You can just feel the tension, as Mochy Masayuki and Martin Barkwill embark on their Pro Category Main Final, the centrepiece of the entire weekend (apart from the wedding, of course!) Interested onlookers are: standing, left to right Stuart Mann, Adrian Herrera, and Richard Edgecliffe-Johnson; seated are Simon Fahoury (foreground), Fanika Petkovska and Chris Roberts. On the mantlepiece behind them all are the glittering prizes on offer for the weekend's winners.
Sporting opponent Mogens Knudsen (right) is the first to applaud Pro Progressive Consolation Winner (and bridegroom!) Roland Herrera. In the background are Lone Foldager, Mike Heard, Irene Erbou, Mikael Soerensen and Cynthia Roberts.
Anni Bech Nielsen was the first player to reach one of the four main finals when she stormed through the Amateur Main flight, and here takes on Michel Lamote, the only Belgian visitor to the tournament. It was Michel who took the title.
Blaine Buchanan scratches his head after a quick defeat by Dod Davies in the Team Event semi-final. His "Misfits" team-mates, seen here on the right, Ian Tarr and Mikael Soerensen thus had no margin for error. When Ian suffered a whitewash at the hands of Jo Curl (seated, left), there was no need for Lars Trabolt (seated near left) to finish his match against Mikael, as his team, "The Lars Chance" were assured of a place in the final. Blaine went on to win the Individual Last Chance, the weekend's final event, defeating both of his team-mates on the way!.
Not to be outdone by her new husband, Simonetta (near left) was determined to win a prize as well. Her chance came in the Team Event, when -- with Taus Boytler (not pictured here) and Lone Foldager (right) -- her team "The Bride and the Vikings" took the title despite the efforts of Jo Curl (also left) and Lars Trabolt (near right), whose "The Lars Chance" team had to settle for second place.
0-4 down in a first to 5 points match, Paul Gilbertson appears resigned to his fate against Patrick Toxvaerd in the Individual Last Chance event. Paul fought back, however, and made it to the next round.
More action from the Individual Last Chance: Torben Hasseriis (foreground, left) is seen on his way to victory over Simon Fahoury, while on the adjoining board Chris Ternel (also left) defeats Roland Herrera on his way to the final. Onlookers are Jim Remy Nesdal and Chris Roberts, while in another encounter in the background Myke Wignall (right) is on his way to victory over a partly obscured Poul Lindberg Soerensen.
Where there are backgammon players, there are chouettes. Mark Dixon (left) and Martin Barkwill are in the thick of the action here, while Peter Bennet jots down a position. Lawrence Powell and Mochy Masayuki look on, while Juanita Ferrer makes a point to Jason Champion.
More chouette action, as an apparently verbose Tony Walters opposes Mochy. Others, left to right, are: Peter Bennet, Jorn Nesdal and Martin Barkwill.