The Best Backgammon Events Around the World

Playing backgammon online is amazing for perfecting your skills. You can just play online or you can combine it with playing backgammon in the traditional way, with a physical board, dice, and checkers. If you enjoy playing backgammon, or even just watching it, backgammon events and tournaments are for you. You can find them around the world and they're open to people from all walks of life. If you're passionate about backgammon, you can always find both big and small events for players and spectators.

Here are some of the best backgammon events around the world for players of all levels or fans of the game.

World Series of Backgammon

You will find plenty of backgammon tournaments and events around the world. But what if you didn't have to go anywhere? For those who prefer to play backgammon online, the World Series of Backgammon is an excellent option. This European tournament is televised live but has also been running online tours since 2010.

Backgammon World Championship

The Backgammon World Championship has been running for more than 50 years. Held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, it features a range of different events, including doubles and a women's event. You can see all of the past winners of the main event at the tournament on the official website. It has gone from the same person winning the first few events to seeing people from around the world taking the crown.

If you can't make this event in person, don't worry! It's also live streamed on the website so you can watch all the action as it happens. There are also videos of past finals so you can catch up and maybe learn a few things too. This event takes place in the summer, typically around July.

American Backgammon Tour

American Backgammon Tour tournaments present lots of opportunities to flex your backgammon skills and try out some competition conditions. You can compete against players who are at the same level of ability as you and there's a chance to win prizes, make new friends, catch up with old ones, and more. The American Backgammon Tour is a collaboration between the U.S. Backgammon Federation (USBGF) and qualified directors and organizers who arrange the events. The tournaments last multiple days and players can collect points in the ABT, as well as USBGF master points.

There's also a ceremony every year to honor top players and one person is named American Backgammon Tour Player of the Year. These events can be found around the United States, but you are required to be a USBGF member to enter. A full calendar of events can be found on the USBGF website.

American Backgammon Tour Online!

ABT events are also available online for those who may be less willing or able to travel. These real-time events include the opportunity to communicate with fellow players via voice or sometimes video, so you can keep in touch throughout the game. Originally set up to allow players to continue through the COVID-19 pandemic, the events have continued to run because they were so successful. As with the in-person tournaments, you need to be a USBGF member to play.

There is also a flexible Online Tournament Series available to members. This allows players to join in with online tournaments in a way that fits around their schedule. So if you're too busy to turn up to events at specific times and dates, even online, this could be something that works out well for you.

Worldwide Backgammon Federation Events

The Worldwide Backgammon Federation (WBF) has a number of events in different parts of the world. They have supervised events in Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and more. Some of the events on the cards for the WBF include the European Backgammon Championship in Innsbruck, Austria, and the Merit International Backgammon Championships in Cyprus. These events offer tournaments for players from all over so they can discover opportunities to win prizes and have fun close to home or while visiting somewhere new.

UK Backgammon Federation Events

If you're in the UK or would like to take a trip there, the UK Backgammon Federation has a calendar of tournaments in addition to their regular club meetings around the country. There are plenty of events throughout England, as well as some in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. Many of the events available are part of the UKBGF Tour, which mixes one and two-day events and gives members the chance to collect Tour Points. There's also an Intermediate Tour so that people at the intermediate level can collect points too and have the opportunity to be named one of the best players.

UKBGF Online

The UK Backgammon Federation is another organization that offers online events. Online events have become much more popular in the last few years, with a range of platforms that are used to connect players online. The 13th online league season for the UKBGF will start in 2024. The UK Online National Championships will also be continuing in 2024. There are regular online tournaments too, some of which take place weekly so there are plenty of opportunities to play.

Swiss Backgammon Association Events

You will find backgammon events all around Europe, and the Swiss Backgammon Association is the organizer of the Zurich Open, the Geneva Open and various other events. There is also a Swiss Championship and an Online Championship for those who want to play online. Information about these events is typically available in German and French, with plenty of facts on the association's website.

World Backgammon Internet Federation Events

Yet more online tournaments and games can be found from the World Backgammon Internet Federation. There are multiple countries that organize online events through the WBIF, most of which are in Europe. They host national events and, additionally, help with hosting and organizing for multiple international events. These include the Team World Championship, Individual World Championship, Champions Cup, Youth Tournaments with three different age categories, and more. If you prefer to play backgammon online, you can discover a broad range of opportunities from this organization.

You can find that many countries have their own federation or association for backgammon. These are often the best places to look if you want to find events and tournaments. They regularly offer membership too, which can come with a range of benefits. Membership might be required to participate in their events too.

Local Clubs and Meetups

When you're looking for backgammon events and tournaments, don't forget to check out your local clubs and meetups. Many areas have regular meetups for lovers of backgammon to play games, socialize, and more. To give just a few examples in the USA, you can find monthly events in Atlanta, GA, Saratoga, CA, Boca, FL, and many more places. Just search for backgammon clubs in your area or check if your national association has a list of clubs. You should be able to find something within your region or an option for playing local people online.

Watch Out for New Events

Backgammon has been popular for a long time and its popularity endures. Watch out for new backgammon events, as they are still being set up even now. For example, 2024 will see the first Macao Open Tournament in China and the Loutraki Grand Prix in Greece will be running for just the second time. Even if there are no events local to you at the moment, there could soon be. And if there aren't any coming, maybe it's up to you to start organizing one.

How to Get Involved in Backgammon Tournaments

With so many possible events available to enthusiastic backgammon players, working out how to get involved can be tricky. It might seem a little overwhelming when there are so many options and you're not sure where to start. One of the best things you can do is to look for a local or national organization that you can join. Becoming a member of one of these organizations will often give you access to some great events, as well as plenty of advice about how to start attending them. For example, look at the U.S. Backgammon Federation if you are in the United States or join the UK Backgammon Federation if you're in the UK. You will find that many countries have an official association or federation you can join.

In addition to national organizations, check out your local backgammon club. These smaller groups often host events on a monthly basis. They can offer great opportunities to meet new people who are local to your area. Alternatively, you could focus on trying out online backgammon games and tournaments, which you can access from anywhere.

How to Organize a Trip to a Backgammon Tournament

Being able to enter a backgammon tournament online is obviously really convenient. But what if you decide that you want to attend a tournament or event in person? It's a great experience and gives you the chance to meet and play with people face-to-face. If you're thinking about doing it, there are a few things you will probably want to do to get yourself organized.

Check the entry rules

First of all, it's essential to know what the rules for entry are to any event or tournament that you want to play in. For example, are you required to be a member of a certain organization in order to enter? Do you have to have a certain skill level and how might you be required to demonstrate your skills? Another thing you'll need to check is the cost of entry. What are you required to pay if you want a place in the competition?

Book your place

Once you know you're eligible for the event, you will need to secure your place. Some tournaments can have a limited number of spaces, so it's important to do this as soon as you can. The process will depend on how the organizers do things. There is likely a registration form to complete or perhaps tickets to buy.

Arrange travel and accommodation

Once you know that you will be attending the event, you can start thinking about how you will get there and if you will need to stay overnight. If it's a local event, you might only need to think about travel, unless you decide you want to stay closer than your home. But if you're thinking about going further, maybe even to another country, you will have to make plans for both travel and accommodation.

Make sure you have your place in the tournament secured before you do this. You don't want to spend money on booking a flight or hotel if you're not sure whether you will actually be at the event. Think about your budget and how much you want to spend during your trip. Don't forget to include food and drink in your budget, as well as any other activities you might think about doing while you're there. Maybe you want to go sightseeing or just go out to a nice restaurant.

Link up with other attendees

Before you leave, you might want to find other people who are attending the same event. It's a fun way to build anticipation and get excited for it. You might already have a circle of friends and acquaintances who are likely going to the same event as you. Or if you're looking for some new friends, you can find that official websites or social media pages are a good place to connect with people. The event or the organization behind it might have a forum, a Facebook group or somewhere similar where you can connect with people before you go.

Familiarize yourself with the rules of the game

Every backgammon event or tournament might have its own rules and regulations. There are already different variations on backgammon rules that you can use, and event organizers might want to set further rules of their own. So it's always a good idea to check any rules that are specific to the event if you want to make sure you'll be able to follow them. Some of these might just relate to how many points will be played to in each game and similar regulations. If you're planning to take part in an event, you definitely don't want to lose your place because you haven't played to the rules.

Keep Up with All the Action Online

Can't attend any events as a player? Fortunately, you can still watch a lot of the action online. Many tournaments will broadcast games live or will upload videos of games after they're finished. This is a great way to see how some of the best players use their skills. You never know if you could learn something new. Several YouTube channels are good for this, including the USBGF channel, the German Backgammon Federation channel Deutscher Backgammon-Verband, the Merit Backgammon Tournament, and Malt Backgammon.

Set Up Your Own Tournament

Fancy starting your own backgammon event? Playing among friends or gathering some backgammon enthusiasts together could be a lot of fun. Just remember that if you're playing for money, you might need to read up on local gambling laws. Otherwise, you might not have to do much to start hosting your own backgammon events. They could be anything from casual weekend get-togethers with friends to a more organized tournament where multiple people can compete to be the ultimate winner. You might need to consider things like a venue or how to get the word out to interested players.

Practice Your Backgammon Skills By Playing Online

Attending backgammon events, whether in person or online, is so much fun. But you want to be prepared for any events you might want to attend. Of course, practicing with people in person is useful, but what if you don't have anyone to play with? Online backgammon is an easy way to practice your skills whenever and wherever you want to so that when you attend any events, you feel more prepared.

You can play against a computer if you don't have a competitor lined up. This can be a lot less pressure if you're still learning the game or if you don't want to have to think about what another person might be thinking. But if you do want to play with someone else, you can do that online too. Playing backgammon online allows you to play endless games and to stop and start whenever you want. You can step away from the game to do something else if you need to. Whether it's something you're doing in short bursts of downtime or you want to settle in for a full game, it's up to you.

You can also find an excellent community of online backgammon players. Look for backgammon forums and blogs where you can discuss the game. You might also find that you discover people you can meet up with offline through online places to connect.

Play backgammon online with 247 Backgammon and get ready for your next backgammon tournament or event.

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