9 October 2006
Backgammon in Camden: October Evening
The monthly Backgammon in Camden evening in London drew 57 players on a wet October night. Between them they made 92 entries across 12 tournaments, and by the end of the night ten different players had won at least one event. Most of the field was seated and playing by 7.45 pm.
How the evening worked
Play began at 7.00 pm with the first tournament (T1), an eight-player event of 7-point matches. Further tournaments of 7-point and 5-point matches for eight players were then opened one after another, and from about 8.30 pm new events were started on demand: whenever at least four players wanted a particular format, the organiser opened a new draw. Signups for the Backgammon Live weekend in London, due in November, were also taken during the evening, and a good number of players registered.
Results
T1 reached a semi-final line-up of Jon Barnes, Tom Duggan, John Broomfield and Edward Leighton. The final, Jon Barnes against John Broomfield, was a long match watched by a crowd and went all the way to double match point, where Jon Barnes won. That made him the only player to have won the first tournament of a Camden evening twice.
One newcomer, Matte F, who had come over from the Croydon club, entered T1 and won his first three matches against Peter Bennet, Ken Gibson and former European finalist Al Hogg.
- T3: Alan Beckerson
- T4: Mourad
- T5: Elena, playing her first Camden evening
- T6: Pete W.
- T7: Stef, who beat Paul in a final that the two agreed to shorten to a single point
- T8: Simon R., also on his first Camden evening, beat Asinka in the final of a four-player event
- T9: Simon M.
- T10: Mourad, his second win of the night
- T11: Phil D.
- T12: Alan B., also a double winner
The usual monthly quiz did not take place this time, and the organiser promised it would return the following month. With the summer over and the balcony no longer usable, all play moved indoors; the organisers felt that around 60 players a month was a comfortable number for the room. More club and tournament reports are in our news archive.