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BGonline.org Forums
World Championship 2017 - What is the correct number?
Posted By: Chris Bray
Date: Thursday, 22 December 2016, at 5:35 p.m.
A few years ago I helped Dale Kerr with his research into the World Backgammon Championship and I have always kept an interest in the topic.
Each year I do a 30-minute presentation on a backgammon-related topic at our club Christmas party and so this year I chose the World Championship. In doing the necessary research I came across this Gammon Press article: https://thegammonpress.com/world-backgammon-championship-1…/ - presumably this was authored by Bill Robertie.
This is an excellent piece of work and clears up two of the long-standing mysteries surrounding the WC:
1) Alice Topping did not win the WC in 1970. There was no WC tournament that year.
2) The 1976-78 Monte Carlo tournaments were not World Championships but European Championships
I have since gone through my collection of old BG magazines and can certainly confirm the second point. It has been said the 1976-78 European Championship tournaments at Monte Carlo were World Championships in principle but is clear that were exactly as advertised - European Championships.
Given this, it is interesting that the 2017 WC at Monte Carlo is advertised as the 42nd World Championship. That number is undeniably wrong.
For the correct number you can take your pick from the following:
1) It is the 42nd consecutive backgammon tournament at Monte Carlo
2) It is the 39th World Championship at Monte Carlo.
3) It is the 49th World Championship.
I have a strong preference for the third option on the grounds that I'm more interested in the tournament than the venue. That means that 2018 will be the 50th WC - something to celebrate!
Chris
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