Author: Michel Lamote

Walter Meuwis and Ronny Conaert played, recorded and transcribed six 15-point matches in the course of the past 3 months. These matches were played in the cosy surroundings of Walter’s Hasselt home. With no money, shiny trophies or prestigious titles at stake, players could focus their attention fully on optimal decision making.

Here is how they did :

A heartening performance by Walter, comfortably within his Master Class 3 range. The rightful  jubilation of Walter’s many fans will be slightly dampened, however, when they see that this below-6 PR does not translate into a step forward on the BMS Grading Table (current standing : 6,27 (5)).  Culprit to that are the below-par performances by Walter in the 2017 BIC competition. Although Walter has been steamrollering all opposition, he has not done so by playing world-class backgammon. Or has he become a convert to the anti-dogmatic play-worse-to-win-more school of thought?

Anyway, Walter’s competitiveness and dogged determination are likely to keep him within sight of the top-3 spot in the coming months. Performing well in the upcoming Nordic Open (14-17 April) is infinitely more important than worrying about PR’s. Walter is on a winning streak, but should be aware that streaks, whether lucky or unlucky, are correlative with skill level. Playing better remains the best recipe for success, notwithstanding current obscurantist views to the contrary.

Ronny played well in this demanding format. As is so often the case, however, one slip (a 7,90 in match 1) marred his over-all performance. A Master Class 3 level of play is certainly within Ronny’s reach (current standing : 7,45 (10)). Still, talent alone is seldom enough to make progress in this bewilderingly complex game. Ronny is one of Belgium’s many gifted players who, untethered from familial duties, job obligations and other distractions, would improve dramatically if they could muster the required discipline and dedication. Life is a patchwork of passions, however, and scaling priorities wisely is the mark of sensible men…

Spread over four Fridays in March,  Robin Bilderbeek and I played eight 13-point matches, which we recorded and transcribed. Robin was eager to test his new-found skills against a better opponent and I desperately needed some better-than-average PR’s to give my corroding confidence a boost.

Before play started,  Robin put his aims on a piece of paper : he hoped for a PR around 6,40 (very ambitious for an advanced player) and while he was at it, prognosticated that I was going to score a PR below 4,60. Needless to say, such PR’s cannot be achieved by playing in a leisurely fashion. We would both need to be sharp and muster all weapons in our respective armouries.

Here is how we did :

This is an excellent result for Robin and eerily close to his prediction. There can be no doubt that Robin’s dedicated practice (focused analysis using XG) is bearing fruit. Insiders will not be surprised to see Robin consolidate this Master Class 3 performance in the coming months.

Not as I had hoped in my rosiest dreams, but good enough to draw confidence from. The boundary of Master Class 1 territory ( < 4,75) lies somewhere ahead, but it will still take some hard travelling to reach it.

Robin finishes another Master Series (8 x 9) against Marc Van Damme today (Tuesday, 4 April), while other MS1’s are in progress (Johan Huyck v Geert Van der Stricht, Johan Huyck v Michel Lamote, Walter Meuwis v Ronny Conaert). How about you, dear BGFed member?

Thank you to Johan Huyck (BMS Committee) for re-analysis and processing of the data.

Watching a backgammon match can be fun and entertaining, especially when both players play at World Class level and  there is something at stake. When I am out of a tournament, I never play side-events.  I go and watch a match between two of the best players in the room. I ask them permission to sit down at their table and watch their every move, from first to last. It gives me a feel of how top players cope with both the brutal and benevolent swings of the game.

Do I learn from that? Not really. If Mochi (the best player in the world) makes a surprising checker-play in a backgame or takes a cube I would certainly have dropped, I can never be 100% sure that he was right and I was wrong. However, if the match is recorded and transcribed, I can later watch the transcript and find out if the Grandmaster was right, or if I was. That, in my opinion, is a great way to learn.

Similarly, watching a backgammon match between top players on YouTube can be fun, but you can only learn from it if the XG-feed is posted and you know what is the right decision.

But  why don’t you see for yourself? Below is the link to a 9-point match played between Marc Van Damme and Robin “Rain” Bilderbeek. It is an official BMS match (match 1 of MS1 0032), which means the performance ratings (PR’s) will be incorporated in the BMS Grading Table (click on BMS in the black banner above for current standings).

Thank you to Rain (= Robin Bilderbeek) for editing and posting the video.

At the top of Belgian backgammon, there is little room for sloppiness. Playing a demanding Master Series of six 17-point matches with less than optimal focus can have unpleasant consequences.

I started off this MS1 with another clock violation. My reasonable PR of 5,20 was mercilessly converted into a 9,85, which meant that I could ditch any hopes of improving my overall PR in the coming 6 months. Fortunately,  supportive friends and family kept me from early backgammon retirement and I played the rest of the Series at my known skill level. Better still, I managed to dramatically alter my playing rhythm and have succeeded in avoiding time trouble since then. Even the darkest clouds have a silver lining if you look closely enough …

At times, Geert also flirted with time pressure, but was let off the hook this time. Of course, our new Number 1 can fall back on years of clock experience on the international chess scene, and mostly keeps his composure even with only a handful of seconds left. Noteworthy that  Geert’s PR in this Series is exactly the same as his current overall PR on the BMS Grading Table. Safe to say that it will be hard to knock this ambitious and hard-working backgammon Master off his newly gained top spot :

Four new Master Series are due to start this week : Geert Van der Stricht v Johan Huyck (MS1 0028 : 6 x 17), Johan Huyck v Michel Lamote (MS1 0029 : 6 x 17), Robin Bilderbeek v Michel Lamote (MS1 0030 : 8 x 13) and Johan Huyck v Marc Van Damme (MS1 0031 : 8 x 11).

Losing a backgammon match can be a frustrating affair. You feel you played better than your opponent, but still ended up losing. Fortunately, some satisfaction can be derived from the computer’s evaluation of your stellar performance. The other side of the coin, however, is that a performance you thought was excellent, may turn out to be nothing better than mediocre…

In their quest for mastery, 5 of our best players played, recorded and transcribed 36 long matches in the last months of 2016. Except for Johan Huyck, nobody seems to have made significant progress.

Geert Van der Stricht challenged Bert Van Kerckhove to a contest of six 15-point matches (6 x 15).  The action took place on Tuesday nights, at the Sandeman in Gent,  after a hard day’s work, so players can be forgiven not to have found their best form. Still, both Geert and Bert might feel slightly uncomfortable when confronted with the numbers. Bert, however, did make progress on the BMS Grading Table. He is only one good performance away from dipping below 7 (current standing : 7,13) :

Geert played another series of 15-pointers against Paul Van Dijke (6 x 15). This time, Geert managed to come closer to what is perceived to be his true potential, while Paul comfortably dipped below 6,50. Both players can rightfully feel encouraged by this performance :

Johan Huyck and I also played an MS1 (6 x 15). Consistent study and dedicated practice are bearing fruit for Johan.  In the past 6 months he has gained a full PR point on the BMS Grading Table, which is a remarkable achievement. He has elbowed his way past Walter Meuwis to the number 3 spot on the BMS table with a current PR of 5,77. Insiders expect Johan to dive below 5 before June 30, 2017 :

My PR, on the other hand, is nothing less than a set-back. I had hoped to solidify my below-5 rating, but the 6th match proved one too many. Clearly, focused study will be required to climb another rung on the ladder :

Walter Meuwis and Luc Palmans opted for 17-point matches (6 x 17). Walter, current holder of the prestigious BIC title (Belgian Individual Champion) and certified BMAB Master (Class 3),  seems to be struggling a bit with his game. His PR in this MS1 is surely below his inherent skill level. Sadly,  this below-par performance is ruthlessly reflected in the BMS Table, where Walter now stands with a worrisome 6,15 behind his name :

His opponent, Luc Palmans, has recently shifted his attention away from backgammon to chess and … other interests. As the numbers show, it is hard to come up with Expert performances when playing in recreational mode, even as one of the most gifted players in the country :

Maurits Pino and Alain Chif have also finished an MS1 (8 x 9),  but the data are still being processed. Of others (Kristoffer De Weert, Sassan Kachanian, Leonidas Sotiriadis, Paulus Van Rooijen, Toon Van Herreweghen, a.o.) we remain in the dark as to their playing strengths.

M

In their endeavour to become better players, Johan Huyck and Michel Lamote played, recorded and transcribed six 15-point matches in the course of 2 months. Matches were played on Tuesday afternoons in the Sandeman Club (Gent).

Notwithstanding the ever occurring, mind-boggling blunders, both players ended up with fine PR’s :

With this result, both players edge slightly closer to the 5-PR boundary. Click BMS(BE) in the black banner above to see the current standings on the BMS Grading Table.

On Tuesday 27 December, BMS(BE) organises its 2nd BMS Belgium tournament. Five 9-point matches will be played at Longchamp. All matches will be recorded and transcribed and performance ratings (PR’s) will be incorporated in the BMS Grading Table. This is another opportunity for Belgium’s most ambitious players to improve their skill level in a competitive setting.

Have already registered : Geert Van der Stricht, Johan Huyck, Johan Segers, Guy Van Middelem, Paul Van Dijke, Christian Sörensen, Johan Vervust and Michel Lamote. If you play at Advanced level or better, you are welcome to join. Contact : geert.vanderstricht@telenet.be. Start of play : 10am (clocks activated).

M

Over the past 6 weeks, Johan Huyck (Gent BC) and Paul Van Dijke (Brugge BC) played, recorded and transcribed six 15-point matches.  As the data show, both players performed slightly below par :

With an average PR of 5,87 Johan is one of 3 players who can boast a below-6 PR on the BMS Grading Table. Johan plans to have crossed the 5,50 threshold by New Year.

Paul’s ambitions are only slightly more modest. Since he is currently playing another Master Series against Geert Van der Stricht,  he should be able to dip below 6,50 any day now. He currently stands at 6,61 PR.

M

Johan Huyck is fast becoming a serious threat to Belgium’s top players. Since he stepped back on the backgammon scene, he managed to reach the final of the 2nd Brugge Backgammon Day and – more importantly – won the prestigious 1st BMS Belgium event with a promising PR of 5,78.

Johan is a private math teacher who finds time to devote a couple of hours per day to study the game in earnest. Part of this hard work is playing and recording longer matches against strong opposition and meticulously analysing his errors. In Geert Van der Stricht, Paul Van Dijke, and myself, he has found some sparring partners who are equally determined to improve.

In his most recent Master Series, consisting of six consecutive 15-point matches, Johan was able to solidify his Master Class 3 status with a fine PR of 6,01. Surprisingly, his cube play turned out to be better than his checker play. This is seldom seen, since most good players routinely score World Class PR’s (5 or lower) in checker play, but rarely dip below Advanced level (10 or lower) in cube play. Johan managed to score a stunning 4,96 (!!) PR in the most complex domain of the game :

His opponent, Geert Van der Stricht, took the more straightforward route to a strong PR : World Class checker play, combined with an above 10 cube play PR :

With this result, Geert confidently nestles himself  on the number 2 spot on the BMS Grading Table.

All eyes are now on his closest contender, Walter Meuwis, who will start two Master Series in the coming weeks. Walter will play 2 strings of long matches against Luc Palmans (10 x 19) and Ronny Conaert (6 x 15), both of whom eager to post a Master Class 3 result (6,50 or better). Walter, another hard-working backgammon student, will have to find his best form to improve on his already impressive 5,65 BMS rating. Currently, only 0,29 PR points separate him from Geert. Can Walter close the gap in the months to come?

Two other top-15 players, Maurits Pino and Zsolt Tasnadi, both of Brussels BC, also concluded a MS1 Series. They played, recorded and transcribed eight 9-point matches in the course of some months, but were unable to improve on their Advanced Class 3 status :

Hats off to all players for competing in this challenging format and allowing their performances to be made public.

M

In less than 3 weeks’ time, Geert Van der Stricht and Johan Huyck found time to play, record and transcribe ten 15-point matches.  The series was drawn (5-5). Both players managed to improve on their BMS rating.

Undiluted praise should go to Geert, who showed that talent, combined with study and dedicated practice, will bear fruit one day :

Johan was finally able to dip below the 6,50 PR threshold :

With better time management, Johan should be able to avoid costly blunders in the latter phase of his matches and thus improve his PR even more. Thanks to the rolling EP, Johan has now joined a quintet of players who can boast Master level.  Click on BMS (BE) above to see the Grading Table.

M

Johan (Gent BC) and Paul (Brugge BC) played, recorded and transcribed six 13-pointers in the course of a couple of weeks.  Both players keep struggling to dip below 6,50 PR, the boundary which separates Advanced  from Master (Class 3) level :

Since both performances are eerily close to both players’ known skill level, this Master Series causes barely a ripple on the BMS Grading Table. You can view the complete BMS table by clicking on BMS in the black banner above.

M

Thresholds, even symbolical ones, are sometimes hard to cross. Johan, studying hard recently, came up with this result :

As a consequence, he keeps hovering slightly above Master level with an overall PR of 6,54.  Johan will have to lift his game a notch this coming weekend (BMS Brugge, 6 x 13) if he wants to make the transition from Expert to Master level.

As for me, a couple of months ago I was tiptoeing hopefully around the 5 PR mark, but improving by 0,2 PR is not as straightforward as it seems :

With this result, I managed to shave 0,08 off my overall BMS PR, which now stands at 5,16.  The 5 PR line is surely within grasp,  but the Master Class I boundary (4,75) feels like a distant mirage.  The illusive Grandmaster Class III level (< 4 PR) is, as yet,  too preposterous to even contemplate…

This weekend (23-24 July)  7 of our best players (Walter Meuwis, Geert Van der Stricht, Johan Huyck, Guy Van Middelem, Paul Van Dijke, Paulus Van Rooijen and Maurits Pino) will test their skills at the 1st BMS BE event (Hollandse Vismijn, Vismarkt, Brugge). What can they do against 2 Czech players of Master level (Honza Czerny and Pavel Zaoral) and the phenomenal 17-year-old Zdenek Zizka (Grandmaster Class III)?

My answer? The only thing they can do is play to the best of their abilities and then let the chips fall where they may. Win or lose, any player who can perform 1 PR better than his current BMS grading will have reason for contented satisfaction, maybe even high-spirited elation…

Good luck to all players!

M

In the course of the past couple of months, Walter Meuwis and Ronny Conaert found time to play six 15-point matches. Walter recorded and transcribed. They each won 3 and lost 3. Astonishingly enough, like Johan Huyck and myself in our last Master Series, both players performed within 0,1 of their official BMS rating :

In the meantime, Walter also completed his BIC Series. He played his 7 BIC encounters well within schedule and came up with a fine performance :

Will anyone do better?

M

In he course of 3 weeks, Johan and me played a Midsummer Series. We both hoped to improve on our current BMS rating. Unfortunately, good intentions are not good enough in backgammon. Johan saw some excellent PRs dwindle as a result of time pressure, whereas I failed to dip below 5 because of some lackluster cube actions.

Here is how we did :

Coincidently (or not?) these PRs are within 0,1 of our skill level as reflected in the BMS table.  This indicates that a series of matches of that length will more than likely give a reliable idea of  playing strength.

Johan and me will now start another Midsummer Series (6 x 13), which we will finish before the BMS event in Brugge. This tournament (6 x 13) will be the last chance for our top players to improve on their BMS ranking and thus strengthen their candidacy for Belgium’s Best, the team that will compete at the European Backgammon Team Championship in Helsingor, Denmark (20-23 October).

Here are the 12 players that have entered the BMS event of 23-24 July (between brackets : current BMS ranking) : Michel Lamote (1),  Walter Meuwis (3), Geert Van der Stricht (4), Paul Van Dijke (5), Johan Huyck (6), Bert Van Kerckhove (8), Guy Van Middelem (10),  Maurits Pino (12),  Paulus Van Rooijen (NL), Zdenek Czizka (Czech Republic, Grandmaster), Honza Czerny (Czech Republic, Master 2), Pavel Zaoral (Czech Republic).

If you play at Advanced level or better, you can still register for the tournament. There are 2 slots available. Entries close Sunday 17 July, midnight.

M

The BMS(BE) Committee hereby announces the introduction of a Rolling EP in both the BMS Grading Table and the BPR Ranking Table.

We asked committee member Walter Meuwis for some clarification :

M : Walter, what exactly is Rolling EP ?

W : Simple : Rolling EP is an experience threshold, which will be used in the BMS and BPR tables. It will be implemented on 1 August 2016.

M : Why?

W : The effect of a Rolling EP is that players’ PRs will be represented more accurately. Without it, an Intermediate player who has progressed to Advanced level would for ever carry his intermediate PRs with him. Rolling EP allows him to shed these inferior PRs if he can solidify his progress.

M : What will the threshold be?

W : The threshold will be set at 500 EP for the BMS GT and at 300 EP for the BPR RT. The reason this threshold is different for both tables is that the BPR table consists mainly of shorter matches, 3-pointers to 7-pointers. A threshold of 300 represents around 45 matches. The BMS table contains predominantly longer matches, 9- to 15-pointers. A low threshold here would represent only around 25 matches, which in our opinion is too small a database for representing an accurate PR. Therefore, by setting the threshold for BMS at 500, the database will always represent about 45 matches.

M : How will that Rolling EP work?

W : Well, once a player’s experience (EP) exceeds the threshold, his (or her) oldest results will be removed. For  BPR this will always be by removing the oldest cluster. For example, if the oldest result is a cluster of 20 EP, then a total of at least 320 EP must be reached before the cluster is removed. For BMS it is a bit more complicated : in the case of a MS1 series, results will be removed match by match. In the case of a MS2 series, results will be removed by batch.

M : What with the BIC matches?

W : Since a BIC encounter always consists of two matches, both matches will be considered as a batch.

M : Will the removed results still be visible on the BMS and BPR tabels?

W : No. As the results are no longer part of the PR calculation, they will also be removed from the BMS and BPR table sheets. This is done to avoid endlessly long sheets with players’ results. However, all matches remain stored in the BMS(BE) archive.

M : So the biggest plus seems to be that by amassing experience (EP) players can leave bad PRs behind.

W : Indeed. Of course, for players who have already reached Master level, the influence will be small since it becomes progressively more difficult to improve. For Intermediate and Advanced players the effect will be clearer. They have more room for improvement and thanks to Rolling EP their current skill level will be more accurately represented. A good example is Robin Bilderbeek : when he appeared in the tables, he frequently played matches with PRs around 15 or so. Now he routinely plays around 8.  Once he reaches the EP threshold, his oldest results will be removed and his PR as mentioned in the tables will more accurately reflect his current skill level.

M : Sounds good. Thank you, Walter.