium (4 x 13)

    Michel Lamote (PR 3,60) wins against Arda Findikoglu (PR 7,52)

    Marc Van Damme (PR 3,64) loses to Mahir Kasuto (PR 7,10)

    Johan Huyck (PR 6,19) loses to Cumhur Bekture (PR 7,15)

    Walter Meuwis (PR 4,82) wins against Gokhan Kazandag (PR 12,91)

    What conclusions can be drawn from this event? Come back to this website tomorrow and find an interview with Johan Huyck, who will shed his light on the data.

     

  • EUBTC : R5 : Gibraltar pull one out of the fire against Belgium.

    We needed a 4-0 victory against this dwarfish backgammon nation, but failed in our mission. Sometimes even an 8+ PR difference is not enough to guarantee victory, as Johan S. experienced in a gruelling match against his sympathetic, but endearingly incompetent opponent.

    Here are the PR’s of both teams :

    PR Belgium v Gibraltar (4 x 13)
    PR Gibraltar v Belgium (4 x 13)

    Michel Lamote (PR 3,36) wins against Gilbert Licudi (PR 13,52)

    Marc Van Damme (PR 4,63) wins against David Frier (PR 10,92)

    Johan Segers (PR 6,73) loses to Steven Blake (15,32)

    Walter Meuwis (PR 6,83) wins against Michael Pitaluga (PR 14,40)

    We now need a 4-0 victory against Turkey in the last round. Unlikely, but not impossible…

  • EUBTC : R4 : Belgium rolls up its sleeves against Sweden … but loses.

    After losing to France on Thursday night, we badly needed to score some points against Sweden. It was imperative not to squander equity in this encounter and I can say that we all appeared at the boards very focused. This resulted in a very fine team performance :

    PR Belgium v Sweden (4 x 13)
    PR Sweden v Belgium (4 x 13)

    This is the best team performance by Belgium so far. Marc and I were the better of two of Sweden’s top players and both Johans kept a cool head in high-pressure conditions :

    Michel Lamote (PR 2,71) loses  against Kare Aronsson (PR 3,88)

    Marc Van Damme (PR 3,67) wins against Thomas Tenland (PR 5,18)

    Johan Huyck (PR 6,16) loses against Johan Bynell (PR 9,01)

    Johan Segers (PR 6,49) loses against Aron Tendler (PR 7,87)

    This undeserved defeat leaves Belgium with 6/16. We can still qualify for the Final Four, but will have to score heavily in R5. Our opponents are Gibraltar, the weakest participant in this tournament. Surely a 4-0 victory is possible?

    To be continued.

     

     

  • EUBTC : R3 : Belgium and France play equally well.

    With two draws under our belt, Belgium badly needed a win against France. Unfortunately, things turned out sour for us as we were beaten 1-3. Both teams came up with similar PR’s :

    PR France v Belgium (4 x 13)
    PR Belgium v France (4 x 13)

    Marc Van Damme made his maiden appearance on Board 1 and did not disappoint. He won his match and scored an excellent PR :

    Marc Van Damme (PR 3,66) wins against Vincent Nardi (PR 5,80)

    Johan Huyck (PR 5,61) loses against Olivier Croisille (PR 5,26)

    Johan Segers (PR 7,69) loses against Eric Maillebiau (PR 8,45)

    Walter Meuwis (PR 5,77) loses against Aurélien Bionnet (PR 3,27)

    After this defeat, Belgium was left with 5/12. We needed to score heavily on Day 2 if we wanted to qualify for the Final Four. Will we be able to lift our game a notch or two?

    Come and see next week!

  • EUBTC : R 2 : solid performance by Belgium versus Norway.

    After drawing 2-2 against Greece in Round 1, we faced Norway in Round 2. Norway is a strong backgammon country, but amateurish selection procedures prevent some of the very best players to be part of the team. Hence their slightly disappointing performance against us :

    PR Norway v Belgium (4 x 13)

    The Belgium Team did slightly better :

    PR Belgium v Norway (4 x 13)

    I seldom perform well during siesta hours, and my PR  certainly hurt the team performance. Walter, however, got rolling  and also Johan Huyck outplayed his opponent :

    All PR’s :

    Michel Lamote (PR 6,40) loses to Dagfinn Snarheim (PR 4,78)

    Johan Huyck (PR 4,71) wins against Jostein Flood (PR 9,19)

    Johan Segers (PR 7,40) loses to Rune Hallvorsen (PR 8,15)

    Walter Meuwis (PR 2,99) wins against Beate Siglem (PR 5,20)

    Can we keep this up in R3 (or even do better?). Check this website and you’ll soon know.

  • EUBTC : Round 1 : Belgium v Greece : below-par performance by Belgium.

    The European Backgammon Team Championship was won by Norway after a thrilling finish. In the semi finals, Norway drew against Denmark (2-2), but won a team consultation match to 7 points. They repeated that feat against Germany in the final by first winning two encounters and losing two and then winning a team consultation tie-breaking match to 7. Congratulations to our Norwegian friends on behalf of BGFed.be!

    You can see pictures of the jubilant winners here :

    http://eubgf.eu/closing-ceremony-european-backgammon-championship-reykjavik-2017/

    The Belgium Team recorded all its matches. In the upcoming days, BMS Belgium will publish the Performance Ratings of all our matches. Here is how we did in the opening round against Greece :

    This is not good. Everybody played at least one PR-point above their skill level, with myself ending up with an uncharacteristic 7+. Remarkably, the Greek GM Konstantinos Mitrellis scored an even more shocking PR, at least 3 PR points above his acknowledged skill level. These PR’s are surely an indication of the complexity of the match.

    Check this website for our results in R 2 versus Norway.

     

  • Belgium Backgammon Team is off to Iceland for EUBTC.

    On Thursday 5 October, the 4th edition of the European Backgammon Team Championship (EUBTC) gets underway in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. After valiant campaigns in Hungary (2015) and Denmark (2016) Belgium is once again represented by a worthy team.

    The championship consists of 6 rounds of play. In each round, four 13-point matches are played between teams of two different countries. Each country can  be represented by one team only. After 6 rounds (played on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 October) the four highest ranked countries qualify for the Final Four. These 4 teams play semi-finals and the final on Sunday 8 October. You can find more info on the tournament format here.

    In 2015 and 2016 we were just one match win away from qualification for the Final Four. There was disappointment, but also satisfaction. With less than 100 active players, Belgium is a small backgammon nation compared to pioneering countries like Denmark (current European Champion), Germany, the UK, etc. Still, BGFed.be is one of the best structured backgammon federations in the world and many countries envy our professionally organised initiatives, like the 4 Cubes ( = annual club competition), the BIC ( = the Belgian Individual Championship), the BGFed.be result-based ranking, and the BMS ( = Belgium Master Series = PR-based ranking).

    The EUBTC is a great opportunity for Belgium to manifest itself on the international backgammon scene. Our top players are not of Grandmaster level, which makes us underdogs against countries who can field one or more GM’s (Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia, Czech Republic, …). However, all players on the team are seasoned backgammon Masters, with plenty of international experience. They are all ranked in the top-6 of the BMS Grading Table (which ranks players according to acknowledged skill level). So, it is safe to say that, with the exception of Geert Van der Stricht (who could not make himself available because of job obligations), the team consists of ‘Belgium’s Best’. They are : Michel Lamote (1), Marc Van Damme (2), Johan Huyck (4), Walter Meuwis (5) and Johan Segers (6).

    As Team Captain, I would like to thank all these players for making themselves available and investing time and money in this joint effort. Let us do our best to play (and roll) well.

    M

  • BMS : Huyck and Van der Stricht fail to improve in Master Series (6*17).

    In an effort to make progress on the BMS Grading Table, Johan Huyck and Geert Van der Stricht played, recorded and transcribed six 17-point matches.  These matches were played on Tuesday afternoons at the Sandeman Club in Gent.

    Here is how they did :

    PR Geert (loses MS1 0037 by 1-5)

    This is a bit of set-back for Geert, who seems to be moving away from the 5 PR threshold, instead of towards it. As a Backgammon Master (Class 2), Geert is expected to score PR’s between 5,50 and 4,75, so in this series of long matches, Geert played slightly below his acknowledged skill level. His current PR over the last 500 Experience Points (EP) is 5,45, eerily close to the cursed 5,50 PR boundary.

    Moreover, Geert’s number 3 status may be in jeopardy as Walter Meuwis (4) is only 0,13 PR behind (5,58) and Johan Huyck (5) is also edging closer (5,87). Johan seems to have missed an opportunity to catch up as he could not find a below-6 PR in this MS :

    PR Johan (wins MS1 0037 by 5-1)

    Find the current standings of Belgium’s Best and all their match PR’s by clicking on BMS(BE)/Backgammon Master Series in the black banner above.

    The upcoming quarter finals of the Belgian Individual Championship (BIC) provide another opportunity for our top players to display their skills. Here is the draw :

    Walter Meuwis (4) versus Metin Ates (unranked)

    Johan Segers  (7) v Geert Van der Stricht (3)

    Paulus Van Rooijen (8) v Guy Van Middelem (12)/Maurits Pino (14)

    Michel Lamote (1) v Johan Huyck (5)

    All matches are best of three 13-point matches.

     

     

  • BMS : Marc and Paul finish 40th Master Series (6*13).

    At the top of Belgian backgammon persistent efforts are being made to reach higher degrees of proficiency. Study, play, and analysis are key ingredients in that endeavour. To measure improvement, there is nothing like a challenging Master Series :  a pre-designated series of longer matches, played live, recorded, transcribed, and mercilessly analysed and evaluated by the world’s absolute best player, the masterfully engineered robot : eXtremeGammon.

    Marc Van Damme, currently ranked 2 on the BMS Grading Table, and Paul Van Dijke (6) wrapped up the 40th Master Series. Their MS consisted of six 13-point matches, played at the Sandeman Club in Gent over the course of a month.

    Here is how they did :

    PR Marc (wins 4-2)
    PR Paul (loses 2-4)

    As usual, the difference in acquired skill, no matter how small, is reflected in the respective PR’s. Seldom, if ever, will a lesser player come out of a 6*13 MS with a better overall PR than his opponnent.

    Marc will be slightly disappointed not to have dipped below the 5 PR threshold, but his performance is still comfortably within his Master Class 2 range. Paul, for his part, confirmed his Master Class 3 status, but would have loved to see a 5 behind his name. In short, pretty routine stuff by two Masters of the game.

    M

  • BMS : Geert and Marc display fine form in 39th Master Series.

    Over the course of a couple of weeks, Geert Van der Stricht and Marc Van Damme played, recorded and transcribed six 13-point matches. Here is how they did in MS 0039, which ended in a draw (3-3) :

    PR Geert (6 x 13)

    With this excellent performance Geert narrowly misses a Grandmaster (Class 3) result and emphatically solidifies his top-3 status.

    PR Marc (6 x 13)

    Confident below-5 performance by Marc, who remains only a hair’s breadth away from the number 1 spot on the BMS Grading Table.

  • BMS : Christian Sörensen wins PR contest at 2nd BMS Belgium tournament (22-23 July).

    With an average PR of 4,26 over six 13-point matches, Christian Sörensen  took first prize at the recent BMS tournament held in Bruges. He beat Grandmaster and World’s number three Michihito Kageyama by 0,1 PR point : 4,36.

    Congratulations, Christian!

    Christian (l) in deep thought against Michy (r)

    Best performance by a Belgian player came from Marc Van Damme, who posted a strong  4,64 PR.  This result brings Marc back to the number one spot on the BMS GT.

    Belgium’s number 1 Marc (l) playing Kazuko (r)

    Five more players managed to stay below the 6 PR threshold : Geert Van der Stricht (5,39), Johan Huyck (5,53), Michel Lamote (5,63), Tatsuya Tanaka (5,67) and Walter Meuwis (5,96). Special mention should go to Johan Huyck, who out-cubed everyone with a powerful cube PR of 5,40 (!). In that domain he beat Michihito Kageyama by 0,03 mps (5,43). Well cubed, Johan!

     

  • BMS : Paulus Van Rooijen wins 2nd BMS Belgium tournament! (22-23 July)

    With an astonishing streak of 6 consecutive wins Paulus Van Rooijen (Nl) won the 2nd BMS Belgium tournament. With 5 wins out of 6, Michihito ‘Michy’ Kageyama (Japan) took second place.

    Paulus (l) pondering a decision. In the background we recognise Tatsuya Tanaka.
    World’s number 3 : Michy.

    12 players played six 13-point matches over two days in the ‘Hollandse Vismijn’ in Brugge. All matches were recorded and the players’ PR’s will be tabulated in the BMS Grading Table. The results will also count for the BMAB World Ranking.

    The tournament was organised by BMS Belgium’s chairman Geert Van der Stricht (with a little help from his friends). Below are some pictures, which were taken by professional photographer Frank Viergever :

    (from left to right) : Kazuko Numazawa, Marc Steyvers and Michy.
    Tense moments from the Michy – Marc Van Damme encounter.
    Marc Steyvers (l) playing Geert (r)
    Walter Meuwis
    Kazuko Numazawa, wondering what Marc Van Damme is up to…
    Christian Sörensen (l) and Johan Huyck (r)
    Geert Van der Stricht (l)  and  Kazuko Numazawa (r)
    Hisako Nishizawa

    These are the players who won at least 4 out of 6 matches :

    1. Paulus Van Rooijen  6/6
    2. Michy                          5/6
    3. Walter Meuwis          4/6
    4. Marc Van Damme    4/6

    BMS Belgium would like to thank all players for their sportsmanship and gentlemanlike conduct.

    The next BMS event will be the 2nd Xmas Trophy, which will be held during the Christmas holidays.

  • World’s number 3 Michihito Kageyama comes to play at 2nd BMS Belgium tournament!

    BMS Belgium is proud to announce that Michihito Kageyama, better known as Michy, has agreed to come and play at the upcoming 2nd BMS Belgium tournament, which will be held at the  ‘Hollandse Vismijn’ in Bruges on Saturday and Sunday 22-23 July. His entourage consists of three more Japanese players (among them Tatsuya Tanaka), who will also be taking part.

    Michy (Grandmaster Class 1) playing at the Merit Open in Cyprus.

    For those who do not know Michy : he is currently considered one of the absolute best players in the world. On the BMAB Ranking list (which is PR based) Michy is currently ranked nr. 3 with an astonishing aggregate PR of 3,18. Only Victor Ashkenazi (1 – USA) and Mochi (2 – Japan) precede him.

    Never before has a backgammon player of such calibre set foot on Belgian soil. Michy is not only an outstanding player, he is also much respected for his strikingly serene table presence.  Michy’s zen approach to the game has, together with his warm and outgoing personality, made him one of the most esteemed and admired players in the world.

    BGFed.be members are welcome to come and watch this Backgammon Giant (currently nr. 2 on the Giant-32 list) play in Bruges on 22-23 July. Play starts at 10am.

     

  • Paul and Paulus win 1st Belgian Championship Double Consulting.

    Almost all of Belgium’s top-10 players were present at the 1st Belgian Championship Double Consulting. Six teams played five 7-point matches in a round robin. At the end of the day, Paul Van Dijke (Brugge BC) and Paulus Van Rooijen (Brugge BC) came out on top with 4/5 :

    Belgian champions Paul (l) and Paulus (r) with the trophies (donated by BGFed.be).

    Three teams shared 2nd place with three victories and two losses : Walter Meuwis  & Ronny Conaert (Hasselt BC), Luc Palmans & Johan Segers (Leuven BC) and Sonja Custers (Leuven BC) & Michel Lamote (Brugge BC). Johan Huyck & Geert Van der Stricht (Gent BC) (2/5) and Marc Van Damme & Robin Bilderbeek (Gent BC) (0/5) were the ones not favoured by Lady Fortune.

    Ronny (l) &Walter (r)
    Michel & Sonja
    Johan S. & Luc (l) versus Geert & Johan H. (r)
    Marc  (l) & Robin (r)

    The tournament was conceived and organised by Johan Huyck, who did a splendid job setting it all up in a matter of weeks. It took place at the Sandeman Club in Gent, which, for the occasion, was reserved for players and supporters only. Tineke, who tends the bar at the Sandeman, made sure all players received immaculate service.

    Only hours after the tournament ended, one of the players (who prefers to remain anonymous) sent out this thank you mail : “Hartelijk dank en proficiat aan Johan Huyck voor een puike organisatie van een geslaagd tornooi. Alles zat goed : formaat, timing, locatie, catering. Echt top, bravo!”

    I am sure the other 11 players wholeheartedly agree :

    The 6 teams : (from left to right) Geert & Johan, Paulus & Paul, Robin & Marc, Johan & Luc, Ronny & Walter, Sonja & Michel.

    Looking forward to the 2nd Belgian Championship Double Consulting 2018!

  • Johan and Michel win Double Consulting in Rimini (It).

    The 3rd Summer Cup in Rimini attracted about 45 players, who enjoyed an amazing package deal at the fancy Ambassador Hotel (located on the beach promenade): for 80€/day, we got a comfortable room with balcony, airco and electric shutters (which darken the room completely).  Also included is breakfast and … a 4-course dinner, including red and white wine.  As far as I can remember, this is the best deal I ever got in 15 years on the international backgammon circuit.

    I was eliminated from the main event by German Championship runner-up Tilman Söhnchen, notwithstanding an acceptable performance (3,59 PR). Johan Huyck, on the other hand, managed one of the great comebacks of the tournament by winning his 1st round match from a 1-10 (11) deficit. Johan even got to the Final Eight, but eventually his luck ran out. He saw a 9-4 (11) lead evaporate against the later winner.

    Johan and I did manage to win the Double Consulting event, however, which provides some satisfying consolation. We beat two Italian teams, a German team (Tilman Söhnchen, who played with his alter ego), and a French team in the final.

    Johan (r) and me (l) celebrating our win at the hotel bar with our trophies and a Hemingway cocktail (foto : Tilman Söhnchen)

    This first taste of the Italian tour has yielded only positive impressions. I would like to thank Alfonso Sara and Cesare Nanti for a well-run and beautifully staged tournament.

    On Sunday 2 July, you can come and see how Double Consulting works when 6 teams will compete for the title of Belgian Champion Double Consulting at the Sandeman Club in Gent. Start of play : 10:00 am.

    M

  • Draw for Belgian Championship Double Consultation.

    Six teams entered the upcoming Belgian Championship Double Consultation, to be held at the Sandeman Club in Gent on Sunday 2 July.  The draw was made at the Ambassador Hotel in Rimini, Italy, by organiser Johan Huyck and overseen by myself. The draw went smoothly and produced the following pairings :

    Round 1 (10:00 am)
    Paul Van Dijke & Paulus Van Rooijen v Geert Van der Stricht & Johan Huyck
    Michel Lamote & Sonja Custers v Marc Van Damme & Robin Bilderbeek
    Walter Meuwis & Ronny Conaert v Luc Palmans & Johan Segers

    Round 2 (12:30 pm)
    Geert Van der Stricht & Johan Huyck v Luc Palmans & Johan Segers
    Marc Van Damme & Robin Bilderbeek v Walter Meuwis & Ronny Conaert
    Paul Van Dijke & Paulus Van Rooijen v Michel Lamote & Sonja Custers

    Round 3 (14:45 pm)
    Michel Lamote & Sonja Custers v Geert Van der Stricht & Johan Huyck
    Walter Meuwis & Ronny Conaert v Paul Van Dijke & Paulus Van Rooijen
    Luc Palmans & Johan Segers v Marc Van Damme & Robin Bilderbeek

    Round 4 (17:00 pm)
    Geert Van der Stricht & Johan Huyck v Marc Van Damme & Robin Bilderbeek
    Paul Van Dijke & Paulus Van Rooijen v Luc Palmans & Johan Segers
    Michel Lamote & Sonja Custers v Walter Meuwis & Ronny Conaert

    Round 5 (19:15 pm)
    Walter Meuwis & Ronny Conaert v Geert Van der Stricht & Johan Huyck
    Luc Palmans & Johan Segers v Michel Lamote & Sonja Custers
    Marc Van Damme & Robin Bilderbeek v Paul Van Dijke & Paulus Van Rooijen

     

  • BMS : Marc, Geert, Michel confirm top-3 status with commanding PR’s.

    After an absence of many years, Marc Van Damme has catapulted himself to the number 1 spot in Belgian backgammon. In his slipstream follow Geert Van der Stricht and Michel Lamote, trying to benefit from the leader’s pull.

    Marc and Paul Van Dijke played, recorded and transcribed six 13-point matches (6*13) over the past weeks. Here is how they did :

    PR Marc (wins 6-0)

    An affirmative performance (!) by Marc. It is tempting to ascribe his results to some form of innate talent, whereas, of course, such level of play can only be the fruit of hard work and sustained study.

    PR Paul (loses 0-6) 
    Paul at the Sandeman Club…

    Paul too will surely be satisfied with his result.   Although he was blasted with a numbing 6-0, he can find solace in the unmistakable progress he has made.

    Geert and I played six 17-point matches in the course of the past 2 months :

    PR Geert (loses 1-5)
    Geert looks happy with a surprisingly good roll…
    PR Michel (wins 5-1)

    PR’s below 5 are both acceptable and encourageing for Geert and I, bringing us closer to the 5 PR boundary on the BMS Grading Table.

    I played another Master Series of six 17-point matches against Johan Huyck :

    PR Michel (draws 3-3)
    PR Johan (draws 3-3)

    Probably not a coincidence that my PR seems to hover around the 4,90 mark. I think I will grant myself a small psychological boost by optimistically assuming that my level of play is currently somewhere in that neighbourhood. Johan, on the other hand, surely hoped for something better than 6,80. Mitigating circumstances abound of course : it is hard to play your best after 8 stressful hours on the workfloor, to mention just one.

    Robin Bilderbeek and Nick De Ruyck tried their hand at eight 9-point matches :

    PR Robin (draws 4-4)
    Robin pondering a backgammon position at the recent Gent Open…

    In eight highly entertaining matches Robin proved that the progress he made in the past 6 months is real. With this result he has overtaken seasoned players like Luc Palmans (13) and Guy Van Middelem (12) on the BMS Grading Table and only narrowly fails to grab the number 10 spot. Only 0.02 PR separate him from Ronny Conaert (10) : 7,47 v 7,45…

    PR Nick (draws 4-4)

    Nick for his part knows that the road ahead is long and windy. Although his table presence is admirably composed and professional, Nick will have to be patient and determined to make the step from Intermediate to Advanced.

  • Bert slams opposition at 2017 Rotterdam Open.

    After winning all 7 matches at the recent Gent Open, Bert Van Kerckhove continued his winning streak by triumphing in 4 consecutive 13-point matches at the Rotterdam Open last Sunday.

    Bert receives the trophy from Ed Baars (organizer).

    The field of 16 players was slightly stronger than at a regular Super Sunday (held every last Sunday of the month). Two German players of some reknown (Kimon Papachristopoulos and Dirk Leinberger) had made the trip and the field was further peppered with Dutch top players (a.o. Rogier Van Gemert and Paul Van Koningshoven) as well as our own Geert Van der Stricht.

    While Geert was unable to stamp his mark on proceedings, Bert seems to relish the air at the little yacht harbour adjacent to the Okay Club, where the tournament is held. He defeated the talkative German Dirk Leinberger in the semi-final and blasted away Paul Van Koningshoven in the final (13-4) thereby ensuring another fine Belgian win on Dutch soil.

    Congratulations, Bert!

     

     

     

  • Sunday 2 July 2017 : 1st Open Belgian Championship Double Consultation.

    In Double Consultation,  backgammon is played between two teams of 2 players. The teams are allowed to consult before executing a checker play or making a cube decision. This usually results in more thorough play, especially since more time is allotted on the clock (3 minutes per point and 18 seconds per move).

    BGFed.be is proud to announce the 1st Open Belgian Championship Double Consultation.

    This tournament is open to players of all levels. Since no money is involved, even players of Beginner/Intermediate level can have a rewarding experience, since listening in on the deliberations of the opponents can be both instructive and – at times – highly amusing.

    Denmark (l)  playing Double Consultation against Germany (r)

    Here is the practical information :

    Date : Sunday 2 July 2017

    Venue : Sandeman Club (Gent)

    Format : 5 rounds of 7-point matches. Full tournament or truncated Round Robin depending on the number of teams.

    The trophy (donated by BGFed.be) will go to the team that wins the tournament (optional sidepool available).

    Ambitious teams also have the option to compete for a PR based sidepool whereby the winner will be the team with the best overall PR. Only teams that are able to annotate/film their matches and will transcribe their matches within 7 days after the tournament, can compete in this secondary sidepool.

    Schedule :

    9.15 – 9.45 : arrival (registration, coffee, orange juice, ontbijtkoeken, …)

    10.00 : Round 1

    12.00 : sandwiches, croque monsieur and soup available all day

    12.30 : Round 2

    14.45 : Round 3

    17.00 : Round 4

    19.15 : Round 5

    21.30 : Prize giving (no prize money)

    Clock : 21′ + 18″ per move

    Entry fee : 30€ per player (registration, food, …).

    This tournament is open to all players, also non-BGFed.be members.  Note that only an even number of teams will be allowed to enter. The order of pre-registration will be respected.

    Pre-registration is required. Send an e-mail to : johan.huyck@wiskin.be (before Sunday 18 June).

    Draw : Tuesday 20 June at the Sandeman Club (Gent).

    Hope to see you on Sunday 2 July in Gent!

    The Sandeman, home of Gent Backgammon Club.

  • BMS : Marc Van Damme dips below 5 on BMS Grading Table.

    In the more rarefied regions of Belgian backgammon, persistent efforts are being made to notch up the level of play. Marc Van Damme and Geert Van der Stricht, the current numbers 1 and 2 in the BMS realm, scored ringing PR’s in their respective Master Series.

    Marc played eight 11-point matches against top-5 player Johan Huyck :

    PR Marc (wins 5-3)

    This strong performance was sufficient for Marc to break the symbolic 5-PR barrier and comfortably land on 4,94 on the Grading Table. With an EP of 173 behind his name, Marc has now achieved official Master Class 2 status.

    Geert, in full preparation for the 2017 World Championship to be held in Monte Carlo (1-6 August), confidently equalled Marc’s performance in a tough 6 x 17 Master Series (also against Johan Huyck) :

    PR Geert (wins 5-1)

    Geert is now only a breath away from below-5 status. His current PR on the BMS Grading Table is 5,06.

    The opponent of both players was Johan Huyck, trailing the two pack leaders by about 1 PR (currently 6,02 on the BMS GT).  Against Marc (8 x 11) Johan let things slip a little,

    PR Johan (loses 3-5)

    but he did better against Geert (6 x 17) :

    PR Johan (loses 1-5)

    Johan is showing great tenacity in his efforts to raise his game and his sustained diligence should soon bear fruit.

    M

  • BMS : Guy and Alain show signs of progress in Master Series (8 x 9).

    If you play a pre-designated number of medium-length matches, say eight matches to 9 points, you can be pretty sure that your overall PR will give a reliable idea of your true playing strength. That is, if you make an honest attempt to play your best game.

    This is what Alain Chif and Guy Van Middelem did over the past month. Both are seasoned bridge players with a subsidiary intrest in backgammon. They play frequently, go through their matches to learn from their mistakes, struggle through  the occasional backgammon book, etc. In short, they are competitve players with a keen intrest to improve their level of play.

    Guy Van Middelem
    Alain Chif

    Here is how they did :

    PR Guy  (wins 5-3)
    PR Alain (loses 3-5)

    These performances will certainly earn both players appreciative nods in the BMS community. Both Guy and Alain scored PR’s below-7 in five of the 8 matches, which is great. Guy even played 2 matches below-4 (!).

    Unfortunately, these heartening PR’s are polluted by some disturbing slip ups. In this demanding and mentally challenging format, consistency is key. You  cannot allow a couple of PR’s of 10-plus to mar your overall result.  Sure, backgammon matches can have widely varying levels of difficulty, but PR discrepancies of 6 or more (i.e. the difference between PR 4 and PR 10) do not occur in the Master category, where performances are significantly more solid.

    In this Master Series, Guy and Alain have displayed unmistakable signs of expertise. If both players put their mind to it, they could lift their game to Expert level ( PR < 7,50) in a matter of months. Progress, however, is not like manna. It does not miraculously appear out of nowhere. Continued study and dedicated practice are vital ingredients of a backgammon player’s regimen, without which no steps forward can possibly be made.

    M

     

     

     

  • Reykjavik hosts 2017 European Backgammon Team Championship.

    • BgFed.be intends to send ambitious team.

    In  Budapest (2015) and Helsingor (2016) Belgium competed with grit and determination. In both campaigns the qualification for the Final Four was missed by the smallest margin.

    Belgium’s Best in Helsingor (left to right : Maurits, Walter, Johan Huyck, Johan Segers, Geert and Alain. Bottom : Michel.

    This year the EUBTC will take place in the capital city of Iceland, Reykjavik (5-6 October 2017).  This team event is prestigious because it reflects the current standard of a country’s backgammon community. Achievements in previous European Team Championships  have earned Belgium a good reputation (prestige). This is what is at stake in Reykjavik.  Therefore, BGFed.be hopes to be represented once again by a motivated and competitive team (4-7 players) :  Belgium’s Best.

    • Selection criteria.

    Selection of players will be based predominantly on empirical data, i.e. conglomerate PR’s as reflected in both the BMS GT (Grading Table) and the BPR RT (Ranking Table).

    Since (a) skill in backgammon dominates as match length increases and (b) the BMS GT reflects PR’s obtained in longer matches, a higher weight will be given to BMS gradings than to BPR gradings.

    In the case that Candidate Players have no official BMS or BPR grading, selection may be considered based on data available in the BMS(BE) archive.

    Should the difference between two players be too close to call (0,15 PR), factors like international experience with longer matches will be taken into account.

    • Selection procedure.

    Candidacies must be submitted by e-mail (kynos8000@gmail.com) at the latest on 30  June  2017.

    Candidate players should :

    a) be BGFed.be member

    b) have the Belgian nationality or be bona fide resident in Belgium

    c) demonstrably play at Advanced level or better

    d) have an official BMS or BPR grading  or be BIC player.

    A first list of Candidate Players will be published on the BGFed.be website on 15 July 2017.

    On 22-23 July 2017  a BMS tournament will be played to ensure Candidate Players an ultimate opportunity to improve their BMS grading. This tournament will be played in Brugge and will consist of six 13-point matches.

    The final selection for Reykjavik 2017 will be made once the performances (PR’s) in this event have been incorporated in the BMS GT.

    M

     

  • Bert wins 12th Gent Open.

    Seven victories in a row guaranteed success for Bert Van Kerckhove at this year’s Gent Open. This is quite a feat since Bert organised the event and had to take care of all kinds of practicalities in between and during matches :

    Bert (l) stoically shuffling checkers. Wife and son in full admiration. Maurits Pino (r) undergoing the onslaught.

    As always, the event was held at the Sandeman Club in Gent. Amid the medieval brickwork, 25 players signed up to play seven 7-point matches with only 12 minutes on the clock :

    The playing area at the Sandeman Club.

     

    Kristoffer De Weert in deep thought

    When the dust settled, Bert was the last man standing with 7/7.  Closest on his heels was Johan Huyck (6/7).  Marc Van Damme, Paulus Van Rooijen and Ronny Conaert scored 5/7 :

    Johan Huyck (l) congratulating Bert (r)

    This edition of the Gent Open was a success. Sandwiches kept coming all day through and quite a lot of players stayed on till long after the prize giving ceremony discussing the future of Belgian backgammon, the bad luck they suffered, the merits of Leffe blond, and plenty of other banalities.

    In short, it was a fine backgammon tournament.

     

     

  • BMS : milestone performance by Walter at Nordic Open.

    The Nordic Open attracted about 270 players who competed in 3 divisions. 95 of  them appeared in the Advanced Flight. If there is one tournament Walter Meuwis (current 5,67 PR) desperately likes to win, it is this one.

    After winning three 15-point matches in the Main Flight, Walter lost. In the Fighters bracket, however, Walter won three hard-fought 9-point matches in a row before losing to the Danish champion (!) Lars Nielsen, a player one would expect in the Champions Division. This defeat beat Walter up hard but he can find solace in what follows.

    Walter’s matches on YouTube

    Walter filmed all his matches. I recommend all BGFed.be members to click on one of the YouTube links below to witness one of Belgium’s best players compete in high-pressure surroundings.

    https://youtu.be/tLG_yLb4kq8
    https://youtu.be/CferaJzjVMM
    https://youtu.be/knVDJh5ccwg
    https://youtu.be/9O33VyKPVC4
    https://youtu.be/gLVhG5HU_uc
    https://youtu.be/5IxLMU5EnWo
    https://youtu.be/AeBQgFoom_k
    https://youtu.be/KqUbzkazYs4

    Performance rating

    Walter also transcribed his matches. Here is how he did :

    Stunning! For some reason (determination, focus) Walter played at stellar level. His checker play (3,73 PR) proves accuracy and consideration, and his cube actions (7,37 PR) have a remarkably high level of timing and efficiency.

    It looks like only the fewest of Belgium’s top players can realistically hope to better this MS2 result (Master Series Type 2. See: Conditions of Play) in the near future.

  • BMS : the comeback of Marc Van Damme.

    Back in 2001, when I was a novice to the game, Marc Van Damme (47) was already a player of some stature. In Paris, where Marc had shown up with Bert Van Kerckhove, Marc reached the finals of the Advanced flight and it was there that we met. There was no ExtremeGammon in those days, but Marc used Snowie (the predecessor of XG) with keen interest. This already made him a formidable player back then.

    Then Marc mysteriously disappeared from the backgammon scene. We will have to wait for his autobiography to find out the how and why, but now Marc has resurfaced. With a splash…

    Marc Van Damme at the Sandeman (Gent)

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    On four consecutive Tuesday afternoons in March, Marc and Robin played, recorded and transcribed eight 9-point matches. The 50 € question before start of play was : has Marc’s talent grown stale, or is class perennial?

    Here is the answer :

    PR Marc (8 x 9) (wins 5-3)

    Jaws dropped as the first results became known : Marc played a couple of matches with PR’s below 3, which is about the absolute best a human can perform. Bystanders did agree, however, that Marc was not really challenged in those matches and that, faced with more complicated subject matter, his PR would probably deteriorate. In the end, this is what happened, but the overall result is still remarkable. Combined with the PR’s achieved in a Master Series with Johan Huyck, Marc has usurped the top spot on the BMS Grading Table : PR 5,10 (1) (!).

    This convincing performance gives Marc provisionary Master Class 2 status. Why provisionary? Because a player needs 150 EP (Experience Points : the total of match points played) for his grading to be validated. Marc is still 45 EP away from that threshold. Consequently, the five 11-point  matches which remain to be played in his Master Series against Johan Huyck become extremely relevant. Sustaining this respectable level of play will instantly gain number 1 status in Belgium (BGFed.be has proactively sent an order for laurels to Crete), whereas slackening performance might push Marc back to lower ground.

    Robin played his dignified part in this high-level contest and stoutheartedly held his ground against his more skillful opponent :

    PR Robin (8 x 9) (loses 3-5)

    This PR appears to reflect Robin’s current level of play pretty accurately. It seems only a matter of time before Robin will reach Advanced Class 1 Expert level (current standing : PR 7,62 (11).