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BGonline.org Forums
Victor Ashkenazi Awarded Grandmaster (Class 1) Title
Posted By: Rick Janowski
Date: Tuesday, 9 August 2016, at 6:36 a.m.
VICTOR ASHKENAZI AWARDED GRANDMASTER (CLASS 1) TITLE
I have the greatest pleasure in announcing that Victor Ashkenazi has been awarded the very prestigious title of Grandmaster (Class 1) by virtue of his sustained incredible performances at American Backgammon Tour (ABT) tournaments in 2015 and 2016, culminating in brilliant technical results at the recent World Championships in Monte Carlo, where his average PR was less than 2.90. Victor is only the third player to achieve this incredibly difficult award, following Mochy and Michi before him. Only players who manage to sustain an average PR of 3.00 or less over 150 experience points receive this highest of honours. Victor achieved BMAB's threshold requirements after playing 35 rated matches, amounting to nearly 400 experience points.
This is a lifetime award which can never be degraded, but may be subsequently enhanced through continued improved performance. The next level up, Super-Grandmaster, requires a similarly sustained performance with average PR of 2.50 or less.
Congratulations and kudos to Victor Ashkenazi for achieving this highest of accolades; a truly great player in our game!
I include below the mini-biography from the BMAB website Player Profiles page, which tells Victor's story:
!Victor Ashkenazi, moved from Moscow to New York when he was 25, later becoming a USA citizen. Before switching to Backgammon in his late 20s, he was an accomplished Chess player, with speed chess his speciality. He started playing backgammon in 1998 and within two years he became a much feared opponent amidst the thriving Times Square backgammon scene. He soon became an accomplished online player, reaching and maintaining high rankings on the major servers.
Victor has very high standard of play in live tournaments, as can be seen from his many streamed matches (over 75 to date). His notable wins include the Las Vegas Open in 2007, the NY Open in 2009 and 2012. In 2012, his best tournament year, he also won the Tampa Open and the Masters events in Las Vegas and LA. In 2015 he won the Carolina Masters.
In 2013, he was voted onto the 32 Giants List for the first time reaching #11. In 2013 he was selected for the World vs. Denmark annual event and has been a member ever since. His GridGammon nickname is Vic."
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