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.

As co-founder of The Backgammon Learning Center (BLC), Perry Gartner has formed a top-flight cadre of teachers including many of the top players in the world. The group has helped hundreds of players raise their skill level and offered affordable lessons to beginners.

Norm Wiggins is one of backgammon’s most distinguished figures. He was touted at his 80th birthday party in 2010 for his courteous, gentlemanly demeanor that has made him so beloved by family, friends, and fellow backgammon players. His book Boards, Blots, and Double Shots is a recommended must reading for all aspiring players.

Louise Goldsmith was one of the great club directors of her era, overseeing play at the Mayfair Club in New York City in the heyday of backgammon in the 1970s, and directing her own Madison Avenue club, the Coterie, in the 1980s and 1990s. She helped organize the World Amateur Championships and other glamorous backgammon events in the Caribbean and Las Vegas.