Candace Mayeron, tournament producer and promoter, is recognized for her innovative leadership in bringing show-business glamour and excitement to backgammon events with Oscar-like awards, banners and backdrops, red carpets, and raffles. 

As the USBGF historian, Robert Stoller does the critical work of meticulously cataloging backgammon’s rich history. He helps bring to life notable people, events, and contributors to the development of the game.

The USBGF is honoring Phil Simborg with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution as a backgammon educator. Along with Perry Gartner, he established the Backgammon Learning Center which has 25 prominent faculty from countries around the world.

Falafel is one of backgammon’s most beloved and respected players. He has an engaging personality, and his dominating table presence has helped him reap tremendous results. He is a perennial Giant of Backgammon, having been elected to the top-ten list seven straight times, including one #1 and one #2 finish.

Xavier is honored for his development of the eXtreme Gammon (XG) software, which has transformed backgammon. XG quickly established itself as the premier tool for players worldwide to analyze, study, and improve their games.

Patti Rubin is known by all today as the organizer of the Backgammon World Championships in Monte Carlo. She works tirelessly to preserve an institution while innovating and adapting it to the modern technology of the game and to the ever-evolving contemporary tournament environments.