Magriel Cup Tourney of Stars
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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE USBGF FALL 2020 Magriel Tourney Cup of Stars USA Defeats UK Honoring our in Backgammon Founding Sponsors Olympiad U.S. BACKGAMMON FEDERATION VISIT US AT USBGF.ORG ABT Online! October 8 - 11, 2020 Columbus Day Weekend • Sunny Florida Warm-Ups, Thursday evening October 8 • Major Jackpots - Friday afternoon October 9 • Special Jackpots: Women’s, Rookies, Super Seniors • Miami Masters (70+), FTH Board event • Orlando Open • Art Benjamin – the • Lauderdale Limited Mathemagician - seminar • Doubles – Friday evening • USBGF membership required • ABT Main divisions – starting • 100% return on entry fees Saturday, October 10 (ranging from $25 to $100) • Open/Advanced - Double elimination • $30 tournament fee • Last Chance fresh draw – • Trophies Sunday October 11 • Zoom Welcome Ceremony and Awards Ceremony See website for details: sunnyfl oridabackgammon.com USBGF A M E R I C A N BACKGAMMON TOUR #2020 Good Luck to Team USA in the WBIF Online Team Championship 2020 Congratulations to Wilcox Snellings, Bob Wachtel, Joe Russell (captain), Frank Raposa, Frank Talbot, and Odis Chenault for qualifying for Team USA! Follow Team USA on the World Backgammon Internet Federation website: https://wbgf.info/wbif-2/ California State Championship December 3 –6 2020 Register now: www.GammonAssociatesWest.com ONLINE! BACKGAMMON TOUR #2020 2 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine Editor’s Note Fall 2020 Marty Storer, Executive Editor n this issue, replete with great photos, we continue to track online backgammon in America and all over the world. The veteran American grandmaster Chris Trencher appears on our cover following a great performance in the first Magriel Cup, Ia monumental U.S. vs. U.K. challenge that America won. That big event is recapped by Marty Storer and Karen Davis in one article, with analysis of positions from Chris Trencher’s and Matt Cohn- Geier’s matches, including valuable commentary by Chris. For a U.K. perspective on this event, author and regular USBGF contributor Chris Bray, also the backgammon columnist for The Times of London, contributes an article first published on the UKBGF site. Another major happening, the annual Tournament of Stars, which pairs Founding Sponsors with Stars in the signature doubles event, was held online this year for the first time. Karen and Marty give the retrospective, with analysis by Marty of six positions from the final. Other tournaments include the Viking Classic, whose many events this year are covered by Jeff Spencer of the Minnesota club, complete with an entertaining “bad beat” story. The Michigan Summer Championships, this year played online, are recapped by the ever-popular and expert organizer, Carol Joy Cole. Turning abroad, Cristi Frisk of the Romanian Backgammon Federation, who competed as a Star in the Tournament of Stars, gives us the rundown on both the Mind Sports Olympiad and the World Junior and Youth Online Championships. Candace Mayeron may cover the upcoming Cal State tournament in a later issue, but in the meantime she gives us a great profile of Kara Schultz, an up-and- coming player from Southern California. Chris Trencher makes another contribution with a feature article: a rave review of Marc Brockmann Olsen’s recent book, Cube Like a Boss. You don’t want to miss that! We also include reminiscences of the great Malcolm Davis, a star of stars whose recent passing is sadly lamented. Bill Robertie, Kent Goulding, Karen Davis, Hugh Sconyers, and Stevan Hammond all remember Malcolm fondly. USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 3 John Pirner, USBGF President and Executive Director, looks toward the future with an eye toward growth, sharing ideas about where the Federation is, where it needs to go, and how to get there. Both the Federation and tournament organizers have adapted well to the pandemic, quickly creating value and success in online events; but there is more to be done. In his regular column, “What’s the Ruling?”, Rich Munitz deals with the timely topic of online cheating. Art Benjamin’s “Math Overboard” column is “The Art of the Long Race”—methods to determine cube actions and estimate winning chances. With those methods, you won’t go wrong. As usual, we list our Founding Sponsors, whose generous support makes possible all our events and membership benefits. We welcome several new high- level Sponsors! And also as usual, we give tournament results and point-race standings of all our events, including the popular USBGF Online Circuit. Finally, check out the list of upcoming events! As I’ve Marty Storer is a member of the USBGF noted before, there will be plenty of backgammon Board of Directors and Executive Editor before live events resume again. of PrimeTime Backgammon magazine. On the Cover For more than a few years, Grandmaster Chris Trencher has been a consistent winner in the USA as well as abroad. He performed exceedingly well in the recent Magriel Cup challenge—check out our feature article, which includes commentary from Chris along with Marty’s analysis. As an extra treat, see Chris’s review of Marc Olsen’s new book, Cube Like a Boss! Photo Credit: Beth Diamond In this Issue: Fall 2020 Malcolm Davis Remembered 16 Book Review: Cube Like a Boss 69 Viking Classic 60 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 5 In this Issue: Magriel Cup 2020 32 2020 MAGRIEL CUP The USA wins the extravaganza vs. Great Britain Fall 2020 BY KAREN DAVIS AND MARTY STORER 36 UK VS USA – THE MAGRIEL CUP Perspective and analysis from a U.K. participant BY CHRIS BRAY 39 MAGRIEL CUP POSITION ANALYSIS Featuring three of the tourney's top performers Mind Sports Olympiad 94 BY MARTY STORER Features 16 MALCOLM DAVIS REMEMBERED Memorials of a Giant of Giants BY BILL ROBERTIE, KENT GOULDING, KAREN DAVIS, HUGH SCONYERS, AND STEVAN HAMMOND 84 KARA SCHULTZ: SHE'S A WINNER Hard work with a top coach pays dividends BY CANDACE MAYERON Kara Shultz: She's a Winner 84 6 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine Columns Tournament Reports 10 PRESIDENT'S COLUMN: 51 USBGF TOURNAMENT OF STARS MEETING FUTURE CHALLENGES A popular event goes online —success! A developing vision for the future BY KAREN DAVIS AND MARTY STORER BY JOHN PIRNER 58 SUMMER WINNERS IN MICHIGAN 13 FOUNDING SPONSORS Las Vegas players triumph in the Open Kudos to our contributors, old and new BY CAROL JOY COLE 69 BOOK REVIEW: 60 THE VIKING CLASSIC CUBE LIKE A BOSS Fun, and spoils for winning raiders A rave from a trustworthy source BY JEFF SPENCER BY CHRIS TRENCHER 66 UNDER-12 ONLINE 88 MATH OVERBOARD: BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS THE ART OF THE LONG RACE The kids and older youth play hard Thorough treatment of an important topic BY CRISTIAN FRISK BY ART BENJAMIN 94 MIND SPORTS OLYMPIAD 96 WHAT'S THE RULING?: Many backgammon events are now included CHEATING AND THE BY CRISTIAN FRISK USBGF STANDARDS OF ETHICAL PRACTICE How we promote high ethics and fair play BY RICH MUNITZ USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 7 Results & Leaders 100 ABT ONLINE! Help grow the TOURNAMENT RESULTS backgammon community The online tour has been well attended! one player at a time! 104 ABT ONLINE! POINTS RACE Donate via PayPal to: The competition is heating up! [email protected] 105 ABT ONLINE! STANDINGS To set up a charitable Keep track of everyone's performance! bequest to the USBGF, 106 USBGF ONLINE CIRCUIT WINNERS contact [email protected] You've got to be in it to win it! 108 TOURNAMENT CALENDAR Your tax deductible donation benefits the Mark your calendar and attend these exciting future of backgammon ABT and USBGF events taking place across through education - the the country. USBGF Foundation is a 501(c)3 8 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine publisher USBGF Spotlight John Pirner executive editor Marty Storer founding editor Matt Cohn-Geier production editor Kristian Heuer contributing photographers Robert Amador, Doris Auer Ben Friesen Ben Friesen, Director of Tournament Support, is a member of the USBGF usbgf photographers Board of Directors, a Silver Founding Sponsor, and chair of the Tournament Karen Davis, Steve Sax, Directors Advisory Committee. He has directed numerous ABT and ABT Candace Mayeron Online! tournaments including the Cherry Blossom, California State, Denver Wild West, Los Angeles Open, Michigan, Ohio, and Sunny Florida. editorial advisory board Karen Davis (Chair), Marty Storer, Kristian Heuer, John Pirner information PrimeTime Backgammon is the official magazine of the U.S. Backgammon Federation. contact us Email: [email protected] Website: usbgf.org Dan Minardi Dan MInardi, Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer and a member of the volume 11, issue 4 USBGF Board of Directors. Dan is also a Gold Founding Sponsor, Finance © 2020 U.S. Backgammon Committee Chair, a member of the Executive Committee and Tournament Federation Directors Advisory Committee as well as Director of the Wild West Shootout and Colorado Backgammon Club. notice Opinions expressed in these pages are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect official positions of the U.S. Backgammon Federation. USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 9 USBGF Volunteers USBGF membership director Board of Directors Ed Corey social media director and board chairman; chair, rules and ethics committee; online circuit director executive committee; chair, hall of fame committee Cary Hoarty hall of fame committee Neil Kazaross Joseph Russell social media and website adviser chief operating officer, April Kennedy president; executive director finance committee, executive John Pirner committee, treasurer website Dan Minardi Elizabeth Liberty vice chairman; chair, governance and nominating