News items from 2001 (second half)

30/12/01: Premier players given details of the new season's rules

The eighteen players contesting the 2002 Bristol Premier League have today been notified of the conditions of entry.
Among changes to previous years' incarnations of the league are penalty and expungement procedures for those lagging far behind an even playing schedule, a change in the tie-break methods, and an increase of entry fee, which will be £20 this year.
Complete rules can be found by clicking here.

22/12/01: Premier League entry closes at eighteen

Eighteen players have entered the 2002 Bristol Premier League.
A full list of entrants can be found by clicking here.
Absentees from last year are 2000 champion Simon Baker, the globetrotting Tony Lee, and Tim Jefferies. Seven newcomers have taken up the places they earned during 2001, namely Rosey Bensley, Martin Hemming, David Horner, Ian Preston, Elliot Smart, Ed Turner and Paul Watts.
Each player will need to complete seventeen matches during the eleven months from January to November, and the competition promises to be the toughest yet as it enters the third year of its short history.

20/12/01: Premier list nears completion

The list of players contesting the 2002 Bristol Premier League is nearly finalised.
Eighteen players have so far agreed to play, and the final responses are expected shortly.
As soon as the final numbers are known, the rules will be completed and circulated to contestants.

17/12/01: Blaine makes semi-final

Blaine Buchanan swept aside Stuart Mann early this evening at the Spring Gardens to earn himself several things.
A place in the final of the last of the year's OGP tournaments, guaranteeing him at least £135 prize money, was the most important thing; a seventh straight victory in all Bristol Backgammon competitions, leaving him just three away from becoming the first recipient of the new 1000 to 1 awards, was another; positioning himself just one match away from both overall third place in the OGP and a place in February's Bristol Masters were others.
But it will be a while before he can take things any further. There is now no chance of the final taking place until next month, when Rosey Bensley has returned from Thailand.

14/12/01: CURTAIN DOWN ON 2001 -- ALMOST ......

There is still a little unfinished business from the 2001 Bristol Backgammon year, after Thursday night's record-equalling Lesters Trophy event. Read on for a summary of the action ......

14/12/01: Ian Preston wins OGP crown ......

Ian Preston became the second Bristol Open Grand Prix champion at the BCSC yesterday evening. He had even toyed with the idea of not playing, so as to preserve a possible tie-break advantage over his nearest challenger John Slattery. But in the end he took the positive -- and surely sensible -- option of trying for more points to cement his already strong position at the top of the pile.
His other challenger had the rug pulled from beneath him even before play began. Players are normally happy to receive a bye in the first round of a knock-out, but in this case Martin Hemming was deprived of the opportunity of a vital 20 point boost to his admittedly tenuous chance of glory.
John Slattery would need at least three victories to begin to trouble Ian. He started by quickly accounting for Max Limb, but Ian countered by defeating Max's father Jerry to maintain his 45 point leading margin.
But when Jonathan Prager scored a notable success to eliminate John, Ian's dismay at losing a nail-biter to Stuart Mann was rendered minimal by the knowledge that his tremendous season had been capped off by his biggest honour yet.
Ian will hold the OGP shield for a year, while both he and John will receive engraved mementoes, and the top three will get cash prizes. Who will finish third, though, remains to be seen ......

14/12/01: Held over semis a straight race for third ......

Three more newcomers to the Bristol Backgammon scene increased the number of 2001 OGP participants to a record 67 when they entered Lesters XXXXI last night. And the total line-up of 29 players equalled the Lesters record set in September.
One of the debutants was creating a record of his own -- Tom Limb (Jerry's nephew) was far and away the youngest ever player to take part in a Bristol Backgammon event -- at the tender age of nine! Sadly for him, he was unable to prevent a blank day for the Limb family, when he succumbed to Sarah Webber in the first round. But we shall surely be seeing a lot more of Tom.
The other two newcomers fared no better. Cotham-based Alan Papier, whose first love is chess, went out to Charlie Hetherington, while London BIBA veteran Hubert de l'Epine fell to reigning OGP champion Stuart Mann.
In the quarter-finals Jonathan Prager, Dave Pym, Sarah Webber and Ed Turner lost out respectively to Blaine Buchanan, Stuart Mann, Charlie Hetherington and Rosey Bensley.
Time ran out with the semis still to be played. But when they are, they will have an added element of spice, as all four contestants are vying in a mini-tournament for third place in the OGP.
The logistics of arranging fixtures at this time of year -- plus Rosey's trip to Thailand -- mean that the event will not be concluded until January. But that will not detract from a fascinating climax.

14/12/01: No way through for Premier hopefuls ......

One of the potential benefits of doing well in the OGP is that any player still without Premier Status can obtain it by finishing in the top eight of the final OGP table.
Going into last night's tournament eighth place was occupied by the absent Tony Lee on 175 points, so anyone within striking distance was given grounds for optimism. Roland Herrera, in 10th place, appeared the most likely beneficiary, needing at least two victories to stand a chance.
He won only once, though, before a Charlie Hetherington defeat ended his involvement. Roland will have to settle for 11th place.
As it happened, Blaine Buchanan and Rosey Bensley were scoring heavily, so that passing Tony was an irrelevance. Roland would have needed a run to the semis to reach the Premier goal.
This was also the objective for Jonathan Prager, had he known it. His 50 points set the seal on a highly promising debut season, finishing 13th overall.
Other non-Premier players to make a good showing were Elias Hamati (19th), Michael Smith (20th), and Sarah Webber (21st).

14/12/01: David looking for auction clean sweep ......

The traditional Lesters Trophy auction affords players the chance to have a stake in other players' exploits -- just in case something should go wrong!
Auctioneer Dave Pym did supremely well to drum up an auction pool of £294, to be split between the purchasers of the tournament winner and runner-up.
And David Horner was determined to have a say in something to justify his 200-mile round trip from Bideford. He managed to buy four players (including himself), and as the tournament awaits the semi-final stage two of his purchases are looking like shrewd investments.
With Blaine Buchanan representing him in one semi-final, and Rosey Bensley in the other, David could yet take the whole pot, something which hasn't happened at any time in Lesters history.
Other interested parties are Phil Caudwell, whose chances are riding on Charlie Hetherington, and Ed Turner, purchaser of Stuart Mann.

14/12/01: 1000 to 1 adds a little spice ......

The new 1000 to 1 award system, where any player who registers ten successive Bristol Backgammon victories receives an engraved memento, will add another dimension to the semi-finals of Lesters XXXXI when they take place.
Whichever player emerges to take the tournament (and with it, of course, the John Chidgey Cup) will add another two victories to their current sequences. With Blaine Buchanan already on six, he perhaps has most cause for optimism. But Stuart Mann and Rosey Bensley are only one win behind. Charlie Hetherington, alone of the four, started his current winning sequence on Thursday evening.

14/12/01: Dave joins Inter-League Cup semi-finalists ......

Dave Pym played a fragmented Inter-League Cup match against Michael Smith last night and emerged with an 11-9 victory which clinches the top spot in Group B, and a semi-final clash with Group A winner Stuart Mann.
Only the Group C top slot -- where Roland Herrera is currently leading -- has yet to be decided.

11/12/01: Complex situation faces OGP contenders

Thursday's Lesters Trophy will, among other things, settle the Bristol Open Grand Prix championship.
But the possible permutations -- despite the involvement of fewer players than last year at the death -- are many.
Leader Ian Preston is, of course, the favourite to take the crown, given his current 45-point lead over John Slattery.
And the fact that neither Ian nor John can add to their score until they discard their 25-point lowest counting current scores certainly works in Ian's favour, as John has to score 70 on the night just to draw level.
Should John score 70 points (through wins in the last 32, last 16 and last 8) and Ian were to fail to add to his score, John would win on countback, having entered fewer tournaments.
If Ian were not to play, however, that situation would be reversed, as Ian and John would have each entered seven out of eight events, and the next level of tie-break -- meetings of the two players -- would favour Ian as he won their only meeting in the semis of the June tournament.
Then again, if John were to get a bye and then win three times he would edge ahead, as semi-final wins are worth 10 points more than those in earlier rounds.
The only other contender is September Lesters winner Martin Hemming. Should he win again, without byes, he would have enough points to edge 5 ahead of Ian's current total!
But these are only some of the possibilities......

10/12/01: Successful weekend at Coventry

Some of the Bristol players at BIBA's UK Finals weekend had notable successes.
In typical Bristol fashion the main prize eluded us, but that should not detract from the fine achievements of Ed Turner, Neil Young and Paul Watts.
Ed was first to distinguish himself, winning the Friday night knock-out, beating Roy Hollands in the final.
Neil then just missed out from qualifying for Sunday's final stages, winning four out of five on the Saturday, before losing out on a single-point tie-break.
And the other player to chalk up a success was Paul Watts, runner-up in the Consolation final.
True testimony to the success of Bristol Backgammon. All three of these players are relatively new to competitive backgammon -- Ed and Paul having first tested the water just over two years ago, while Neil has been playing only half that time.

02/12/01: League rules drafted and published

The rules for the next season of the Bristol Premier League and the Bristol Conference are now browseable, barring one or two issues which are dependent on the final numbers of entries.
In the Premier League, where there are expected to be more entrants and therefore more matches, there are three principal changes. The entry fee has reverted to £20. There will be criteria in place to penalise -- and in extreme cases expunge -- those who fall behind with their fixtures. And the tie-break criteria have changed to give precedence to "points difference" over meetings of players level on wins.
While in the Conference, the number of promotion slots available will be decided by a formula based upon the number of players playing on a regular basis. And new Conference entrants will continue to be accepted until the end of August.
The season will run from January 1st to November 30th, and there will be no extensions.
Invitations for both leagues will be going out shortly. Anyone not receiving an invitation is encouraged to email Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr at
brisgammon@blueyonder.co.uk
as soon as possible.

01/12/01: All quiet at Conference deadline time, so ......

Rosey Bensley is the 2001 Bristol Conference champion.
We already knew this, of course. But formalities being formalities, it was necessary to wait until the passing of the Friday midnight deadline before reaching this conclusion.
No late surprises materialised, and no further results were reported, so the Conference table after Wednesday night's matches has become the final one.
Rosey has become the worthy champion, Martin Hemming is confirmed as runner-up, while Paul Watts and Ian Preston fill the other two promotion slots.
Slightly ironically, it was only Rosey of those four players who had not formally attained Premier Status. Ian had achieved this the moment he clinched his second tournament main flight victory in May, Paul had done the business by winning the IGP title, and Martin had got there by virtue of his BIBA ranking score.
Sarah Rosich, Ed Turner and Elliot Smart have also crossed the divide this year, so the only surprise is that it has taken so long for Rosey to get there.

29/11/01: THE YEAR'S LAST LEAGUE NIGHT......

29/11/01: Rosey makes sure as Martin runs out of opponents ......

Rosey Bensley made the long trip from Berkshire last night just to be on the safe side. With her only apparent rival for the Bristol Conference title -- Martin Hemming -- fast running out of opponents, there was little realistic threat to her top position.
Rosey was taking no chances, however, and secured victories over Mike Taylor and Roland Herrera.
With two days to go, Martin has apparently gracefully conceded the title to Rosey -- after all, he needs to track down three more opponents AND beat them!
In any case, it would be something of a travesty were Rosey not the champion. Sixteen matches and only one defeat is an awesome record -- and that single defeat (by Ian Preston) occurred at the opening session of Conference backgammon back in January!
Meanwhile, the anticipated scramble to unseat Ian Preston from the fourth and final promotion slot failed to materialise, as Martin, Paul Watts, and Ian are now confirmed in positions 2, 3 and 4, subject to an extremely unlikely flurry of results being reported by midnight tomorrow.
Michael Smith scored two victories to leapfrog into fifth place, but will sadly be unavailable to try again in 2002 as he will be spending virtually the whole year in New Zealand. He and Melissa plan to be back for 2003, however.

29/11/01: Premier League completed as Simon grabs Masters place ......

The Bristol Premier League has finished on schedule, much to the relief of Director Ian Tarr.
Ian would like to place on record his thanks to all Premier players for treating the competition with the respect he feels it deserves.
Simon Baker, the 2000 champion, beat Tim Jefferies at the BCSC, and then moved on to The Leap at Downend where he completed his season by beating Charlie Hetherington.
Drew Caudwell then arrived to play Tim at the BCSC, and recorded a rare victory to bring the curtain down on the Premier season.
Simon's wins have clinched him a place in February's Bristol Masters, while John Napier could also qualify in the event of a player already qualified (other than Rosey Bensley) winning the December tournament.
In the event of Rosey winning that tournament, Michael Smith would be the beneficiary.

29/11/01: Jerry into last four of Inter-League Cup ......

Jerry Limb last night became the second player this week to move into the semi-finals of the Inter-League Cup when he beat both Phillip Hill and John Lewis to register a clean sweep of wins in Group D.
In the semis he will play the winner of Group C, which is currently headed by Roland Herrera.

26/11/01: John and Phil end with wins

Drew Caudwell made a fruitless Premier League outing to the Spring Gardens tonight, losing to John Napier and Phil Charlton.
The wins keep John and Phil in with a chance of qualifying for February's Bristol Masters.
Sadly for Drew, he cannot rise from the bottom of the league, even if he should win Wednesday's likely encounter with Tim Jefferies.

26/11/01: Stuart first to Inter-League Cup semis

Group A of the Inter-League Cup has just one match remaining after tonight's action, but there will only be honour at stake.
The protagonists -- Paul Watts and Ed Turner -- can no longer threaten Stuart Mann, whose pair of hard earned wins tonight have ensured that he finishes top of the group, and will play the winner of Group B in the semi-finals.
Stuart is the first semi-final qualifier in the competition.

25/11/01: Final week of 2001 league action

Just one week remains for the last few league results of the year to be reported.
At midnight on Friday a line will be drawn underneath all activity in this year's Premier League and Conference, and all outstanding issues will have been resolved.
And it is also likely that the first semi-finalists of the Inter-League Cup will be revealed by the week's play, which appears to be concentrated mostly into two events.
Apart from Wednesday's league night at the BCSC, there is also scheduled to be quite a gathering at the Spring Gardens in Hotwells on Monday evening. The pick of the results will be reported here as soon as the details are available.

22/11/01: Momentous day for Adrian

This lunch-time should live long in the memory of Adrian Miles.
As a regular player in DPS Backgammon competition, which takes place in lunch-times at the EDS offices in Patchway, since the mid-eighties Adrian has something in common with Ian Preston, who has been playing there for a similar period of time, but is now extremely well known in local backgammon circles after his amazing exploits in evening tournaments this year.
Both players have been in the DPS Backgammon League First Division for the majority of this time, and although neither player has yet won the title, both can claim to have got close. And they have both won the DPS Backgammon Shield -- Ian twice -- which is regarded as DPS's premier knock-out competition.
Discounting for a moment matches against each other, the two players have similar career records, Ian winning 230 matches and losing 209, while Adrian's ratio is 197:187.
All of which makes it all the more remarkable that Ian has an astonishing record of success against his rival.
Their first eight meetings were all won by Ian. So when Adrian finally managed to break his duck, he might have expected things to improve. Ian, though, has since reeled off another thirteen wins over Adrian, making a staggering total of 21 out of 22 successes.
Today, however, Adrian registered his second win over Ian as both players are getting well into their stride in this season's DPS First Division. Adrian will be hoping that this is no false dawn.

20/11/01: BIBA final positions published

BIBA, Britain's only serious national backgammon organisation, has come to the end of its twelfth year of competition -- barring December's tournament, the UK Finals, which do not count towards their championships.
A scan down the listings reveals many players with Bristol connections figuring fairly prominently, without making a massive impact.
The 2001 Grand Prix Championship, with approximately a dozen events contributing points, had a runaway winner this year in top ranked player and author Paul Lamford, whose 57 points gave him a lead of 26 over his nearest rival, Helen Helm-Sagar. Further down the list of 149 players, we can see:
16th equal: Stuart Mann and John Slattery on 18 points; 22nd equal Darryl Artt, whose 15 points all came from winning the Liverpool Open; 35th equal Ian Tarr on 12; 43rd equal Martin Hemming and Tony Lee on 10 points; 53rd equal Rosey Bensley on 8 points; 61st equal Kevin White and Paul Gilbertson on 6 points; 76th equal Rebecca Bell, 5 points.
Others to figure were: Neil Young, Sarah Rosich, and John Napier 3 points; Elliot Smart, John Renicks, Phil Caudwell and James Hatt, 2 points; Don Hatt, John Lewis and Blaine Buchanan, 1 point.
In the 2001 BIBA Ranking Championship, via an obscure calculation based on results and ranking points, we find John Slattery (8th), Stuart Mann (14th), Ian Tarr (19th), Rosemary Bensley (31st), Kevin White (39th), Don Hatt (41st), John Renicks (42nd), and Paul Gilbertson (44th).

20/11/01: Kevin assured a Masters place

As the final few places in February's Bristol Masters knock-out are about to be filled, it can be revealed that Kevin White is assured his place in the event.
Qualification is by various means -- including the winners of the main flights of all Bristol's monthly tournaments this year, the current Masters champion, plus high finishers in the Premier League and the Conference.
The top two Premier League players not to have won a knock-out are Stuart Mann and Ian Tarr, but two further Premier League slots have been opened up by Ian Preston's second and third main flight wins of the year.
With Tony Lee, Jerry Limb, and Charlie Hetherington all qualified by other means, it emerges that Kevin White can be caught by either Simon Baker or Tim Jefferies (or neither), but not both. So Kevin is in.
This leaves Simon, Tim, Phil Charlton and John Napier scrambling for the final Premier qualification slot. The Conference slot is virtually guaranteed for Rosey Bensley, even if she doesn't end up as Conference champion.
Her only serious rivals, Martin Hemming and Paul Watts, have already qualified for the Masters via knock-outs.
Which only leaves the winner of the December tournament to take up a place. But, of course, if that player happens to have qualified already, this would release another Premier League slot. This system resembles qualification for the UEFA Cup in its complexity!

16/11/01: IT'S SLATTS NIGHT AT THE B C S C!

16/11/01: John Slattery makes an impression ......

So what's new, I hear you ask.
John Slattery has now been a regular and popular contestant in Bristol Backgammon events for just over a year.
He arrived with a reputation as a top national player, and has always looked the part -- his array of waistcoats, trilbys, and jewellery always adding colour and elegance wherever he goes.
And yet, for a player who first arrived in Bristol on the verge of winning BIBA's 2000 grand prix by virtue of consistently performing to high standards at a national level, one thing was missing from his Bristol visits -- the title wins to convince local sceptics (if there were any) of his true class.
Until last night ......

16/11/01: Stuart present to see title slip away ......

The evening began with John meeting his great friend Jerry Limb in their final Bristol Premier League match of the season. For Jerry, of course, there was pride at stake. But for John there was more.
The Premier League title race had long since developed into a two horse race, with John and Stuart Mann in close contention.
Stuart had kept his hopes alive by beating John in Dublin, but could now only sit and watch as John strove for the victory which would clinch the title.
And as a typically hard fought encounter neared its conclusion, Stuart's hopes were high. Jerry arrived at the Crawford game with a 10-8 lead. But a gathering crowd watched enthralled as John clawed his way back to clinch the vital victory.
Reigning champion Simon Baker had returned the trophy earlier in the day, and John was presented with it, graciously paying tribute to Stuart's part in the championship race.

16/11/01: Slatts' double whammy ......

Twenty-three players registered for the evening's main event, the seventh of this year's eight Open Grand Prix events, and a pre-arranged latecomer slotted into the consolation flight.
Three players were making their competitive Bristol Backgammon debuts -- Cary Smart (proving she was not the figment of someone's imagination), BIBA player and Berkshire resident Kevin Carter, and the latest graduate from Jerry Limb's Henbury finishing school, Ashley Hurley. Steffen Nowak, who made his IGP debut last month, also made his OGP debut.
The top half of the draw -- where the players had a potential five match route to success -- showed the game at its most variable in chronological terms. The top two matches were over in twenty minutes flat, with Ed Turner and Paul Watts blissfully unaware of how long the winner of their second round match would have to wait for a quarter-final opponent.
In the very next section of the draw Kevin White and Elliot Smart contrived to take 123 minutes before deciding that Kevin was the winner.
Meanwhile an early exit for Ian Preston was raising the hopes his three closest (or least far away) pursuers in the OGP points table. Martin Hemming, Jerry Limb and John Slattery all opened with victories.
While Jerry and Martin then faltered, John kept his run alive with victories over Ashley Hurley, Kevin Carter and Roland Herrera, to reach the final.
Ed Turner managed to keep focussed during his 114 minute wait for an opponent, and brushed aside the challenges of Kevin White and Charlie Hetherington, sitting down at 12.39am to contest the final with John Slattery.
But John wrapped up the win in three quarters of an hour to clinch his second title in a single evening.

16/11/01: Ian not there yet ......

Nobody ever suggested that Ian Preston already had the OGP title in the bag, although he came into last night's tournament with a 135 point lead.
But there was a danger that he might have moved out of reach had the results gone his way last night. Ian failed to add to his tally, but a relative lack of success on the part of his three closest pursuers would have given him great confidence going into December's final instalment of the OGP saga.
John Slattery's win -- and the 90 point overall gain that went with it -- means nothing can be taken for granted on December 13th.
But Ian's lead is a little greater than might appear at first sight. The scoring system decrees that only a player's best five tournaments count towards the final points tally. And John will have to discard the 25 points he collected in March before he can make inroads into the deficit. This effectively means John will need 70 points in December just to break even.
And third placed Martin Hemming, who won the September Lesters event, will need to repeat that feat to stand any chance of pipping the top two.
Meanwhile, it should not be forgotten that a top eight finish in the OGP table will give a player Premier Status for 2002.
Roland Herrera, currently 10th, looks the most likely beneficiary.

16/11/01: Elliot and Martin cross the divide ......

A glance at the BIBA website has revealed what Elliot Smart mentioned on Thursday to be true, namely that Elliot's BIBA ranking has been confirmed at 1526.
This, of course, means that Elliot need have no more sleepless nights, as he has fulfilled a criterion for attaining Premier Status.
What Elliot didn't tell me, though, is that Martin Hemming can also be confirmed as a Premier player next season. Martin's ranking score is a mere 1468, but the listing shows that his score prior to last weekend's disaster at Coventry was 1528.
Since he can be demonstrated to have breached the requisite 1500 barrier, that's good enough to assure Martin of his place, even though he will almost certainly have found two other ways to make it across the divide before the year is out, given his strong positions in both the OGP and the Conference.
Congratulations are in order for both players.

16/11/01: Paul falls two short, as John faces embarrassment ......

Paul Watts arrived at Thursday's tournament knowing that a run of three victories would make him the first recipient of the John Slattery sponsored 1000 to 1 award.
He began well enough with a quickfire win over Mike Woodland, but his run was halted in a "local derby" against Ed Turner. So he must now start again from zero, like most of the rest of us!
Now in pole position to receive the award is ...... John Slattery!
John, at zero wins after his Dublin mishap, had raised his tally to five by the end of the evening. Half way there.

14/11/01: John and Jerry to provide the perfect appetiser

With a scheduled 6pm kick-off, a very significant Premier League match should whet the appetites of those turning up early for tomorrow night's OGP event.
John Slattery meets Jerry Limb, knowing that a victory will clinch the title at his first attempt. A defeat, however, would hand the crown to Stuart Mann, one of the likely spectators.
The tournament is due to start from 7.30pm.

11/11/01: An average weekend in Coventry

Of sixty-six contestants at this weekend's BIBA Townharbour Trophy Swiss format tournament, no fewer than eleven had strong Bristol connections. So it was with some confidence that some noteworthy performances were anticipated.
By the end of Saturday's play, however, only our current OGP champion and Premier League title contender Stuart Mann was still in with a shout of winning the event, with three victories under his belt. Phil Caudwell, John Slattery and Ian Tarr had a respectable two-out-of-three record, while the other seven had had less than satisfactory days, with three players -- Charlie Hetherington, Martin Hemming and James Hatt (nephew of Don) -- even failing to register a single success.
In Sunday's opening round eventual winner Mardi Ohanessian put paid to Stuart's chances, signalling a rapid decline for him -- and a winless day.
James Hatt recovered well to make a clean sweep of his Sunday opposition, but the overall story was one of almost uniform mediocrity. Not a single one of our eleven won more than three times, although only Don Hatt, Martin and Charlie failed to break even.
Full win tallies were:
3- Stuart Mann; Phil Caudwell; John Slattery; Ian Tarr; Rosey Bensley; John Renicks; Elliot Smart; James Hatt.
2- Don Hatt.
1- Martin Hemming; Charlie Hetherington.

09/11/01: Only Paul within sight of award

John Slattery's most welcome decision to sponsor presentations to any player registering ten successive victories in Bristol Backgammon competition has sparked some research on the part of Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr.
Ian has a complete record of all evening events from the first Lesters Trophy back in 1986 right up to date, and has them arranged in chronological sequence.
Scouring these records for all 155 players to have competed during this time has revealed that only six players have current winning sequences of more than two matches!
And currently only Paul Watts is within reach of getting that first award. For an explanation of how the award will work, and a list of those with the best current winning sequences, click here.

07/11/01: Adam wins second title

Adam Clutterbuck has won a DPS Backgammon knock-out title for the second year in succession.
Having beaten Charlie Hetherington in the final of last year's Shield (the number one DPS lunch-time knock-out tournament) Adam won another close one today, pipping Liz Chappell 21-19 in the final of the 2001 Handicap Cup.
So successful has been the handicapping in this competition, that the sixteen years of its existence have seen sixteen different winners!

05/11/01: Mixed fortunes for Simon

Reigning Bristol Premier League champion Simon Baker got two matches in at the BCSC tonight, but suffered mixed fortunes in two close encounters.
A 9-11 defeat at the hands of John Napier was followed by an 11-10 victory over Phil Charlton.
There are now only six matches remaining to be played in this year's Premier League. Simon has clashes with Charlie Hetherington and Tim Jefferies to fit in, while Drew Caudwell has to play Phil Charlton, Tim Jefferies and John Napier.
But with all due respect to those encounters, the one most eagerly awaited is the one between Jerry Limb and John Slattery, which will decide the destiny of this year's title. If John wins he takes the crown, otherwise Stuart Mann will be the winner.
Whatever happens there, it's a shame there has to be a loser, as John and Stuart have been the outstanding contenders all the way.

02/11/01: Stuart's Irish win takes John to the wire

In olden times, hot news from abroad was apt to take a long time to travel. But it's not necessarily what we expect in this day and age.
On this occasion, however, the grapevine has been slow to work its wonders, as only today can we reveal that a momentous match in the annals of Bristol Backgammon history took place at Wynn's Hotel in Dublin last weekend.
We have almost become accustomed to receiving news of results winging their way in from such exotic, far off places as Maidenhead, Uxbridge and Coventry. But the Premier League meeting of Stuart Mann and John Slattery must certainly be the first Bristol Backgammon match to be played overseas!
Taking time out from their participation in the Irish Open, Stuart and John completed what has been a long awaited clash, as the destiny of this year's Premier League championship would have been decided had John won.
Stuart's 11-7 victory, however, means that John must beat Jerry Limb in his final match to win the title.
A glance at the league table will reveal that John has the better points difference of the two, and this will remain the case even if he were to lose 0-11 to Jerry. This season's Premier League rules state, however, that when two or more players finish level on wins, the first level of tie-break is the outcome of the match (or matches) between the players concerned. Stuart, of course, holds this advantage.
The latest plan is for the decisive encounter to take place prior to the next OGP tournament on November 15th. There may be more players turning up early for that event than is usually the case.
Meanwhile only seven other Premier League matches remain to be completed. But two of these are scheduled for Monday night at the BCSC, when Simon Baker has meetings with John Napier and Phil Charlton lined up.

01/11/01: Four still striving for promotion

Highlight of a low-key league night -- last night at the BCSC -- was the scramble for the fourth promotion slot from the Bristol Conference.
If we assume -- and most people have -- that Rosey Bensley, Martin Hemming and Paul Watts have done enough to guarantee themselves a top four placing, the same can certainly not be said about the fourth slot.
Going into last night's session, Ian Preston was the incumbent of that fourth position. Not that he particularly needs the accolade of promotion from the Conference after all he's achieved this year, with Premier Status long since assured via sundry other routes!
With several players within striking distance of Ian, those that turned up all had the chance to put pressure on him. The absent Ed Turner, Michael Smith and John Lewis were the ones to lose out, however, as all the other protagonists registered a single victory.
Ian and Elliot Smart (narrowly) gained victories over Andrew Cobb, while Jeremy Axford won a marathon match against Mike Taylor. Then Simonetta Barone added to her victory over Jeremy earlier this week by eclipsing Elliot.
So with a month still to go, many twists and turns are still possible -- and likely.
Martin Hemming, meanwhile, has not given up on the Conference title. He completed his seventeenth match of the season last night, at least three more than any other player, and has caught Rosey Bensley on points. Rosey's superior average points difference is still the decisive factor at the moment, but given Martin's uncanny ability to unearth new opponents, Rosey may well need to add to her stunning win tally of thirteen from fourteen matches to be sure of taking the crown.
Just one Premier League match took place last night. Tim Jefferies hauled himself up to ninth place with an 11-5 win over John Napier. Meanwhile, reigning champion Simon Baker beat Dave Pym 11-9 at the Air Balloon in Gloucester on Tuesday night.

31/10/01: Penultimate league night tonight

The last but one league night of this year at the BCSC tonight should see some action from the Premier League, the Conference and the Inter-League Cup.
Expect a report here either later tonight or some time tomorrow.

30/10/01: Conference extension confirmed

In line with the extension of the Premier league season to the end of November, the same will apply to the Conference.
So November's league night is still "in bounds" for squeezing the odd match in.

30/10/01: Conference promotion to depend on numbers

As from next season the number of Premier League slots available via the Bristol Conference will be dependent on the number of participants playing a set number of matches.
Since the Conference, which acts as one of several routes to the Premier, is variable in its nature (players can play as many or as few of the other participants as they wish) a formula has been devised so that the greater the number of players dedicated to gaining promotion the more promotion slots will become available.
Next season's promotion slots will number a third of those players registering at least eight Conference results during the season. This year, with the same formula in place, that would mean (to the nearest whole number) four promotion slots would be guaranteed thus far, with just over a month of the season to run.
This season, of course, four promotion slots have been available all along. The change is designed to allow automatically for numerical fluctuations in future seasons, to take away some of the subjectivity which can occasionally be a factor in making such decisions.

29/10/01: John claims first title after thirteen years

Thirteen years after making his DPS Backgammon debut John Carter has finally claimed his first title.
In the final of the 2000 "B" Tournament -- delayed as a result of Colin Smith's long absence -- John trailed Ian Preston 10-14 before a typical 16-point flourish saw him home in style.
There was a time when John was renowned for his high cubing, and these shock tactics almost took him to two prestigious DPS Backgammon titles back in 1991.
First of all John led the DPS Backgammon First Division, before a late season slide allowed Marie Fenlon to storm to the title, with John finishing second.
And then John progressed to the final of the 1991 DPS Backgammon Shield, before succumbing to Phil Caudwell.
Since then John has worked hard at the game, to little avail. A more conservative player these days, perhaps this success will be the springboard to greater things.

23/10/01: 2002 grand prix plans published

Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr has today published plans for next year's OGP and IGP competitions.
Instead of holding eight OGP and four IGP events, next year there will be twelve events encompassing both competitions.
Players with "Premier Status" will play for OGP points, while all other players will gain both OGP and IGP points. And in the IGP, players will get bonus points for defeating Premier players.
Entry fees will vary. There will be four Lesters Trophy events, as opposed to the traditional three, costing £20 each to enter. The other eight tournaments, which will all feature two flights, will be evenly split between £10 and £5 entry fees.
There is also a distinct possibility that events will start 30 minutes earlier than the traditional 7.30, but no final decision has yet been taken on this topic.

22/10/01: Draft procedure for Premier split in place

A draft procedure for the proposed splitting of the Bristol Premier League into two divisions at an appropriate stage after next season is now viewable on this website.
Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr would welcome any feedback from anyone patient enough to wade through the procedure, which can be seen by clicking here.
As reported here on October 17th, the split will not take place for season 2002, but in order for it to have a chance of implementation, the procedure has to be in place before next season begins.
Work is now nearing completion for the setting up of new rules for the OGP and the IGP in time for publication very shortly. And minor rule revisions for the Bristol Conference are also under way.

21/10/01: Bristol reclaim trophy after shoot-out

On an occasion which can only have enhanced the growing reputation of the event, the twelve strong Bristol team yesterday beat their Birmingham counterparts on their own turf to regain the Inter-Cities Challenge trophy. But it took the backgammon equivalent of a penalty shoot-out to decide an enthralling match at the Moseley All Services Club.
It was the first Bristol success since the inaugural contest at the Fellowship, Lockleaze, last year, but just as it had been in at least two of the three previous meetings, the outcome was in doubt to the end. And in a contest which is traditionally a close encounter, this was the closest of them all.
Consider the score-lines at the end of the three phases: 6-6, 12-12, and 18-18! And as the results of those 9-point matches flowed in thick and fast, the scoreboard had never once shown a leading margin of more than two points for either team.
The tie-break method decided upon was a set of single point matches, but by the time the shoot-out started three home players had already departed. The remaining nine were drawn against members of the Bristol team, and six of the visitors emerged victorious, ensuring the return of the trophy to Bristol.

18/10/01: Twelve geared up for Saturday's big match

The twice-yearly match between Birmingham and Bristol for the Inter-Cities Challenge salver is being held at the Moseley All Services Club in Birmingham on Saturday.
Birmingham currently hold the trophy, having won it in the corresponding match last year and retained it when they visited Bristol in June, so the Bristol team of twelve players -- drawn from the higher reaches of the Premier League, the Conference, the OGP and the IGP -- should need no encouragement to give of their best when they hit the road this weekend.
The expected line-ups are:

BIRMINGAM: Ralph Eskinazi, David Fall, Dave Motley, Matthew Fisher, Fak Laight, Steve Simkin, Peter Wilson, Dave Startin, Chris Dugdale, Jeremy Bryson, Nick Hamer and Dougie Webley.
BRISTOL: John Slattery, Charlie Hetherington, Ian Tarr, Stuart Mann, Blaine Buchanan, Sarah Rosich, Kevin White, Ed Turner, Paul Watts, Rosey Bensley, Martin Hemming and David Horner.

A report should appear here on Saturday evening.

17/10/01: Premier Two must wait

The proposed split of the Bristol Premier League into two divisions, originally scheduled for 2002, has been shelved for a year.
Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr cites two main reasons for the decision: a lack of proper publicity resulting in a level of unawareness of the proposal, and the failure to lay down a comprehensive procedure for implementing the split.
With around 18 to 20 players (playing each other once) likely to be contesting the league next year, this will bring the fixture load roughly into line with the year 2000 levels, where 10 players played 18 matches each.
Ian has undertaken to devise a comprehensive policy for the populating of separate divisions of the Premier League. He will have this in place before the start of the 2002 season, so that participants will be aware of the possibilities for 2003.

14/10/01: Four Masters slots still up for grabs

The last few days have seen three more players qualify for the 2002 Bristol Masters, leaving just four of the sixteen available slots still vacant.
The Masters, which will be held in February, rewards those who have hit the high spots in the preceding year.
The sixteen slots are awarded to the reigning Masters champion, the winners of the twelve monthly knock-outs, the top two Premier League players not to win a tournament, and the Conference champion. But since Ian Preston has won no fewer than three tournaments this year, two further Premier league high finishers will qualify.
Before last week's action, those already assured of a Masters place were reigning champion Charlie Hetherington, monthly knock-out winners Tony Lee, Phillip Hill, Ian Preston, Sarah Rosich, Ed Turner, Jerry Limb and Martin Hemming, and Premier League high-flier Stuart Mann.
Thursday saw Paul Watts add his name to the list by winning the IGP event, while John Slattery did more than enough to assure himself of a high Premier league finish.
And on Friday Ian Tarr completed his Premier season with a victory which ensured that he will definitely be among the top four Premier qualifiers.
So the four remaining slots will go to the winners of the November and December tournaments (or a fifth and/or sixth Premier player if the tournament winners have already qualified), the Conference champion (or the next highest Conference player who hasn't already qualified), plus a fourth Premier high finisher.
Should any of the resultant list of sixteen players then be unavailable for the event, the vacancies would be filled by high finishers from the OGP and the IGP.

14/10/01: Prompt result reports needed

One or two recent results from far flung locations have been reported some time after their conclusion. Players are urged to report results as soon as they can, for two reasons.
The first, and more obvious, is that it is better for all concerned if the up-to-date situations in all competitions are available to everyone.
And the second is that the longer a result goes unreported the greater the danger exists that it will be reported incorrectly, or not at all.
While the onus may traditionally be on match winners to register results, the co-operation of losers would also be welcomed by Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr.

14/10/01: ALL THE NEWS FROM THURSDAY AT THE B C S C

14/10/01: I G P concluded, Premier nears completion, other news ......

The first of this year's major issues has been decided, with the fourth and final IGP event providing a barnstorming climax. Sixteen players contested the main flight, while one pre-arranged latecomer joined in the consolation flight.
Meanwhile, one player's quest for the Premier League title gained pace significantly, while further progress was made in the Conference and the Inter-League Cup.
And a generous sponsor has come up with a scheme to add a little spice to all our competitions.
For all these stories, and more, read on ......

14/10/01: Paul takes IGP title in thrilling finale ......

The words "grand finale" were never more appropriate than at the final IGP event of 2001, at the BCSC on Thursday night.
In what was the last tournament of its type -- the competition will follow a different format next year -- the climax to the 2001 Intermediate Grand Prix could hardly have been better stage managed!
With the outcome of the year's competition finely poised, any of seven players who started the tournament had a realistic opportunity to steal the IGP crown. And when four of those seven made it through to the semi-finals of the main flight, a grandstand finish was assured.
The countdown to IGP glory went like this:

14/10/01: John's giant stride towards the Premier league title ......

John Slattery arrived at the BCSC on Thursday evening with three very important fixtures lined up.
In his quest for the Premier League title, he faced three difficult opponents -- reigning Premier League champion Simon Baker, former British Open finalist Phil Charlton (who also retained a minute vestige of Premier title hope), and seven times Lesters Trophy winner Dave Pym.
With the other main contender, Stuart Mann, also present to watch some of the action -- he was there to play an Inter-League Cup match -- the atmosphere was tense.
Simon Baker was John's early evening opponent, and suffered a 5-11 defeat before setting off for his Devon home.
Phil Charlton was next up, and John surged into a 6-0 lead. Phil is a doughty competitor, however, and clawed things back to move into a 7-6 lead. But John recovered to register an 11-8 victory.
Dave proved an even tougher nut to crack, though, and moved into a 9-5 lead. With the cube on 2, Dave had the advantage, being ready to bear off, while John had a blot on Dave's 5-point. With a 3-2 roll, Dave had the chance to clear his six-point, but -- probably persuaded by John's superior home-board distribution -- decided to bear two men off.
Sod's Law dictated that Dave had to leave an immediate blot and get hit. John took the two points and recovered to a vital 11-10 win.
John's great night's work has put him firmly into the driving seat. There are just two matches remaining which have a bearing on the title issue. John must play Jerry Limb and -- you've guessed it -- his title rival Stuart Mann.
If John wins either match he is the champion.

14/10/01: Promotion place still up for grabs ......

While most of the conjecture in the Bristol Conference surrounds the outcome of the championship race, where Rosey Bensley holds pole position, but could be caught by Martin Hemming or Paul Watts, perhaps the most interesting situation concerns the destiny of the fourth promotion slot.
Ian Preston currently holds fourth place, but with just seven wins under his belt, his position is hardly secure. A late surge by any one of Elliot Smart, Ed Turner, Michael Smith, Jeremy Axford, Simonetta Barone, or John Lewis could still be enough.
The final league night, and any other independently organised sessions between now and the November 30th cut-off, could provide fascinating viewing.

14/10/01: Roland and Stuart make Inter-League Cup progress ......

Roland Herrera scored what may prove to be a crucial Inter-League Cup win over Elliot Smart on Thursday night.
This was the meeting of Group C's only winners so far, so Roland's 11-7 victory puts him half way towards making the four-player knock-out phase.
In Group A, Stuart Mann's hard fought win over Ed Turner puts the pressure on Paul Watts, the group's only other winner so far.

14/10/01: Generous John adds a little spice ......

In an extremely generous gesture, backgammon globetrotter and Bristol Premier League championship favourite John Slattery has agreed to sponsor awards to players who win ten successive matches in Bristol Backgammon competition.
The awards will take the form of a trophy for any player achieving the feat (known as 1000-to-one in BIBA circles because the odds against achieving the sequence are close to that figure).
This applies to all Bristol Backgammon competitions, and includes any sequence of victories which has already started. Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr is believed to be making an exhaustive search through the records to see who might be close to becoming the first recipient.

14/10/01: And then there were five ......

One of the most satisfying parts of surveying the Bristol Backgammon scene, is to observe the "graduation" of players to Premier Status.
After the initial awarding of the privilege before the start of the 2000 season, seven further players crossed the divide during the year, and so far this year a further five have made it to the promised land.
Ian Preston appears to be finding as many ways as possible of qualifying. He has already done so by winning two Bristol Backgammon knock-out main flights (and has since added a third for good measure), and it is difficult to see how he could finish outside the top eight of the OGP, considering the massive lead he has built up. And he currently stands fourth in the Conference just for good measure.
Sarah Rosich and Ed Turner were the other qualifiers earlier this year, each having scored a second main flight success.
And now joining the happy band are Paul Watts and David Horner, whose consistency in the IGP this year has done the business for them.
With the IGP now concluded there are still ways to attain Premier Status before next year's competitions start.
Several players are still in a position to finish in the top four of the Bristol Conference, while the top eight positions in the OGP represent a reasonable target for some. And winning either the November or the December tournament would swing it for a list of eight players who have won a single main flight.

09/10/01: Charlie and Ian find different ways to succeed

Two DPS Backgammon knock-outs have been resolved -- and in contrasting ways.
Charlie Hetherington finally put paid to the stubborn resistance of Robert Warren to take the DPS Backgammon Shield, and in so doing to become the first player to win this competition, the knock-out flagship event of lunch-time competition at EDS in Patchway, for a third time.
Charlie has now completed the league and cup double, having convincingly won the DPS Backgammon League championship back in the spring.
And what better way to bid farewell -- at least for the moment -- to DPS Backgammon competition, as a stint at Allied Domecq appears to threaten his involvement for now at least, if not for good.
The other event to be resolved was last year's DPS Backgammon Handicap Cup, where Ian Preston had been due to meet Colin Smith in the final.
Colin has been absent for a long time, however, and it has now been confirmed that he will not be contesting the final, leaving Ian a victory by default.
Ian also has a chance to add another knock-out title from last year, holding a 10-0 lead over John Carter in the final of the 2000 DPS Backgammon "B" Tournament, another competition long delayed by Colin's absence.

08/10/01: Charlie made to wait

Robert Warren's steadfast resistance against Charlie Hetherington has taken the 2001 DPS Backgammon Shield final into a further session.
Resuming this lunch-time with Charlie 18-7 ahead in the first-to-21 match, Charlie moved to match point before Rob took the Crawford game and the next to leave Charlie teetering on the brink of becoming the first player to win the title three times.
Robert, a former Shield winner himself, will aim to chip away at Charlie's lead when play resumes, probably tomorrow.
Meanwhile another DPS Backgammon final started today, when Liz Chappell and Adam Clutterbuck ended at 5-5 in the 2001 Handicap Cup final.

06/10/01: Rosey regains Conference lead

Rosey Bensley has used her spare time well today.
Competing in BIBA's Sandy Osborne Trophy event at the Coventry Hilton, Rosey also completed two Bristol Conference victories, Ed Turner and Neil Young being her victims.
The wins restore Rosey's Conference leadership, Martin Hemming having been displaced.

04/10/01: Stuart keeps title hopes alive

After trailing 8-10 to John Napier, Stuart Mann recovered to consolidate his top spot in the Bristol Premier League at the BCSC last night.
His victory has finally taken the title out of the range of all bar himself, John Slattery, and Phil Charlton, although Phil's chance revolves around the unlikely scenario of winning all his last four matches while both Stuart and John falter in their remaining matches.
Meanwhile, Group A of the Inter-League Cup got off to a start last night, with Paul Watts claiming the early ascendancy, beating Kevin White 11-7.

02/10/01: Recount gives Ed five more points

A routine check of the IGP points table has revealed a small discrepancy, which has been immediately rectified.
Ed Turner, sitting comfortably in third place, had been credited with 80 points for his July tournament victory, when this should have read 85.
While the five points haven't made a difference to Ed's position at this stage, who knows whether or not they will be crucial in the final IGP points table after the October tournament?
The check revealed no other discrepancies.

27/09/01: Inter-League Cup semi-final draw made

The draw for the semi-final stage of the Inter-League Cup was made this evening by Julia Tarr.
The winner of Group C will meet the winner of Group D, while the winners of Groups A and B are paired in the other semi-final.

27/09/01: TWENTY MATCHES COMPLETED ON LEAGUE NIGHT

27/09/01: Progress made in four competitions ......

Twenty-two players turned out to do battle in four different competitions at the BCSC last night, completing a total of twenty matches in all ......

27/09/01: Martin wins record Lesters, Ian increases OGP lead ......

Lesters XXXX was completed last night, thirteen days after the event. Ian Preston cruised through to the final at the expense of Paul Watts, only to lose a surprisingly one sided final to Martin Hemming.
Ian's consolation was a record Lesters runner-up prize plus 30 more points in his apparently unstoppable quest for the OGP title. He now leads second placed John Slattery by a massive 135 points, a margin which -- while not totally impregnable -- imposes a huge obstacle to the whole chasing pack.
For the absent John Slattery, news of Ian's widening lead was offset somewhat by the auction runner-up prize which Ian clinched on John's behalf. The main auction prize was happily accepted by Neil Young.
Martin's first Bristol main flight title was a momentous one, giving him as it did the greatest prize ever won in a Lesters Trophy event. Martin, however, was just as pleased with his qualification for next year's Bristol Masters, emulating his local colleague Phillip Hill who had been among the first to qualify when he won the February IGP event.
And Martin's total 140 point haul for winning the event raised him to third place overall in the OGP points table.
Ian's three main pursuers, on 235, 230 and 225 points respectively, are John Slattery, Martin, and Jerry Limb.

27/09/01: Stuart's defeat opens the door for John ......

A gruelling 9-11 defeat for Stuart Mann at the hands of Phil Charlton last night has opened the championship door a little wider for John Slattery.
Stuart still leads the Premier League , with two matches to play, but third placed John is one victory behind with three matches in hand.
When the two eventually meet, the match is likely to be crucial in deciding the destiny of the title. John's task is not the easiest, however. His other opponents are Phil, current champion Simon Baker, Jerry Limb, and seven-time Lesters winner Dave Pym.
Other league victories on the day were scored by Ian Tarr (two), Drew Caudwell, Tim Jefferies, John Napier, and Kevin White.

27/09/01: Martin sneaks ahead, while Paul stakes his claim ......

As if walking off with the biggest prize in Lesters Trophy history wasn't enough good work for one evening, Martin Hemming also sneaked ahead of the absent Rosey Bensley in the race for the Bristol Conference championship.
Juan Alvarez Zafra and Andrew Cobb were on their first Conference outing of the year, each getting a healthy slice of action. Juan's first match was the 7-11 scoreline which put Martin top.
Juan's Conference baptism could hardly have been tougher, as he continued with defeat at the hands of Paul Watts, recovering well from his Lesters semi-final disappointment. Paul followed up with a further victory to consolidate his third position and announce his intent to make the title race a three-way affair.
Other Conference winners on the night were Jeremy Axford, Michael Smith, Ed Turner, and Neil Young.

27/09/01: Inter-League Cup gathers pace ......

The end of season filler event, the Inter-League Cup, is gathering pace, with Group D leading the way.
Five of the eight matches completed so far have been in that group, with Jerry Limb establishing himself as the favourite to progress to the semi-final stage.
Dave Pym and Martin Hemming have been the winners so far in Group B, while Roland Herrera took the early lead in Group C with an 11-5 win over Ian Tarr. Group A has yet to start.

25/09/01: League night promises plenty of action

Tomorrow night's league night promises plenty of significant action.
With Phil Charlton, John Napier, Drew Caudwell and Tim Jefferies all set to play Premier League matches, significant progress should be made in that competition.
Conference players will be looking to find those last few elusive opponents, while players from both leagues will be making inroads into their Inter-League Cup group matches.
All this, plus the unexpected bonus of the closing stages of this month's Lesters Trophy event, with Paul Watts scheduled to meet Ian Preston for the right to play Martin Hemming in the final.
See reports above.

15/09/01: ALL THE NEWS FROM THURSDAY AT THE B C S C

15/09/01: Martin awaits final opponent in record Lesters

A record turnout for the competition -- the 29 participants beating the previous Lesters Trophy best of 27, although the overall OGP record is 32 -- saw an almost total eclipse of Premier League players when Lesters XXXX hit the BCSC on Thursday evening.
Jerry Limb was the only Premier player to register two wins, and the elite exodus could not even be blamed on an unfavourable draw -- only John Slattery, Tony Lee and Stuart Mann falling to fellow Premier players.
Top performers on the night were Martin Hemming (who numbered Ian Tarr among his victims), Elliot Smart (who accounted for Liverpool Open winner Darryl Artt, and Jerry Limb), Paul Watts (who beat Charlie Hetherington and Conference leader Rosey Bensley), and -- inevitably -- Ian Preston (who beat Kevin White to reach the semi-finals).
Martin beat Elliot to clinch a spot in the final, while Ian and Paul will have to slug it out at a time and place yet to be arranged, for the privilege of taking Martin on.
Brother and sister combination Darryl and Nadine Artt were welcome visitors (Darryl had previously been an entrant at the December '98 Lesters event), and with John Lewis -- surprisingly making his first OGP appearance of the year -- this brought the total number of OGP contestants this year to a healthy 60!

15/09/01: Ian's OGP grip tightens

Ian Preston's run to the semi-finals of Lesters XXXX has made his grip on this year's Bristol Open Grand Prix tighter than ever.
Ian's lead is now an astonishing 105 points, with the potential to grow to 175 should he win both the semi and the final.
Most of Ian's pursuers missed the chance to keep some kind of pressure on Ian, with only Jerry Limb's 50 points getting close to making any inroads.
Jerry consolidated his third place, just behind John Slattery, but Martin Hemming, who moved from 15th place to 4th, would just overhaul Jerry were he to win the final.
But Paul Watts, who has moved up from 16th to equal 11th, would go as high as 4th were he to win the tournament.
Realistically, it is difficult to imagine the circumstances that would put any of the other pursuers in with even a remote chance of overhauling Ian.

15/09/01: Charlie has a say in title chase

Last year's Bristol Premier League runner-up Charlie Hetherington has had a nightmare campaign this time around, with five early season defeats effectively wiping out any chance of going one better this year.
At the BCSC on Thursday, though, Charlie gave an indication of what might have been when he completed victories over both the main contenders for this year's title.
He brought to an end John Slattery's proud unbeaten run, his 11-9 win being John's first BPL defeat in eight matches.
But if this was excellent news for leader Stuart Mann, it was to be tempered by Charlie's 11-4 success over Stuart later in the evening. The meeting of John and Stuart, when it happens, is still likely to be crucial to the outcome of the competition.

15/09/01: Martin tracks down another opponent

Martin Hemming is apparently planning an exhaustive search for opponents as he attempts to overhaul Bristol Conference leader Rosey Bensley.
Having already met all the regular Conference players, Martin's thirst for honours found him tracking down occasional participant Mike Taylor, who suffered a 4-11 defeat for his pains at Starbuck's cafe on Thursday.
Rosey managed half a Conference match at Thursday's tournament, adjourning 7-6 ahead of Ed Turner. She can also look forward to meetings with Neil Young and Roland Herrera, should she need more victories to secure the inaugural Conference title.
Both Rosey and Martin have recorded eleven victories in the Conference campaign to date, but Rosey's superior average points difference sees her currently hanging on to first place.

13/09/01: Tony signs off with a victory

Anyone present at the BCSC on Tuesday night would have witnessed what was almost certainly Tony Lee's last Bristol Premier League match ever.
Tony's 11-9 nail-biter against John Napier marked the completion of his Premier league season, with eight victories recorded and a respectable finishing position assured.
When he returns from his honeymoon, probably some time next year, he will not be living locally, so participation in the league is unlikely to be a practical proposition. He will hopefully find the time to attend the odd tournament, though.
Bristol Backgammon wishes him all the very best.

06/09/01: Team building in progress

Bristol Backgammon director Ian Tarr is currently embarking on the process of filling the Bristol team for the Inter-Cities Challenge, where we make the annual pilgrimage to play our Birmingham counterparts.
The match, which will feature teams of approximately twelve players each playing three 9-point matches, is scheduled for Saturday October 20th, at the Moseley All Services Club.
Birmingham currently hold the trophy, having won it at the corresponding match last year and retained it when they visited Bristol in June.
Leading players from the various local competitions (6 from the Premier League, 3 from the Conference, 8 from the OGP, and 4 from the IGP) are currently being asked if they are available to make the trip.
Since some players feature in more than one of those lists, that boils down to a preliminary list of fifteen players, with plenty more to be asked if some of those should prove to be unavailable or unwilling to take up the challenge.

29/08/01: Fifteen matches completed on league night

Tony Lee is pulling out all the stops to ensure that he completes his league programme before he embarks on his marathon honeymoon tour of the far east. Beating league champion Simon Baker, Tim Jefferies, and Dave Pym at the BCSC tonight, Tony has now created what must be a Premier League record, by winning four matches in two days! This purple patch has moved Tony up to second in the league, with only John Napier left to play.
Other Premier League winners tonight were Dave Pym and Jerry Limb.
Principal points beneficiaries in the Conference were Paul Watts and Phillip Hill, who each notched a brace of victories, while Martin Hemming, Ian Preston and Simonetta Barone won once apiece.
The draw for the new Inter-League Cup was made, and the initial victories were scored by Blaine Buchanan, Phillip Hill, and Martin Hemming. For the full Inter-League Cup draw, and latest positions, click here.

29/08/01: November tournament put back one week

The November OGP tournament, originally scheduled for Thursday 8th, has now been put back one week at the request of the BCSC.
Since ample notice was given, Bristol Backgammon director Ian Tarr was happy to comply with the club's request.
For the updated calendar of events, click here.

28/08/01: Tony edges to victory

Tony Lee beat Drew Caudwell 11-10 in a Premier League game at the Coronation in Southville tonight.

26/08/01: Backgammon hits the radio

BBC Radio Five Live had a backgammon slot yesterday morning!
The Chiles on Saturday show featured an interview with none other than John Slattery, who was asked -- among other things -- whether he had any groupies!
BIBA's 2000 Grand Prix winner's celebrity is on the up. He recently won an award at the Monte Carlo tournament for his elegance.

26/08/01: Draw set for Wednesday

The draw for the Inter-League Cup will take place at the BCSC early during Wednesday's league session.

22/08/01: Inter-League Cup draw imminent

The competition devised to pad out the league season for those who have few league matches left to play, will be contested by eighteen players -- six from the Premier League, and twelve from the Conference.
Entrants will be split into four groups (two of five players, two of four), and the top eight players will be seeded to ensure they are evenly distributed over the groups.
Group winners will then contest two semi-finals and a final. All matches in the competition will be played to 11 points. For fuller details of the competition, see Inter-League Cup.

16/08/01: Jerry makes a move

Jerry Limb last night made a surge into contention for the OGP title by winning the August tournament at the BCSC.
Last year's Intermediate champion claimed his first open main flight title by beating two of the toughest players on the local scene, Premier League title contenders Stuart Mann and John Slattery. After beating John, Jerry voiced his immense satisfaction at "keeping the title in England"!
Stuart -- the reigning OGP champion -- succumbed in the semis, setting up a final between Jerry and his backgammon mentor.
Jerry's narrow victory raises him to third place in the OGP table , handily tucked in behind John, but still some way from catching leader Ian Preston.

13/08/01: OGP tournament set for Wednesday conclusion

Last Thursday's OGP tournament -- with two matches outstanding -- is scheduled for a conclusion on Wednesday at Jerry Limb's in Henbury.
Jerry meets Stuart Mann for the privilege of locking horns with John Slattery. John is also looking for league opponents during his short stay in Bristol.

11/08/01: Stuart, Jerry and John chase August title

Thursday's OGP tournament, attended by twenty players and efficiently directed by Roland Herrera, has two matches still outstanding.
The final will be contested by John Slattery and the winner of the semi-final meeting of Jerry Limb and Stuart Mann.
Current OGP leader Ian Preston gave his pursuers some hope when he dipped out in the first round of both flights to score the minimum 10 points. He will be disappointed that he "only" has 300 points to his name!
John, who reached the final courtesy of victories over Neil Young, Simonetta Barone, and Martin Hemming, has narrowed Ian's lead to a mere 75 points, and this would be reduced to 40 were John to win the final.
Stuart can overtake John by winning the event, while a similar achievement by Jerry would move him into third place.
The consolation flight had a new winner, when Sarah Webber saw off Phillip Hill, Paul Watts and last month's IGP consolation winner Jonathan Prager.
For the latest OGP positions click here.

11/08/01: Rosey goes top again

Rosey Bensley made the most of her trip to Thursday's OGP tournament, despite being eliminated from the main flight in the quarter-finals by Martin Hemming.
Having arrived at the BCSC early, she was able to complete three Conference matches, and displaced Martin from the top of the table by scoring victories over Phillip Hill, Mike Woodland and Simonetta Barone.
As it becomes harder to track down those few elusive opponents not yet played, Rosey's 6-point advantage over Martin gives her a great chance of taking the Conference title.

05/08/01: Neil is the Bristol star at BIBA

Bristol Conference player Neil Young was the star of the Bristol contingent at BIBA's SAC Trophy event at the Coventry Hilton over the weekend.
Having suffered defeats in his opening two matches, Neil then reeled off four successive victories for a highly satisfying BIBA debut.
Ian Tarr, who met four Birmingham players over the weekend, also managed four wins. Other totals were: John Slattery, Rosey Bensley and John Renicks 3 each; Ed Turner, Blaine Buchanan and Kevin White 2 each; John Lewis 1.

31/07/01: Roland to officiate

Roland Herrera has kindly agreed to run the August 9th OGP event in Ian Tarr's absence.
Regular tournament director Ian -- away that week on a course -- is extremely grateful to Roland, and to the other players who expressed genuine interest in filling the breach.

31/07/01: Birmingham return date set

The fourth Inter-Cities Challenge match -- held twice yearly between teams from Bristol and Birmingham -- will take place in Birmingham on Saturday October 20th.
Selection criteria for the Bristol team will be announced closer to the date, although the number of players per side is not yet clear.

31/07/01: Inter-League cut-off arrives

Eligibility for the new Inter-League Cup competition has now been finalised.
Invitations are going out to the 8 Premier League players and the 13 Conference players who have played the requisite number of league matches.
The format will ultimately depend on the number of entrants, but the competition is likely to feature mini-leagues of approximately four players, with a final knock-out phase for the group winners.
The groups are also likely to be seeded to ensure the best possible mix of Premier and Conference players.
Matches will typically take place on league nights, but this will be entirely at the participants' discretion.
Entry for this purely optional event will cost £5, which will fund the provision of a new trophy and sundry other prizes.

25/07/01: Fourteen in league action

Four Premier League players and ten from the Conference were in action at Wednesday's league night at the BCSC.
Phil Charlton and Charlie Hetherington won top flight matches, while Ian Preston, Jeremy Axford, Michael Booker, Martin Hemming, Simonetta Barone and Michael Smith gained three points apiece in the Conference race.

13/07/01: Ed's a Premier player......

Ed Turner won last night's IGP main flight, and ensured his place in the gallery of next year's Premier Status players.
His place amongst the local elite comes as a result of winning two main flights -- and coincidentally Ed's other triumph was in last July's IGP event.
Success was achieved by beating previous IGP leader Phillip Hill, Roland Herrera, and David Horner, and Ed's 80-point haul moves him up to third in the IGP table.
The other beneficial side-effect for Ed is a place in next February's Bristol Masters tournament.

13/07/01: ......David heads the IGP......

David Horner's monthly pilgrimage from North Devon yielded fruit at last night's IGP tournament. Although beaten by Ed Turner in the final, David secured enough points to edge into the overall lead in the IGP with just one event remaining.
His 65 points came as a result of victories over Sarah Webber, Martin Hemming and Paul Watts.
Previous IGP leader Phillip Hill is just five points behind David in second place, with Ed Turner, Ian Preston, Paul Watts, Elliot Smart and Martin Hemming all within striking distance.
But any of the top dozen or so could clinch the IGP title with a winning performance in the sole remaining event -- on October 11th. The situation is complicated by the fact that David, Elliot and Martin will all have to discard their lowest score before adding to their respective totals.

13/07/01: ......Jonathan wins consolation flight......

Jonathan Prager scored a success in only his second tournament appearance, when he beat Neil Young in the consolation flight at the BCSC last night.

13/07/01: ......and Elliot launches promotion push

Elliot Smart may have only collected 15 points from last night's tournament, but he put the rest of his time to good use.
He managed to start and finish two Bristol Conference matches, scoring victories over Neil Young and Michael Smith.
The wins elevated him into strong promotion contention.

13/07/01: Apologies to DPS Backgammon aficionados

The usual (almost) daily update to DPS Backgammon scores has been conspicuous by its absence this week.
It had been hoped that this week's scores would be reflected on the site, but Ian Tarr's absence from EDS for two weeks and Phil Charlton's renowned inability to multi-task when under extreme pressure have conspired to render the DPS pages somewhat out of date.
Normal service should be restored on Monday July 23rd.

12/07/01: IGP tournament tonight

The third of this year's four IGP (Intermediate Grand Prix) tournaments takes place at the BCSC tonight, starting at 7.30pm.
Comparatively few of those eligible to play have made the effort to stake their claims for IGP prizes so far this year. As a consequence, the IGP is wide open to anyone succeeding in the final two contributory events -- tonight's and the October 11th finale.
On offer tonight are cash prizes (modest, admittedly), IGP points (which could be a passport to the IGP title as well as Premier League backgammon next year), and a place for the winner of the main flight in next February's Bristol Masters knock-out.

12/07/01: Irregular updates

News updates have been sparse over the past week, as your roving (raving?) reporter has been away.
Some items of note, however, have been ......

A pleasant weekend in Coventry

Word has reached me that Rosey Bensley, John Slattery, Sarah Rosich, Martin Hemming, Kevin White, and Elliot and Cary Smart had a pleasant, but not spectacularly successful, time at the BIBA tournament in Coventry last weekend......

Rosey leapfrogs Martin

Victories for Rosey Bensley and Michael Smith, over Martin Hemming and Simonetta Barone respectively, kept the Bristol Conference ticking over nicely. Rosey's win moves her ahead of Martin at the top of the league.

04/07/01: Any volunteers?

Bristol Backgammon Director Ian Tarr, probably away on a course when the August OGP takes place at the BCSC on August 9th, is appealing for a volunteer or volunteers to run that event.
All preliminary preparation would be taken care of -- it would just need someone to take over the reins on the night. Anyone who is prepared to step in, please contact Ian at
brisgammon@blueyonder.co.uk

02/07/01: Ian surges on

Ian Preston, who appears unable to put a foot wrong this year, remained true to recent form when he won his third evening knock-out of the year and established a hefty 125 point lead at the head of the OGP table.
His 7-4 win over Michael Smith at the Old Fox last night puts him in an almost impregnable position in that competition.

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