TOURNAMENT REGULATIONS
Season 2025/2026
There is no entry fee.
Number of participants: 8.
In Stage I, two teams of 4 players compete in a round-robin format. In Stage II (playoffs), four members of the winning team compete.
Stage I is a competition between two teams, with each member of one team playing against each other member of the opponent team. The members of the same team do not compete against each other in the first stage.
Competition conditions for Stage I between two teams:
1. The format of each match in Stage I is a session of two halves, each 56 minutes long, using the doubling cube and Jacobi's rule.
2. Timing for each game: 3 minutes + 12 seconds.
3. If a player runs out of time, the game is considered a loss by a backgammon with the current cube value (if the losing player has not beared off any checkers and at least one of his checkers is in the opponent's home board or on the bar), or a gammon with the current cube value (if the losing player has not beared off any checkers but there is no one checker in the opponent's home board or on the bar), or a loss by single with the current die value (if the losing player managed to bear off at least one checker).
4. If a player theoretically cannot lose by a gammon or backgammon, he has the right to stop the clock and admit defeat (lose 1 point). A player also has the right to admit defeat by a gammon if a backgammon is theoretically impossible.
5. The maximum number of points won (lost) in a single game is 16. The exception is the 8-cube backgammon.
6. If the total playing time of a half-time session exceeds 56 minutes, the current game is considered the last game of that half-time.
7. The result of a match (a session of two halves) for each participant is the arithmetic balance between points won and lost at the end of the match. This result is added to the overall balance of each team and is reflected in the current standings for the round-robin stage. The final result for each team at the end of the round-robin stage is the arithmetic sum of all team results in each round.
8. If a player from one team fails to appear for a round, his team is considered a loser in that match with a score of 0:10.
9. If the balance of the teams is tied at the end of the last match of Stage I, the participants in the last match have to play a "golden" game.
10. Based on the results of Stage I, the winning team is determined, and four members of this team advance to Stage II (the playoffs).
11. Stage I Game Schedule.
One match of the current round is played weekly. Therefore, the total duration of the round-robin stage will be 16 weeks (a total of 16 matches).
Stage II – PLAYOFFS
1. The starting bracket for the playoffs, i.e., the participants in the two semifinals, is determined by a random draw between the four players who have advanced to the playoff stage.
If a playoff participant withdraws before the start of the semifinals, his place is taken by the player from the opposing team with the best individual result in the round-robin stage.
2. The time limit for each game in the playoffs is 3 minutes + 12 seconds for each player.
2. If the score is tied after the total match time has expired, a golden game is played to determine the winner.
3. The losing players in the semifinals play a match for the 3rd place.
4. The winning players in the semifinals play a final match.
5. Stage II Game Schedule: One match is played weekly, consisting of
two 56-minute sessions with a break between sessions. Thus, the total duration of Stage II will be 4 weeks (4 matches in total).
6. The total duration of the tournament is 20 weeks.
$16 000
Prize fund distribution:
At the end of Stage I:
- the team that takes 1st place receives $4000 ($1000 for each team member).
- The team that takes 2nd place receives $2000 ($500 for each team member).
Based on the results of Stage II,
1st place: $5000
2nd place: $2500
3rd place: $1500
4th place: $1000
Participants who take 1st through 3rd place will receive trophies.
Head Referee of the Tournament is Ivan Lankin.
Number of participants: 8.
In Stage I, two teams of 4 players compete in a round-robin format. In Stage II (playoffs), four members of the winning team compete.
Stage I is a competition between two teams, with each member of one team playing against each other member of the opponent team. The members of the same team do not compete against each other in the first stage.
Competition conditions for Stage I between two teams:
1. The format of each match in Stage I is a session of two halves, each 56 minutes long, using the doubling cube and Jacobi's rule.
2. Timing for each game: 3 minutes + 12 seconds.
3. If a player runs out of time, the game is considered a loss by a backgammon with the current cube value (if the losing player has not beared off any checkers and at least one of his checkers is in the opponent's home board or on the bar), or a gammon with the current cube value (if the losing player has not beared off any checkers but there is no one checker in the opponent's home board or on the bar), or a loss by single with the current die value (if the losing player managed to bear off at least one checker).
4. If a player theoretically cannot lose by a gammon or backgammon, he has the right to stop the clock and admit defeat (lose 1 point). A player also has the right to admit defeat by a gammon if a backgammon is theoretically impossible.
5. The maximum number of points won (lost) in a single game is 16. The exception is the 8-cube backgammon.
6. If the total playing time of a half-time session exceeds 56 minutes, the current game is considered the last game of that half-time.
7. The result of a match (a session of two halves) for each participant is the arithmetic balance between points won and lost at the end of the match. This result is added to the overall balance of each team and is reflected in the current standings for the round-robin stage. The final result for each team at the end of the round-robin stage is the arithmetic sum of all team results in each round.
8. If a player from one team fails to appear for a round, his team is considered a loser in that match with a score of 0:10.
9. If the balance of the teams is tied at the end of the last match of Stage I, the participants in the last match have to play a "golden" game.
10. Based on the results of Stage I, the winning team is determined, and four members of this team advance to Stage II (the playoffs).
11. Stage I Game Schedule.
One match of the current round is played weekly. Therefore, the total duration of the round-robin stage will be 16 weeks (a total of 16 matches).
Stage II – PLAYOFFS
1. The starting bracket for the playoffs, i.e., the participants in the two semifinals, is determined by a random draw between the four players who have advanced to the playoff stage.
If a playoff participant withdraws before the start of the semifinals, his place is taken by the player from the opposing team with the best individual result in the round-robin stage.
2. The time limit for each game in the playoffs is 3 minutes + 12 seconds for each player.
2. If the score is tied after the total match time has expired, a golden game is played to determine the winner.
3. The losing players in the semifinals play a match for the 3rd place.
4. The winning players in the semifinals play a final match.
5. Stage II Game Schedule: One match is played weekly, consisting of
two 56-minute sessions with a break between sessions. Thus, the total duration of Stage II will be 4 weeks (4 matches in total).
6. The total duration of the tournament is 20 weeks.
The total prize fund for the tournament
$16 000
Prize fund distribution:
At the end of Stage I:
- the team that takes 1st place receives $4000 ($1000 for each team member).
- The team that takes 2nd place receives $2000 ($500 for each team member).
Based on the results of Stage II,
1st place: $5000
2nd place: $2500
3rd place: $1500
4th place: $1000
Participants who take 1st through 3rd place will receive trophies.
Head Referee of the Tournament is Ivan Lankin.