The 4th European Doubles Championships in France

by Tournament Director Chiva Tafazzoli (WBA)

More than 120 players signed up for the 4th edition of one of the most prestigious backgammon tournament of the circuit. 80 players entered the Masters Division which is considered to be the most challenging bracket in the backgammon world. Eight out of the top “Giants of Backgamon” ( Francois Tardieu, Bob Wachtel, Morten Holm, Matvey “Falafel” Natanzon, Ed O´Laughlin, “Mochi”, LarsTrabolt, Frank Talbot ) were among the players and some stars of the scene were spotted as well (Howard Markowitz, Peter Heitmüller, Najibullah Sallamzy, Andreas Humke, Sander Lylloff, Torben Hasseriis, Serge Rived, etc.)

Over 30,000 Euro added prize money and the great new playing rooms, located right in between the 2 tournament hotels, in the spa and thermal facilities and facing the lake added, delighted the participants to gather around their favourite game.

Matches advanced smoothly on Saturday and some great side-events went on. Another superjackpot started as well as a Ladies´ Tournament.

A small incident occurred during the day. An unknown man sneaked in the playing room and started to play some participants for money. Every single opponent he played complained about his incredible dice and his poor skills. The alerted Tournament Direction watched him carefully and had cameras monitor him. It turned out that the man was a dice mechanic. Measures were taken and all losses were returned to the players. Tournament attendants applauded this measure and appreciated the security and transparency of this tournament and the unmatched assertiveness and determination of the staff. No cheating will ever be allowed or tolerated on WBA events and an example was set.

 Official Results

Winner of 1st superjackpot: Sander Lylloff, victorious over Najib Sallamzy (Afghanistan)

Winner of 2nd superjackpot: Najib Sallamzy (Afghanistan), victorious over Piergiorgio d´Ancona (Italy)

Winner of 3rd superjackpot: Howard Markowitz (USA), victorious over Andreas Grötsch (Germany)

Ladies Tournament:

Finalist : Isabelle Bonvalot (France)

Winner : Julie Thabault (France)

Amateurs Division:

Winner : Philippe Arnaud (France)

President Tournament (1-point match) :

Semi : Shinishiro Kaneko (Japan) / Tanaka (Japan)

Final: Peter Bennet (Great Britain)

Winner: Katja-Sophie Spillum (Norway)

Intermediate Division :

Winner Last Chance : Marc Steyvers (Belgium)

Finalist Consolation: Numazawa Kazuko (Japan)

Winner Consolation : Ralph Eskinazi (Great Britain)

Finalist Main : Sten Lorentzen (Denmark)

Winner Main : Dieter Klein (Germany)

Advanced Division:

Winner Last Chance: Andrey Markov (Bulgaria)

Finalist Consolation: Bontcho Krastev (Bulgaria)

Winner Consolation: Bert van Kerckhove (Belgium)

Finalist Main: Damian Plesec (Slovenia)

Winner Main: Emmanuel Israel (France)

Masters Division:

Winner Last Chance: Carter Mattig (USA)

Finalist Consolation: Frank Talbot (USA)

Winner Consolation: Bob Wachtel (USA)

Semi-final Main: Georgy Balkandjiisky (Bulgaria)

Semi-Final Main: Chris Ternel aka Mr. Backgammon (Great Britain)

Finalist Main: Patrick Gaillardo (France)

Winner Main: Peter Heitmüller (Germany)

Elegance Prize: Numazawa Kazuko (Japan)

Special Player Prize: Frank Talbot (USA)

XcitingGames.com challenge (Freeroll):

Semi:  Van Ingen (Netherlands) / Bredahl (Denamrk)

Finalist: Dahan (France)

Winner: Markowitz (USA) 

Ruling Committee: Howard Markowitz (USA) / Kenji Shimodaira (Japan) / Morten Holm (Denmark)

WBA Director and staff: Chiva Tafazzoli (WBA), Martin Toudal (DBGF), Inge Christoffersen (DBGF), Sylvia Kwiek (Germany), Antonia Schultze (Germany

Saturday Results

Winner of 1st superjackpot: Sander Lylloff, victorious over Najib Sallamzy (Afghanistan)

Masters Main Semis:

Patrick Gaillardo (France) vs. Georgy Balkandjiisky (Bulgaria)

Chris Ternel (Great Britain) vs. Peter Heitmüller (Germany)

Masters Consolation Semis:

Rogier Van Gemert (Netherlands) vs. Frank Talbot (USA)

Bob Wachtel (USA) vs. Lars Trabolt (Denmark)

Advanced Main Final:

Jacques Israel (France) vs. Damian Plesec (Slovenia)

Advanced Consolation Final:

Bert Van Kerckhove (Belgian) vs. Bontcho Krastev (Bulgaria)

Intermediate Main Final:

Steen Lorentzen (Denamrk) vs. Dieter Klein (Germany)

Intermediate Consolation Final:

Numazawa Kazuko (Japan) vs. Ralph Eskinazi (Great Britain)

1st Round results :

Tardieu / Rived (France / France) won over Lecomte / Zarbib (France / France)
Salema / Cardoso (Portugal / Portugal) won over Serrero / Bonvalot (France / France)
Mochy / Tsuyoshi (Japan / Japan) won over Kenji / Kazuko (Japan / Japan)
Rostomian / Martirosian (Armenia / Armenia) won over Marlowitz / Mortuk (USA / USA)….. the defending champions are out of the competition
Humke / Rümcker (Germany / Germany) won over Orlowski / Nussbaecher (Germany / Germany)
Elbilia / Nadjar (France / France) won over Witt / Sonnabend (Germany / Germany)
Spillum / Bondo (Norway / Norway) won over Talbot / Mattig (USA / USA)
Sfez / Guez (France / France) won over Michi / Tatsuya (Japan / Japan)
Fetterlein / Bennet (GB / GB) won over Kahn / Natanzon (USA / Israel)….. the longest match of the round, the winning team with only a minute left on the clock
O´Laughlin / Mayfield (USA / USA) won over Roewer / Wagner (Germany / Germany)
Peretz / Mattern (Isreal / France) won over Kaneko / Akiko (Japan / Japan)
Santo-Roman / Gaillardo (France / France) won over D´Ancona / Mescola (Italy / Italy)
Wachtel / Dvorak (USA / Austria) won over Gagua / Muradian (Ucraine / Armenia)…. The fastest match of the round, ending 13-0 in 7 games.
Trabolt / Hasseriis (Denmark / Denmark) won over Taherzadeh / Malkopoulos (Iran / Greece)…. The most impressive comeback being led 9-away vs. 2-away in the match.
Myhr / Pedersen (Denmark / Denmark) won over Heitmüller / Pryadkin (Germany / Ukraine)
Sallak / Plesec (Germany / Slovenia) won over Lylloff / Holm (Denmark / Denmark)

2nd round results (last 16):

 Tardieu / Rived (France / France) won over Salema / Cardoso (Portugal / Portugal)

Rostomian / Martirosian (Armenia / Armenia) won over Mochy / Tsuyoshi (Japan / Japan)
Humke / Rümcker (Germany / Germany) won over Elbilia / Nadjar (France / France)
Spillum / Bondo (Norway / Norway) won over Sfez / Guez (France / France)
O´Laughlin / Mayfield (USA / USA) won over Fetterlein / Bennet (GB / GB)
Santo-Roman / Gaillardo (France / France) won over Peretz / Mattern (France / France)
Wachtel / Dvorak (USA / Austria) won over Trabolt / Hasseriis (Denmark / Denmark)
Sallak / Plesec (Germany / Slovenia) won over Myhr / Pedersen (Denmark / Denmark)
In the round of last 8, six different nations are represented.

3rd round results (last 8):

 Tardieu / Rived (France / France) won Rostomian / Martirosian (Armenia / Armenia)

Humke / Rümcker (Germany / Germany) won over Spillum / Bondo (Norway / Norway)
O´Laughlin / Mayfield (USA / USA) won over Santo-Roman / Gaillardo (France / France)
Wachtel / Dvorak (USA / Austria) won over Sallak / Plesec (Germany / Slovenia)
The new European Doubles Champions are from France, Fracois Tardieu and Serge Rived, defeating Brigitte Dvorak and Bob Wachtel in a very tense "nail-biter"-final.


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