7 May 2007

News and Reports from the 1st Danish Backgammon League

The Danish Backgammon League (DBGL) was launched in spring 2007 as an online team tournament. The field ranged from beginners to some of the best players in the world, and weekly updates on the league were planned.

Background

The idea came from Denmark, where a national team tournament has attracted more than 100 teams year after year. The teams there are divided into leagues and divisions, and the best teams move up a division for the following season. The organisers felt that online play had grown enough to bring the same concept to a wider international audience.

Format

• Each team has four players and plays one other team each week.
• League matches are played online on Wednesdays; the first season had five rounds, the first of them on 2 May 2007.
• Teams are split into groups, and every team meets each other team in its group once.
• The two teams with the most wins in each group advance to the final stage.
• Eight teams play the final in person in Copenhagen, in a cup (knockout) format.

Notable players

The first round featured several well-known names. Lasse H. Madsen, runner-up at the Bahamas tournament, was in action, as was Sander Lylloff, regarded by many experts as the strongest player in the world. In a 13-point match, 2004 World Champion Peter Hallberg faced Steen Grønbech, president of the Danish Backgammon Federation and a very strong player himself.

According to the organisers, the field included three players from the Giant 32 list, two world champions, two Danish champions, three Nordic Open winners and four players who had placed at the Bahamas event.

Tournament directors

The league was run by two Danish players, Claus Bek Nielsen and Peter Hallberg. Bek Nielsen brought experience in turning ideas into working projects, while Hallberg, besides his 2004 world title, had organised many tournaments over the years, including the Nordic Open.