Keren Di Bona Memorial Trophy 2007
Report by Michael Crane

The weekend began well for our sponsor, Emmanuel Di Bona. He arrived on the Friday afternoon and after dinner he sat down to play the Friday 500 (8). We struggled to make eight, this weekend, but that didn't bother our sponsor, he played his way through Roy Hollands and Caroline Stafford to beat Tom Duggan in the final. Being in the final gave both Emmanuel and Tom enough points to make the Top 16, and Caroline shifted into 2nd place behind (the absent, Mardi Ohannessian, who has repaired to Greece to recharge his batteries). The table can be seen here.

Friday 500 Winner & Tournament Sponsor

Emmanuel Di Bona

Cassie's Round Robin (25) Caroline organised a 1-point, Round Robin event that was played throughout the weekend. This proved to be a popular addition to the weekend's backgammon and is sure to be repeated. Entrants played in groups of five with the winner going into a play-off for the pot. The first to qualify was me! Followed by Chris Ternel, Roy Hollands, Jeff Barber and Brian Lever. Jeff came out as the ultimate winner with 4 points, closely pursued by myself and Chris on 3.5 each; but, it was a 'winner-takes-all' pot . . . and Jeff took it all!

Jeff Barber, the first ever, Cassie's Round Robin Winner!

Main (21)
Not the biggest of fields, but that didn't dismay the entrants. Last year's defending champion, Chris Ternel went out in the 1st Round, courtesy of Myke Wignall; and our illustrious sponsor, Emmanuel, went out in the same round to Tom Duggan. I mention this fact for it was Myke and Tom who faced each other in the final.

With the score tied at 3-3, the match stepped up a gear with some good and bad cube play. Myke, (white), is known for his erratic cubing and 'dynamic' checker-play (or, 'bloody risky' as it is commonly known!) but this particular cube is correct:

11-point match
Black 3 White 3
White cube action

It might be a tad too early, but the cube is correct (equity @ -0.051 for holding on to the cube at the moment); and the take is equally correct. White is unlikely to point on black on the next roll and black has good chances of anchoring. Some rolls later and it looks bad for Tom (black).

Black on roll

Myke has 73.8% game winning chances (gwc) including 58.6% gammons; however, on this roll black anchors with 53 and black's gwc drop to 62.6% gwc with 37.4% gammons; but white is still favourite to win the game, and likely a gammon.

Black's anchor in the previous position, and white's earlier cube now prompt some cube action from black:

Black cube action?
.

Myke thinks for 28 seconds and then takes the cube. On the video Tom is heard to say, "Wow"; and well he might. This is a BIG drop. Dropping has an equity of a measly -0.002; but the take rockets up to an orbital +0.537 for black. Snowie rates this as 'Too good to re-double, pass'; but Myke takes and from thereon he's in trouble. Six rolls later and this is how much trouble Myke is in:

White rolls 55 and dances

His once 73.8% gwc have plummeted to a meagre 3.3% and his gammon chances have shrunk to a gnat's 0.1%. From here, even though he does send a black checker back (and it wasn't from this position!):

Black to play 62

Everyone was thinking, 6/0 6/4, everyone but Tom, that is! He plays 6/0 2/0, which is a huge blunder @ -0.408!!! If he reckoned this gave him greater gammon chances, he was sadly mistaken. The safer play returned 79.4% gammons and the actual play returned just 55.8%. Myke danced with 54, However, Tom is hit a bit later on but he prevails and rolls out for a gammon and the match.

Myke & Tom
This match will appear soon on GammonVillage and is now available as Snowie or JellyFish match files from Biba HQ, via email.

Consolation (19) Nicky Check, knocked out in his first round bye of the Main, compensated by getting to the final on the non-progressive side. Here he was pitched against Tony Fawcett who was knocked out at a later stage of the Main (semi-final), after which he knocked out Steve Rimmer and David Startin . . . and then Nicky, to take home the winner's trophy.   Tony & Nicky
	Last Chance (16) "Local Boy Done Good". These were the headlines in the Coventry Post after Phil Tutchings (who lives a short walk from the venue) triumphed in the final when he beat David Nathan. This was Phil's first Biba trophy; and, seeing that David already has 10 winner's trophies, it seemed only fair!       David & Phil
The Bona of Contention (16) I like puns and was rather proud of this one. Mind you, Vicky Chandler was prouder (and before the grammar police write in, I know that's not the correct word!) who beat high-roller, Steve Rimmer in the final. Just a note on Steve. In the Main Caroline and I purchased him in the Sunday auction because we deemed him, 'shit hot'; unfortunately we were only half right; he was shit! Vicky & Steve
	Poker (5) Tom Duggan, according to the record sheet got, "Lots of beauty sleep", being the first to crash out, fairly quickly. This left the remaining four to battle it out; and Myke Wignall (who has a new sobriquet) went out next. This left it between Roy Hollands, Tony Fawcett . . . . and, inevitably, a Gilbertson (Paul) in the running. However; only two were to cash in; and one of them wasn't Paul. Roy came out on top - without a single buy-back!, leaving Tony in 2nd place. The tables now show that Paul and Myke have reached their six-best placings and now their progress could be a little slower as they drop lower placings for higher ones. The table can be see here.   Roy 'The Man' Hollands

Finally

I'd like to thank Emmanuel for sponsoring this tournament and for supplying the trophies. There was a time during registration that I thought each entrant would be taking one home! The weekend went along smoothly and Cassie's Round Robin was agood idea; unfortunately it wasn't mine . . . . but I shall be claiming it as mine some time in the future :-)