So, what happened to the 3 Play65 qualifiers who had made it into the final of the 2007-8 World Series of Backgammon in Cannes?

As you recall, Play65 sent 3 players to the 2008 WSOB final at the Palm Beach Casino in the French Riviera. The 3 players - Andrew Plater of England, Athanasios Lagopatis of Germany and Aron Korper of the Netherlands – were the winners of the special qualifying tournaments held on Play65 throughout May, June and July. This trio got to play against the world’s top ranked backgammon players and against online and live qualifiers as themselves.

Aron Korper, who played a live backgammon game for the first time, was defeated 3-2 by Falafel Natanzon, the Israeli backgammon player who was named 2007 Giant of Backgammon, and dropped out of the competition. Athanasios Lagopatis, who was placed against Rida Hassan, number 1 on World Series of Backgammon ranking list, lost 3-0 and left the tour. Andrew Plater played against John Hurst, the winner of the UK Masters, the first stop of the 2007-8 World Series of Backgammon, won 3-2 and progressed to the quarter finals.

On the quarter finals of the WSOB finale, Andrew Plater faced French Frederick Andrieu, another super satellite qualifier, and lost 3-0. Frederick Andrieu, on the other hand, moved up to the semi finals and then to the finals, beat American Robert (Bob) Koca and won the prestigious WSOB Championship title and the grand prize - €100,000.

In addition, two members of Play65 Danish team, who previously represented our backgammon site at the 2008 WSOB Nordic Open, played the WSOB Final as part of the 8 top ranked players in the world. Jacob Simonsen made it to the quarter finals, where he lost to the 2008 WSOB finalist, Bob Koca. At the same time, Karsten Bredahl lost to Falafel, yet became the number 1 ranked player in the world with 1750.8 rating points.

Since photographing during the WSOB final was prohibited, here are some more pics from the Riviera Cup:

Backgammon quiz no. 13 went online yesterday, so if you have a clue about the backgammon player who won the European Backgammon Championship 3 times, you can submit your answer. It also indicates that 12 weeks have passed since the first backgammon quiz, which means that the promised $200 quarterly draw (in which one of the 12 past winners will be rewarded with a $200 bonus) is due any minute now. 

As for last week’s backgammon quiz, asking about a 2008 movie with a famous real money backgammon game behind its scenes, the answer is Mad Money. Directed by Callie Khouri with performances by Diane Keaton, Katie Holmes and Queen Latifah, the crime comedy about three Federal Reserve who plan to steal money from their workplace wasn’t appraised by the critics, but still did well in the box offices. Here is the movie trailer:

Play65 new backgammon quiz is up. This week’s question is about a real money backgammon game held at the set of a 2008 movie. The backgammon game caused an actor named Adam Rothenberg to lose lots of money to his colleague Roger Cross. The movie, dealt with three Federal Reserve female workers who planned to steal money that was subject to destruction. If you recall the name of the movie (which isn’t such a difficult task – first, cause it is a rather new movie and secondly, because you have four options to choose from), you can submit the answer and even win $20 bonus!

Last week’s backgammon quiz was about a crime incident where a Greek cop was caught and arrest during a backgammon game for an alleged 2004 crime. The crime was not an illegal parking at a bus stop, not illegal fishing and even not stealth of an ambulance. The 23 years old cop’s backgammon game was stopped for a much trivial crime – bank robbery. crys_cos of Romania is the winner of this Play65 quiz and $20 bonus, and along of the rest of the winners, he will take part in the quarterly $200 bonus draw.

 

And speaking of backgammon champions, Play65 decided to allocate a special room for the crème of the crème of its players. Called the "Giants Room", Play65 new champions room is open for members of 1800 rating and over. All those championship-level players will be able to compete against one another with lower rates and better terms. 

For example:

• 2.45% rake on games (single or series of games) played on more than $500
• 10% discount on games played on up to $50
• 15% discount on games played on $50 and up
• Maximum commission of $20

Check out Play65 new "Dark Room"

The 11th backgammon quiz, online since yesterday, brings up an odd story from 2004, directed indirectly to backgammon. Once upon a time in 2004, a local policeman was arrested in Patras, Greece while playing backgammon. The quiz asks about the cause of his arrest – was it due to an act of illegal parking, bank robbery, illegal fishing or stealing of an ambulance? If you know the answer, submit it and get into the weekly $20 bonus draw. 

Last week’s Play65 quiz brought up an even odder seeming story. As you may recall, it asked about a film festival in which a Salt Backgammon Tournament was held in the company of a huge salt backgammon sculpture. The right answer was Venice film festival, but it is only part of the answer.

Salt Backgammon Tournament

The Salt Backgammon Tournament, or "Una Notte di Sale" in Italy’s local language, was part of an installation made by Bettina Werner, a New York artist who is recognized with her salt crystal works of art. 

The Salt Backgammon Tournament took place during the 2005 Venice Film Festival at the ancient monastery in the Lido of Venice in the presence of some of Werner’s creations: huge backgammon board and dice composed of Sicilian salt. The winner of the special VIP backgammon tournament, the American shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, took home a $5,000 salt sculpture of a backgammon board.

The 2005 Venice Film Festival Salt Backgammon Tournament wasn’t the first time Bettina Werner artworks were involved in a backgammon competition, as equipment as well as the top prize. The artist has been making backgammon boards out of salt since 1994; since then, she was involved in several charity backgammon tournaments in which her famed salty boards were offered as a trophy.

Falafel, number 1 on 2007 Giants of Backgammon, will be posting on Play65 blog starting from now. Falafel is currently on his way to Monte Carlo and Cannes, to play at two of the most important tournaments in the world of backgammon, Monte Carlo World Championship and the last qualifier of the World Series of Backgammon, and at this year WSOB final event. From there, he will be reporting exclusively to Play65 blog readers live from his backgammon tournaments, share his thoughts, experiences and memories, and give backgammon advice. So, everyone, greet Falafel on his first post!

On the Road

I am about to leave for Monte Carlo, where I will be participating at the World Championship for the 9th time. The World Backgammon Championship in Monte Carlo is the most exciting event of the year, though I have never yet to win there. But who knows, I did not think I would be voted number 1 on the Backgammon Giants list, but I did and it was a very pleasant surprise…

Anyway, back to the backgammon tournaments. The Monte Carlo World Championship and the World Series of Backgammon final in Cannes are two of the most important events in backgammon. All the best backgammon players come to these tournaments from all over the world.

This year Play65 is sending 3 players to the WSOB final. These players are the winners of the three special WSOB qualifiers held by Play65 during the last three months. I assume that it will be their first experience at such a major live backgammon event. So let me tell you how it is going to be:

Besides playing backgammon all day long (which we all love), a live backgammon event also includes cocktail parties, gala dinners, and, of course, special prizes ceremonies where the players are awarded for their backgammon achievements.

Memories of Past Backgammon Tournaments

My best showing in Monte Carlo was 4 years ago, when I lost in the quarter finals and it all came down to DMP. What I remember most about that last game was that I played really well, but got very unlucky with the dice (isn’t that how we all feel after losing?).

Anyway, I’ve come along way since this unforgettable backgammon event: 2 years ago I actually won my really first big event which was in Las Vegas where I beat Carter Matting in a great final match that came down to DMP, and a few months ago I won my first European event, the Portuguese Open, which was a lot of fun, also at DMP!

Daily Routine of a Backgammon Giant

The last of Play65 WSOB qualifiers was held last Sunday, and the third player to occupy a seat at the 2008 WSOB final at the Palm Beach Casino in Cannes on the 21st of July, is a Dutch player named Aron Korper who is known in Play65 as matahari8 who will be celebrating his 50th birthday next month! Can’t think of a better way to celebrate a man’s first jubilee!  Aron Korper will be joining the other two winners Andrew Plater of England and Athanasios Lagopatis of Germany, who will be playing and mingling, probably for the first time, against the world’s top backgammon players. Good luck you all and have a great time!

Play65 backgammon quiz is starting its 10th week! And you thought it wouldn’t last! The 10th backgammon quiz is about an interesting backgammon event happened in 2005 (September 3, to be exact) as part of a film festival with a king-sized-bed-sized-sculpture made of salt. Do you know which film festival hosted the Salt Backgammon Tournament? If you do, don’t hesitate to submit your answer.

Last week’s backgammon quiz asked about the meaning of the Chinese backgammon variant Shan-liu. The correct answer was double six and the lucky winner whose online account is now $20 richer is sepo22 of Erevan, Armenia.

"CHARMEDONE75" of Bakersfield, California is the winner of Play65 8th quiz and the first woman to ever win the desirable $20 bonus!

The right answer to last week’s question (asking about the painter who included a backgammon board in his "The Triumph of Death" painting of 1562) is Pieter Bruegel. "The Triumph of Death", currently exhibited at the Prado Museum in Madrid, is a macabre masterpiece, which depicts on top of a deserted backgammon board, a herd of skeletons ambushing the living people and executing their deaths, either by drowning, throat-slitting, burring alive, etc.

 The Triumph of Death – on the right bottom: a backgammon board

The new quiz on Play65 asks about the meaning of the ancient Chinese backgammon variant called "Shan-liu". Does "Shan-liu" means battle on the board, twenty four triangles, hit and run or double six? If you know the answer, you might find yourself $20 richer next week, and if you don’t, be bold and take a wild guess; when worse comes to worse you might just not win!

And finally, a tribute to our first female winner:

California Girls by The Beach Boys: Oldies but Goldies