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In this last year
Cancerbackup and
MacMillan Cancer Support have
merged. Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people
affected by cancer and the Cancerbackup website provides over
6,000 pages of up-to-date cancer information, practical advice and
support for cancer patients, their families and carers. The
Cancerbackup Backgammon and Bridge Tournament has been an annual
fund raiser for the last 9 years and this year it would be run
again to make it a unbroken decade of much needed fund raising.
As last year Backgammon in London were invited to run the
Backgammon Tournament. I, Mike Main, have a personal interest in
doing things for these two organisations; my girlfriend died of
cancer a few years ago and both Cancerbackup and MacMillan were of
great help to her in her last few months. What better way can
there be for a Backgammon Tournament Director to say thank you to
those that helped than to run a day of backgammon to raise money
for such a good cause?
The day for players commenced at 11.00 am with a Champagne
Reception in the lobby of The Reform Club. There were raffle
tickets for sale with prizes ranging from meals in London
restaurants, perfumes, magnums of champagne and vodka, teas, gift
baskets, hair cuts and jewellery.
Then it was all upstairs to the library for brunch. The 14 tables
were so full of gorgeous looking fare and drinks that is was hard
to know what to eat or drink next. During brunch there was a
silent auction including; A London Eye private champagne flight
for 20, an Arsenal signed shirt (of which Chrissi, a Liverpool
fan, was rather disparring,) a weekend break in Seville, a framed
watercolour "Lilies and Gladioli", a full hair treatment by Daniel
Galvin, a broach and earrings by Jane Elwing, a Luigi's Food
Hamper, fine wine tasting for 10, Dinner for 2 at The Rizt Club, a
golf weekend at RAC Woodcote Park, a weekend at the RAC Pall Mall
and a bridge lesson with Andrew Robson.
Next up was Julian Wilson to do a Backgammon Group Auction.
Players were split into 8 Groups and Auctioned off to the highest
bidders. This was an excellent chance for players to learn
something about other players as Julian gave a quick little
summary of many of the players taking part. Julian was followed by
Lord Jeffery Archer who auctioned off another 5 items: a 5 night
stay for 2 at a Small Luxury Hotel of the World, a day as Ascot in
a corporate box, a pair of foster & sons bespoke shoes, a 2 day
cruise in the Greek Islands for 6 and a 5 star 3 day ski break at
Ferme de Montagne in Les Gets. I missed the Jeffery Archer Auction
so I could go and do the draw but heard that it was both
successful and entertaining. At just gone 2.00pm players left the
Library and made their way to the Backgammon or Bridge
Tournaments.
The recession has of course hit charities and it was of little
surprise to me that we had slightly fewer backgammon players - 50
- than last year. But that wasn't going to allow our day to be
marred - it just meant more byes in Round 1. Round 1 threw up some
interesting matches including: George Jacobs and William Orenstein
from which George emerged the winner, Michael Michael sent Mike
Williams into the Consolation, Martine Montgomery sent Regina
Dodge the same way, a previous Cancerbackup winner Wayne Felton
won over Sally McCarthy, Parry Elghanian (sister of Shirley) had
flown in from New York earlier that day and won over Robert Seely,
good friends and Bg in Camden players Ray Fard and Mo Vafaei were
unfortunately drawn against each other (such can be the nature of
a random draw) from which Ray won, 2 novice players Olivia Packe
and Phyllis Gershon were fortunately for them drawn together and
had a fun match with victory going to Phyllis, Raj Jansari played
and won over Sue Keeble, Malcolm Robertson drew Mick Vacarey and
won, Richard Edgecliffe-Johnson won over the young but promising
player Max Montgomery, Sir Nigel Seely won over Shirley Elghanian
and previous winners Zia Mahmood and Sean Williams lost to Michael
Flesch and Katrina Sedley.
With 50 players there were a number of 2nd Round matches that
commenced play straight away. Pick of the crop was John Clark
versus Julian Wilson which otherwise might have been a final and
from which after a long match Julian emerged victorious. Carter
Mattig was another who had flown over from the States for this
event and he won over Justin Silver of the RAC. Old time player
Richard Olsen won over Roy Ruffler, Andy Bell won over Nick
Valley, William Blunt over Michael Llewelyn-Jones and Michael
Getgood won over our hostess Lady Trudi Seely.
To ensure all players a good amount of backgammon play all players
were guaranteed at least two actual matches even if they had
received a bye in Round 1. While is is obviously desirable to
those players is does however do little for the smooth scheduling
of the event but that's my problem not that of the players.
However all was going pretty smoothly with few matches taking
longer than I had anticipated.
By about 3.30pm we were down to our last 16 in the Main and the
last 16 in the Consolation and some of those that could have
been expected to do well fell at these hurdle. Notably in the Main
Wayne Felton fell to a quietly lethal though not jet lagged Parry
Elghanian, the now famous American player Cater Mattig fell to old
hand Richard Olsen and Andy Bell of WSOB fell to Michael Getgood.
Other Main 3rd Round winners were George Jacobs, Zoe Cunningham,
Sarah Adlam, Raj Jansari and Colin Freeman. In the Consolation our
last 8 were William Orenstein, Mike Williams, Sue Keeble, Justin
Silver, Regina Dodge, Zia Mahmood, Mick Vacarey and Sean Williams.
Just in case there were players that were hungry (how could there
be so shortly after a sumptuous brunch?) tea and an impressive
array of cakes was now being served. But there was still more
backgammon to be played so it was my duty to not allow those 16
players still involved too long a break for tea.
In the Quarter-Finals George Jacob's run came to a halt courtesy
of Parry, Raj Jansari overcame Colin Freeman, meanwhile Sarah
Adlam, had already taken out Michael Flesch and Julian Wilson, now
took out Michael Getgood and in the last Q-Final Richard Olsen
impressed further by winning over Zoe Cunningham. The Consolation
Quarter-Finals were still on 3 point matches so it didn't take so
long for these to complete and soon our Semi-Finalists were Mike
Williams, Justin Silver, Regina Dodge and Sean Williams. In the
Consolation Semis Mike Williams played Justin Silver and Regina
Dodge played Sean Williams out of which we were to have a Williams
brothers final.
It was now about 6.00pm, most players having been knocked out by
play and tea and cakes had said their goodbyes and we moved to the
smaller yet still comfortably appointed Strangers Room for the
last few matches. In the Main Semi-Finals Parry Elghanian played
Richard Olsen and Sarah Adlam play Raj Jansari played. Meanwhile
Williams Minor played Williams Major in the Consolation Final and
it was the more experienced brother, the winner of this event last
year, Sean, who won. Even so Mike seemed very happy with his
magnum of champagne while Sean took away a travel backgammon board
to add to his now 20 something collection of boards. Back in the
Main Richard Olsen managed to bring Parry's run to and end and
Sarah met her Waterloo in Raj.
And so to the Main Final. Who would win? The old hand and claiming
to be rusty Richard Olsen or the man who on top of his game this
year and accepted as one of the best players in the country Raj
Jansari? Richard took an early lead of 4-1 in this 9 point Final.
Raj though would not lie down and give in quietly; the fight was
on. Both played a considered and serious game, the spectators
watched on and the tension was palpable. Shortly later, after much
consideration, Richard sent over a 2 cube, Raj took it, quiet
correctly sent it back at 4 and Raj was in a must win this game
situation. But he didn't and after some 6 hours of play and having
started with 50 players we were down to just 1 who hadn't lost and
that Ladies and Gentleman was Mr Richard Olsen. Congratulations.
Raj was presented with a magnum of champagne and his winning from
the Group Auction (he'd bought himself) by Lady Seely who then
presented Richard Olsen with a
Geoffrey Parker Backgammon Set, the
annual shield and a trophy.
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