Showing posts with label Town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Town. Show all posts

Thursday, 12 February 2026

City of Cape Town Regional Junior Backgammon event - Sunday, 22 February 2026

Backgammon is a game that that can be played by all ages.

The Cape Town Open 2026 will include the City of Cape Town Junior (U-18) backgammon tournament on Sunday, 22 February 2026.

The event gives young players the chance to compete in an event that is recognised as an official MSSA Regional Championship alongside one of South Africa’s premier tournaments.

Running from 14:30 –17:30 at the Fire & Ice! Hotel in Cape Town CBD, the junior section will use a Swiss format with short 3-point matches, ensuring every participant gets multiple games in a structured, friendly environment.

The event is designed to be welcoming for both new and experienced players, encouraging strategic thinking, confidence, and sportsmanship while letting juniors experience the excitement of tournament play.

For more information, parents can contact Nick (0711217022) or register at bit.ly/CTOpen2026Juniors

Additional reading:

Athlete's rights:
Employment opportunities

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Saturday, 7 February 2026

Newly-affiliated Backgammon clubs are ready to get things rolling…

Doron Claxton, from Cape Town, deep in thought in his semi-final match at the Backgammon World Championship.

Cape Town Backgammon is proud to formally announce its affiliation with Mind­ Sports South Africa (MSSA) — a meaningful milestone for our club and for backgammon in the Western Cape.

This affiliation recognises not only where Cape Town Backgammon is today, but also the steady, community-driven journey that has brought us here.

A decade of growth, community, and competition

Cape Town Backgammon was founded in June 2013 by two brothers with a simple idea: to create a regular, welcoming space to play backgammon in Cape Town. What began as informal local meet-ups has grown year on year into a structured and increasingly visible backgammon community.

Over the past decade, the club has:

  • Hosted live tournaments in Cape Town
  • Run online round-robin leagues, connecting players across regions
  • Introduced annual awards celebrating performance, improvement, and contribution to the community
  • Actively supported local players competing at international events

Perhaps most notably, Cape Town Backgammon proudly supported Doron Claxton, who reached the final of the Backgammon World Championships in Monte Carlo in 2025 — a landmark achievement for South African backgammon.

Mind sportS SA affiliation and the Cape Town Open 2026

Affiliation with MSSA represents an important step forward: aligning Cape Town Backgammon with recognised national structures, governance, and player pathways.

Our first major milestone under this affiliation will be the Cape Town Open, taking place from 20–22 February 2026, officially endorsed by MSSA as a Regional Championship.

In addition to the Open division, regional colours will be awarded to the best-performing players in the following categories:

  • Open
  • Female
  • Youth (U-25)
  • Junior (U-18)

This event is designed to showcase competitive excellence while also highlighting the inclusivity and developmental focus of backgammon as a recognised mindsport.

Growing the game — especially in schools

A central focus for Cape Town Backgammon is growing the game, particularly among younger players. We are actively committed to introducing backgammon into schools in Cape Town and surrounding areas, where it serves as a powerful tool for developing:

  • Strategic thinking
  • Probability awareness
  • Decision-making under uncertainty
  • Sportsmanship and resilience

Backgammon’s blend of skill, mathematics, and psychology makes it uniquely well suited to the educational space, and we see enormous potential for growth at grassroots level.

Social play in the city

Alongside structured competition, Cape Town Backgammon continues to host regular social evenings in the Cape Town CBD. These sessions are intentionally relaxed and inclusive — a perfect opportunity to:

  • Meet new people
  • Learn the game or improve your skills
  • Play casual or competitive matches in a friendly environment

Whether you’re a seasoned tournament player or completely new to backgammon, social nights remain the heartbeat of the club.

A connected, welcoming community

Our community extends well beyond Cape Town. Through active WhatsApp groups, Cape Town Backgammon players are closely connected with South African backgammon players across the country, as well as an international network of enthusiasts and competitors.

New members are always welcome — whether you’re curious about learning the game, looking for regular competition, or aiming to compete at national and international level.

Affiliation with MSSA marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Cape Town Backgammon. We look forward to building stronger pathways for players, hosting high-quality events, and continuing to grow a vibrant backgammon community in Cape Town and beyond.

Additional reading:
Athlete's rights:
Employment opportunities

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Tuesday, 5 August 2025

Welcome home, Doron. You’ve inspired a nation!

Doron Claxton, from Cape Town, has firmly placed South Africa on the entire global backgammon community!

Excitement mounted like never before in anticipation of the Backgammon World Championship final in Monte Carlo, as Doron Claxton, of South Africa, prepared to make further inroads into the history books. Word spread rapidly among friends, family, and the backgammon community as more and more people tuned in to watch the action unfold.

In Cape Town, a watch party turned into a roaring, electric event — shouts of joy and disbelief, loud clapping when Doron found the right play, whoops and hollas when the dice delivered, with kids running wild around the action, the room was enthused with Claxton-fever. And Doron delivered on everyone’s wishes.

The full match can be seen on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zndiQmd15B8

He started strong, outplaying his Finnish opponent, Timo Vaatainen, with poise and confidence. In a thoughtful and relaxed manner, Doron raced ahead to a 4–0 lead. Slapping the doubling cube on the felt with his signature flair, it was suddenly 8–3. Timo called for a five-minute break.

Doron, calm and composed, stepped out of the room and recorded a cheerful and contented video message to his supporters back home. The momentum continued: 10–3, then 12–5, and soon 14–6, with Timo playing a desperate 1-4 backgame and his clock slipping dangerously low.

At that point, a South African victory felt almost inevitable.

But backgammon is a game of sharp turns. One wrong roll, one cruel bounce, and everything can shift. After more than two and a half hours of play, Timo’s backgame found with a hit. Doron, with seven checkers already borne off, faced a critical decision as the cube came back at 4. He “snap”-took it instantly — and entered a race for the win.

Agonisingly, the race was lost. The score shifted to 14–10 instead of what could have been 18–6.

Unshaken, Doron played on. He clawed back another 2 points, moving ahead 16–10, while Timo’s time bank dropped to just two minutes. Then, a twist: Doron played brilliantly but luck turned against him, and Timo claimed four points, bringing the score to 16–14. The players paused for a second break, after three gruelling hours, with Timo’s clock now down to just 46 seconds.

The final stretch was unforgettable. Doron reached 17–14, just two points from glory. Then came the decider: 17–17, the cube on 2, both players deep into the bear-off to decide the champion.

Doron hit one of Timo’s exposed checkers — victory nearly in hand — but Timo rolled one of his few winning numbers. With just six seconds left on his clock, he brought all his checkers home.

The room erupted. Finnish cheers filled Monte Carlo. Doron, drained and stunned, dropped his head in disappointment and slunked out to hugs and consolation from his team. A heroic journey had ended just short of the ultimate prize.

But this is not a story of loss. It is a story of arrival.

Doron Claxton has left his mark — not only on the World Championship — but on the entire global backgammon community. His courageous, impulsive, and human style of play is a breath of fresh air in a world dominated by robotic, memorised patterns and overly calculated lines. Doron’s run captivated thousands. He showed that there is room for flair, instinct, and fearlessness on the biggest stage. The live broadcast of the match drew a record 2,500+ viewers, making it the most-watched backgammon match ever streamed on YouTube!

And back home, the impact of this incredible debut international performance is just beginning.

Doron’s journey has reminded us of what makes backgammon special — its drama, its unpredictability, and its community. More than anything, he’s shown the world that South Africa belongs in the upper echelons of this ancient and beautiful game.

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Tuesday, 3 June 2025

Sydney 'KYōi' Wood wins both hearts and minds.

From left to right: Sydney with "Xiaoyu", Sydney deep in game, and Sydney with "Reina".

Sydney 'KYōi' Wood made her debut into international competition at the 2025 BRICS Esports Championships, as hosted by the Russian Esports Federation (ReSF) in the Yota Esports Arena, in Moscow from 31 May 2025 to 1 June 2025.

Sydney 'KYōi' Wood was the only 'rose among the thorns', and in fact made history by being the only women to have ever played in a BRICS Esports Championships since its inception in 2023.

Of course Sydney expected no favours from the male athletes who were all out for the 'kill'.

Even in defeat, Sydney demonstrated her skill and great charm, and won over the hearts and minds of those against whom she played, officials, and the Russian media. In all games Sydney gave her best, and although having been beaten, Sydney was only narrowly beaten.

Sydney 'KYōi' Wood stated "The championship has been one of the best experiences I've had thus far. The gaming community, organisation of the tournament and all players were absolutely amazing. I'm also glad to have made a lot of friends in the short time we were here, which made everything more exciting! With this being my first international tournament, I plan to take everything I've learnt by putting it into practice and work hard for the next one! "

It  is clear that the 2025 BRICS championship has revealed Sydney's mettle as a top esports athlete!

Sydney's results are as follows:

CountryPlayerResult
Египет/EgyptT-Virus30
Китай/ChinaXCC30
Малайзия/MalaysiaYohane30
Турция/TurkiyeKicking Machine30
Бразилия/Brazil2GAME_Doomorelha30
Таиланд/ThailandKrissW30
Беларусь/Belaruspuz00_30
Казахстан/Kazakhstanleonsluv30
Узбекистан/UzbekistanRas'al Ghul32

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