2023 Sydney Open

 On Saturday May 20th Sydney Backgammoners hosted the 2023 Sydney Open Backgammon Tournament at the North Ryde RSL.

We had 37 entrants with 8 entering the optional Side Pool.

The event was hugely successful both in format and in its organisation. The tournament consisted of four Swiss-style rounds to 9 points followed by a decider round for the top two scorers, Ben Phillips and Steve Clarry. Ben was crowned 2023 Sydney Backgammon Champion and seems to be making a habit of it, being last year's winner also.

3rd place went to Ian Dunstan and 4th place to Robby Solomon.

Ben Phillips, winner of the 2023 Sydney Open Backgammon Tournament
being presented the trophy, a crystal doubling cube.

Runner-up, Steve Clarry receives his prize from Tournament Director Gary Stavrou

3rd and 4th places went to Ian Dunstan (L) and Robby Solomon

The decider round between Ben Phillips and Steve Clarry

Gary Stavrou with Ian Dunstan who has returned to the backgammon scene after a long absence

We saw the return of Martin Sagradian, an excellent player encouraged by wife Olga.

Jan Spillekom rarely misses our major tournaments

Andrejs Liepins joined us from Melbourne

FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE 2023 SYDNEY OPEN BACKGAMMON TOURNAMENT

	ROUND 1 TO 9 POINTS				TOT		ROUND 2 TO 9 POINTS				TOT		ROUND 3 TO 9 POINTS				TOT		ROUND 4 TO 9 POINTS				TOT		DECIDER TO 9 POINTS			FINAL	TOT
No	SC	ROUND 1 PAIRINGS	PTS	R1 RANKING	PTS		SC	ROUND 2 PAIRINGS	PTS	R2 RANKING	PTS		SC	ROUND 3 PAIRINGS	PTS	R3 RANKING	PTS		SC	ROUND 4 PAIRINGS	PTS	R4 RANKING	PTS		SC	DECIDER PAIRINGS	PTS	R5 RANKING	PTS
1	7	Terry Christodoulou	-2	Mohammad Nejati	109		9	Mohammad Nejati	102	Dilhun Akpinar	213		9	Dilhun Akpinar	107	Dilhun Akpinar	320		0	Dilhun Akpinar	-9	Ben Phillips+	428		9	Ben Phillips+	107	Ben Phillips+	535
2	9	Robby Solomon	102	Andrejs Liepins	109		7	Mahnaz Rostami	-2	Amir Sohrabi	212		2	Jenny Saunders	-7	Amir Sohrabi	319		9	Ben Phillips+	109	Steve Clarry	418		2	Steve Clarry	-7	Steve Clarry	411
3	0	Andrew Scarf	-9	Mahnaz Rostami	109		9	Andrejs Liepins	102	Jenny Saunders	212		9	Amir Sohrabi	107	Ben Phillips+	319		3	Amir Sohrabi	-6	Ian Dunstan+	318
4	9	Mohammad Nejati	109	Ian Dunstan+	108		7	Vazgen Panosian	-2	Mohammad Nejati	211		2	Andrejs Liepins	-7	Steve Clarry	312		9	Steve Clarry	106	Robby Solomon	315
5	5	Habib Shalala+	-4	Vazgen Panosian	108		4	Ian Dunstan+	-5	Andrejs Liepins	211		1	Mohammad Nejati	-8	Adam Makda	309		3	Adam Makda	-6	Amir Sohrabi	313
6	9	Steve Clarry	104	Jeremy Whitelaw	107		9	Amir Sohrabi	105	Ben Phillips+	211		9	Ben Phillips+	108	Ian Dunstan+	212		9	Ian Dunstan+	106	Terry Christodoulou	313
7	6	Amir Tehrani	-3	Amir Sohrabi	107		4	Jeremy Whitelaw	-5	Robby Solomon	210		5	Robby Solomon	-4	Robby Solomon	206		9	Robby Solomon	109	Sean Ghodsi	312
8	9	Adam Makda	103	Jenny Saunders	107		9	Jenny Saunders	105	Steve Clarry	208		9	Steve Clarry	104	Jeremy Whitelaw	206		0	Jeremy Whitelaw	-9	Dilhun Akpinar	311
9	5	Peter Voulgaris	-4	Ben Phillips+	105		9	Ben Phillips+	106	Adam Makda	207		9	Adam Makda	102	Jenny Saunders	205		1	Jenny Saunders	-8	Mohammad Nejati	311
10	9	Jim Bean+	104	Darren O'shaughnessy+	105		3	Jan Spillekom	-6	Mahnaz Rostami	107		7	Mahnaz Rostami	-2	Terry Christodoulou	205		9	Terry Christodoulou	108	Martin Sagradian+	306
11	9	Ian Dunstan+	108	Jan Spillekom	105		0	Darren O'shaughnessy+	-9	Vazgen Panosian	106		0	Vazgen Panosian	-9	Andrejs Liepins	204		1	Andrejs Liepins	-8	Adam Makda	303
12	1	Sean Ghodsi	-8	Steve Clarry	104		9	Dilhun Akpinar	109	Ian Dunstan+	103		9	Ian Dunstan+	109	Sean Ghodsi	204		9	Sean Ghodsi	108	David Reitzin	301
13	9	Matt Bridges	102	Jim Bean+	104		9	Steve Clarry	104	Terry Christodoulou	103		9	Terry Christodoulou	102	Mohammad Nejati	203		9	Mohammad Nejati	108	Jeremy Whitelaw	197
14	7	Gary Stavrou	-2	Dilhun Akpinar	104		5	Jim Bean+	-4	Habib Shalala+	103		7	Habib Shalala+	-2	Pat Halpin	203		1	Pat Halpin	-8	Jenny Saunders	197					`
15	9	Vazgen Panosian	108	Adam Makda	103		9	Adam Makda	104	Jeremy Whitelaw	102		9	Jeremy Whitelaw	104	Martin Sagradian+	202		9	Martin Sagradian+	104	Hammon Mans+	197
16	1	Daniel Costa	-8	Robby Solomon	102		5	Hammon Mans+	-4	Pat Halpin	102		5	Andrew Mowbray	-4	Hammon Mans+	201		5	Hammon Mans+	-4	Andrejs Liepins	196
17	7	Yalli Pleshet	-2	Matt Bridges	102		9	Robby Solomon	108	Andrew Mowbray	102		9	Pat Halpin	101	David Reitzin	199		9	David Reitzin	102	Pat Halpin	195
18	9	Hammon Mans+	102	Hammon Mans+	102		1	Matt Bridges	-8	Jim Bean+	100		8	Jim Bean+	-1	Matt Bridges	194		7	Matt Bridges	-2	Matt Bridges	192
19	9	Andrejs Liepins	109	Pat Halpin	0		9	Pat Halpin	102	Jan Spillekom	99		6	Jan Spillekom	-3	Mahnaz Rostami	105
20	0	Greg Ash	-9	Terry Christodoulou	-2		7	Gary Stavrou	-2	Hammon Mans+	98		9	Hammon Mans+	103	Habib Shalala+	101
21	2	David Reitzin	-7	Gary Stavrou	-2		9	Terry Christodoulou	105	Zvi Ben David+	98		2	Zvi Ben David+	-7	Jim Bean+	99
22	9	Jeremy Whitelaw	107	Yalli Pleshet	-2		4	Yalli Pleshet	-5	Mackenzie Little	97		9	Sean Ghodsi	107	Andrew Mowbray	98
23	9	Ben Phillips+	105	Amir Tehrani	-3		8	Amir Tehrani	-1	Sean Ghodsi	97		6	Mackenzie Little	-3	Vazgen Panosian	97
24	4	Zvi Ben David+	-5	Habib Shalala+	-4		9	Mackenzie Little	101	Darren O'shaughnessy+	96		9	David Reitzin	103	Jan Spillekom	96
25	9	Amir Sohrabi	107	Peter Voulgaris	-4		9	Habib Shalala+	107	David Reitzin	96		1	Darren O'shaughnessy+	-8	Mackenzie Little	94
26	2	Georgr Avramides	-7	Mackenzie Little	-4		2	Peter Voulgaris	-7	Matt Bridges	94		9	Martin Sagradian+	108	Zvi Ben David+	91
27	9	Jenny Saunders	107	Zvi Ben David+	-5		9	Zvi Ben David+	103	Martin Sagradian+	94		bye	Matt Bridges	100	Darren O'shaughnessy+	88
28	2	Rafael Chattah	-7	Pejman Golshshi	-5		6	Pejman Golshshi	-3	Andrew Scarf	91
29	4	Pejman Golshshi	-5	Andrew Mowbray	-5		9	Andrew Mowbray	107	Gary Stavrou	-4
30	9	Darren O'shaughnessy+	105	David Reitzin	-7		2	Rafael Chattah	-7	Amir Tehrani	-4
31	9	Mahnaz Rostami	109	Georgr Avramides	-7		9	David Reitzin	103	Yalli Pleshet	-7
32	0	Martin Sagradian+	-9	Rafael Chattah	-7		6	Georgr Avramides	-3	Pejman Golshshi	-8
33	4	Andrew Mowbray	-5	Sean Ghodsi	-8		5	Sean Ghodsi	105	Georgr Avramides	-10
34	9	Jan Spillekom	105	Daniel Costa	-8		0	Daniel Costa	-5	Peter Voulgaris	-11
35	9	Dilhun Akpinar	104	Andrew Scarf	-9		6	Greg Ash	-3	Greg Ash	-12
36	5	Mackenzie Little	-4	Greg Ash	-9		9	Martin Sagradian+	103	Daniel Costa	-13
37		Pat Halpin	0	Martin Sagradian+	-9		bye	Andrew Scarf	100	Rafael Chattah	-14