Welcome to the New England Backgammon Club (NEBC) home page! The NEBC is a club for playing backgammon, and encourages players of all abilities to come and check us out. Tournaments are scheduled monthly, on a Saturday or Sunday, and the side action is furious. Newcomers to backgammon, or tournament play are especially welcome, and are always given a cornucopia of help when playing at the club.

We meet at the Dockside Restaurant in Malden, MA, located at 229 Centre Street (Route 60).

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News:

Note that the monthly tournaments are now at 12 noon, not 1 PM. This is our new standard starting time. (Please arrive at least 15 minutes earlier so the tournament director can include you in the draw without delaying the tournament.) We're also giving out free food with tournament entry.

2008-2009 Playoffs:
The top 7 in the points race qualified for the playoffs, with the points race winner, Alex Zamanian, earning a bye. The other first round match-ups:
Erick Wicklund defeated Greg Jukins
Dan Chicoine defeated Tom O'Riordan
Herb Gurland defeated Dave Metz

Semifinals:
Alex Zamanian defeats Herb Gurland
Dan Chicoine defeats Erick Wicklund

Final:
Finalist: Dan Chicoine
Champion: Alex Zamanian

Congratulations to all.

June:
Herb Gurland defeated Tom O'Riordan. Our June tournaments are smaller than the other monthly tournaments, and take place at the same time as some playoff matches.

May (bonus tournament):
Greg Jukins and Tom O'Riordan continued great performances this season by meeting in the finals. Jukins won, and secured 2nd place in the points race. O'Riordan took 3rd in the points race. Semifinalists were Jacob Mashak and John Racoosin. In the consolation, Ed Ahola defeated Dan Chicoine.

April:
New York invasion! Antoinette Williams defeated Julius High. Semifinalists were Herb Gurland and Eric Wicklund. In the consolation, Tom O'Riordan defeated Roger Rondeau.

March:
Alex "this game is all luck" Zamanian won his third tournament this season, defeating Eric Wicklund. Semifinalists were Greg Jukins and Tom O'Riordan. In the consolation, Herb Gurland defeated John Smidt.

February:
Alex Zamanian won a second time, defeating Mark Houser in the final. Semifinalists were Erick Wicklund and Tom O'Riordan. In the consolation, Gil Evans defeated Walter Trice.

January:
Greg Jukins defeated Herb Gurland. Semifinalists were Walter Trice and Eric Wicklund. In the consolation, Alex Zamanian defeated Tom O'Riordan.

December:
Doug and Wanda Roberts surprised Walter Trice with a backgammon-themed birthday cake. Happy 60th, Walter! The cake was decorated with a backgammon problem, with Red to play 5-3.



7/2 8/5 is much better than more standard plays.

Doug Roberts also won the tournament, defeating Greg Jukins in the final. The semifinalists were Dave Metz and Eric Wicklund. In the consolation, Herb Gurland defeated Mark Chicoine.

November (bonus tournament):
Alex Zamanian faced Dave Metz in the finals for the second month in a row, but this time the former club president prevailed, and took the lead in the points race. The semifinalists were George Saba and Tom O'Riordan. In the consolation, Dan Chicoine defeated Phyllis Seidel.

October:
Dave Metz defeated Alex Zamanian. Semifinalists were Dan Chicoine and Greg Jukins. In the consolation, Herb Gurland defeated Walter Trice.

September:
In the first tournament of the 2008-2009 season, a new player, Jacob Mashak won! He defeated Dan Chicoine in the finals. Alex Zamanian and Greg Jukins were semifinalists. Dave Metz defeated Tom O'Riordan in the consolation final.

2008-2009 Points Race, completed

1	Alex Zamanian	490
2	Greg Jukins	409
3	Tom O'Riordan	209
4	Dave Metz	276
5	Herb Gurland	256
6	Dan Chicoine	212
7	Eric Wicklund	211
	Jacob Mashak	159
	Walter Trice	146
	Gil Evans	103
	Phyllis Seidel	94
	Doug Roberts	92
	Antoinette Williams	92
	Ed Ahola	88
	Roger Rondeau	76
	John Smidt	71
	George Saba	65
	Mark Houser	61
	Philip Hodson	54
	Julius High	43
	Mark Chicoine	40
	Eric Sulkala	39
	Jerry Padova	38
	Gerhard Roland	27
	Jim McKenna	25
	Al Cantito	20
	Tom Meyer	18
	Jamie Evans	18
	Anne Bidner	11
	Jeff Holt	11
	Dave Boulay	9
	Dave Karjala	9
	John Racoosin	9
	Howard Coffman	2
	Jim Gebhardt	2
	Nate Jackson	2
	Aaron Levesque	2
	Howard Peele	2
	Wanda Roberts	2
	Paul Sciaraffa	2
	Marty Storer	2

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