Connect & Learn from the Best in Backgammon
Your hub for reaching backgammon teachers around the world. Numerous accolades, Giants of Backgammon, and certified instructors in backgammon.
Every instructor has an unique approach to the game, find one that matches your goals and strive for excellence in your next ABT Event!
Art Benjamin
2020 ABT Backgammon Tour Winner. An accomplished mathematics professor with a keen eye for match equity, pip counting, and explaining the theory of backgammon in an approachable and logical way. He is a leading expert on pip counting tips.
Victor Ashkenazi
One of the top "Giants of Backgammon", Ashkenazi advocates for a thoughtful and analytical approach, emphasizing the development of analyzing any given position, rather than rote memorization, and trains students on how to study their matches.
Frank Frigo
Two-time Monte Carlo World Champion, Grandmaster and perennial Giant of Backgammon; a leading expert in decision science. Frigo is an ideal instructor for complex cubing decisions, match equity, and calibrating a player's game theory to be tournament-ready.
Jonah Seewald
Seewald's teaching approach involves breaking down complex positional understanding through methods like cluster counting and positional memory, helping students develop intuitive recognition of common board layouts.
Bob Wachtel
Wachtel is among the world's top players and notably the 2004 World Championship Runner-Up. He is an author of several backgammon books, such as "In the Game until the End", which are renowned for their analysis of endgame play.
Cary Hoarty
Known for a teaching approach grounded in practical, high-stakes experience. Cary's teaching method involves analyzing game situations, explaining complex positions, and drawing upon his extensive competitive insights to guide students.
Roberto Litzenberger
Roberto is an advocate for a methodical approach to improvement; emphasizing the importance of studying game theory, analyzing matches, and reducing blunders to advance to a master level. His teaching philosophy focuses on lowering volatility in play and selecting moves that lead to more familiar positions.
Steve Sax
Steve Sax is one of the top-rated backgammon players in the world. He has been near the top of the Giants list for many years and won many tournaments in the interim. Known for his world-class ability to analyze positions, Steve is a natural teacher as his understanding of backgammon enables him to explain complicated positions to all skill levels of the game. He has a long list of accomplished students and has been teaching for many years.
Antoinette-Marie Williams
Antoinette is an avid ambassador of the game, teaching at all levels in the NYC metropolitan area. She specializes in training young students and is also the founder of the Women of Backgammon community, elevating the game to all ages and genders.
Julius High
A master of welcoming newer players into backgammon, helping convey advanced theory in mini lessons. Julius is an accomplished ABT champion and current USBGF instructor for the Novice Workshop hosted at ABT events around the country. His approach is one of clear lesson plans and finding areas to focus on.
Masayuki Mochizuki
"Mochy" is currently ranked Super Grandmaster 1 and a two-time World Champion, and winner of far too many tournaments to name. A resident of Tokyo, Mochy’s Backgammon University has made great players of many young Japanese players, and through the Backgammon Learning Center is expanding his teachings around the globe.
Phil Simborg
Known for his prodigious content seminars and online lessons, Simborg is one of the most sought-after teachers in the world. His approach is to help players understand the basic theories so they will be able to apply them to any situation that comes up. Phil Simborg is co-founder of The Backgammon Learning Center and refers all student inquiries to the best teacher for the student.
Bill Robertie
Two time backgammon world champion and author of seminal backgammon titles "501 Essential Backgammon Problems" and "Backgammon for Winners". Robertie's approach to backgammon is legendary and he creates practical decision making lessons tailored to your match analysis.
Michihito Kageyama
Author of several highly acclaimed books, Michy is one of the greatest Giants of Backgammon today. He has provided untold hours of high quality backgammon content for players of all levels. He is a sought after seminar speaker
John O'Hagan
A sought-after backgammon coach and a frequent contributor to PrimeTime Backgammon. He has dedicated efforts to studying match equity and has developed several rules for take points and gammon values during match play. And he has a backgammon law named after him. O’Hagan’s Law (for the doubling cube).
Alex Eshaghian
Alex Eshaghian is a World Class backgammon player and author of multiple backgammon books, include Backgammon Backgame Strategies, the first and thus-far only comprehensive book on the topic. A two time Gammon Associates Player of the Year, he also sits on the United States Backgammon Federation Board of Directors. Alex is active on backgammon social media forums, has a backgammon YouTube channel with over 1,000 videos, runs live streams and commentates at major tournaments, helps run and promote local backgammon tournaments, and gives lessons.
Backgammon Instructors
Play Backgammon In-Person
Discover the joy of backgammon beyond the screen. Playing in person offers a unique experience—engage in face-to-face competition, connect with a vibrant community of players, and build lasting friendships at your local club or tournament. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just getting started, in-person play brings the social and strategic aspects of the game to life like nothing else.
About the USBGF
The U.S. Backgammon Federation is a not-for-profit organization devoted to advancing the awareness, participation, education, and enjoyment of the skill-based game of backgammon.
Our focus is to help spread awareness, provide education, and offer quality play experiences. We are grateful for our exceptional and colorful community who inspire us with their sense of fun, passion, and dedication.
Increase Your Skill
USBGF Expert Sessions – Decision Science & Your Path to Backgammon Excellence
An Exclusive Webinar with 2-Time World Champion Frank Frigo
Dice Distribution Spreadsheet
Utilize this specially designed spreadsheet to elevate your backgammon studies. Watch the video to learn more.
Understanding Opening Replies
A principles-based approach to mastering the 651 most common 2nd-roll positions in backgammon. Store these in your memory for easy retrieval.
Starting Off Right: Offence vs. Defense
This article is the first in a series intended to address how to play when the game is still in its formative stages.
What is backgammon?
Backgammon is a classic board game that people around the world have enjoyed for centuries.
Beginner’s Guide to Backgammon
Backgammon is the most infuriating yet fascinating of games. It will provide you with highs and lows of emotion that you will find scarcely credible. Enjoy it!
Become a Member for as little as $5/mo
When you become a U.S. Backgammon Federation (USBGF) member, you join a passionate community of people who love the game. Our mission is to grow backgammon and to provide quality education and play experiences.
Support & Contact
Resetting your password usually resolves this issue. Go to the login page, click on the Forgot Password link, and follow the prompts to reset your password.
Visit https://usbgf.org/login/ and enter your account email. You can then click the “Forgot your password” to reset your credentials.Â
The U.S. Backgammon Federation has many international members. International members are welcome to participate in online tournaments as well.Â
Click on your name in the top right corner My Membership >Â Membership > click Change Plan
Any plan change will automatically pro-rate the charges.
You can check the current status of your membership by visiting Your Profile > Your Memberships page under the profile. You must have a current membership to play in online or ABT live events.Â
Click on your name in the top right corner > Membership > Payments > Update Payment Method.
The USBGF accepts personal checks and/or money orders. Membership choices are.
- Basic – Annual (1yr) $45 + (manual activation fee $10) = $55
- Premium – Annual (1yr) $85 + (manual activation fee $10) = $95
- Premium Plus Annual (1yr) $195 + (manual activation fee $10) = $205 Â Â
Please include following contact information – mailing address, phone number, email address.
Make your payment out to the USBGF, please indicate in the memo line or note what the payment is for, and mail to the following address.
Mail your payment to:
U.S. Backgammon Federation
6589 – 135th Street West
Apple Valley, MN Â 55124
Once your check and/or money order has been received and processed, your membership will be activated manually, and information will be emailed to you on how to access your profile account.
Most plans are set to auto-renew each month or year. If you decide you no longer want to be a member, simply cancel your membership from the profile area. Click on your name in the top right corner My Profile > Membership > Subscriptions > Cancel my Subscription.
First, you need to have at least a basic monthly membership. Once you have done so, you should also have an account on either Backgammon Studio Heroes or Backgammon Galaxy to play your match. Read our Playing in your first tournament post for detailed walkthrough.
If you change computers and need to transfer your XG registration to a new computer, or lost your Activation Code, please go to eXtremeGammon’s Help and Support page:
http://www.extremegammon.com/support.aspx
The XG Help page provides the answers to these questions and many more.
Tournament registrations are done on the websites built by tournament directors. You can find links and dates to each tournament website on the Event Calendar
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