Online Backgammon Tournaments

Tournaments are the most structured way to play backgammon online. Instead of one-off games, you play a series of matches against different opponents under fixed rules and a fixed schedule. This page explains the common formats and settings so you know what to expect before you join one.

Tournament formats

Knockout

The classic format. Players are paired in a bracket, the winner of each match moves on and the loser is out. The field halves every round until two finalists remain. Knockouts are simple and quick to finish, but one bad match ends your event. Some knockouts add a consolation bracket so that first-round losers can keep playing.

Swiss system

Everyone plays the same number of rounds, and nobody is eliminated. After each round, players with similar scores are paired against each other, and the same two players do not meet twice. The final standings come from total wins, with tie-breaks if needed. Swiss events suit larger fields and give every entrant several matches.

Round robin

Every player meets every other player once. It is the fairest format, since luck in a single pairing matters less, but the number of matches grows quickly with the field, so round robins are usually kept to small groups. Some events use round-robin groups first and a knockout among the group winners after.

Match length

Tournament matches are played to a set number of points, such as 3, 5, 7 or more. Single wins score 1 point, gammons 2 and backgammons 3, multiplied by the value of the doubling cube. Longer matches reduce the role of luck because there are more games for skill to show. Short matches are faster but more random. Early rounds often use shorter matches and later rounds longer ones.

The cube and the Crawford rule

In match play the doubling cube is part of the score. Either player may offer to double the value of the current game; the opponent accepts and owns the cube, or declines and loses the game at its current value.

The Crawford rule applies once one player is one point away from winning the match. In the very next game, called the Crawford game, nobody may double. After that game, the cube is back in play. The rule stops the trailing player from doubling at once in every game when they have nothing to lose. Nearly all online tournaments use it. Settings such as the Jacoby rule are used outside matches and do not apply in tournament play. Full details are on the backgammon rules page.

Clocks

Online tournaments almost always use a clock to keep rounds on schedule. A common setup gives each player a short delay on every move plus a time bank for the whole match. The delay runs first; only when it is used up does your bank start to drain. If your bank runs out, you may lose the match. Before an event, check the settings and play a few casual matches with the same clock so you are used to the pace. How the clock looks on screen is described in the online game.

How to prepare