World Champions of Backgammon Since 1967

Beginning in 1967 there have been 18 winners from the USA, Tim Holland of the USA has won it three times, the only person to do it thus far. Bill Robertie also of the USA has won it twice, whilst the first woman champion Carole Crawford also came from the USA. In fact backgammon champions dominated from the USA from 1967 – through to 1979 – a run of 11 years as there were no competitions held in 1969 and 1970. The first European winner was Luigi Villa who won in 1979. Throughout the 80’s the competition was won mainly by the USA again, only Mexico and Germany and Italy who won twice offered challenges to the USA.

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The following is a List of World Backgammon Champions from 1967 to the present day. It makes for interesting reading and when closely analysed provides some revealing statistics.

* 1968—Tim Holland, United States
* 1969— no championships held
* 1970— no championships held
* 1971—Tim Holland, United States
* 1972—Oswald Jacoby, United States
* 1973—Carol Crawford, United States (first female champion)
* 1974—Claude Beer, United States
* 1975—Billy Eisenberg, United States
* 1976—Baron Vernon Ball, United States
* 1977—Ken Goodman, United States
* 1978—Paul ‘X-22’ Magriel, United States
* 1979—Luigi Villa, Italy
* 1980—Walter Coratella, Mexico
* 1981—Lee Genud, United States
* 1982—Jacques Michel,Switzerland
* 1983—Bill Robertie, United States
* 1984—Mike Svobodny, United States
* 1985—Charles-Henri Sabet, Italy
* 1986—Clement Palacci, Italy
* 1987—Bill Robertie, United States
* 1988—Phillip Marmorstein, Germany
* 1989—Joe Russell, United States
* 1990—Hal Heinrich, Canada
* 1991—Michael Meyburg, Germany
* 1992—Ion Ressu, Romania
* 1993—Peter Jes Thomsen, Denmark
* 1994—Frank Frigo, United States
* 1995—David Ben-Zion, Israel
* 1996—David Nahmad, Monaco
* 1997—Jerry Grandell, Sweden
* 1998—Michael Meyburg, Germany
* 1999—Jürgen Granstedt, Sweden
* 2000—Katie Scalamandre, United States
* 2001—Jürgen Granstedt, Sweden
* 2002—Mads Andersen, Denmark
* 2003—Jon Kristian Rüyset, Norway
* 2004—Peter Hallberg, Denmark
* 2005—Dennis Carlsten, United States
* 2006—Philip Vischjager, Netherlands

Canada’s only victory came in 1990. But by the mid 1990’s the predominant pendulum of winning had swung firmly towards Europe. With victories by countries that included Sweden, Denmark, Romania and Israel as well as the principality of Monaco all acclaimed as champions, during this decade. As the new millennium began, the USA was first again in the new century, but this was short lived because the next five years saw the championship ping pong across the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

It was only last year that the run was ended by the USA, who held the title for just one year. because in 2006 the title went back to Europe to the Netherlands with the current world champion Philip Vischjager. What do these statistics reveal? First of all the USA is by far the biggest winner producing more champions than anyone else, secondly countries that you would assume to have some influence or input in the backgammon world just don’t feature.

Where are the world Champions from the United Kingdom or Russia, or India and Australasia, why are there no African countries or with the exception of Israel, Middle Eastern countries? What about Greece and Turkey, countries that can lay claim to the ancient game, whose fabric of society in some quarters still resonates around a backgammon board, why have none of these produced champions of the game?

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