City of Venice

Since 1989 the major italian Tournament!

PAST WINNERS

2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
olympic champion
1996
1995
1994
1993
olympic champion
1992
1991
1990
1989

Sergio Fragiacomo, Italy
Damian Plesec, Slovenia
Massimo Moretti, Italy
Martin de Bruiin, USA-Spain
Mogens Knudsen, Denmark
Giorgio Caldera, Italy
Mogens Knudsen, Denmark
Jakov Nepomniatchy, Russia
Artur Muradian, Armenia
Xavier Braun, Germany
Teppo Salo, Finland
Markus Eek, Sweden
Jerry Grandell, Sweden
Maurice Djemal, Panama
Evert van Eijck, Holland
Michael Grabrczyk, Germany
David Bridges, Great Britain
Bob Watchel, USA
Andrè Hoffmann, Hong Kong
Robert Hutchinson, Great Britain
Carsten Joh, Germany
Gerhard Stoll, Italy

2008

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The Winner of the20th “City of Venice” International Backgammon Tournament is: Sergio Fragiacomo

The Tournament took place between the 28th and the 30th of November at Ca’ Vendramin Calergi, the historical 1500 palace on the Grand Canal, which hosts the glamorous Casino of Venice.

Fragiacomo is one of the most well known Venetian backgammon players and he even runs a real Backgammon “Academy”at the Devil’s Forest Pub. He won the final against the strong english player John Hurst.
“Sergione”, besides the aspired price, recieved also the free participation to the Estoril Tournament in Portugal (2009, May 14-17), the first event of the 2008 edition of the European Backgammon Tour, the prestigious circuit of the World Backgammon Association magnificently organized by Chiva Tafazzoli, which City of Venice is proud to be part of.

The Double Tournament was a success for the international couple Piergiorgio D’Ancona the venetian globetrotter and the young Andrea Sterling from the UK.

The Consolation was won by the always competitive Giuseppe Rigon against the very same D’Ancona.

Stefano Chiosi from Venice, a great player that is defenitely heading towards the higer categories, won the Intermediate category.

Also the UISP encounters (Backgammon for everybody) where very appreciated, with a total of 48 players: it was great to watch champions play “no money” against beginners: this is probably the best part of this game.
The interesting new formula of the “Swing” Tournament was won by Carlo Melzi from Milan, surely one of the strongest italian players.
Fanika Petkovsky from England won at the “Ladies Tournament” (that was also free) out of 16 ladies that took part in it.

Special thanks to the Casino of Venice, to the Sport Association CNB, to the UISP (who makes the backgammon legal in Italy) and the World Backgammon Association that always believed in this event and helped in the realization of it, recognizing its sportive nature. Special thanks also to Sofitel Italy, Renzo Romagnoli, backgammon.it and everybody who helped during the event.

See you at the 2009 21th Edition that will be bigger, prettier and richer!

RESULTS

CHAMPION (34)
MAIN
winner SERGIO FRAGIACOMO (ITALY)
finalist JOHN HURST (UK)
semifinalists ADRIAN STEVEN JONES (UK) / MARIO LAZZER (Austria)
CONSOLATION
winner GIUSEPPE RIGON (Italy)
finalist PIERGIORGIO D’ANCONA (Italy)
LAST CHANCE
winner NODARI GAGUA (Russia)

INTERMEDIATE (27)
MAIN
winner STEFANO CHIOSI (Italy)
finalist FABIO CAPPELLETTI (Italy)
semifinalists FEDERICO TOLEDO (Napoli) / CHIVA TAFAZZOLI (Iran)
CONSOLATION
winner STEFANO SELVI (Italy)
finalist ANTONIO IAQUINTA (Italy)
LAST CHANCE
winner MASSIMILIANO CALUSIO (Italy)

AMATEUR (22)
MAIN
winner STEFANO BATTAIN (Italy)
finalist VIOREL POPA (Italy)
semifinalists ROBERO AGIRMO (Italy) / CARLO LAGANÀ (Italy)
CONSOLATION
winner FRANCESCO RUSSO (Italy)
finalist MAURIZIO MAVER (Italy)
LAST CHANCE
winner FANIKA PETKOVSKA (UK)

DOUBLE (26)
winners ANDREA STERLING (UK) / PIERGIORGIO D’ANCONA (Italy)
finalists MASSIMILIANO CALUSIO (Italy) / RICCARDO PERCACCIOLO (Italy)
semifinalists FRANCESCO GRIMALDI (Italy) / GIUSEPPE RIGON (Italy) & MICHAEL GRABARCZYK (Germany) alone

KICK – OFF (64)
winner MAURIZIO MAVER (Italy)
finalist CHIVA TAFAZZOLI (Iran)
semifinalists SERGIO FRAGIACOMO (Italy) / MALCOM ROBERTSON (UK)

UISP – NO MONEY (48)
1st board: 1° PETER CHAN (UK) – 2° STEFANO SINOPOLI (Italy)
2nd board: 1° ANDREA SANDI (Italy) – 2° RICHARD COBURN (UK)
3rd board: 1° MICHELE DANESIN (Italy) – 2° GIOVANNA LA FALCE (Italy)

LADIES TOURNAMENT (16)
winner FANIKA PETKOVSKA (UK)

ESTORIL QUALIFIER (32)
winner HAMZA NAR (Turkey)
finalist MARIO SEQUEIRA (Portugal)

SUPERJACKPOT (8)
winner HAMZA NAR (Turkey)

SWING (28)
1° CARLO MELZI (Italy) 2° MICHAEL MICHAEL (UK) 3° STEFANO SINOPOLI (Italy)

ITALIAN CIRCUIT 2008
INDIVIDUAL
winner/finalist to be played between CARLO MELZI and LORENZO RINALDO
semifinalists FLORIN POPA / GIORGIO CASTELLANO
DOUBLE
winner FLORIN POPA / LORENZO RINALDO
finalist SEBASTIANO FORTE / FRANCESCO INDOMENICO

CLASS. IN POINTS
GIORGIO CASTELLANO

CLASS. FOR CLUBS
CdBM (Milan)

LUCKY DRAW (Romagnoli Board)
STEFANO SELVI

PLAYERS

FINALS

PRIZE GIVING

2007

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The Winner of the 19th “City of Venice” International Backgammon Tournament is: Damian Plesec

The Tournament took place between November the 29th and December the 2nd at Ca’ Vendramin Calergi, the historical 1500 palace on the Grand Canal, which hosts the glamorous Casino of Venice.

Plesec, the Backgammon champion from Slovenia, won the final against the Japanese Masahito Yamamoto, who came to Venice thanks to his winning the qualifier for the City of Venice that took place in Tokio during the Japan Open 2007. It has to be said that “Dami” was about to register for the intermediate Tournament and when I asked him why, he told me “I am not strong enough!”… well, luckily he decided otherwise, and the facts proved that he was strong enough!
Dami, besides the aspired price, recieved also the free participation to the first event of the 2008 edition of the European Backgammon Tour, the prestigious circuit of the World Backgammon Association magnificently organized by Chiva Tafazzoli, which City of Venice is proud to be part of.

The Double Davis European Championship was a success for the Italian players. This kind of Tournament is set in a creative way with its “Davis formula”, like in a tennis game (two single matches, a consultation and then eventually two more single matches): the winners where the Italian couple from Rome:

Giuseppe Ricciardi – Piero Gallo

that won against the German players Uli Koch e Michael Schmidt. Both Ricciardi and Schmidt where part of the group of players who earned their participation to the Tournament by winning a qualifier on the website Play65.
Also the Georgian player Badri Tsertsvadze (recent winner of the Tournament of Enghien-les-Bains) had good results, winning the Last Chance.

Among the Italian players Carlo Melzi from Milan was one of the most successfull, by winning the Consolation as well as the play off of the National Circuit.
Also Piergiorgio D’Ancona from Venice was very successful, winning both the Japan Open 2008 qualifier and the Estoril Open qualifier, the next coming event of the EBGT 2008: have a nice trip to Japan and Portugal!
Giorgio Caldera from Venice (the winner of the 2003 edition) did a great performance as well, missing by an inch the final, after his loss in the semifinal against an inspired Plesec.

The “qualifier” competitions are most fancied by the players and are also a very good kind of collaboration between the organizers. For instance, with the Japanese Tournament Venice started a “friendship” that became also a friendship match: after the Italian winner Fabrizio Lo Surdo in Japan, here in Venice the winner was the Japanese Tatsuya Tanaka (winner of the Japan Open 2007) against Giorgio Castellano (former champion of the National Circuit).

Also the UISP encounters (Backgammon for everybody) where very appreciated, with a total of 56 players: it was great to watch champions play “no money” against beginners: this is probably the best part of this game.
The interesting new formula of the “Swing” Tournament was won by Dino Visentin from Italy.
Giovanna La Falce from Italy won at the “Ladies Tournament” (that was also free) out of 16 ladies that took part in it.

Special thanks to the Casino of Venice, to the Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Circuito Nazionale Backgammon, to the UISP (Lega sport e giochi Tradizionali) and the World Backgammon Association that always believed in this event and helped in the realization of it, recognizing its sportive nature. Special thanks also to Sofitel Italy, Renzo Romagnoli, backgammon.it and everybody who helped during the event.

See you at the 2008 20th Edition!

128 different players coming from 19 different countries officially registered at the tournament that played a total of more than 1.500 official matches.

RESULTS

CHAMPION (54)
MAIN
winner DAMIAN PLESEC (Slovenia)
finalist MASAHITO YAMAMOTO (Japan)
semifinalists GEORGY BALKANDINSKIJ (Bulgaria) / GIORGIO CALDERA (Italy)
CONSOLATION
winner CARLO MELZI (Italia)
finalist ANDREJ MARKOV (Bulgaria)
semifinalists MICHEL LAMOTE (Belgium) / KENJI SHIMODAIRA (Japan)
LAST CHANCE
winner BADRI TSERTSVADZE (Georgia)
finalist DINO VISENTIN (Italy)

INTERMEDIATE (32)
MAIN
winner NICOLA SPIRO (Italy)
finalist UDO GEIB (Germany)
semifinalists BAMBI DE BRUIN (Spain) / ALESSANDRO RIETTI (Italy)
CONSOLATION
winner PETER BARDEHLE (Germany)
finalist GARETH OWEN (UK)
LAST CHANCE
winner THOMAS LÖW (Germany)

AMATEUR (32)
MAIN
winner ANTONIO VARISCO (Italy)
finalist GIROLAMO CASTIGLIONI (Italy)
semifinalists ALBERTO ZEGNA (Italy) / MICHELE COMERCI (Italy)
CONSOLATION
winner LAURA MONACO (Italy)
finalist DELIA POPA (Italy)
LAST CHANCE
winner DARIO BERTOLA (Italy)

DOUBLE “DAVIS” EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP (21)
winners PIERO GALLO (Italy) / GIUSEPPE RICCIARDI (Italy)
finalists ULI KOCH (Germany) / MICHAEL SCHMIDT (Germany)
semifinalists WERNER SCHMUCK (Austria) / TASSILO RZYMANN (Austria)
GEORGY BALKANDJISKY(Bulgaria) / ANDREJ MARKOV (Bulgaria)

CASINO OF VENICE KICK – OFF (64)
winner SERGIO FRAGIACOMO (Italy)
finalist KAZUKO NUMAZAWA (Japan)
semifinalists NODAR GAGUA (Russia) / KENJI SHIMODAIRA (Japan)

UISP “NO MONEY” (56)
1° match: 1° CESARE NANTI (Italy)
2° match: 1° MATTEO BASTAGLI (Italy) – 2° KAZUKO NUMAZAWA (Japan)
3° match: 1° AZIZAN SHADI (Italy) – 2° VIOREL POPA (Italy)
4° match: 1° STEFANO SINOPOLI (Italy) – 2° CESARE NANTI (Italy)
Overall: 1° FANIKA PETROVSKA (UK)

LADIES TOURNAMENT (16)
winner GIOVANNA LA FALCE (Italy)
finalist DELIA POPA (Italy)

JAPAN OPEN QUALIFIER (32)
winner PIERGIORGIO D’ANCONA (Italy)

FRIENDSHIP MATCH
winner TATSUYA TANAKA (Japan)

ESTORIL QUALIFIER (64)
winner PIERGIORGIO D’ANCONA (Italy)

SUPERJACKPOT
winner NODAR GAGUA (Russia)

SWING (26)
1° DINO VISENTIN (Italy)
2° SANDRO MESCOLA (Italy)
3° STEFANO SINOPOLI (Italy)

ITALIAN NATIONAL CIRCUIT 2007
winner CARLO MELZI (Milan)
finalist FEDERICO TOLEDO (Naples)
semifinalists PIERO GALLO (Rome) / ANDREA de ZANDONATI (Venice)

class. in points FLORIN POPA (Verona)
intermediate DARIO BERTOLA (Turin)

CASINO

TROPHIES

STAFF