The 2009 New Zealand Backgammon Championship

Dice-throwing enthusiasts gathered at the Nelson's Founders Park on November 19th, 2009 for the 2009 New Zealand Backgammon Championship. The Nelson Backgammon Club has organized the backgammon tournament. Competition directors Grant Hoffman and Tony Gibbons are self-confessed backgammon addicts.

Both men play the game at least once a day. Hoffman said that they had set-up tables for the tournament inside and around the Jaycee just in case the weather does not cooperate. Backgammon is considered as the oldest board game in history, believed to have been made nearly six thousand years ago. It is a two-player board game in which playing pieces are moved across the board according to the result of the dice roll.

Hoffman said that some of the famous backgammon players included American actor Robert Downey Jr. Hoffman said that he got hooked on the game a few years ago after he bought his cousin a backgammon set. Before wrapping the board game, he played a couple of rounds and the rest is history.

Earlier this month, he finished in 8th place out of 128 backgammon players in the Australian Open Backgammon Championship in Sydney. He said that the prize money covered his airfare, hotel accommodation and $140 entry fee.

The competition featured a round-robin format. Participants played a minimum of five eleven point matches. Gibbons said that they have a great time organizing the tournament.

12/07/2009 23:57 PM
Ashley Young