Backgammon Tournaments

Tournament backgammon is played as matches rather than single games. Each match goes to a set number of points, the doubling cube is used to raise the value of games, and the Crawford rule applies near the end. Here are the most common tournament formats you will meet, online and at live events.

Sit and go tournaments

Sit and go events are the most common online format. As the name says, the tournament starts as soon as enough players have signed up. Four-player events are typical, but 8, 16, 32 and even 64-player versions exist. Matches are usually short, often 1, 3 or 5 points, so a whole sit and go can be finished in an evening or less.

Knockout tournaments

The classic format is single elimination: win your match and you advance, lose and you are out. Many live tournaments soften this with a consolation or "last chance" bracket, so players knocked out early still have more matches to play. Some events use double elimination, where you must lose twice before you are out.

Rating-limited tournaments

Most online servers keep a rating for every player that rises and falls with results. Rating-limited events are open only to players below a certain rating, so newer players compete against opponents of similar strength. They are a good place to gain experience without facing the strongest players every round.

Swing tournaments

In a swing tournament each player starts with the same number of chips. Players are paired at random for single games, and the loser of each game hands over chips to the winner according to the points scored. Play continues until one player holds all the chips. To keep the event moving, the number of chips per point usually goes up at set intervals.

Qualifiers

Qualifiers, also called satellites, are smaller events whose winners earn a place in a larger tournament. Large live championships and big online events often run several qualifiers in the weeks before they start.

Scheduled events

Scheduled tournaments start at a fixed time, and anyone registered by then takes part. Many clubs and online servers run them daily or weekly. Live championships, including the yearly World Championship in Monte Carlo, are usually split into flights for different levels, such as championship, intermediate and beginner.

Match length and clocks

Match lengths are almost always odd, such as 5, 7, 9, 11 or longer for finals. Online, each player has a time bank that runs down while he thinks. In live play, serious tournaments use a game clock. A common setting gives each player about two minutes per point of the match plus a short delay of around 12 seconds per move, so a player who moves quickly never loses time.

Table etiquette

• Roll both dice from a cup, and make sure they land flat in the board to your right. A die that lands on a checker, tilted or off the board is rolled again.
• Do not roll until your opponent has finished his move, picked up his dice or pressed the clock.
• Announce doubles clearly and wait for a clear answer.
• Keep track of the score and agree on it with your opponent after every game.
• Be a good sport. Bad luck is part of the game for everyone.

New to tournament play? Our two-part guide starts with backgammon tournaments for beginners, where we lay out a step-by-step path from your first sit and go to bigger events.