Magriel Cup Tourney of Stars
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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 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! ABT Online! October 8 - 11, 2020 Columbus Day Weekend Follow Team USA on the World Backgammon Internet Federation website: https://wbgf.info/wbif-2/ • 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 California State Championship • Orlando Open • Art Benjamin – the • Lauderdale Limited Mathemagician - seminar December 3 –6 2020 Register now: www.GammonAssociatesWest.com • 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 ONLINE! USBGF BACKGAMMON A M E R I C A N # BACKGAMMON TOUR 2020 TOUR #2020 2 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 3 Editor’s Note John Pirner, USBGF President and Executive Director, looks toward the future with an eye toward Fall 2020 growth, sharing ideas about where the Federation is, Marty Storer, Executive Editor where it needs to go, and how to get there. Both the Federation and tournament organizers have adapted n this issue, replete with great photos, we continue to track well to the pandemic, quickly creating value and online backgammon in America and all over the world. The success in online events; but there is more to be done. veteran American grandmaster Chris Trencher appears on our cover following a great performance in the first Magriel Cup, In his regular column, “What’s the Ruling?”, Rich Ia monumental U.S. vs. U.K. challenge that America won. That big Munitz deals with the timely topic of online cheating. event is recapped by Marty Storer and Karen Davis in one article, Art Benjamin’s “Math Overboard” column is “The with analysis of positions from Chris Trencher’s and Matt Cohn- Art of the Long Race”—methods to determine cube Geier’s matches, including valuable commentary by Chris. For a U.K. actions and estimate winning chances. With those perspective on this event, author and regular USBGF contributor methods, you won’t go wrong. Chris Bray, also the backgammon columnist for The Times of London, contributes an article first published on the UKBGF site. As usual, we list our Founding Sponsors, whose generous support makes possible all our events and Another major happening, the annual Tournament of Stars, which membership benefits. We welcome several new high- pairs Founding Sponsors with Stars in the signature doubles event, level Sponsors! And also as usual, we give tournament was held online this year for the first time. Karen and Marty give the results and point-race standings of all our events, retrospective, with analysis by Marty of six positions from the final. including the popular USBGF Online Circuit. Other tournaments include the Viking Classic, whose many events this Finally, check out the list of upcoming events! As I’ve Marty Storer is a member of the USBGF year are covered by Jeff Spencer of the Minnesota club, complete with an noted before, there will be plenty of backgammon Board of Directors and Executive Editor entertaining “bad beat” story. The Michigan Summer Championships, before live events resume again. of PrimeTime Backgammon magazine. 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 On the Cover 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- For more than a few years, Grandmaster Chris Trencher coming player from Southern California. has been a consistent winner in the USA as well as abroad. He performed exceedingly well in the recent Chris Trencher makes another contribution with a feature article: a rave Magriel Cup challenge—check out our feature article, review of Marc Brockmann Olsen’s recent book, Cube Like a Boss. You which includes commentary from Chris along with don’t want to miss that! Marty’s analysis. As an extra treat, see Chris’s review of Marc Olsen’s new book, Cube Like a Boss! 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. Photo Credit: Beth Diamond 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 Malcolm Davis Remembered 16 STEVAN HAMMOND 84 KARA SCHULTZ: SHE'S A WINNER Hard work with a top coach pays dividends Book Review: BY CANDACE MAYERON Cube Like a Boss 69 Kara Shultz: Viking Classic 60 She's a Winner 84 6 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 7 Columns Tournament Reports Results & Leaders Help grow the 10 PRESIDENT'S COLUMN: 51 USBGF TOURNAMENT OF STARS 100 ABT ONLINE! backgammon community MEETING FUTURE CHALLENGES A popular event goes online —success! TOURNAMENT RESULTS A developing vision for the future BY KAREN DAVIS AND MARTY STORER The online tour has been well attended! one player at a time! BY JOHN PIRNER 58 SUMMER WINNERS IN MICHIGAN 104 ABT ONLINE! POINTS RACE Donate via PayPal to: 13 FOUNDING SPONSORS Las Vegas players triumph in the Open The competition is heating up! [email protected] Kudos to our contributors, old and new BY CAROL JOY COLE 105 ABT ONLINE! STANDINGS 69 60 To set up a charitable BOOK REVIEW: THE VIKING CLASSIC Keep track of everyone's performance! bequest to the USBGF, CUBE LIKE A BOSS Fun, and spoils for winning raiders A rave from a trustworthy source BY JEFF SPENCER 106 USBGF ONLINE CIRCUIT WINNERS contact [email protected] BY CHRIS TRENCHER You've got to be in it to win it! 66 UNDER-12 ONLINE 88 MATH OVERBOARD: BACKGAMMON CHAMPIONSHIPS 108 TOURNAMENT CALENDAR Your tax deductible donation benefits the THE ART OF THE LONG RACE The kids and older youth play hard Mark your calendar and attend these exciting future of backgammon Thorough treatment of an important topic BY CRISTIAN FRISK ABT and USBGF events taking place across through education - the BY ART BENJAMIN the country. USBGF Foundation 94 MIND SPORTS OLYMPIAD is a 501(c)3 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 8 USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine USBGF PrimeTime Backgammon Magazine 9 publisher USBGF Volunteers USBGF Spotlight John Pirner USBGF membership director Ed Corey executive editor Board of Directors Marty Storer social media director and board chairman; chair, rules and ethics committee; online circuit director founding editor executive committee; chair, hall of fame committee Cary Hoarty Matt Cohn-Geier hall of fame committee Neil Kazaross Joseph Russell social media and website adviser production editor chief operating officer, April Kennedy Kristian Heuer president; executive director finance committee, executive John Pirner committee, treasurer website contributing photographers Dan Minardi Elizabeth Liberty Robert Amador, Doris Auer vice chairman; chair, Ben Friesen governance and nominating chair, ratings and stats communication Ben Friesen, Director of Tournament Support, is a member of the USBGF usbgf photographers committee committee; chair, rules and Edward Onny Board of Directors, a Silver Founding Sponsor, and chair of the Tournament Karen Davis, Steve Sax, Art Benjamin ethics committee Directors Advisory Committee. He has directed numerous ABT and ABT Candace Mayeron Richard Munitz graphic design Online! tournaments including the Cherry Blossom, California State, Denver Wild West, Los Angeles Open, Michigan, Ohio, and Sunny Florida. executive committee; finance Jim Sisti editorial advisory board committee; president u.s. chief technology officer; Karen Davis (Chair), Marty Storer, backgammon foundation chair, technology committee usbgf ratings team Kristian Heuer, John Pirner Karen Davis Matt Reklaitis Patrick Gibson (Director), Doug DeWitte, Ergin Bayrak information member, local club committee secretary; executive editor; PrimeTime Backgammon is Jack Edelson executive committee usbgf club committee the official magazine of the U.S. Marty Storer Albert Steg (Chair), Ted Chee, Backgammon Federation. chair, tournament directors Ben Friesen, Ross Gordon, advisory committee; chief, chair, marketing committee Joe Miller, Jeff Proctor contact us tournament support Frank Talbot Email: [email protected] Ben Friesen usbgf finance committee Website: usbgf.org special adviser to board of Dan Minardi (Chair), Jason Briggs, Dan Minardi chair, membership committee directors Ed Corey, Karen Davis, Bruce Dan MInardi, Chief Operating Officer, Treasurer and a member of the volume 11, issue 4 Julius High Carol Joy Cole Farquhar, Tom Rebelo, John Pirner USBGF Board of Directors.