BMS : Michel breaks 4,75 PR barrier and attains Master (Class 1) status.

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Johan

Michel Lamote, Belgium’s first player to reach BMS Master (Class 1) status

For the first time since its inception in 2015, the BMS Grading Table  sees a player with 500 experience points (= the equivalent of, say, thirty 13-point matches and ten 11-point matches) dip below 4,75 PR.

This feat was accomplished by Michel Lamote, whose PR’s in his two most recent MS1 matches (3,18 PR (match to 13) and 2,47 PR (match to 11) got him over the line.

With this accomplishment, Michel becomes the first Belgian player to get a taste of Master (Class 1) status.

Congratulations, Michel!

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

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Michel Lamote

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

Here is how they did :

PR Geert (loses MS1 0037 by 1-5)

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

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

PR Johan (wins MS1 0037 by 5-1)

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

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

Walter Meuwis (4) versus Metin Ates (unranked)

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

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

Michel Lamote (1) v Johan Huyck (5)

All matches are best of three 13-point matches.

 

 

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Online calendar of backgammon events in Belgium

Posted on September 10, 2017 by Johan

Looking for some live backgammon in Belgium? Have a look at our calendar. See also the new item in the menu above.

Want to add your event to the calendar? It’s simple: just send us an email. Please see the instructions right below the calendar.

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Metin Ates is the 1st Belgian Champion 1-point Matches

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Johan

8th Leuven BBBQ – Thank you!

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

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Michel Lamote

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

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

Here is how they did :

PR Marc (wins 4-2)

PR Paul (loses 2-4)

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

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

M

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

Posted on August 12, 2017 by Michel Lamote

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

PR Geert (6 x 13)

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

PR Marc (6 x 13)

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

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8th Backgammon BBQ and 1st Belgian Championship 1-Point Matches – Sunday, August 20, Korbeek-Lo

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Johan

Information and registration: http://backgammon-leuven.be/2017/07/13/8th-backgammon-bbq-1st-belgian-championship-1-point-matches/

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

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Michel Lamote

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

Congratulations, Christian!

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

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

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

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

 

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

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Michel Lamote

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

Paulus (l) pondering a decision. In the background we recognise Tatsuya Tanaka.

World’s number 3 : Michy.

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

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

(from left to right) : Kazuko Numazawa, Marc Steyvers and Michy.

Tense moments from the Michy – Marc Van Damme encounter.

Marc Steyvers (l) playing Geert (r)

Walter Meuwis

Kazuko Numazawa, wondering what Marc Van Damme is up to…

Christian Sörensen (l) and Johan Huyck (r)

Geert Van der Stricht (l)  and  Kazuko Numazawa (r)

Hisako Nishizawa

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on July 8, 2017 by Michel Lamote

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

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

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

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

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

 

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