Tournament Report:
The relatively big number of 32
players turned up in the Belgian city of Antwerp for the 5th Backgammon Masters
Open International Edition, a two day event with a Swiss System format
(which is frequenly used in chess). Among them were threefold Dutch
National Champions Rogier van Gemert and Jeroen Sikkema, plus many other
strong players to make up a very strong field, competing for the official Open
Championship of the Low Countries.
A total of 9 rounds were played
using electronic clocks, with a time limit of 15 minutes global time plus
15 seconds free time for each move (Bronstein system). Every round consisted of
a 9 point match against a player with (approximately) the same number of matches
won. In this system a player who loses a match may still win first prize if
he wins enough matches in the other rounds. In other words, the Consolation
and Last Chance are integrated in the same tournament.
Because last year’s winners
Marcel Nabarro and Rogier van Gemert both suffered first round losses, it was
completely open who would take the title this time.After 4 rounds only Rida
Hassan from The Netherlands and Luc Palmans from Belgium had won all their
matches. The crucial 5th round match between the two leaders was won by
Palmans, who took a one point lead as a result.
Among the group of five players
in direct pursuit was Marcel Nabarro, who had been scoring straight wins after
his first round loss. He went on to win in round 6, thereby joining the lead,
together with Hassan and Johan Segers from Belgium, who had beaten Van Gemert.
Round 7 saw Nabarro running out
of steam against Hassan, while Palmans suffered another loss against dangerous
outsider Dirk Provoost from The Netherlands. Segers meanwhile defeated Michael
Lewicki to share the lead with Hassan.
As is so often the case in Swiss
System events, the penultimate round was the crucial one. Segers beat Hassan to
take a one point lead over a pack of four players who were fighting for their
last title chance. These four could now battle it out against each other in
round 9, because Segers, who had already met all four of them, was paired
against Ed Baars who had only 5 points.
Dan Pascu beat Luc Palmans,
thereby taking third prize. Rogier van Gemert beat Rida Hassan to take second
prize. The prize money was shared, however, because of the equal number of 7
matches won.
Johan Segers finished his
convincing performance by winning his last round match to take the Masters title
with 8 points. This is certainly a very nice first big tournament win for Johan.
Although it seemed to come as a big surprise for him, very likely more good
results will follow.
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Ranking
and Games after 9 rounds of 5th Backgammon Masters International Open Edition
2009
Place No. Name R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 Score
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
11 Johan Segers
27 W 31 W 3 W
7 L 5 W
1 W 29 W
26 W 9 W
8
2.
1 Rogier van Gemert
17 L 19 W
16 W 14 W
18 W 11 L
24 W 8 W
26 W 7
27
Dan Pascu
11 L 15 L 21 W
17 W 6 W
9 W 18 W
2 W 7 W
7
4.
7 Luc Palmans
23 W 24 W
18 W 11 W
26 W 2 L
8 L 19 W
27 L 6
26 Rida
Hassan
10 W 14 W
6 W 9 W
7 L 8 W
2 W 11 L
1 L 6
24
Paul van Dijke
8 W 7 L
4 W 6 W
2 L 3 W
1 L 14 W
19 W 6
8
Dirk Provoost
24 L 23 W
20 W 30 W
9 W 26 L
7 W 1 L
3 W 6
2
Marcel Nabarro
18 L 21 W
17 W 15 W
24 W 7 W
26 L 27 L
29 W 6
9.
9
Ed Baars
25 W 29 W
28 W 26 L
8 L 27 L
30 W 16 W
11 L 5
3 Misja
Alma
19 W 17 W
11 L 18 L
23 W 24 L
12 W 28 W
8 L 5
14
Paul van Koningshoven 30
W 26 L
31 W 1 L
22 W 29 L
5 W 24 L
15 W 5
19
Ruud Kallenbach
3 L 1 L
32 W 31 W
30 W 5 W
15 W 7 L
24 L 5
29 Michael
Lewicki
13 W 9 L
15 L 20 W
16 W 14 W
11 L 4 W
2 L 5
5 Michel
Lamote
21 W 18 L
25 W 28 W
11 L 19 L
14 L 17 W
6 W 5
15.
18 Marc Steyvers
2 W 5 W 7
L 3 W
1 L 15 W
27 L withdrawn
4
6 Jean
Lewicki
22 W 20 W
26 L 24 L
27 L 23 W
28 L 30 W
5 L 4
15 Rob
Willems
31 L 27 W
29 W 2 L
28 W 18 L
19 L 12 W
14 L 4
16 Serge
Alard
32 W 28 L
1 L 25 W
29 L 22 W
20 W 9 L
withdrawn 4
28
Hans Willem Capel 12
W 16 W
9 L 5 L
15 L 17 W
6 W 3 L
30 L 4
30
Bert Van Kerckhove
14 L 10 W
12 W 8 L
19 L 21 W
9 L 6 L
28 W 4
23 Nardy
Pillards
7 L 8 L
13 W 4 W
3 L 6 L
21 W 22 L
12 W 4
22
Christos Groutsos
6 L 4 L
10 W 12 W
14 L 16 L
17 L 23 W
25 W 4
32
Susan van der Heijden 16
L 12 L 19 L
13 L 10 W
4 L 31 W
21 W 17 W
4
24.
17 Hans Böhm
1 W 3 L
2 L 27 L
25 W 28 L
22 W 5 L
32 L 3
4 Jeroen
Sikkema
20 L 22 W
24 L 23 L
21 L 32 W
25 W 29 L
withdrawn 3
12
Lex Coesèl
28 L 32 W
30 L 22 L
20 W 31 W
3 L 15 L
23 L 3
20
Erik Knoppert
4 W 6 L
8 L 29 L
12 L 13 W
16 L 25 L
21 W 3
25
Peter Gelpke
9 L 13 W 5 L
16 L 17 L
10 W 4 L
20 W 22 L
3
29. 21
Walter Meuwis 5
L 2 L
27 L 10 W
4 W 30 L
23 L 32 L
20 L 2
31 J.B.
Camelia
15 W 11 L
14 L 19 L
13 W 12 L
32 L 10 L
withdrawn 2
10
Guy van Middelem
26 L 30 L
22 L 21 L
32 L 25 L
13 W 31 W
withdrawn 2
32.
13 Maurice Kemmann
29 L 25 L
23 L 32 W
31 L 20 L
10 L withdrawn 1