The results of Round 1 of the 4 Cubes 2017, played on Friday, February 17:
Brugge vs Brussels : 9-3
Leuven 1 vs Leuven Cubers 2 : 4-8
Gent : bye
For detailed results, please check the rating list or the tournament book, see the menubar.
Round 2 will take place in April: Gent vs Brugge (Tue Apr 18) and Brussels vs Leuven 1 (Fri Apr 21). The Leuven Cubers 2 are bye.
The four team captains are kindly asked to fix the dates and the line-ups are quickly as possible.
Main page: BIC 2017. See also the link ‘BIC results 2017’ in the menu for pairings, results, and standings.
Main page: 4 Cubes 2017. See also the link ‘4 Cubes 2017 results’ for the tournament book, containing the calendar and the rules.
We wish you lots of fun playing live backgammon in 2017!
Round 3 (out of 5) has been played last week. Having won their first three encounters, the Leuven Cubers II are already certain of winning the 4 Cubes 2016, even if they would lose to Brugge, winners of the 4 Cubes 2015, in November. Still, there are two more rounds to play, with some interesting encounters to come.
For the first time in Four Cubes history, an encounter between two teams was fully filmed and transcribed. Since both team captains (Michel Lamote – Brugge BC, and Geert Van der Stricht – Gent BC) agreed beforehand to have all PRs validated by BPR, the encounter became an official Four Cubes cluster.
A little more than 24 hours after the action, all players had received XG-files of all matches in their mail-box. They could find out whether certain checker plays were right or wrong, see whether they handled the cube well or not, and keep the files for further study.
An extra benefit of recording matches can be that the loser might gain some consolation from a fine performance. While Brugge BC had every reason to be doleful after losing the Four Cubes, some relief could be found in the idea that they put up a good fight or at least played according to their skill level. Here is how the current Four Cubes holders performed (9 matches to 7 points) :
As a corollary, however, the jubilant team might find its enthusiasm slightly dampened if their performance was not at par :
To illustrate this psychological effect further, here is how Paul Van Dijke (Brugge BC) performed in 3 matches to 7 (won 1, lost 2) :
This is a jaw-dropping performance of grandmaster level. While Paul experienced some extreme frustration on the night, he can surely derive satisfaction from these data. If his matches had not been recorded, he might have fallen subject to dejection or bouts of self-doubt. As it is, it looks like there is not much he could have done better or differently.
Same for me : as captain of the home team, I cannot afford to squander much equity. Having lost my 3 matches – horresco referens – I managed to find relief in my better than average PR :
Here are the other PRs :
3. Geert Van der Stricht (Gent BC) :
4. Guy Van Middelem (Brugge BC) : 7,42
5. Bert Van Kerckhove (Gent BC) : 7,53
6. Robin Bilderbeek (Gent BC) : 9,60.
BMS(BE) would like to thank all players for their willingness to participate in this challenging format and their agreement to have these data made available to the BGFed.be backgammon community.
M
Through this loss, Brugge BC has to relinquish the Four Cubes. Leuven 2 can win the coveted prize if they win at Brussels BC tonight, Friday 17 June. Admission free.
Bert Mr Four Cubes Van Kerckhove led the Gent team to victory with 3 wins. Captain Geert Little Karpov Van der Stricht won 2 encounters, and Robin Rain Bilderbeek won one.
M
A strong team or army is not judged on its many victories, but on its rare defeats. In rugby union, the New Zealand All Blacks played and won their first encounter in 1903. 113 years later they still cause havoc over their enemies. Are they unbeatable? No, in 1949 they had a bad season, appropriate named their “Black Year”. One of the reasons was that their Maori players were not welcome in South Africa, a nation ruled by Apartheid.
In his monumental The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records, John Griffiths gives the details: “Six Tests were played and all were lost, four to South Africa and two against Australia. Uniquely, the series ran parallel, the South African tour taking place at the same time as the home rubber with Australia, and the first Test against Australia was staged on the same day as the third Test in South Africa.”
One bad season in 113 years…
Splitting forces is seldom a good idea. And the signs were bleak when both teams of Leuven left the Brabant Highlands and travelled the long and dangerous road to Flanders’ Fields. Passing Waterloo was unavoidable, and the soldiers were fully aware that at this same spot one of the greatest generals that has ever lived, lost his final combat. But they didn’t leave unprepared: it was a wise decision to leave their mercenary from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège at home.
When the outskirts of Gent dawned at the horizon, both teams went their own way. One army headed for the nearby city; the second continued the hazardous journey to that other place of meticulous checker play and razor sharp cube decisions: the city of Brugge.
In both towns the fighters from Brabant were greeted in dark and small streets by hostile inhabitants. Suspicious eyes under long hats followed their footsteps, broad shoulders forced them to step in the mud, barking dogs made life difficult and danger loomed behind every window or corner. Unscathed they reached the local taverns, where they were confronted with some of the lowest PRs mankind has ever seen in these surroundings…
(See the 4 Cubes 2016 Tournament Book for all the details of the combats.)
– LP
The 4 Cubes 2016 Tournament Book has been updated.
Round 2 is scheduled to take place in the third week of April:
The team captains of the four active teams are cordially invited to contact each other and confirm the playing date and venue.
It’s official now: the 2016 edition of the 4 Cubes, Belgium’s backgammon interclub competition, has been launched! For more information, check out the 4 Cubes 2016 page or the Tournament Book 4 Cubes 2016.
Theoretically, the Brugge team, winner of the competition in 2015, is the strongest of the five. But Brussels and Gent had to let go of the 2015 title to Brugge in the tie-break only. Both teams will be eager for revenge.
Leuven, finishing last in 2015, sends out a second team, the Cubers. Quantity rather than quality, or a clever move perhaps to increase the odds? They even hired two players from the former Hasselt team.
The first round takes place in the third week of February. The Leuven derby will take place on Friday, February 19, while Gent will receive Brussels on Tuesday, February 16 (to be confirmed). Brugge can relax and enjoy the spectacle.
Captains — muster your players and send out those challenges. May the best team win!
— Luc Palmans (tournament director), Johan Segers, and Guy Van Middelem
Although losing to Ghent 5-4, Brugge was able to take the Four Cubes home. Losing to Ghent meant that three clubs were tied at first place with 3 encounters won and one lost. To break the tie, the ancient Four Cubes codex had to be consulted. It revealed that in this case, the number of matches won in the 3 encounters between the equally ranked teams would break the tie. Brugge, who won 9-0 to Brussels and lost 4-5 to Ghent, ended up with 13 matches won, 4 more than Gent and 8 more than Brussels.
Ghent was seriously handicapped by the absence of Bert Van Kerckhove (the Scourge of the Lowlands). However, the team was led by a highly motivated Geert Van der Stricht, who set the example by winning his three matches (best score of the evening with 3/3). Johan Huyck and Robin Bilderbeek both won one match and sadly lost one each through clock violation. Johan, who was leading 6-4 against Guy and in the process of bearing in against a 4-point anchor, somehow forgot to keep track of his remaining seconds and lost on time. The same happened to Robin, who had brutally gambled on a 4-cube at 3-away 4-away against Michel Lamote, suddenly had real winning chances, but also allowed the time flag to drop on him. These two points proved to be extremely valuable to Brugge, who might otherwise have lost 7-2… What a thrill!
Brugge appeared in their strongest formation, with Guy Van Middelem and Paul Van Dijke completing the team led by captain Michel (2/3 on the night). Although probably the strongest club team in Belgium, Brugge looks quite vulnerable with only three players available for the team. Gent and Brussels appear to be the strongest challengers for the 2016 Four Cubes contest, with more players of Advanced level ready to complete the team.
Thanks to all teams and players for competing well in this prestigious competition.
M
Tonight, the last encounter in the 4 Cubes 2015 tournament takes place, Gent vs Brugge. If Brugge wins, then it will have won all encounters and it will become “Belgium’s Best Backgammon Club 2015”. If Gent wins, then there will be three teams with three encounters won and one lost: Brugge, Brussels, and Gent. In that case, the triple tie will be broken according to Article 6 in the rules (page 6 in the tournament book). The result depends on the number of matches won: If Gent wins 5-4 or 6-3, it’s still Brugge who will be champion. However, if Gent wins 7-2 or more, then Gent will be the final winner.
Good luck to both teams!
The 4 Cubes 2015 referee committee
Michel, Guy and Paul scored 3 out of 3 against Leonidas, Zsolt and Maurits. Surprisingly, Brussels player Alain Chif decided to watch proceedings from the sidelines.
Brugge is now top contender for the 2015 BIC trophy.
M
Individual results are to be found in the Tournament book. The match was played in Hasselt on July 15, 2015.
The next 4 Cubes encounter is the one between Brussels vs Brugge on August 21, 2015. The winner of that encounter will take the lead, with one more round to go.
Brugge-Leuven was scheduled for June, but the home team proposed to switch battlefield to Leuven and time of action one month earlier – a most generous proposal. Was there weakness in the heart of the Ogre? Nay! Brugge wished to start the fight in full force, and this could only be accomplished in these circumstances.
But, beware future adversary of the Fighters from Leuven! These man can not be lured with such simple tricks. Henri Pollet, a soldier of many a war, smashed his first two opponents into smithereens. And an objective observer informed your reporter that Mr Soltani held the throat of Belgian’s number one Michel Lamote with both hands in an iron grip, and only had to release his opponent at the last moment.
With the score tied 3-3, darkness looming over the bloody and messy battlefield, all subtleties were thrown overboard, and Brugge switched to their final strategy. With pure brute force they overcame the last hurdle in this heroic battle.
Returning home, sweat streaming down their faces, they muttered “mission completed”. But let there be no misunderstanding! This was not the usual Ogre’s roaring voice, which is feared by all foes; this resembled the sound of a peeping mouse.
(The second match of the third round Gent-Hasselt will be played as scheduled on Tuesday, June 16th in Gent)
— LP
Round 1: Brugge – Leuven 2-1
Guy defeats Marc
Henri defeats Paul
Michel defeats Akbar
Ronde 2: Brugge – Leuven 1-2
Henri defeats Guy
Marc defeats Michel
Paul defeats Akbar
Ronde 3: Brugge – Leuven 3-0
Guy defeats Akbar
Paul defeats Marc
Michel defeats Henri
Final score: Brugge – Leuven 6-3
An old Chinese proverb says: “The 4 Cubes is a match of nine games, and in the end Brussels wins with 4-5”. When your reporter left the battlefield around eleven o’clock, Hasselt was comfortably leading 4-2 against Brussels. Confidently, I let my teammates finish the job. The first sentences of this report were already conceived in my car. Choices in abundance: “their tails between their legs”, “a depressing and long trip through the silent night back home”, “a howling wolf on a nearby hill in the light of the moon was their sole companion”, were some of the candidates.
The next day I received the shocking news: Brussels managed to win all three matches of the last round and clinched a certainly hard fought and by definition well deserved victory.
Brussels on top of the world, and Hasselt entering the realm of the Deepest Darkness. It’s still mathematically possible to retain the title. But this will be such a story of if this and if that and only when this and only when that, that it’s probably a waste of time to dissect all possible scenarios.
For Gent, the same nightmare Friday evening doomed. But no slippery slope at the shore of the Vaart. The fighters from Gent finished the job against Leuven in a most clinical way. After two rounds, victory was already assured with a 5-1 lead. “No prisoners!” was the device, and they went home with eight precious gems to present to their loved ones.
Sitting high on the Olympus, behind a table filled with exquisite garnish on the meat of a gnu and bottles of the finest wine and devilish beer, the players from Brugge watched these developments with a satisfied grin on their faces. Hiding outside in a dark corner – the street covered with snow in the freezing cold – your reporter had to dig deep in his purse to receive some extra information from a waiter. He whispered: “I could only read in their eyes: Everything according to plan” and disappeared in the silent street.
Next round: third week of June. Captains! At work!
— LP
After an eventful Friday evening, Gent went home trailing 4-2. They lost the first four matches, and although in “Crawford”-mode, they started a moderate comeback with two wins. The three remaining matches were played a few days later. Johan Vervust kept the match alive with a win over Kristoffer De Weert in Gent. The eight game was played after the Brugge Backgammon Day. Director Geert Van der Stricht beat Zsolt Tasnadi after a gruelling day, and made the score 4-4. In a nearby restaurant, Alain Chif received the message that he had to finish the job.
The last match was played in Asse on Tuesday, March 3rd. Alain beat Johan Huyck and put a sensational comeback to an end.
The captains can now start to make arrangements for the next round in April.
There is a small change in the calendar, which I already discussed with the captains. After the withdrawal of Leuven I, there were two teams (Gent and Hasselt) with only 1 home-match, and two teams (Brugge and Leuven) with 3 home-matches. Therefore, Leuven-Hasselt becomes Hasselt-Leuven (round 4) and Brugge-Gent becomes Gent-Brugge (round 5). I have already changed this in the tournament book.
— LP
Last weekend, the new season of the 4 Cubes started. Sadly, Leuven I refrained from participating this year, even after registration. Consequently, “Leuven II” becomes “Leuven”. The competition will continue with 5 teams.
Both matches of the first round were played on Friday evening. In Brugge, the players had an enjoyable evening in the new venue of the local backgammon club the Hollandse Vismijn at the Vismarkt. After their loss in the last round against Hasselt in 2014, the boys from Brugge were well motivated to take revenge. Hasselt missed top player Belgian champion Walter Meuwis. The result was a cruel 7-2 massacre.
Things where not so straightforward in Brussels, where the local team received Gent. But the members from Brussels were unable to show their hospitality, because all the players could only admire in the pouring rain the closed tennis club of Longchamp. Despite confirmation shortly before the meeting that all travellers would receive a warm welcome, the host of the inn refused entrance to the premises.
Alain Chif switched to “Alain Provist”-mode and managed to find a nearby pub. Play started at Jaco’s around 8.45. But sadly the third round of matches could not start because the management insisted on closing at 11.30. The score at that point was 4-2 to Brussels. The captains and players made arrangements to play the last three matches in the next two weeks.
— LP
Last Sunday, 04/01/2015, the 4 Cubes trophy was handed over from Brugge to Hasselt, congratulations!! From left to right on the picture, Pascal Vanneste (Brugge), Walter Meuwis (Hasselt), Michel Lamote (Brugge).
Format and registration: please see http://bgfed.be/4-cubes/4-cubes-2015/
Registration deadLine: December 15, 2015. Registration fee: 25,- per team. All team members must be member of BGFed.be.
Tournament Director for 2015 is Luc Palmans (pascal.vanneste.brugge@gmail.com).
Congrats to HASSELT, winner of 4 Cubes 2014! With 4 victories out of 5 encounters, they are the indisputed leaders. Detailed results on the ‘4 Cubes 2014 Results’ document.
Friday, November 30, 2012
University Snooker and Pool, Heverlee
Leuven vs. Gent, 5-4 (more…)
Played on Friday, November 9, 2012, at Royal Orée Tennis Hockey Bridge Club, drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels.
(more…)
Friday, September 21, 2012
café Cambrinus Dorpstraat 25, 3500 Hasselt (more…)
4 Cubes 2012, Round 4
Brussels vs. Brugge, 3 – 6
Played on Thursday, September 6, in Orée (Brussels) (more…)
On Tuesday, June 26, Gent received Brugge for the 3rd round of the 4 Cubes 2012. Location: Koninklijke Academie Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 3000 Gent. (more…)
On Friday, June 15, 2012, Hasselt received Leuven for Round 3 in the 4 Cubes 2012. Location: café Cambrinus, Dorpstraat 25, 3500 Hasselt. (more…)
Koninklijke Academie Union Sandeman, Gent, Friday, May 11, 2012 (more…)
Report by Brugge’s team captain, Michel Lamote.
Last Monday, 30 April, the 4 Cubes 2012 competition entered the second stage. Leuven, with a win over Brussels under their belt, delegated 4 players to Brugge in an attempt to make a strong bid for victory. For Brugge, ruffled after a surprising home loss against Hasselt, only a convincing win was good enough. A second consecutive loss would surely mean the end of all Four Cubes dreams. (more…)
Round 1 of the 4 Cubes 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012, in Café Belleman Pub, Jozef Suveestraat 22, 8000 Brugge. (more…)
In Round 1 of the 4 Cubes 2012, played on Friday, March 9, in the University Snooker & Pool, Heverlee, the Backgammon Club Leuven defeated the team from Brussels 6-3. The victory was celebrated by a bottle of cava offered by the home team. (more…)