Find the most recent news below, or use the categories listed here:
- Belgian Delegation Shines at Aachen Backgammon Festival 2025
July 16–22, Aachen, Germany — The Belgian backgammon community can be proud of a remarkable showing at the 2025 Aachen Backgammon Festival, with several players delivering standout performances across multiple events.
Read the full article here.
- Backgammon: Nerves on Fire
On Saturday, July 12, the Leuven backgammon team travelled to Ghent for their next 4 Cubes encounter, hosted at the beautiful Sandeman venue.
Read the full article here.
- BIC 2025
Read the full article here.
- 4 Cubes Gent 2 – Antwerp 2 Thursday 15/05
- Bear off Bruges Brings Backgammon to Heritage Day 2025
Read the full report here.
- Paul reaches final in Red Beaver League
Read the report here.
- 4 Cubes Tournament: Bruges vs Antwerp
Read the report here.
- A Roll of Glory and Grit — Belgium at the World Championship Backgammon, Kamena Vourla (April 7–10, 2025)
The Red Beavers were on the move.
As several planes lifted off from Zaventem toward Athens on the first April weekend, seven determined Belgians were heading for Kamena Vourla, Greece—a picturesque battlefield where the world’s best backgammon nations would collide. The mission? Represent Belgium at the World Championship Backgammon for national teams, and fight for a place among the elite.
Our group was no walk in the park: reigning giants Denmark, alongside evenly matched opponents from Austria, Georgia, and Switzerland. Ukraine rounded out the pool—technically the underdog, but in backgammon, luck doesn’t read rankings.
DAY 1: A Roaring Start, A Narrow Miss
We came out swinging, dispatching Ukraine with a commanding 4–1 victory that set the tone for a thrilling campaign. Confidence was high. Then came Austria—a key duel for group supremacy. After four fierce boards, the score was tied 2–2. The decider? Michel Lamote, razor-sharp and battle-ready, stepped into the spotlight. He played a brilliant match… but the dice had their own story to tell. Austria edged us 3–2.
The drama didn’t stop there. Switzerland awaited in Round 3, and once again, it came down to a final board. And once again, the dice denied us by a hair’s breadth. Another 2–3 loss. Tension high. Stakes higher.
DAY 2: Firepower and Frustration
With qualification on the line, Day 2 was do-or-die.
First up: Denmark, the top dogs. The Beavers came armed with world-class play, posting a blistering team Performance Rating of 3.55—elite by any standard. But when the dust settled, the deciding board slipped away once more. The cruel poetry of the game repeated itself.
Our last group match, against Georgia, had become a formality—but not for our team. We fought. We bled. We fell, 2–3. Three heartbreakers in one tournament. It happens. Not often. But it happens.
Pride, Potential, and a Promise
Despite the results, there was so much to be proud of. Our level of play was exceptional, driven by the presence and mentorship of Belgium’s very first Grandmaster—Marc Van Damme.
Newcomers Firat Tekil and Csaba Daday brought youthful fire to the team and proved they belonged on the international stage. Every member—Geert, Guy, Marc, Michel, Firat, Csaba and our Team Captain Johan Huyck—battled hard, backed one another, and wore the Red Beaver badge with pride.
Backgammon is a game of skill, nerve, and sometimes… a little heartbreak. You can love the dice. You can hate them. But ultimately, you must meet them with a smile.
Thank you, Team Belgium.
You made us dream, you made us proud—and next year in London…
Written & Edited : Johan Huyck / Alf
- 🔥 4 Cubes Tournament Kick-Off: Antwerp 1 vs Gent 2 – A Clash of Dice and Drama!
On Wednesday 23/05, the first showdown of the 4 Cubes backgammon season ignited the board as Antwerp 1 faced off against Gent 2. The venue was charged, the dice were hot, and the tension could be sliced at moments. Representing the teams were: from left to right
Antonio (G), Inge (A), Steven (G), Rachid (A), Kris (A), Yani (A), Mundo (G), Alf (G) — and keeping the fire under control, tournament organizer Guy Van Middelem.
🎲 Round 1: Fireworks from the First Roll
Inge struck first blood, taking down Steven. Yani outmaneuvered Mundo in a tense game peppered with disputes over moves and dice values. Meanwhile, Antonio powered past Rachid, and Alf pulled off the comeback of the round — down 0-4 after a doubled gammon, he slipped through a vault keyhole to beat Kris and clinch the draw for Gent. Score: 2 – 2💥 Round 2: Lightning Strikes and Spinach Power
Inge was unstoppable, toppling Mundo. Kris snatched victory from Steven in a DMP thriller after a miraculous double hit from the bar — lightning, literally, from the cube gods! Alf, once again, was deep in the trenches at 0–6 against Rachid, but cracked open a can of spinach and fought back tooth and nail to claim another unlikely win. In the round’s headline match, Antonio narrowly edged Yani in a high-octane battle filled with emotion, controversy, and flaring tempers. Accidents in paradise and blood on the dancefloor…… Yani exited the building — and Antwerp, down a soldier, faced round 3 short-handed. Score: 4 – 4🏁 Round 3: Gent Closes the Deal
With only three Antwerp players left standing, the odds tilted. Mundo worked his way past Rachid and comeback-king Alf crawled out of a deep pit once more against Inge with a cube on 8 and sealed the deal, delivering Gent 2 their first 4 Cubes victory of the season!If this opening match was any indication, we’re in for an explosive season.
- Csaba wins Silver Bracket in Billom
Read his report here.
- Inge wins Brussels Monthly in April!
Congratulations to Inge who won the April edition of the Brussels Monthly!
Final results 
Chantal and Inge! - Play in a unique location on Heritage Day 27/04/2025: Bear Off Bruges Backgammon Club invites you
(Nederlands beneden)
On April 27th, you can enjoy a backgammon meeting in the Folk Museum while passersby get to know our beloved game.
Do you like to share your passion? Or show the game for a while?
All played matches count for the rating, and there will be a treat waiting for you.
Combine your hobby with a day trip to Bruges and bring your friends or family. Do they like to do (also) something else? The Folk Museum is open for free, to travel back to the childhood of the 1950s and 60s in the brand-new exhibition ‘Children of the past’.
The youngest visitors can have fun at the various play stations.
Let us know if you will play all afternoon or just for a while. We will reserve a chair for you.
https://forms.gle/VQo3fxuxdtJ4P2Th7
Speel op een unieke locatie op Erfgoeddag 27/04/2025: Backgammon Brugge nodigt je uit
Op 27 april kan je in het volkskundemuseum vrij genieten van een backgammonontmoeting in alle mogelijke vormen: een korte of een lange match, double consultation,… terwijl toevallige passanten onze geliefde bezigheid leren kennen.
Breng jij graag je passie over? Of kom je graag eventjes meespelen?
Alle gespeelde matchen tellen voor de rating en er zal een traktatie voor je klaar staan.
Combineer je hobby met een daguitstap in Brugge en breng je vrienden of familie mee. Doen zij graag (ook) iets anders? Het Volkskundemuseum is gratis open. Daar reis je terug naar de kindertijd van de jaren ‘50 en ‘60 in de gloednieuwe opstelling ‘Kinderen van toen’.
De jongste bezoekers kunnen zich uitleven aan de verschillende spelstations.
Laat weten of je heel de namiddag of slechts eventjes meespeelt, dan houden we een stoel voor je vrij.
- Gent Open XVIII, March 22
A Backgammon Battle!
What a day! The Gent Open XVIII shattered records with 39 passionate players battling it out in a thrilling, all-day backgammon marathon. From the first roll of the dice at 11 AM until the final showdown, every match was a clash of wits, strategy, and a bit of luck.
With seven intense rounds ahead, competitors fueled up on coffee and cake before diving into the action. No matter their level—beginner, intermediate, or master—every player was thrown into the same Swiss tournament, ensuring unpredictable matchups and fierce competition.
Round-by-Round Action
Round 1:
Steven Segaert gets the bye, the camera, and a free point. Meanwhile, Michel claims victory in the Bierbeekse Derby against Sonja.
Round 2:
Kalin Stefanov takes down Michel Lamote, Sonja beats Ed Baars, and in the Brussels showdown, Vincent Hubert prevails over Chantal Lensen. Sverre enjoys a bye—and some photography duties.
Round 3:
Bert secures his third point, defeating his angstgegner Paul van Koningshoven, while Alf buries Marc Van Damme. Sonja snatches another win, and Ed gets the bye.
Round 4:
Five players remain undefeated at 3-0: Alf Martin, Bert Van Kerckhove, Nick De Ruyck, Kalin Stefanov, and Jürgen Schettler. Bert, Nick, and Jürgen emerge victorious, standing as the last three perfect-score players.
Round 5:
The pressure mounts! Nick edges out Jürgen, while Bert barely escapes with a win against Arthur Braacx. Alf, Sonja, Riza Yalçin, and Steven Segaert all secure crucial victories.
Round 6:
The battle at the top intensifies! Bert remains unstoppable, defeating Nick to stand alone at 6. Alf and Jürgen bounce back, keeping their hopes alive. Meanwhile, Linsey Van Campen remains unlucky, still searching for a win.
The Grand Finale – Round 7!
With three players dropping out, an odd number remains. Linsey takes the final bye.• Bert (6) vs. Jürgen (5) – A high-stakes duel for the Masters title!
• Nick (5) vs. Alf (5) – Who will take the Intermediates?
• Sonja (5) vs. Kalin (4) – A last shot at glory!In the end:
🏆 Bert defeats Jürgen to claim the Masters title!
🏆 Alf outplays Nick and shares the Intermediate title with Sonja! (Alf takes home the trophy on resistance points.)
🏆 Riza Yalçin emerges as the best beginner, overtaking Hubert Verstraeten in the final rankings!
Jürgen and Horst Büchner share 2nd and 3rd place in the Masters, while Sverre, Steven Segaert, and Kris Claeys tie for third in the Intermediates.
A Tournament to Remember!
After the prize ceremony, players stayed on to celebrate, unwind, and relive the day’s biggest moments.The final results can be found here.
Final Thanks
A huge shoutout to:
🎲 Alf Martijn for the fantastic catering!
🎲 Nick De Ruyck for top-notch assistance!
🎲 Toon Van Herreweghen for the smooth ludite tournament software!
🎲 Liva & team for keeping everyone refreshed at the bar!
🎲 And most of all—YOU, the players! Thank you for making this event such a success!
See you all at the next Gent Open!
- New website, volunteers needed!
BGFed is looking into create a new website in the future. Something a bit sexier and more attractive. In order to do this, we would like to get as many people as possible involved and get ideas and feedback of how it should look and be constructed. You do not need any knowledge on website development. Only ideas of how it should be set up/structured and laid out.
Should you wish to participate in this project, please send an email to bgfed.be@gmail.com (mention “website” in the subject line) and once we find 5 – 6 volunteers, we can get this ball rolling. The target is to get this online in the next 12 months. - Belgium Individual Championship 2025
BGFed.be invites you to the yearly BIC, 2025 edition. See the trilingual flyer attached for more information!
TL;DR: 9 rounds Swiss (without any elimination) with 5 rounds on Saturday 31.5 and 4 rounds on Sunday 1.6.
- 4 Cubes – The sequel
The 4 Cubes challenge started in a very fun way on 4/4/2009.
Those who were there, will recall memories when reading this piece of Belgian Backgammon history.
(original text/not translated) Reclaiming that title and the accompanying set of cubes became a matter of honor and the reason for several meetings between Ghent and Leuven. The title went back and forth several times.
In the meantime, we are proud to say that Belgian Backgammon has grown (with a federation). This gradually made the title of Best Belgian Backgammon Club even more prestigious.
(original text/not translated) The formula has been adapted over the past 16 years so that new clubs could compete and it remained pleasant to play for large, small, new or old clubs.
The holder of the 4 Cubes bears the title “Belgium’ Best Backgammon Club”. At the moment this is Brussels.
In order to honour history, we ask each Belgian Club to agree with one of the two statements.
- Backgammon Club Brussels is indeed the BBBC: the Best Belgian Backgammon Club. We silently accept that.
- Or: we are convinced of the opposite and are prepared to prove it: not they, but we are the BBBC.
A club that wants to challenge the BBBC must first prove itself in the preliminary rounds against the other Belgian Clubs. The winner becomes the Challenger and may challenge the BBBC.
Registrations can only be done by club representative. Deadline 31/03. Registration link and format will be mailed to club representatives.
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day 2025
- Leuven Monthly March
Join us in Leuven for the monthly tournament!
- Results from Brussels Monthly, March
Vincent Hubert won this month’s Brussels Monthly by derailing the hype train of Csaba in the last round 🙂 Congrats Vincent! And thanks to the organizers.
Csaba
- Rolling the Dice on a New Role
Dear backgammon players,
It was during the summer holidays of 1999 in Greece that I first discovered the great game of backgammon. Watching and talking with local players, I became fascinated by the game’s unique blend of skill and chance, the rattle of the dice, the strategic movement of the checkers, the powerful handling of the cube—combined with the thrill, the fun, and the people. Everything about it was a perfect match.
Around 2005, I joined the backgammon club in Leuven, and soon, my involvement went beyond playing. I began organising events, first locally, maintaining the club’s website since 2006. The old website, still available at https://www.backgammon-leuven.be/arxiv/, contains articles dating back to January 2006, including an early report on a visit to the club in Gent (link). Over the years, Leuven became home to a vibrant backgammon scene with biweekly or monthly club meetings, the Leuven Open tournament series (since 2009), annual club championships (since 2011), promotion events at Leuven’s summer fair De Langste Dag, interclub duels, and more.
Beyond Leuven, I have always been driven by the urge to bring players together for live play. Since 2012, I maintained for many years the website of the successful Brussels Friendly tournament series (link). Around the same time, BGFed.be was created, with its earliest post celebrating the Brussels Friendly’s 10th-anniversary edition (link). Other initiatives I was involved in include the 4 Cubes (encouraging encounters between clubs since 2009), the annual Backgammon Barbecue (BBBQ), and the national rating list, which originated as a Leuven-based list maintained by and for local players since 2005 and which gradually expanded to a nationwide system (see early history and statistics), under my management since the end of 2014.
Since late 2024, I have been coordinating the efforts of a highly motivated team to strengthen the foundations of the federation, ensuring its future growth. While some progress has been made, much remains to be done. For personal and professional reasons, I have decided to step back from this role, making room for others to carry forward the mission with renewed energy. However, this is not a farewell—I look forward to continuing to play the game I love, alongside players from across Belgium and beyond.
I would like to thank everyone with whom I have had the privilege to collaborate over the past two decades, particularly in the Leuven club, my home base, and in BGFed.be, the umbrella organisation uniting backgammon players, clubs, and tournaments in and around Belgium. I extend special thanks to the current pilot team for stepping in and catching the dice that my departure might otherwise have left on the floor.
Though the Belgian backgammon community is not the largest, it is strong, diverse, and home to both experienced players and emerging young talent. New initiatives and tournament formats continue to take shape, keeping the game alive and evolving. To those who will carry the federation forward, I wish you the best of luck. May your efforts—however modest or imperfect, as mine surely have been—have a positive impact on the Belgian backgammon community, as I will surely appreciate them myself.
Playful greetings,
Johan Segers - Guy wins the February Brussels Monthly
Guy van Middelem won all 5 matches in this month’s Brussels Monthly. Congratulations! Below you can see a picture of Chantal Lensen and the winner himself, as well as the final standings.
- 4 Cubes Thriller in Brussels
As 4 Cubes 2023 title holder, the team of Brussels had the advantage of hosting the final of BGFed.be interclub competition, the much-coveted 4 Cubes. On Friday the 17th of January, Tennis Club ‘Le Roseau’ was the scene of an epic battle against Ghent, winner of the semi-final. 3 rounds of 4 players against 4 in 7-point matches (12 encounters, first to 7 to win) were completed in the evening.
The first round ended 2-2 with wins from Steven Hoeylaerts (Ghent) against Guy Van Middelem, from Bert Van Kerckhove (Ghent) against Paul van Dijke, Itzhak Solsky (Brussels) against Firat Tekil and Kristoffer De Weert (Brussels) against Geert Van der Stricht.
The second round was again 2-2 (making it 4-4) with Steven beating Itzhak, Guy wins vs Geert, Bert wins vs Kristoffer, Paul wins vs Firat. The third round started around 11.00 PM and quickly Ghent was leading 4-6 (Geert beating Paul, Firat winning vs Guy) looming at the trophy. But in a desperate effort to avoid bitterness, Brussels managed to come back at 6-6 (Kristoffer wins vs Steven and Itzhak wins narrowly vs Bert).
After midnight, it was all up for the last decisive encounter, a multiple consultation match to 5 points. It went double-pass (0-1 for Ghent), double-pass (0-2), double-pass (1-2), double-take – redouble-take and at the end, Kristoffer (Brussels) secured the 4 points, the match, and the encounter. Brussels’ dreams and joy, keeping the 4 Cubes, contrasted with Ghent’s nightmare and despair but a bottle of champagne brought both teams together around 01.30 in the middle of the night. See you this year for another final, who will take the gauntlet ?
– Guy Van Middelem
- Mutual Holding Game Strategy: When to Jump Out
In a mutual holding game, the player with the lead in the race usually has the advantage, but they are often at a timing disadvantage. To deal with this, the race leader often considers jumping out from their anchor. If they succeed and avoid being hit, their advantage increases significantly because they’ll be playing a holding game with a race lead, which is a favorable position. However, jumping out isn’t risk-free.
To decide if the risk/reward ratio is in your favor, you need to consider a number of key risk factors. Read more about these and test your knowledge in a quiz in the article “Mutual Holding Game Strategy: When to Jump Out“ by Marc Van Damme.
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day, Saturday September 13, 2025
We are happy to invite you for part 3 of the Belgian Backgammon Beach Day, on September 13, 2025. The same nice venue, the same concept: see the report of the second edition. More info will follow later.
— Johan Brisaert
- Vlissingen Masters 2025
Wrapping up the Vlissingen Blitz Masters International Backgammon Tournament that took place on January 10-12, 2025:
64 players of 11 different nationalities were present.
Championship Division (44):
– Winner: Tilman Söhnchen (Germany)
– Finalist: Geert Van der Stricht (Belgium)
– Semifinalists: Ray Joenoes (Netherlands), Arthur Braacx (Netherlands)
– Quarterfinalists: Jürgen Schettler (Germany), Csaba Daday (Romania), Daniel Rozenberg (Belgium), Michel Lamote (Belgium)Advanced Division (20):
– Winner: Robert Vledderman (Netherlands)
– Finalist: Joseph Meyns (Belgium)
– Semifinalists: Miriam Wieck (Germany), Kris Claeys (Belgium)Superjackpot (11):
– Winner: Steven Hoeylaerts (Belgium)
– Finalist: Bert Van Kerckhove (Belgium)Speedgammon (7):
– Winner: Katalin Veszeli (Hungary)Pro-Am Doubles (7 teams): Winners: Marc Friebe (Germany) & Rosie Flack (England)
Vlissingen Masters 2025 | Screenshot of the live stream of the Pro-Am double consultation match between Sonja Custers and Michel Lamote versus Anna S. Eysturstein and Olivier Squire; commentary by Gianlazzaro Sanna, livestream by Firat Tekil Warm-up Doubles (8 teams):
– Winners: Team “Old School”: Jürgen Schettler & Rainer Jöller (Germany)
– Finalists: World Champions: Oliver Squire (England) & Anna Sofía Eysturstein (Faroe Islands)Special thanks to:
- Belgium Backgammon Federation: https://bgfed.be/ for their support
- Fletcher Arion-Vlissingen: https://www.fletcherhotelvlissingen.nl for their hospitality
- Nardy Pillards: https://www.amstergammon.nl/ and Paul Brennan for their invaluable assistance in hosting this tournament
- Bruno Mikael Eysturstein: https://www.instagram.com/brunomikaeleysturstein/ for a ton of great photographs
- Firat Tekil for the wonderful live transcription and live stream,
- Gianlazzaro Sanna: https://www.youtube.com/@glsbackgammon for his insightful expert live commentary
- All participants for their fighting spirit, sporting attitude and the trust they have placed in me.
Very special thanks to Oliver and Anna Sofía for being such ambassadors for the game we love so much.
— Paulus van Rooijen
- General Assembly, January 19, 2025
All BGFed.be members are cordially invited to BGFed.be’s General Assembly that takes place on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 11:00 AM in Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele.
Agenda:
- Welcome
- Roll call and appointment of minute taker
- Presentation of the pilot team (members and roles) and values
- Presentation of the Handbook
- Explanation on membership procedure
- Backgammon calendar 2025
- Explanation on the charter
- Finance
- Result 2024
- Budget 2025
- All other business
— The BGFed.be Pilot Team
- Red Beaver League 2025-2026: New Format
RBL will undergo a facelift in the coming season. Please find all relevant information in the attached file: RED BEAVER LEAGUE 25-26.
— Michel Lamote
- Renewal Membership 2025
Dear backgammon players,
To become a member of BGFed.be, the Belgian backgammon federation, or to renew your current membership for 2025:
- Please fill in the membership form and
- Transfer the appropriate amount to the BGFed.be bank account BE83 3632 5199 3815, with your surname, first name and ‘BGFed.be membership 2025’ in the payment reference line:
- Membership for 2025 is 20 euro.
- Membership for new members is 10 euro for the first year.
- Deadline for payment for renewal of your membership is January 31.
Should you have any further questions concerning payment, please feel free to send an email to bgfed.be@gmail.com.
We welcome you to BGFed.be!
- Gent Open Backgammon XVIII
Dear Backgammon friends,
It is with great pleasure that I can invite you to the 18th edition of the Gent Open backgammon tournament on Saturday, March 22, 2025, in the K.A. Club Union Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent. For details see the flyer.
Included will be, as always, ‘koffiekoeken’ at your arrival and a hot meal after the second or third round.
Important: please register beforehand as the number of participants is limited to 44 and also in order to provide the correct amount of catering.
To register, just write to bert.vankerckhove@skynet.be.
Kind regards,
Bert Van Kerckhove
- Calendar
A list of live backgammon events in Belgium (tournaments, club evenings) is collected in the calendar.
- WBIF Belgian Championship 2025
The World Backgammon Internet Federation’s National Championship of Belgium 2025 starts on February 4, 2025. Participation is open to all BGFed.be members.
To take part, you will need a WBIF account, which is free of charge. Go to “Sign in for a Tourneys”, where you will find the “sign-in” registration.
Games are played on Heroes, which is also free of charge.
Tournament director is Hubert Verstraeten (hubert@verstraeten.com). Please contact Hubert if you intend to participate.
The tournament format is described in the full announcement.
- Sonja Custers wins Leuven Club Championship 2024
Podium of the Club Championship 2024 of the Backgammon Leuven: Toon Van Herreweghen (3rd), Sonja Custers (1st), and Dan Pascu (2nd). After three seasons and nine Leuven Monthly tournaments, four players had qualified for the knock-out stage of the Leuven Club Championship 2024, played on December 15 in Sport & Squash Club De Vaart in Wilsele. Two semi-finals and two finals would decide upon the final ranking, all matches to be played to nine points.
Sonja Custers first defeated Toon Van Herreweghen in the semi-final to meet Dan Pascu in the final, who had himself won the other semi-final from Guy Van Middelem. Sonja also won the second match, clinching the title, and thereby depriving Toon from winning the championship for the third time in a row. In the duel for the third place, Toon defeated Guy, securing the last of the traditional cups.
- Dice Distribution – the Silent Storyteller
It’s time to start studying like a master – let’s take a deep dive into the inner workings of Extreme Gammon, our electronic mercenary.
https://temp.bgfed.be/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dice-Distribution-the-Silent-Storyteller.pdf
- Brussels Monthly, Sunday, January 5, 2025, at B.Sports
- Brussels Monthly 5 Dec 2024: results
Results of the Brussels Monthly tournament of December 5, 2024, at B.Sports, Berchem-Saint-Agathe:
Brussels Monthly, 5 Dec 2024: organizer Chantal Lensen, winner Hubert Verstraeten, and Raymond - WBGF World Team Championship 2025: Team Selection Red Beavers
In 2025, the World Team Championship will take place during the 3rd Greek Grand Prix in Kamena Vourla – Greece from April 7th to 9th, 2025, and will be followed by the individual tournament from April 9th to 13th.
The selection of a team can consist of up to 10 players, but only 5 players need to play a match each round.
All players interested in being part of the Belgium team can send their candidacy to Johan Huyck (Johan.Huyck@wiskin.be) before January 10th, 2025.
Belgium’s selection is based on PR strength and will be announced by January 15th at the latest.
This means that in order to join the national team, PR data must be available for your matches. Relevant PR data can come from the international BMAB rankings or from the national RBL rankings.
— Johan Huyck
- Brussels Backgammon Monthly on Sunday, January 5, 2025
- BGFed.be membership confirmation and invitation to General Assembly on January 19
[Nederlands: zie beneden. Français: voir ci-dessous]
Dear BGFed.be member,
The aim of this message is two-fold:
- To check and confirm your BGFed.be affiliation.
- To invite you to our General Assembly on Sunday, January 19, 2025.
1. Your affiliation to BGFed.be
As a member, you currently enjoy a number of benefits, such as a spot on the rating list and the right to participate in tournaments and competitions reserved to members.
If you are interested in staying a member, please complete the following short online form:
https://forms.gle/7v5aUoGVYpbtaH6C9
2. General Assembly
Hereby we wish to invite you cordially at the BGFed.be General Assembly on Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 11:00 in Sport & Squash Club de Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele. The assembly will be followed at 13:00 by the Leuven Monthly tournament organised by the Backgammon Club Leuven.
At the meeting, we will present ourselves and our project for backgammon in Belgium. An agenda and registration form will be sent later to members who completed the form above.
Kind regards from the (ad interim) BGFed.be team
Johan Segers (coordinator)
Odette Vanhorenbeek (treasurer)
Alf Martijn (communication)
Chantal Lensen (tournament planning)
Sonja Custers (member administration)________________________________________
[Français: voir ci-dessous]
Beste BGFed.be lid,
Het doel van dit bericht is tweeledig:
- Om je aansluiting bij BGFed.be te controleren en te bevestigen.
- Om je uit te nodigen op onze Algemene Vergadering op zondag 19 januari 2025.
1. Je aansluiting bij BGFed.be
Als lid geniet je momenteel van een aantal voordelen, zoals een plaats op de ratinglijst en het recht om deel te nemen aan toernooien en competities die voorbehouden zijn aan leden.
Als je geïnteresseerd bent om lid te blijven, gelieve dan het volgende korte online formulier in te vullen:
https://forms.gle/7v5aUoGVYpbtaH6C9
2. Algemene Vergadering
Hierbij willen we je van harte uitnodigen op de Algemene Vergadering van BGFed.be op zondag 19 januari 2025 om 11:00 uur in Sport & Squash Club de Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele. De vergadering zal om 13:00 gevolgd worden door het Leuven Monthly toernooi georganiseerd door de Backgammon Club Leuven.
Op de bijeenkomst zullen we onszelf en ons project voor backgammon in België voorstellen. Een agenda en inschrijvingsformulier zullen later verstuurd worden naar de leden die bovenstaand formulier ingevuld hebben.
Vriendelijke groeten van het (ad interim) BGFed.be team
Johan Segers (coördinator)
Odette Vanhorenbeek (penningmeester)
Alf Martijn (communicatie)
Chantal Lensen (toernooiplanning)
Sonja Custers (ledenadministratie)________________________________________
Chère et cher membre de BGFed.be,Vous recevez cet e-mail parce que vous êtes affilié à BGFed.be, la fédération belge de backgammon.
L’objectif de ce message est double :
- Vérifier et confirmer votre affiliation à BGFed.be.
- Vous inviter à notre Assemblée Générale du dimanche 19 janvier 2025.
1. Votre affiliation à BGFed.be
En tant que membre, vous bénéficiez actuellement d’un certain nombre d’avantages, tels qu’une place sur la liste de classement et le droit de participer aux tournois et compétitions réservés aux membres.Si vous souhaitez rester membre, veuillez remplir le court formulaire en ligne suivant :
https://forms.gle/7v5aUoGVYpbtaH6C9
2. Assemblée générale
Par la présente, nous souhaitons vous inviter cordialement à l’Assemblée Générale de la BGFed.be le dimanche 19 janvier 2025 à 11h00 au Sport & Squash Club de Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele. L’assemblée sera suivie à 13h00 par le Leuven Monthly tournoi organisé par le Backgammon Club Leuven.Lors de l’assemblée, nous nous présenterons ainsi que notre projet pour le backgammon en Belgique. Un ordre du jour et un formulaire d’inscription seront envoyés ultérieurement aux membres qui ont rempli le formulaire ci-dessus.
Salutations cordiales de la part de l’équipe (ad interim) de BGFed.be
Johan Segers (coordinateur)
Odette Vanhorenbeek (trésorière)
Alf Martijn (communication)
Chantal Lensen (planning)
Sonja Custers (administration des membres) - Live Backgammon in December
Weekly club evenings
- Antwerp: every Wednesday evening, 19h, in Spéciale Belge Taproom, Pakt | Régine Beerplein 1, 2018 Antwerpen. Contact: Inge van den Dorpel, inge.van.den.dorpel@gmail.com
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at Café Lutgarde, Chaussée de Waterloo 393, 1050 Ixelles
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
Tournaments
- BBBB-Sports Monthly, Sunday, December 8, 2024, from 10:00 AM, at B.SPORTS, 14 rue de la Basilique, Sint Agatha Berchem.
- Leuven Monthly: Sunday, December 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Looking ahead
- BBBB-Sports Monthly, Sunday, January 5, 2025, at B.SPORTS, 14 rue de la Basilique, Sint Agatha Berchem.
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday 11–12 January, 2025, in Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Vlissingen.
- BGFed.be General Assembly, Sunday January 19, 2025, at 11:00, followed by the Leuven Monthly tournament at 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
- Brussels Backgammon Thursday: New Venue
Brussels Backgammon Thursday on the Move! From November 28th on, we play at:
Café Lutgarde
Chaussée de Waterloo 393
1050 Ixelles
— Chantal Lensen
- BGFed.be governance: interim team and general assembly
Dear Backgammon enthusiasts,
At the BGFed.be general assembly held on June 7, 2024, it was explained that a two-person board, as it has been existing de facto in recent years, has become inadequate to meet the federation’s needs.
Since then, a number of people have been exploring new structures for the federation. Guy Van Middelem has been our figurehead for many years, and with his natural charisma, he was BGFed.be’s leader. When the board became smaller, he remained steadfast. He has flawlessly organized countless competitions, maintained membership lists, managed international contacts… We want to explicitly thank him for founding the federation, his leadership over the past years, and for passing the torch to a team—now five members strong—that will continue his work.
The search for new structures, initiated in June, has ultimately led to a team of five backgammon players familiar with the federation: Johan S., Sonja, Odette, Alf, and Chantal.
As an interim team, we have the following mission for the coming two months:
- to complete the formalities related to a non-profit association;
- to develop a plan to further shape the federation.
At the general assembly on January 19, 2025, at 11:00 am, in Sport & Squash club de Vaart in Leuven (Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele), we will present the plan to all members, with a vote on whether to continue with this interim team.
All players who are BGFed.be member are therefore warmly invited to this general assembly. Please mark January 19 in your calendars – a formal invitation will follow.
- Live Backgammon in November
Club events
- Antwerp: every Wednesday evening, starting on October 16, 19h, in Spéciale Belge Taproom, Pakt | Régine Beerplein 1, 2018 Antwerpen. Contact: Inge van den Dorpel, inge.van.den.dorpel@gmail.com
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Tournaments
Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Wilsele.
Looking ahead
- BBBB-Sports Monthly, Sunday, December 8, 2024, at B.SPORTS, 14 rue de la Basilique, Sint Agatha Berchem.
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday 11–12 January, 2025, in Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Vlissingen.
- 4 Cubes 2024 Gent vs BBBB
On Tuesday 22nd October, eight backgammon players battled it out over twelve matches. Four players from Gent against four from Brussel Black Beard Backgammon (BBBB), each playing three rounds to 7 points. Location: Union Sandeman, home of the Gent Backgammon club. At stake: to gain the opportunity to challenge the current 4 Cubes holder, Brussels.
From Gent, Geert, Bert, Firat and Alf were summoned to face off Maurits, Daniel, Vincent and Hubert from BBBB.
The Brussel Black Beard Backgammon team went off for a good start, winning 3 out of 4 matches. Only captain Bert managed to eke out a double match point (DMP) win against Daniel.
Round two was for Gent, 3-1, with only Maurits managing a win over Alf. So it became 4-4 and everything remained to be played for in the third and final round.
Focused players from Gent and Brussels Black Beard Backgammon during the 4 Cubes duel on Tuesday October 22, 2024, at the K.A. Union Sandeman, Gent. Geert and Bert finished their matches first, both winning. Then Maurits mistakenly forgot to hit Firat’s checker while entering from the bar but realized it only after he pressed his clock—it was a legal move without hitting. At DMP this proved fatal and Firat took the win and the 7th victory point for Gent! Daniel won his match but this was not enough to keep Gent from winning from BBBB with a narrow 7-5.
Now Gent is in the position to challenge Brussels to regain the 4 Cubes trophy after a year of absence from its usual location 😉
To be continued…
— Bert Van Kerckhove
Results
Gent BBBB 7 5 Round 1 Geert Van der Stricht Maurits Pino 0 1 Bert Van Kerckhove Daniel Rozenberg 1 0 Firat Tekil Vincent Hubert 0 1 Alf Martijn Hubert Verstraeten 0 1 Round 2 Geert Van der Stricht Daniel Rozenberg 1 0 Bert Van Kerckhove Vincent Hubert 1 0 Firat Tekil Hubert Verstraeten 1 0 Alf Martijn Maurits Pino 0 1 Round 3 Geert Van der Stricht Vincent Hubert 1 0 Bert Van Kerckhove Hubert Verstraeten 1 0 Firat Tekil Maurits Pino 1 0 Alf Martijn Daniel Rozenberg 0 1 - BBBB-Sports Monthly
Hello everybody,
Recently, I’ve been approached by a number of players with requests to organize a monthly tournament in Brussels.
The Black Beards are now launching BBBB-Sports Monthly as we’ve found a fabulous, accessible and bucolic place to play, with a terrace open in fine weather.
Sunday December 8, 2024 will be our kick-off tournament at B.SPORTS! Address: 14 avenue de la Basilique, Sint Agatha Berchem.
Reserve your place now so that we can book the right room. You can send me an e-mail at chantal.lensen@skynet.be.
Venue
The B.SPORTS club will welcome us once a month. This sports complex formerly belonged to the National Bank of Belgium and is located in Brussels near the ring and the highway exit from Oostende. The kitchen offers a full range of catering options at all times.
- by bar: B.SPORTS is located at 14 avenue de la Basilique, Sint Agatha Berchem. You can easily park your car.
- It’s also easy to reach by public transport: Trams 9 and 82, bus 20, Berchem Ste Agathe station, etc.
Format and schedule
We’ll play 5 rounds of 7 points. Pairings will be based on the Swiss system.
- From 9 a.m.: Welcome. The bar will be open at 8.30 a.m., so you can enjoy a coffee as soon as you arrive.
- Round 1: 10am
- Round 2: 11:45 a.m.
- Round 3: 1:30pm
- Round 4: 3:15pm
- Round 5: 5:00 pm
Registration
Reservations are mandatory: please send an e-mail to chantal.lensen@skynet.be.
Price for the day: €10 to be paid on site (+ membership fee for the Belgian Backgammon Federation for non-members).
In 2025, we’ll be playing on the first Sunday of every month. I’ll send out invitations the month before.
I hope to see many of you there.
Kind regards
— Chantal
- Marc Van Damme wins PR prize in Aachen
Twenty ambitious players showed up in Aachen to compete in a BMAB tournament. In these kinds of tournaments, all matches are recorded and transcribed by the organization and the players’ performance ratings (PRs) are tabulated to designate a specific title, such as Grandmaster (GM), Master, Expert, etc.
Belgium’s most proficient player and top Red Beaver, Marc Van Damme, stunned the global backgammon community with a stellar overall performance rating (OPR) of 3,51 (nine 9-point matches). This won him the PR prize, leaving a couple of certified GM’s slightly bemused. Marc is now edging closer and closer to a GM title.
Geert Van der Stricht also started off very well with a handful of SGM (= Super GM) PR’s, but sadly he could not sustain this high level of play ending with an OPR of 4,32 (4th place). Still a very solid performance by our undisputed number two.
Johan Huyck also excelled. He strung together 7 victories winning this tournament for the second time in a row. A remarkable back-to-back triumph embellished by a confidence-boosting 4,96 OPR.
Johan Huyck and Marc Van Damme, champion and PR champion, respectively, of the BMAB backgammon tournament in Aachen, Germany, October 2024 My personal performance pales in comparison. Although I shared second prize with Geert and two others (6/9) I could not be happy with a mediocre 5,56 OPR.
All-in all, this was a well-run tournament in a comfortable venue. Snacks and drinks were offered at player-friendly prices and the atmosphere was cordial and relaxed. The star of the show was Marc Van Damme, whose performance cannot have escaped the attention of the world’s established GM’s.
— Michel Lamote
- Books and Bosses at Brussels Friendly 103
At the classy venue of the bridge rooms in the Royal Orée in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, 41 backgammon players from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany and other countries gathered on a chilly but sunny Sunday morning for the Brussels Friendly 103 backgammon tournament. Energized by coffee, cake, and a cold or hot lunch served by the friendly staff at Orée, the players competed in a five-round Swiss tournament, with matches to 7 points. Main organiser Chantal Lensen and her team ensured that everybody felt welcome and that the tournament went smoothly and in good style.
Special guest was the German professional player Dirk Schiemann, author of “The Theory of Backgammon” and “To Hit or Not To Hit”. The latter book was also the prize for the winner of the tournament.
Final ranking after five rounds of the Brussels Friendly 103 backgammon tournament on Sunday, October 6, 2024, in Royal Orée, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre After four rounds, Kristoffer De Weert and Inge van den Dorpel were the only players left with four victories, and so they battled for the tournament victory in a direct confrontation. Kristoffer emerged as winner, confirming the high ranking he has been able to maintain in the Belgian rating list for many consecutive years. Congratulations also to Inge, who started playing tournaments less than a year ago and who’s seeing her study efforts pay off.
Happy faces at the end of the Brussels Friendly 103 backgammon tournament. From left to right: Chantal Lensen (organiser), Dirk Schiemann, backgammon professional and author of “To Hit or Not To Hit”, the first prize proudly shown by the winner, Kristoffer De Weert A big thanks to Chantal, Daniel, Guy, Hubert and Vincent for the wonderful event!
- Live Backgammon in October
Club events
- Antwerp: every Wednesday evening, starting on October 16, 19h, in Spéciale Belge Taproom, Pakt | Régine Beerplein 1, 2018 Antwerpen. Contact: Inge van den Dorpel, inge.van.den.dorpel@gmail.com
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Tournaments
Brussels Friendly 103, Sunday, October 6, 2024, in Royal Orée, Sint-Pieters-Woluwe.
Looking ahead
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Wilsele.
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday 11–12 January, 2025, in Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Vlissingen.
- 4 Cubes 2024: Black Beard BG Brussels beats Leuven
In 2024, four teams compete for the 4 Cubes 2024 trophy: Brussels (champion 2023, captain Guy Van Middelem), Gent (captain: Bert Van Kerckhove), Leuven (captain: Johan Segers), and Black Beard BG Brussels, aka BBBB (captain: Daniel Rozenberg).
On Sunday, September 22, today, the duel between Leuven and BBBB took place in Sport & Squash Club De Vaart (Wilsele). Each team fielded 4 players. Three rounds of in total twelve 7-point matches were to decide which team would qualify for the duel against Gent, runner-up of 2023. In case of a 6-6 draw, a 5-point team consultation match would serve to break the tie.
Toon Van Herreweghen (Leuven) vs Daniel Rozenberg (captain of Black Beard BG Brussels) playing in Sport & Squash Club De Vaart (Wilsele) at the occasion of the 4 Cubes 2024, BGFed.be’s interclub competition. After round 1, BBBB took the lead, 3-1. In rounds 2 and 3, Leuven fought hard to catch up, but to no avail, BBBB drawing each of the two rounds 2-2. Leuven vs BBBB ended therefore at 5-7, BBBB winning the confrontation. Congratulations!
The next step in the 4 Cubes 2024 competition is the duel between Gent, with home advantage, vs BBBB. At stake: a chance to challenge the 2023 champion, Brussels. Good luck to all and may the best team win!
Leuven Black Beard BG Brussels Round 1 Michel Lamote Daniel Rozenberg 0 1 Johan Segers Vincent Hubert 0 1 Toon Van Herreweghen Hubert Verstraeten 0 1 Luc Palmans Chantal Lensen 1 0 Round 2 Michel Lamote Vincent Hubert 0 1 Johan Segers Daniel Rozenberg 0 1 Toon Van Herreweghen Chantal Lensen 1 0 Luc Palmans Hubert Verstraeten 1 0 Round 3 Michel Lamote Hubert Verstraeten 0 1 Toon Van Herreweghen Daniel Rozenberg 1 0 Johan Segers Chantal Lensen 1 0 Luc Palmans Vincent Hubert 0 1 Total 5 7 - 15th Leuven Backgammon Open, Sun 10 Nov 2024
The 15h Leuven Open will take place on Sunday, November 10, 2024, in Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Leuven, the same venue as for the Leuven Monthly tournaments.
Please register in advance via the online registration form. The registration fee (including lunch) is €30 (for non-BGFed.be members it’s €40, the extra €10 including BGFed.be membership), to be paid not later than Monday November 4 by bank transfer to Backgammon Club Leuven, BE84 7360 4493 9659, mentioning “Leuven Open 2024”.
The billiards room of Squash Club De Vaart in Wilsele, venue of the 15th Leuven Backgammon Open on November 10, 2024 (picture taken at the 14th edition on November 12, 2023).
- Second Belgian Backgammon Beach Day
The 2nd Belgian Backgammon Beach Day took place on Saturday, September 14, 2024, in Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Westende. Tournament director Johan Brisaert managed the event, hosting 14 players, who enjoyed a great day. The 1st prize was for Kristoffer De Weert, who won all his 7 matches. Christian Standaert and Rachid Assemiouni were 2nd and 3rd, respectively, each winning 5 matches. Congratulations!
Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Westende, venue of the 2nd Belgian Backgammon Beach Day on Saturday, September 14, 2024 
Tournament Director Johan Brisaert (left), playing and organizing the 2nd Belgian Backgammon Beach Day 
Podium of the 2nd Belgian Backgammon Beach Day, from left to right: Rachid Assemiouni (3rd), Kristoffer De Weert (1st), Christian Standaert (2nd) 
Final ranking of the 2nd Belgian Backgammon Beach Day - Live Backgammon in September
Club events
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Tournaments
Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday September 14, 2024, Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Henri Jasparlaan 150, 8434 Westende.
Looking ahead
- Brussels Friendly 103, Sunday, October 6, 2024, in Royal Orée, Sint-Pieters-Woluwe.
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Wilsele.
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday 11–12 January, 2025, in Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Vlissingen.
- Backgammon Scenes and Tales – How Backgammon Imitates Blackjack
When you trap a couple of back checkers behind a strong prime, you sometimes see the remaining part of the opponent’s position – which was calm and orderly to this point – suddenly go berserk!
The result can be disastrous – but for whom?
https://temp.bgfed.be/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/How-Backgammon-Imitates-Blackjack.pdf
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday, September 14, 2024
After the success last year from the first Belgian Backgammon Beach Day, we are happy to invite you for part II, on September 14, 2024. The same nice venue, the same concept. Registration is open.
Schedule:
09:00 Welcome breakfast and coffee
10:00 Rounds 1 to 3
13:30 Sandwiches and soup
14:30 Rounds 4 to 7
19:00 Price ceremonyRestaurant Villa Marie Joseph
Henri Jasparlaan 150, Westende300 meters from the beach
participation price: 30 € / person
account no. Johan Brisaert:
BE58 3101 2364 5279
(mention name & bg Westende)max. 26 players
Swiss format, 7 rounds, 5-point matches
Clock: Bronstein, 10 minutes bank time
plus 12 seconds per moveJohan Brisaert
+32 (0)497 15 52 82 - Vlissingen Masters, Jan 11-12, 2025
Paulus van Rooijen invites you to participate in two exciting tournaments in two days:
On Saturday, January 11, 2025: Vlissingen Masters, 5 rounds Swiss system, 9-point matches, 18 min. + 12 sec., to qualify for a play-off (last 8). We expect 60 participants of 10 nationalities who will play in two separate groups: Champions and Advanced, each with a play-off.
On Sunday, January 12, 2025:
Play-off last 8 of each group (direct elimination);
Pro-Am Consulting Doubles, 5 rounds Swiss system, 7-point
matches, 21 min. + 12 sec.Please bring your boards, clocks and friends and register in advance by email: pro@zeelandnet.nl for a weekend of fun at the seaside. Let’s start the new year with a backgammon party!
Venue: Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion
Boulevard Bankert 266
4382AC Vlissingen
The NetherlandsFlyer: https://temp.bgfed.be/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Vlissingen-2025.pdf
- Red Beaver League 2024-2025 Qualifiers
Through participation in the Red Beaver League Qualifiers (RBL Q), ambitious players can gain a place among the RBL Contenders (RBL C).
The two winners of RBL C from season 24-25 will then take on the two lowest-ranked players from RBL in March/April 2025.
The winners of these Relegation/Promotion duels will occupy places (11) and (12) on the RBL 25-26 starting grid.
Michel Lamote (RBL TD)
- 4 Cubes 2024
Four teams have registered for the 4 Cubes 2024, BGFed.be’s league for backgammon clubs in Belgium:
- Brussels. Captain: Guy Van Middelem. Winner of the 4 Cubes 2023.
- Gent. Captain: Bert Van Kerckhove. Finalist in 2023, and champion from 2019 to 2022.
- Leuven. Captain: Johan Segers.
- The Pirates. Captain: Daniel Rozenberg. New team.
Extending the ladder format of the two previous years, the schedule is as follows:
- Quarter final: Leuven vs The Pirates. Deadline: September 30, 2024.
- Semi-final: Gent vs winner QF. Deadline: November 30, 2024.
- Final: Brussels vs winner SF. Deadline: January 31, 2025.
The team mentioned first plays at home. Teams are kindly requested to show some flexibility in choosing a suitable date.
Good luck to all!
Guy & Johan S.
- Red Beaver League 2024-2025 Kick-Off
Hi everyone,
Please find in attachment the RBL 24-25 Kick-off document.
Michel (RBL Tournament Director)
- Just Sit Still or Mastering Backgammon Through Fairy Tales
How to make bold and constructive plays even though we’re under pressure? How to show our opponent who’s boss when he thinks he’s got it made? Sadly, this isn’t the theme of our article today. I hope you can still enjoy it…
https://temp.bgfed.be/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Just-sit-still-1.pdf
- How to Deal with Time Trouble?
Is there really a magic solution for this? Read on and find out…
https://temp.bgfed.be/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/How-to-Deal-with-Time-Trouble.pdf
- Marc Van Damme wins Red Beaver League 2023-2024 final
Marc Van Damme is the new RBL Champion and BGFed.be’s 23-24 UBC Champion! He beat last year’s winner Geert Van der Stricht by a tiny margin: 9-9. Marc wins on Overall PR (OPR)
Marc did not receive the RBL trophy on a silver platter. He survived a nailbiter against Bert Van Kerckhove, then beat Michel Lamote in convincing fashion and eventually defeated Geert in a thrilling final, which can be watched on Rain’s YouTube channel.
Geert took two crucial points in M7 with a super 2.90 PR and suddenly had good prospects of retaining his title: 8-6. However, in M8 Marc was able to regain the advantage with a narrow 7-5 win and an equally impressive 2.54 PR: 8-8.
Time pressure was a recurring theme in this contest and M9 was not different. With only a handful of seconds on the clock, Marc was able to stumble over the finish line with a 7-5 victory and a narrow PR loss: 9-9. In the end, it was his fine, but not impressive 4.09 OPR which won him the title as Geert came harrowingly close to a major upset. Geert’s OPR of 4,36 fell only 0.27 PR points short of a major surprise!
A glance at the Final Leaderboard tells us Marc is the deserved winner although it turned out to be a coin toss in the end.
Marc can now rest on his laurels till spring 2025 and Geert will occupy the top spot in RBL 24-25’s start grid.
Congratulations and many thanks to our two best players for an entertaining and instructive Final!
Michel Lamote (tournament director)
- Too gammonish to take
On cashing a point when the win isn’t in sight, on migrating our viewpoint as a winning technique, on recognizing simplicity inside complexity – plus an added bit of old-fashioned chess wisdom.
https://temp.bgfed.be/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Too-gammonish-to-take.pdf
- Brussels Friendly 103 on Sunday October 6, 2024, in Orée
The Brussels Black Beard Backgammon club invites you to the Brussels Friendly 103 tournament on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at Royal Orée (Sint-Pieters-Woluwe). All information in the flyers below.
- Itzhak Solsky wins BIC 2024
We have a winner: Itzhak Solsky won the Belgian Individual Championship 2024 (Royal Orée, 15-16 July 2024), here receiving the beautiful BIC 2024 trophy from Guy Van Middelem, the organiser of this Belgian top backgammon event.
Winner Itzhak Solsky (left) and organiser Guy Van Middelem at the BIC 2024 prize ceremony. (Picture: Inge van den Dorpel.) Congratz Itzhak with your top performance and thank you Guy for all your efforts!
Final ranking of the Belgian Individual Championship backgammon 2024. Michel Lamote defeated Johan Segers, and so obtained the 2nd place in the championship. The ranking in the picture is based on the internal rating system of the ludite tournament software. Inge van den Dorpel
- Red Beaver League 2024 Final: Video Last and Deciding Match
Hi everybody,
Are you curious who won the RBL-trophy? Welcome to watch the concluding Match 9 of the RBL Final 2024 between Geert Van der Stricht and Marc Vandamme on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MwLsT_FiEYA
And the champion is…
Enjoy!
Rain
- BGFed.be General Assembly of June 7, 2024: Minutes
On Friday, June 7, 2024, the BGFed.be General Assembly took place at Royal Orée (Sint-Pieters-Woluwe). The meeting was entitled BGFed.be 2024+, and its main aim was to brainstorm on the future of the federation. Two noteworthy decisions are:
- Creation of a working group to draft a new organizational chart of the federation.
- One-shot financial support of 400 euro to the Red Beaver League.
Regarding the first point: once the roles and committees in the new structure will have been defined, there will be quite a number of vacancies to be filled. We count on you!
A full account of the discussions, conclusions and actions points is given in the minutes (NL: verslag; FR: procès-verbal) of the meeting. Read more in the following pdf file:
- Registration 4 Cubes 2024 by June 30
As decided on BGFed.be’s General Assembly of Friday, June 7, teams that wish to register for the 4 Cubes 2024 team competition are requested to register via the following online form:
https://forms.gle/AYg1N6558ChxN3jA7
Registration deadline: June 30, 2024. Registration fee: 25 euro per team.
- Each team consists of 5 to 8 players.
- All players need to come from the same club affiliated to BGFed.be.
- One player acts as captain.
- A club can send multiple teams, but each player can only join a single team.
- In the likely event that the competition will consist of three rounds, the calendar is as follows: Round 1 to be played by September 30; Round 2 by November 30; Round 3 by January 31, 2025. Teams commit themselves to respect these deadlines and to exhibit sufficient flexibility in finding a date and location.
- A duel between two teams will consist of three rounds of four 7-point matches, giving 12 matches in total. In case of a 6-6 draw, a 5-point team consultation match will decide the outcome.
- The exact tournament format will be decided once the teams are known, taking into account the results of 4 Cubes 2023 (champion: Brussels; finalist: Ghent; semi-finalist: Leuven).
Questions about the registration form: Johan Segers. Tournament director: Guy Van Middelem.
- WBIF Online Belgian Championship 2024: The Final
Dear Players,
I have just followed the final of the WBIF Online Belgian Championship between Michel Lamote (director of the Red Beaver League) and Frédéric Libert (director of the open tournament in Lille).
In the early stages of the championship, Michel lost two matches and came dangerously close to a quick exit in this 3-lives format (report). But by keeping up a high and constant level of play (Performance Rating 4.22), he made it all the way to the final, where he faced Frédéric on Friday, June 7, to play for the trophy.
In this last and deciding match of the championship, Frédéric was strong enough to beat Michel, both players showcasing commendable performances (Frédéric PR 5.2 – Michel PR 2.8). Congratulations to Frédéric, who thereby becomes the WBIF Online Belgian Champion 2024!
Final ranking of the WBIF Online Belgian Championship 2024 Thank you to all players for their participation. I hope you all enjoyed the tournament and the new online experience.
As agreed upon, the tournament also served to select the national team representing Belgium at the WBIF Team World Cup starting in September. Based on the results, the team will consist of the following players:
- Michel Lamote
- Ronny Conaert
- Daniel Rozenberg
- Firat Tekil
- Hubert Verstraeten (captain)
Good dice,
Hubert Verstraeten (tournament director)
- Red Beaver League Final 2024 • Video’s Final Session
Dear RBL participants & BGFed members,
Happy to announce to you all that the conclusion of the RBL Final 2024 between Geert Van der Stricht and Marc Van Damme will be available on YouTube soon!
The Premières will be launched on:
Match 7 : Wed 05/06/2024 at 20:30 CEST – Link: https://youtu.be/OD40aez9i6A
Match 8 : Thu 06/06/2024 at 20:30 CEST – Link: https://youtu.be/ZVF6poDDy_ELive-chat will be available during these premières, welcome to join! My name is Rain in the chat.
If you aren’t able to watch the premières, then you can of course watch anytime after that. The video’s will remain available on YouTube.
Big respect and thanks to Michel for his infinite efforts the whole RBL-season long.
Big thanks to Geert and Marc for their kind cooperation to make this video-production happening, so we actually all have a front row seat to witness this amazing battle!Enjoy!
Greetings,
Rain
- Live Backgammon in June
Club events
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Jun 9, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Tournaments
Belgian Individual Championship 2024, Saturday and Sunday June 15-16, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
Looking ahead
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday September 14, 2024, Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Henri Jasparlaan 150, 8434 Westende
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
- BGFed.be 2024+ meeting, Friday June 7, 19h30, at Royal Orée
Dear backgammon friend, BGFed.be member,
Since nearly a decade, BGFed.be has been the governing body for all backgammon activities in Belgium, from a legal nonprofit organization with statutes to a de facto association.
- BGFed.be is member of the World Backgammon Federation, sending national teams, the Red Beavers, to international championships, with Johan Huyck as our national team coach
- Johan Segers manages a dynamic website with a.o. a rating list
- Michel Lamote introduced the Red Beaver League
- Hubert Verstraeten started the WBIF online national championship
- we organize club-, team- and individual championships (4 Cubes, Belgian Individual Championship)
- each club has a representative volunteer (Chantal Lensen for Brussels, Bert Van Kerckhove for Ghent, Line Vandamme for Bruges, and Henri Pollet for Leuven) and captain(s)
I’ve surely forgotten some names but BGFed.be thanks all of you for what has been done during the last ten years.
In the beginning, when legal issues were a concern, BGFed.be activities were structured into commissions (BIC, treasury, 4 Cubes, rating, …). With the Covid pandemic, however, these governing bodies have been diluted. However, it’s unfair and ineffective to put all decisions on the shoulders of a few specific members.
The latest BGFed.be meeting took place in September 2022. With nearly 100 individual members, it’s about time to meet again. We need more organizational structure, fresh blood and new ideas. And we count on you !
To brainstorm about our future (administration control, website, championships, online, etc…), an evening together is a priority, some sort of General Assembly. I propose Friday the 7th of June at Royal Orée (Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels) at 19.30 hours. Sandwiches will be provided but, please, tell us your highly appreciated presence or pitiful absence.
Possibility to play some friendly encounters afterwards.
Keep on rolling, for BGFed.be, Guy Van Middelem
- Attacking game instructive video
Attacking is surely one of the more difficult aspects in the game of backgammon. In the following instructive video, Itzhak Solsky guides us through a complex training game with the computer.
- 1st Lille Backgammon tournament: France, Belgium, and a bit of the Netherlands
Participants of the 1st Lille Backgammon Tournament, on Sunday May 19, 2024. Podium of the 1st Lille Backgammon Tournament on Sunday, May 19, 2024 (23 participants):
- Nick De Ruyck (5/5)
- Bernard Bailleul (4/5)
- Kristoffer De Weert (4/5)
Report by Inge Van den Dorpel:
On Sunday, May 19, 2024, a backgammon tournament took place in Lille, to which the Belgian players were kindly invited by their French friends. The Belgian players were present in large numbers: Guy, Johan B., Nick, Kristoffer and his dad Albert, Chantal and Vincent, Csaba, Daniel an myself, Inge.
The Belgians even won some prizes. Nick won all five matches and came in first. Kristoffer was third and Johan was fourth. They also won a nice prize.
Our French friends will be numerous at the Belgian Individual Championship which takes place on June 15-16 at Royal Orée in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe (Brussels).
Report by organizer Catherine Bogaert:
Chères amies et amis 🙂
Quelle belle journée nous avons passé ensemble ! Fred et moi vous remercions toutes et tous d’avoir fait le déplacement jusqu’à notre QG lillois pour la première édition de notre tournoi qui, nous l’espérons, deviendra un rendez-vous annuel.
Voici le lien vers le tableau des matchs et le classement final : https://challonge.com/fr/ffdrwbqf
- Red Beaver League 2024 final: videos matches 4 to 6
Hereby presenting you my video’s of the 2nd session of the RBL Final 2024
between the RBL 2023 Champ Geert Van der Stricht and the Challenger Marc Van Damme.The ‘Premières’ of these 3 new video’s will be going live at:
Sat 18/05/2024 at 20:22 CEST – Match 4 – Link: https://youtu.be/5FMSZhDdft8
Sun 19/05/2024 at 20:22 CEST – Match 5 – Link: https://youtu.be/CCb252DpQ0I
Sun 19/05/2024 at 21:36 CEST – Match 6 – Link: https://youtu.be/bQEgrcX36gAAfter each of these ‘Première’-broadcasts, naturally the video’s will remain available anytime on YouTube.
Enjoy!
Greetings,
Rain
- Red Beaver League Final: All to Play for in the Last Session
In the RBL 2024 Final between Geert Van der Stricht and Marc Van Damme the score after the second session, played on Tuesday May 7 in the Union Sandeman in Ghent, is 6-6.
Being 2-4 down after the first three matches in the first session (report), Marc had to come up with something special …, and he did. Although he lost Match 4 narrowly (6-7) his Performance Rating of 2,96 (!) made sure the score gap remained the same as Geert paid a heavy equity price for some less than accurate cube decisions: 3-5.Match 5 was riddled with complicated positions and found its apotheosis in Game 5 (5-away 3-away): Geert made a fatal cube decision by taking a Too Good position and Marc showed no mercy. He scored two points and leveled the duel: 5-5.
Geert did not crumble though. He showed enormous drive in Match 6 where he stood his ground under pressure. He lost 7-1, but meticulous play and a PR of 1,84 (!) resulted in a 6-6 score.
In this second session, Marc closed the gap and overturned his Overall PR deficit. He now has the momentum and a slight, but significant OPR advantage going into the third and final session: 3,63 (Marc) vs 4,23 (Geert).
No reason for Marc to be exultant as yet. He has the wind in his sails, but Geert’s intense focus may be hard to match. All to play for in the final session…
Coverage of this second session in the form of Rain’s videos will be made available in a week or two. Make sure to watch every move and cube decision as Robin walks and talks you through the action.
Michel Lamote (RBL tournament director)
- Red Beaver League Final: First Session Videos
Transcribing a backgammon match on XG is not just a chore, but a great way to learn.
Watch how Robin Bilderbeek, aka Rain, enjoys transcribing the first three matches of the RBL Final and provides commentary while doing so. Do not miss the introduction (Video 1) and the Results and Stats at the end of each video.Match 1: https://youtu.be/Gb7gxkqGT6E
Match 2: https://youtu.be/8goanvAC7t8
Match 3: https://youtu.be/PnmxgTZeFbkFor RBL to have a future it is important that interested players and students of the game learn how to transcribe backgammon matches on XG and how to pick things up while doing so.
In the meantime, have fun watching Geert Van der Stricht and Marc Vandamme lock horns in the 2023-24 RBL Final.
A heap of thanks to Robin for making all this possible. And, rest assured, the videos will get even better as the duel continues.
Michel Lamote, RBL tournament director
- Live Backgammon in May
Club events
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, May 26, Jun 9, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Tournaments
Lille Backgammon Tournament, Sunday, May 19, 2024, Arkose, 75 Rue des Postes, Lille, France
Looking ahead
- Belgian Individual Championship 2024, Saturday and Sunday June 15-16, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday September 14, 2024, Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Henri Jasparlaan 150, 8434 Westende
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
- Red Beaver League Final: Geert Van der Stricht leads Marc Van Damme 4-2
In the 23-24 RBL Final (9 matches), Geert Van der Stricht leads Marc Van Damme4-2 after the First Three.
ltr: Geert Van der Stricht (RBL Champion), Michel Lamote (tournament director), Marc Van Damme (RBL Challenger) Having rested on his laurels for almost a full year, reigning RBL Champion Geert Van der Stricht appeared at the board fit and energetic. His very strong 2,72 PR (!!) in M1 salvaged a point as Marc won 7-3 with an equally remarkable performance (3,15 PR): 1-1.M2 turned into a classic prime-v-prime game where the cube eventually landed on 8. Geert gave an aggressive, but correct initial cube which Marc was able to reship to 4 as he suddenly had Geert’s last man stuck behind a 6-prime. However, as Marc had two men behind a 5-prime himself, Geert found a correct take. After some hair-raising exchanges, Geert was able to wriggle out of Marc’s board as the latter failed to roll the badly needed sixes. Geert then put the match on the line as he threatened to bring his last man home: cube to 8! He succeeded, survived a late shot and so won M2. The decisions in this game were few, but momentous. Marc misjudged some tricky containment checker-plays which cost him the PR point resulting in a 3-1 advantage for Geert.
Marc, however, whose confidence appeared brittle over the board, did not let his head down. As M3 turned into the longest match so far (7 games), he stayed focused and ended up winning (7-3) with an excellent 3,09 PR (!). Sadly for Marc, this was not enough to equalize the duel as Geert played in true Mochy-style and produced a fantastic 2,83 PR (!): 4-2 to Geert.
Belgium’s two best players are dishing up some world-class backgammon. Geert’s OPR of 2,83 is truly amazing, undoubtedly the result of sustained dedicated practice. Can he keep it up in the next session? Marc played solidly at an OPR of 3,54, but although this might be good enough to beat anyone in Belgium, he will have to dig a bit deeper if he wants to take the trophy away from BGFed.be’s current UBC Champ. To be continued.
Michel Lamote (RBL tournament director)
- WBIF First Online Belgian Championship: First 3 Matches
The first 3 matches of the WBIF First Online Belgian Championship have now been completed. The tournament format is Swiss, with every player having three lives. This format is similar to a regular Swiss tournament as we are used to play in live BGFed.be tournaments. The difference is that players with three losses are eliminated.
So far, 4 players have won all of their matches. They will have the pleasure to play at least 3 more matches.
At the bottom of the table, 4 players have lost all of their 3 matches. Consequently, they leave the competition, but we hope to see them back next year for the second online Belgian championship.
Furthermore, 8 players have already incurred 2 losses. They will continue fighting with their back against the wall, having only one life left.
The analysis of the matches is performed by WBIF and may take some time. As soon as a match has been analyzed, the performance ratings (PR) of both players are known and the match file can be downloaded for further study and amusement.
Any comment about the tournament is welcome. I hope you enjoy it!
Good dice,
Hubert Verstraeten (tournament director)
- Live Backgammon in April
Club events
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Apr 21, May 26, Jun 9, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Looking ahead
- Lille Backgammon Tournament, Sunday, May 19, 2024, Arkose, 75 Rue des Postes, Lille, France
- Belgian Individual Championship 2024, Saturday and Sunday June 15-16, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday September 14, 2024, Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Henri Jasparlaan 150, 8434 Westende
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
- Backgammon Tournament in Lille, Sunday, May 19, 2024
Dear backgammon friends,
Please read the attachment with a special backgammon tournament in Lille (France), on Sunday the 19th of May 2024 at 10.00 hours.
- 5 rounds of 7-points matches, Swiss system ; participation : 5,- € ; encounters between BGFed.be – members will count for the BGFed.be rating list.
- Registration absolutely required and one motto : be on time !
- Please bring board, dice & clock.
Organizer : Catherine Bogaert, +33 6 82 53 18 58, nordbackgammon@gmail.com
Detailed info in the flyer:
Wish you success, keep on rolling, — Guy
- Record number of participants at Brussels Friendly 102
A great atmosphere at the 102nd Brussels Friendly tournament organized by the Brussels Black Beard Backgammon Club on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at Orée, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. A record number of 36 players participated at the tournament.
From left to right: Daniel Rozenberg (organizer), Markus Förster (1st prize), Firat Tekil (2nd prize), Henri Pollet (3rd prize), Vincent Hubert (organizer) The 3 winners (1. Markus Förster, 2. Firat Tekil, 3. Henri Pollet) benefited from the sponsorship offered by beCHARGE, namely gift cards for the products of their choice.
Thanks also to the people of Lille for their participation.
The next Brussels Friendly tournament is expected to take place in Autumn 2024.
- Live Backgammon in March
Club events
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Mar 17, Apr 21, May 26, Jun 9, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Tournament
- 102nd Brussels Friendly, Sunday March 3, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
Looking ahead
- Belgian Individual Championship 2024, Saturday and Sunday June 15-16, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday September 14, 2024, Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Henri Jasparlaan 150, 8434 Westende
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday, September 14, 2024
After the success last year from the first Belgian Backgammon Beach Day, we are happy to invite you for part 2, on September 14, 2024. The same nice venue, the same concept. Registration is open.
Schedule:
09:00 Welcome breakfast and coffee
10:00 Rounds 1 to 3
13:30 Sandwiches and soup
14:30 Rounds 4 to 7
19:00 Price ceremonyRestaurant Villa Marie Joseph
Henri Jasparlaan 150, Westende300 meters from the beach
participation price: 30 € / person
account no. Johan Brisaert:
BE58 3101 2364 5279
(mention name & bg Westende)max. 26 players
Swiss format, 7 rounds, 5 point matches
Clock: Bronstein, 10 minutes bank time
plus 12 seconds per moveJohan Brisaert
+32 (0)497 15 52 82 - Gent Open XVII, Feb 11, 2024: Asian stew, live stream, and trophies
Because it looked like we were going to have to move to another location for our backgammon exploits, we decided to have the Gent Open Backgammon tournament earlier in 2024 on February 11, announced as the last one in the current location. In the meantime however, we heard good news: we can stay for at least another three years!
23 players showed up to compete in 3 categories. 6 masters, 10 intermediates, 6 beginners and 1 ‘hors catégorie’.
During the registration, players could enjoy ‘koffiekoeken’ to ensure enough energy for the first three rounds.
Tournament director Bert Van Kerckhove had the lucky bye in the first round, so he had time to help out Robin Bilderbeek to fix the YouTube live streaming.
After 3 rounds, 3 players without a loss were Johan Brisaert, Lorenzo Pacini and Firat Tekil, followed by a pack of players with 2 points. Winner of the last 2 editions, Michel Lamote scored only 1 victory. Johan Segers, winner of the beginners last year and Alf Martin were the unlucky ones with 0 points.
Before round 4 took off, we had lunch break. A very tasty Asian stew was provided by Alf and fresh soup by Liva.
After round 5 the ranking looked as follows:
Firat Tekil with 5 points, Csaba Daday, Lorenzo, Vincent Hubert and Bert with 4.
At this moment, both Johan Segers and Hubert Vertsraeten decided to leave the tournament early with a score of 1 point.
With still two more rounds to play, nothing is certain…
In round 6, Firat scored another victory, strengthening his lead. Vincent Hubert also won a clash between intermediates and is now on 5 points. Bert scored a win over Toon Van Herreweghen for a total of 5 points. In the beginners category, Johan Brisaert won from Line Vandamme, arriving at 4 points, while his closest competitor, Riza Yalçin, remained at 3 points after losing from Ronny Conaert.
The final round then:
As is often the case, the final round decides everything.
Firat’s dice were too strong for Bert as he scored his 7th victory of the day, ensuring a comfortable win of the intermediates category and leaving Bert stuck with 5 points. In the masters, Guy Van Middelem could still tie with 5 points if he could win from Johan Brisaert. In that case he would win the trophy as Bert did not collect enough resistance points because of his ‘lucky’ bye in the first round. Johan, who incidentally also beat Bert in round 2, took the point and secured winning the beginners category and kept Guy from winning the masters.
Bert, the highest ranked player in the masters category with 5 points, took the masters trophy. Guy, Otto and Michel shared 2nd place with 4 points.
Firat, undefeated with 7 points took home the intermediates trophy. Csaba, Vincent and Lorenzo shared 2nd place with 5 points.
Johan Brisaert won the beginners category, trophy and backgammon book with 5 points.
A big thank you to all the players who participated. A very big thank you to Robin Bilderbeek for the transcriptions and professional live streaming on YouTube, to Alf Martijn for the excellent catering, to Nick De Ruyck for general assistance, to Toon Van Herreweghen for the excellent ludite tournament software and to BGFed.be for the financial support.
Also a special thank you to Roos, Bob and Liva for tending the bar.
See you all next time!
Bert
Final ranking here: https://www.ludite.be/?andtourney_key=Nzo4MDBjMjU5Yi0zNGEwLTQ1NjktYTJjZi0wMGRiZTE2Mjk5ZWM%3D
YouTube live stream here:
- WBIF First Online Belgian Championship
Dear All,
On behalf of BGFed.be, I’m proud to announce the first Online Belgian Championship.
To take part, you will need a WBIF account (https://www.wbif.net), which is free of charge. Go to “Sign in for a Tourneys”, where you will find the “sign-in” registration. To know the rules and deadline, click on “Championship Belgium 2024”.
Games are played on Heroes (https://heroes.backgammonstudio.com/), which is also free of charge.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
I also propose that the three top players will represent Belgium at the WBIF Team World Cup next year.
Hope to see you all! Good dice,
Hubert Verstraeten
- Ghent Backgammon Open XVII: video
The Ghent Backgammon Open XVII on Sunday, February 11, 2024, was streamed live by Rain. The videos can be watched on Rain’s YouTube Channel:
- Live Backgammon in February
Club events
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Feb 18, Mar 17, Apr 21, May 26, Jun 9, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Tournament
- Gent Backgammon Open XVII, Sunday February 11, 2024, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Ghent
Looking ahead
- 102nd Brussels Friendly, Sunday March 3, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
- Belgian Individual Championship 2024, Saturday and Sunday June 15-16, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday September 14, 2024, Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Henri Jasparlaan 150, 8434 Westende
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
- 102nd Brussels Friendly Tournament, March 3, 2024, at l’Orée
Dear friends, Backgammon Players,
The Brussels BBBB Backgammon Club is delighted to invite you to its 102nd Brussels Friendly Tournament, which will take place at l’Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels on Sunday 3 March 2024.
New format, new tournament, 5 matches in 7 points! Winners will be rewarded.
Programme: Sunday, March 3, 2024, 10:00-20:00
- 9:30–10:00 Registration
- 10.15 sharp: First Dice Roll. 5 rounds Swiss System, 7 point matches, 14 min + 12 sec
- Before 19.30h: PRIZE GIVING CEREMONY
Participation: 8,- € per person (game room rental fees). Please bring your board, dice, clock and score board & be on time.
Registration absolutely required by sending an e-mail to chantal.lensen@skynet.be or guy.van.middelem@gmail.com
- Live Backgammon in 2024
Tournaments
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday January 13-14, 2024, Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Boulevard Bankert 266, 4382AC Vlissingen, The Netherlands
- Gent Backgammon Open XVII, Sunday February 11, 2024, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Ghent
- 102nd Brussels Friendly, Sunday March 3, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
- Belgian Individual Championship 2024, Saturday and Sunday June 15-16, 2024, Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels
- Belgian Backgammon Beach Day II, Saturday September 14, 2024, Restaurant Villa Marie Joseph, Henri Jasparlaan 150, 8434 Westende
- Leuven Backgammon Open XV, Sunday, November 10, 2024, Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Club events
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Sunday, Jan 21, Feb 18, Mar 17, Apr 21, May 26, Jun 9, Sep 15, Oct 20, Nov 17, Dec 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
- Belgian Individual Championship 2024 on June 15 & 16
The Belgian Individual Championship (BIC) 2024 takes place on Saturday June 15 and Sunday June 16, 2024, at Tennis-Hockey-Bridge Club Orée, Drève des Brûlés 59, 1150 Brussels.
Swiss tournament format: 9 rounds of 9-point matches. Rounds 1 to 5 are played on Saturday, rounds 6 to 9 on Sunday.
Registration: 25 euro. The winner receives the BIC Trophy 2024.
Registration and information: Guy Van Middelem, 0476 41 86 88 or guy.van.middelem@gmail.com
- Gent Backgammon Open XVII on Sunday, February 11, 2024
Dear Backgammon friend,
I’d like to invite you to participate in the 17th edition of the Gent Open Backgammon tournament which will take place on Sunday February 11, 2024, from 10h to 23h.This is a special edition in the sense that it will take place for the last time in the cellars of St. Peter’s Abbey on the Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent. So for those who want to experience this again at our current playground, this is a unique opportunity.
Total number of participants is limited to 40. Only players that registered beforehand are certain of a seat.
Kind regards, — Bert Van Kerckhove
- Live Backgammon in December
Save the Union-Sandeman, venue of the Backgammon Club Ghent, and please sign the petition.
Club gatherings
- Brugge: every Thursday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Leuven Monthly on Sunday, December 17, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Looking ahead
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday 13-14 January, 2024, Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Boulevard Bankert 266, 4382AC Vlissingen, The Netherlands.
- Save the Union-Sandeman, venue of the Backgammon Club Ghent
The K.A. Union-Sandeman vzw, a thriving bridge, billiards, and backgammon club, is being evicted from its premises by the city of Ghent after 42 years of rent. The city of Ghent promised to find a solution, but one has not yet been found. At the end of January 2024, the club will have to move out.
Please consider signing this petition to try and keep this venue as the meeting point of the Backgammon Club Ghent.
https://petitie.be/petitions/red-de-union-sandeman
Thank you for your support!
- Live Backgammon in November
Congratulations to the club of Brussels, winner of the 4 Cubes 2023!
Club gatherings
- Brugge: alternatingly on Thursday or Friday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- 14th Leuven Open: Sunday, November 12, 2023. Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele. There are 32 confirmed participants already, but there are still a few places left. Registration closes on November 6.
- Leuven Monthly on Sunday, November 19, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Looking ahead
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday 13-14 January, 2024, Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Boulevard Bankert 266, 4382AC Vlissingen, The Netherlands.
- 4 Cubes 2023: Triumph Against the Odds
In the wake of their thrilling semi-final victory against Leuven in Spring, the Brussels team, led by captain Guy Van Middelem and featuring Kristoffer De Weert, Ithzak Solsky, Paul van Dijke, and Paulus van Rooijen, had their sights set on redemption. They were determined to avenge their heartbreaking loss in the previous year’s final against Ghent and secure their club’s first-ever championship trophy.
However, their opponents from Ghent, led by captain Geert Van der Stricht and comprising Robin Bilderbeek, Johan Huyck, Marc van Damme, and Bert Van Kerckhove, were no pushovers. With most of them representing our national BGFed.be Red Beavers team, they were the heavy favorites.
The duel took place on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, in the beautiful Sandeman clubhouse in Ghent. The tone was set in the initial round of the duel, where Brussels found themselves trailing 4-1 in a race to 8 points. At this point, it appeared as though a one-sided contest was on the horizon, with the prospect of a quick exit back home looming over Brussels. But in true Brussels fashion, their indomitable fighting spirit kicked in, and they managed to level the score at 5-5 after the second round.
The pivotal decider round, Round 3, would determine the fate of the championship. Guy and Paul secured relatively comfortable victories, yielding a Brussels advantage of 5-7, with only one point needed. However, Paulus and Ithzak faced tough opposition, resulting in a 7-7 draw. The fate of the championship came down to the clash between Kristoffer and Bert.
For a moment, the outlook appeared uncertain for Brussels, but momentum swung in their favor at just the right time. Kristoffer, battling the clock, fought valiantly and clinched the match with a 7-4 score. With a hard-fought 7-8 victory, Brussels seized the coveted trophy, and the celebrations during the after-party lasted well into the night.
The 4 Cubes 2023 final team from Brussels proudly showing the 4 trophy after their victory in the Sandeman in Ghent: Kristoffer, Ithzak, Paulus, Guy and Paul. (Photo GVdS) We invite you to join us for the presentation of the 4 Cubes at the weekly Brussels evening, hosted at the ‘Black Beard’ (Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, 1000 Brussels) on Thursday, November 2nd, at approximately 6:15 PM. We look forward to seeing you there.
Warm regards,
Guy Van Middelem
- Live Backgammon in October
Congratulations to Johan Brisaert, winner and organizer of the 1st Belgian Backgammon Beach Day!
Club gatherings
- Brugge: alternatingly on Thursday or Friday evening, Sports bar Extra Time, Nijverheidsstraat 113, 8310 Assebroek. Contact: Line Vandamme, linevandamme@gmail.com
- Brussels: every Thursday evening at 18h15, at The Black Beard — La Barbe Noire, Lakensestraat 166 Rue de Laeken, Brussels 1000
- Ghent: every Tuesday evening, at 19h, at Union-Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Gent
- Leuven: Leuven Monthly on Sunday, October 15, from 12:45, at Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele
Looking ahead
- 4 Cubes 2023: final Ghent vs Brussels on Tuesday, October 24, at Union Sandeman, Kantienberg 5, 9000 Ghent.
- 14th Leuven Open: Sunday, November 12, 2023. Sport & Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Wilsele.
- Vlissingen Masters, Saturday and Sunday 13-14 January, 2024, Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Boulevard Bankert 266, 4382AC Vlissingen, The Netherlands.
- Successful and Enjoyable 1st Belgian Backgammon Beach Day
The first edition of the Belgian Backgammon Beach Day took place on Sunday, September 10, 2023, in Hotel-Restaurant Villa Marie-Joseph, Westende, a few blocks away from the beach. Sixteen players were treated on delicious breakfast and lunch while playing seven 5-point backgammon matches in the beautiful retro setting of the hotel. During breaks, ice cream and cocktails could be enjoyed on the sunny terrace.
Live backgammon action at the 1st Belgian Backgammon Beach Day on September 10, 2023, at the Villa Marie-Joseph in Westende Tournament organiser Johan Brisaert took amicable care of his guests while efficiently administering the tournament with the free ludite tournament software. This did not stop him from actually winning the tournament with six victories out of seven matches. Thanks and congratulations! Second and third place were for Johan Segers and Michel Lamote, each winning five matches. The elegant mermaid trophies were generously sponsored by BGFed.be.
Podium of the 1st Belgian Backgammon Beach Day, on September 10, 2023, in Westende. From left to right: Michel Lamote (3), Johan Brisaert (1, organiser), Johan Segers (2). - 14th Leuven Backgammon Open, Sunday 12 Nov 2023
The 14h Leuven Open will take place on Sunday, November 12, 2023, in Squash Club De Vaart, Kolonel Begaultlaan 15, 3012 Leuven. This is the same venue as the one for the Leuven Monthly tournaments but it is different from last year’s venue.
- The Return of the Vlissingen Blitz Masters
Paulus van Rooijen invites you to participate in three exciting tournaments in two days:
On Saturday January 13, 2024: Vlissingen Masters, 5 rounds Swiss system, 9-point matches, 18 min. + 12 sec., to qualify for a play-off (last 8). We expect 60 participants of 10 nationalities who will play in two separate groups: Champions and Advanced, each with a play-off.
On Sunday January 14, 2024: Play-off last 8 of each group (direct elimination). Superjackpot (direct elimination) 9-point matches, 18 min. + 12 sec. Speedgammon, (Swiss) 5-point matches, 2 min. + 10 sec.
Venue: Fletcher Hotel-Restaurant Arion, Boulevard Bankert 266, 4382AC Vlissingen, The Netherlands
Detailed info in the flyer.
- Red Beaver League: Bert, Johan S. and Maurits book important victories
In Level 4, Bert Van Kerckhove and Johan Segers awaited the winners of the Level 5 duels Guy Van Middelem and Itzhak Solsky. In Level 5, Maurits Pino and Alain Chif played their Barrage duel.
Based on recent Performance Rating (PR) performances Bert had to be the favourite against Guy, but the latter is known for his competitiveness and never-give-up attitude. Bert took a good start, winning match 1 (M1, 7-3) with a far better PR: 2-0. Guy regrouped in M2, winning 7-5 and taking advantage of Bert’s below-par PR to score two points: 2-2. All to fight for in M3 then. Guy, who is always at his best when he smells victory, rolled Bert off the board (7-0) and found a decent PR of 7,28. Not enough though to take the two points, as Bert rose to the occasion with a World Class PR of 4,10 (!), thus securing a 3-3 draw and a win based on Overall PR. This means that Bert progresses to Level 3 where he will meet Paul van Dijke. Guy’s aim from now on is to consolidate his conquered ground in Level 4.
The second much anticipated Level 4 duel was played at Johan’s place in Korbeek-Lo. His opponent was the upstart phenom Itzhak Solsky, who steamrollered the opposition in last year’s RBL Qualifiers (RBLQ) and hammered Maurits Pino in Level 5. Nobody could predict the outcome of this duel and a tense affair it was to be. Itzhak won M1 (7-4), but his 6+ PR was not good enough to take a second point as Johan came up with a strong 4,8: 1-1. After lunch on the shady garden terrace, both players saw the roles reversed in M2: Johan took a 6-0 lead, but Itzhak came back: 6-6. Johan ended up winning the agonizingly difficult DMP game, but his 6+ PR was not enough to beat Itzhak’s extremely strong 3,73 PR (!!): 2-2. With OPR’s now extremely close, M3 was going to be decisive. Johan won it comfortably (7-0), but would he be able to outperform Itzhak? He did, with a stellar 1,46 PR (!!!): 4-2. Itzhak accepted defeat with grace and rewarded both Johan and me (TR) with fantastic impromptu renderings of Chopin and Beethoven on Johan’s home piano, leaving both watchers grateful and visibly moved. Johan now progresses to Level 3 where he will meet Paulus van Rooijen (3 September), whereas Itzhak will play Guy in the Level 4 Barrage duel.
Having lost their first-round duels in Level 5, Maurits and Alain now need to start winning if they want to stay in the RBL. The duel took place at Maurits’ spacious and airy apartment, optimal playing conditions for a crucial RBL encounter. Maurits won M1 (7-3) with a strong 6+ PR, leaving Alain trailing 2-0. Alain, who staged last season a memorable comeback from 1-5 down against Nick De Ruyck, was not intimidated and won M2 (7-3) with a PR of 9,93, beating Maurits’ PR of 9,99 with an excruciatingly small margin of 0,06: 2-2. Since nobody could be sure if these PRs would hold under the sharper XG ++ analysis, both players remained in the dark as to the exact score, 2-2 or 3-1. That is, however, part of the format as there is no time between matches to do the time-consuming re-analysis. Maurits left nothing to chance in M3: he produced his best PR of the season (5,57!) and eventually won the match after some harrowing turnarounds: 4-2. Note: XG++ did reverse the PRs of M2 to 10,38 (Maurits) vs 10,42 (Alain) yielding an official result of 5-1.
Maurits can now secure his spot in Level 5 by winning against the loser of the Guy v Itzhak duel, whereas Alain is set to play the winner of RBLQ in the spring of 2024.
Upcoming program: Paulus van Rooijen v Johan Segers (L3), Paul van Dijke v Bert Van Kerckhove (L3) and Guy Van Middelem v Itzhak Solsky (L4 Barrage).
For RBL — Michel
