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BGonline.org Forums
Announcing the 2012 Chicago Open and the World Backgammon Tournament of Champions
Posted By: Rory
Date: Friday, 3 February 2012, at 4:46 p.m.
Let me start by thanking everyone that attended last year’s Chicago Open. We had a 67.7% increase from 2010 to total of 104 attendees. With commitments from about a dozen players that were not able to attend last year, 2012 already looks like it should surpass that mark.
The 2012 Chicago Open website is now updated. Please go to www.ChicagoOpenBG.com for full tournament details. A PDF version of the Tournament Brochure is available.
Here are a few items of interest...
ALL SIDE POOLS RETURN 100%
The Open Tournament will be run under the same format as last year, a "More Swiss" format and will be "Clocks Preferred" aka "Clocks on Request". Under the "More Swiss" format the winner of the tournament will be the last person with fewer than three loses. Reigning Chicago Open Champion Chuck Bower says unless work sucks him in he will be back to defend his title.
The Intermediate format will be the same as it has been the past two years...a multiple re-buy format consisting of eight-player knock-out qualifiers with a Playoff, Consolation, and Last Chance.
Last year’s inaugural Giants of Backgammon Invitational Tournament was a huge success. Congratulations to Steve Sax for standing tall as a “Giant among Giants”! I have decided to run the Giants event bi-annually (every other year) rather than annually to match how the Giants vote is done. In its place starting in 2012 and continue bi-annually I will be running the World Backgammon Tournament of Champions Invitational. To qualify, one must have won an Open/Championship or Masters level tournament anywhere in the world over the past two calendar years dating back to January of 2009 or be listed as a top 32 Giant on either the 2009 or 2011 list. There will be two parts to this tournament. The first part will consist of multiple five or six person groups that will play a round robin of 7-point matches. The second part will be a maximum 16-player playoff bracket where each round will be a best two out of three 7-point matches. This is a “Clocks Required” event. The entry fee is $500 with a 95% return. There are two side pools $250 & $500, with a 100% return.
Giants Matvey “Falafel” Natanzon and Matt Cohn-Geier will do a joint lecture on Sunday while Professor of Backgammon Phil Simborg will do a lecture on Monday.
The "Markowitz Masters" and Doubles events will both be "Clocks Required".
For the second year in a row we will have a Taki board tournament. There will also be Jackpots on Sunday and Monday.
As always there will be a Seniors Tournament (expanded to 64 players) and a Limited Jackpot starting on Friday.
This is a family friendly event. We have both a Novice Division and a Children's Tournament with great prizes.
We also provide the very best hospitality at any Backgammon Tourney in the US (you will eat better than if you stayed home...just ask Chuck, Mochy, or Petko).
Rynell Nunez will be joining the staff as the CTO (chief technology officer). Matches will be streamed all weekend long.
My goal in running this tournament is the same as always…to provide players with maximum play (in the main tournament and side events), an education (two lectures), at a great venue (an all suites hotel with an $89 rate), with the best very hospitality.
If attendees from last year have any suggestions that might help me to improve the tournament, please send them my way.
I hope to see you in May...
Regards
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