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PRIMETIME BACKGAMMON OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE USBGF SUMMER 2018 the greatest Kazaross sets a new all-time ABT record after capturing the 2018 U.S. Open title u.s. open cherry blossom chicago open Exclusive photos & reporting from three of the year’s strongest tournaments U.s. Backgammon federation visit us at usbgf.org 43rd Backgammon World Championship Fairmont Monte Carlo, Monaco Backgammon Championship Save t October 4 - 7, 2018 he Dates! The Element | Fort Lauderdale July 28th - August 5th, 2018 Warm-Up Event 8th Monte Carlo Open july 28th - 29th, 2018 july 29th - 30th, 2018 43rd World Championship july 31st - august 5th, 2018 Columbus Day Weekend €10.000 Added to the Championship Division! • Earn BMAB Grandmaster • Lots of action — you’ll Double-Elimination Format in prestige and glory always have a game! Championship, Intermediate, & NOVICE Divisions • Prizes and added money • ABT Championship, Advanced, worth over $1000 Pre-Register Online at www.bwcmc.com Novice, & Youth divisions Book early! Discounted Fairmont Monte Carlo room rates are in high demand! Our Fairmont • Easy to get to by air, • Miami Masters, Orlando Open, group rates start at €345. Reservations must be made by July 1st to secure this discount. Make your rail, bus, or car reservations online at www.bwcmc.com or contact Antoinette-Marie Williams at 212.222.7177. & Lauderdale Limited Jackpots • Experience a luxury hotel Presented by the IPATT Group | Patti Donner-Rubin | E-Mail: [email protected] at affordable rates Register online: sunnyfloridabackgammon.com PRIME TOURNAMENT 4 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 5 PrimeTime Backgammon Summer Issue us why “Robertie” could be a short way to say “Hall of Fame Genius.” PRIMETIME sUmmer Issue Besides results, standings, and upcoming BACKGAMMON tournaments, there’s an article for new- OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE USBGF SUMMER 2018 PrimeTime Backgammon comers: “Getting the Most out of your the greatest By Marty Storer, Managing Editor New USBGF Membership.” PrimeTime Kazaross sets a new all-time ABT record after capturing Backgammon, teaching videos, seminars, the 2018 U.S. Open title his issue, like our last, celebrates attempt to minimize eXtreme Gammon PR We also have a short profile of photographer the online match, discounts on entries the great Paul Magriel. In her numbers leads to a mind-set where only Peter Senzamici, whose beautiful work and equipment, added money for live and President’s column, entitled “Les- mistakes seem interesting, while good and graces this issue’s pages. We appreciate his online member tournaments—these are Tsons from Magriel,” Karen Davis writes even great plays are treated as run-of-the- contributions. some of the benefits you get by joining the of her long acquaintance with him as his mill. He says we should aspire to heights of U.S. Backgammon Federation. Though in competitor and his student. She shares creativity, both in play and analysis; and he We have fantastic reports on three big and this issue we shout out our appreciation valuable tips from lessons taken in 1994-95. gives recommendations for changing our exciting tournaments: the U.S. Open in of our 163 listed Founding Sponsors, who As if that weren’t enough, Renée Magriel ways and outlook. Las Vegas, and the Chicago Open (both are indispensable to our work, we realize Roberts, Paul’s first wife and love, favors by Bill Riles), and the Cherry Blossom in that ordinary members are the backbone us all with a beautifully written article: an Marty Storer and Karen Davis give us a the D.C. area (by organizer Karen Davis). of the Federation and the key to our suc- inside look at his genius, character, and profile of the Czech player Martin Filipi, The Chicago Open featured a great USA cess. Membership is cheap at the price, so: quirks, and an account of their collabora- whose dedication led to his victory in the vs. Japan challenge match, and lots of good u.s. open tion on Backgammon, a book still known as online USBGF Tournament of Champi- backgammon; Bill Calton won the main “Get Into the Game — Become a Member” cherry blossom the game’s Bible. Our tribute will continue ons for 2017. It’s interesting to hear from event as well as Mochy’s Proficiency Test, chicago open in the Fall issue. Martin how he came so far so fast. Marty and Giants did very well. In the Cherry Marty Storer Exclusive photos & reporting from three of the year’s strongest tournaments analyzes five interesting positions from Blossom, Roberto Litzenberger won his first, U.s. Backgammon federation visit us at usbgf.org We introduce a new author to these pages: the final match against the top U.S. player and overdue, ABT victory; as a dedicated Albert Steg of the New England Backgam- Alfred Mamlet. teacher of novices, he was pleased to see a mon Club. He delves into a “3rd-roll com- record turnout for the Novice event! U.S. plex,” elucidating principles for countering Alexander Auer has a profile and interview Open victor and all-time ABT leader Neil the opening reply of 66. Not only that, he of German craftsman Volker Wenzlaff, Kazaross is featured on the cover, and Ray The Tournament Issue! provides a FileMaker quizzing application, whose Gammoner boards are among the Fogerlund also did extremely well at that downloadable from our website, that runs world’s finest. Alexander and his photogra- tournament. For full details, check out the on the Apple iPad. This fine theoretical effort pher wife, Doris, spent a day the Gammoner articles and summaries of results! Incredible photos and is what we might expect from such a strong facility in Münster; the article is full of and promising player; we will definitely be fascinating stories, as well as descriptions USBGF Historian Bob Stoller reviews the news from three of the hearing more from Albert. and photos of the processes and materials second edition of Bill Robertie’s book, 501 that help make up a top-quality backgam- Essential Backgammon Problems. There’s a MARTY STORER ABT’s largest events. Author, PrimeTime editor, and Giant Bob mon set. lot more to the article than a dry technical Marty Storer is a member of the USBGF Wachtel contributes a thoughtful piece on review of this fine book; Bob recaps Bill’s Board of Directors and Managing Editor brilliancy in backgammon. He believes the achievements over many years, reminding of PrimeTime Backgammon magazine. 6 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 7 c In This Issue Summer 2018 FEATURED 24 MY LIFE WITH PAUL MAGRIEL AND THE GENESIS OF BG’S BIBLE In the heady 1970s, Paul Magriel’s first wife helped make his great accomplishments possible. 60 BY RENÉE MAGRIEL ROBERTS 32 COUNTERING THE 66 REPLY CHERRY BLOSSOM CHAMPIONSHIP Get your priorities straight after your opponent rolls The 2018 Cherry Blossom Championship sets a new record boxcars in reply to your opener. for both player attendance and USBGF fundraising! 24 BY ALBERT STEG 46 SEARCHING FOR GENESIS OF BG’S BIBLE BACKGAMMON BRILLIANCY Renée Magriel Roberts helped write Seeking the “Perfect 10,” or zero PR, can blind us to Backgammon and has published the book in German and Spanish. brilliant moves and conceptions. BY BOB WACHTEL 3RD ROLL MASTERY 50 KAZAROSS REIGNS: Download Albert Steg’s iPad quizzing 2018 U.S. OPEN AT LAS VEGAS 68 32 app for the 66 third-roll complex. The all-time ABT champion wins the main event, and others shine as well. NON STOP ACTION AT CHICAGO! BY BILL RILES Director and organizer Rory Pascar outdid past FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER SENZAMICI Chicago Open editions with the 2018 extravaganza. 60 CHERRY BLOSSOM ATTRACTS A STRONG FIELD During the annual spring festival in D.C., Litzenberger blitzed through a tough draw to win. 2018 U.S. OPEN AT LAS VEGAS BY KAREN DAVIS Steve Sax and winner Neil Kazaross in the U.S. Open semifinals. 68 38TH CHICAGO OPEN Chicago: yet again a tall bold slugger of B. SCHILLING; L. IRAVANI; P. SENZAMICI P. IRAVANI; L. SCHILLING; B. R. MAGRIEL ROBERTS; P. SENZAMICI P. ROBERTS; MAGRIEL R. Questions or comments about PrimeTime tournaments! Backgammon? We want to hear from you! BY BILL RILES FROM TOP: FROM Contact us via email at [email protected]. 50 TOP: FROM FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SCHILLING 8 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 9 In This Issue In This Issue Summer PRIMETIME 2018 BACKGAMMON OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE USBGF SUMMER 2018 ON THE COVER the greatest PLAYER PROFILE Photographer Peter Senzamici captured the essence Kazaross sets a new all-time 78 MARTIN FILIPI: WINNER OF ABT record after capturing of all-time ABT point leader and Hall of Famer Neil the 2018 U.S. Open title 2017 USBGF ONLINE TOC Kazaross during the 2018 U.S. Open in Las Vegas. The 2017 Online Tournament of Champions winner Photo courtesy of Peter Senzamici. See more lives and plays in the Czech Republic, and has of his work at petersenzamici.com. come a long way in a short time. BY MARTY STORER AND KAREN DAVIS SCHILLING PHOTOGRAPHY Chicago-based professional photographer and SPECIAL INTERVIEW filmmaker Brian Schilling did an incredible job photographing the 38th Chicago Open. Brian shot 86 A DAY AT GAMMONER BOARDS: this superb photo of Mochy, which demonstrates the VOLKER WENZLAFF intensity and concentration required of the world’s #1 player during the USA vs. Japan team competition. A pure craftsman shows us his methods, materials, dedication, and superb final products. Photo courtesy of Brian Schilling. See more BY ALEXANDER AUER u.s. open of his work at schillingfilm.com.