After a 9-month break due to COVID-19, we’re ready to resume official tournaments on December 13 (noon start). Due to health conditions in Ohio we’ll hold the first few tournaments online at Backgammon Studio Heroes, but I hope to begin live play in a few months.
In addition, for those interested I’ll also host a practice tournament on Sunday, December 6 (noon start), free entry (optional side pools available). Since this is short notice, we’ll likely just have a small group, but it will allow me to test the format, bracket software, etc. Note that unlike the practice tournaments I hosted in August and September (single-elimination), this practice tournament will be using our normal tournament format (Main and Consolation brackets). I’ll also host a Zoom meeting at 11:30 am for those interested to discuss format and suggested Backgammon Studio Heroes configuration settings. I’ll post more information about this meeting later. You’ll need to download the Zoom software (for Windows machines most users download Zoom Client for Meetings) to join the meeting (you don’t need to register with Zoom to join the meeting).
To register a new Backgammon Studio Heroes account click “Login” and “Register new user.” Fill out the form. For the “inviter” field you can enter “nobody” (it will still be accepted). Your account will be created manually (typically within 12 hours).
On the day of the tournament enter the “Columbus Backgammon Club” external tournament room to find our group. You can open a chat with me to discuss entry fee and side pool information. Once I know how many players are in the field I’ll create a double-elimination tournament using the bracket software on challonge.com. I’ll post a link to the bracket as a prominent post (the top post) on the Columbus Backgammon Club website for players to refer to throughout the day. If you register at challonge.com you’re welcome to report your own match results during the tournament as soon as you finish each match. Otherwise I’ll report the match result (which will automatically update the bracket) a few minutes after your match completes (as the host of the external tournament room I get an update after each match completes).
Note that the external tournament room should force all relevant settings (match type, clock settings, etc.) except match length. Players should check the match length before inviting their opponent and before accepting an invitation. I’ll post the match length on the bracket (Main bracket: 7-point matches except for a 9-point final; Consolation bracket: 5-point matches except for a 7-point final).
Backgammon Studio Heroes provides integrated audio and video functions for those interested in using them for social reasons. If interested and if you have a webcam on your computer, while playing a match click on the small movie camera icon just below the lower-right corner of the board. Accept the request (give permission) to connect to your computer’s microphone and camera. The default settings are fine (Large screen and “Player only” room). The video window will appear to the right of your board. I personally plan on connecting to audio and video in each of my matches with any opponent who wants to try this function. For those interested, the server uses Jitsi (open source software) for its integrated audio and video. Users don’t have to download any software (it’s all integrated within the Backgammon Studio Heroes website).
To make up for lost tournaments from earlier in the year, I plan on holding one tournament in December (December 13) and two tournaments per month in January, February, March, and April. For January-April we’ll typically have tournaments on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month avoiding major holidays such as Valentine’s Day (which falls on a 2nd Sunday in 2021). The tentative dates are: January 10, January 24, February 7, February 28, March 14, March 28, April 11, and April 25. These tournaments will all count toward the 2020 annual standings. The “2020” year will likely end on April 25, 2021.
Eligibility: for online tournaments, typically players should meet at least one of the following requirements:
(1) live within a reasonable driving distance of Columbus, Ohio (approximately 3 hours)
(2) have played in a live Columbus tournament in the recent past
(3) plan on playing in a live Columbus tournament in the near-future (for example, players who will be moving to the area soon)
If you’re not sure if you qualify, send me an email.
Entry fees and optional side pools: Same as our live tournaments. Club “regulars” can keep a tab with me and settle with me when we resume live play. Otherwise send payments via PayPal to chris@columbusbg.org (select “friends and family” to avoid charges). If you’re a new player or a non-regular player I suggest sending me an email for more information.