The competition - Half time!

Yes - 3 pictures found their way to this blog - taking part in the extreme backgammon competition. But there are still almost 4 weeks left! Check out the submitted photos and keep some new ones coming…

Backgammon, Wellness and re-birth…

Scenario: unspoiled nature
Predominant element: water
Mission: wellness

These words describe the Spa center of Pré-Saint-Didier, a wonderful treasure that is now sparkling again in the heart of the Valle d’Aosta, a timeless location that gives a new meaning to the concept of Spa center, wellness and re-birth.

This passage is scraped from the official site of Terme di Pré-Saint-Didier - close to Courmayeur. Nothing much to add there as you can see:

Juan and Vincenzo had of course other things in mind:

• Scenario: the winner gets the free spot next to beautiful lady in typical Prés-Saint-Didier gear…
• Predominant element: testosterone
• Mission: extreme backgammon

Over the edge!

Jennifer sent us a photo to enter the extreme backgammon competition. There must be some extreme backgammon fans out there in climbing the Mont Blanc and chilling around Courmayeur…

Your are wondering where the opponent is?

For my extreme backgammon debut, I decided to up the Mont Blanche in Courmayeur to ski (not sit in a bar, some one needs to explain extreme sport to Mattia and Roberto : ). Having had several nights enjoying ’socialising’ in the town, my opponent beat me without effort. As any self respecting Nordie would do, I was forced to push my opponent over the edge, hence why she ’s not in the photo …it was however when the rock you can see in the photo proceeded to outwit me that I decided it was time to throw myself off… extra points for being first female on the blog??

Extreme points for being the first female on the blog!

Touching the void!

Some Mountaineers may touch the void once in a while, but the point where their will to survive slowly turns into and endless agony is just the beginning for extreme backgammon heros Roberto and Mattia. Climbing Mountains to push limits is worth telling, but the real boundaries are crushed elsewhere. Our backgammon heros Roberto and Mattia made it to Point Helbronner to move extreme backgammon to a new level. A nice icy breeze and temperatures around -20 degrees @ 3462m might sound scary to you but real backgammon players manage situations like that blindfold. OK - their equipment was excellent - we have to say that…

We love backgammon because it’s a real game. A new situation after every roll. This nice game characteristic gives Roberto the chance to enjoy the stunning views while Mattia is about to analyze his roll to hopefully continue building his prime. That’s extreme backgammon style and probably beyond anything you would dare to invent!?

This is the first submission to enter the extreme backgammon competition - well done guys!

eXtreme backgammon - the competition!

You were right! All the rumors are true! The fabulous eXtreme backgammon crew and our friends from www.backgammon.org are proud to present the very first eXtreme backgammon competition in the history of mankind! Another milestone for the backgammon community! And YOU can join in and and become a member of the elitist xbg shrine! Just send us your eXtreme backgammon picture or video!!!
OK, the glory and fame to call yourself an eXtreme backgammon superhero is already worth any possible effort, but famous GammonEmpire tops it and offers some extreme prizes! The 3 most influential extreme backgammon players will win a real money account at GammonEmpire!

• 1st prize: 100$
• 2nd prize: 50$
• 3rd prize: 25$

The fame and the cool fact to have some cash up one’s sleeve altogether! Oh yeah…

Rules are easy: Just send your extreme backgammon picture/video + some details to competition@extreme-backgammon.net or use the form! Deadline is the 28.02.2007! Six weeks time to enter extreme backgammon’s hall of fame! The extreme backgammon crew will pick the 5 most extreme submissions for a shootout and you will be able to vote for the winner! Submitted stuff will be posted immediately!

Thanks again to GammonEmpire for the extreme support! To get a feeling of how it’s like to play at GammonEmpire just download the client and start to play for fun or money! And think about the 100$ account

eXtreme backgammon forever and thanks for participation!
the eXtreme backgammon crew

The “All India extreme backgammon trophy” resounds throughout the land!

There we go with a small update on the Indian xbg trophy! But it’s not a tournament update this time. Today we will have a look behind the scene of the trophy. The extreme backgammon team covering the event is experiencing pure rapture flooding India! In other words: the backgammon trophy just kicks ass! The team decided last week to visit Chennai - checking out the backgammon vibes in Tamil Nadu’s capital!

To make a long story short - everybody is extremely excited about the trophy! People discussing chances of oolong and pejot and are guessing who the mysterious and unrevealed grandmasters joining next round of the tournament might be. But daily life has to go on you might think. It does! It’s just a bit twisted at the moment…

A given fact Swiss traveler Haensu has to deal with. He probably just thought about a short stop at Chennai Park Station on his way to Sri Lanka - but thats far out! Buying vegetables comes with heavy bargaining anyways but now you even have to play a match first before proving your bargaining skills. It might also even be a better idea to sort some “accidental” blunders in or leaving the fruit dealer some shots… I cannot tell you who won this match but the extreme backgammon crew reported that everybody was happy in the end!

BREAKING NEWS: Insights from the “All India xbg trophy”!

I am very proud to announce an outstanding update on the currently running “All India extreme backgammon trophy”! We can give you exclusive footage not only from the first round of the tournament! Even more exciting is the secret footage the xbg-crew managed to organize with truly extreme effort and passion!

The first round of this world class tournament took place in legendary and intangible Hampi/Karnataka - what a perfectly chosen spot! oolong and pejot took all the stresses and strains of the intense train camp in Mamallapuram to be in good shape - having in mind that they have to travel to Hampi and dive into the depths of the mystical extreme backgammon world!

Ok - ok I do not want to keep you on tenterhooks any longer! oolong had to play the first match versus Hampi’s finest and famous magician!

The match took place at an holy spot close to the Hampi river. oolong was a bit nervous at the beginning of the match. You may wonder why! Let me tell you: the magician was in perfect company! Not only his apprentice was with him - there was also this scorpion the magician was showing around before the match! Another thing why oolong lost touch in the early stages of the game was the fact that the magician refused to roll the dices with his hands! Not a huge problem for him - he managed to roll without! Probably a tiny exercise for him… The fact that oolong made it at the end in a unforgettable and thrilling 5-point match shows us that extreme backgammon experience is no hocus-pocus!

Talent and experience is one thing - the other part consists simply of hard work and training! Entering a competition like the “All India xbg trophy” requires not only backgammon skills - there is also the mental balance you have to take care of. oolong and pejot did an outstanding job! And we can give you now exclusive insights on how they prepared for the first round:

It was very wise to choose a sunset point like this one with a perfect view on the Virupaksha temple. You can focus on your gameplay and simultaneously soak up the magic and energy filled up air.

Pictures say more than a thousands words! True - but what we also have to mention is that the atmosphere towards the end of the train was almost boiling over - pejot came up with some unconventional moves - he offered just too many return shots and almost went crazy on the way back to the village - maybe he could not bear the tension any longer - his opening match was not scheduled yet… We show you now a small piece of unedited footage which shows a perfectly understandable reaction caused by the enormous pressure an extreme backgammon player has to deal with before the start of such an important tournament:

I will not provide a translation - but he is not amused

The mental balance and the happiness came back right when oolong made it to the last sixteen! What a relief after this first step versus the magician - not only for oolong! pejot realized that there is a lot to achieve for both of them in this tournament! He should not worry too much or fall in doubt about his backgammon skills - problems with some plays are sometimes hard to spot!

oolong was in perfect mood after his exceptional performance and was so nice to share some of his precious extreme backgammon knowledge with a spectator coming all the way from Hospet:

Report on pejot’s opening game and oolongs last sixteen match of the “All India eXtreme backgammon trophy” soon! Stay tuned!

eXtreme backgammon search engine!

Yes! - a fresh and extremely exciting addition to our extreme backgammon world! The eXtreme backgammon search engine! Search all the best backgammon sites on the net! Handpicked! No spammy results! Just pure backgammon information! There are currently ~300 sites added and I have a lot more to come! Check it out! Bang!

India xbg trophy - the train has begun!

Impressive!oolong and pejot are warming up for the All India eXtreme Backgammon Trophy at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu, India. It’s apparently gonna be a heavy competition!

Well guys, playing 5 point matches holding such a huge stone is truly heroically! Maximum respect! Our backgammon hero oolong also wants to drop a note to our famous leaning tower guys:

Just for the Pisa players: This is no fake… !

As luck would have it, leaning tower expert Hessam is also currently in India! I have to introduce these guys to initiate the extreme backgammon holding titans competition! Let me see - the Charminar Express from Hyderabad to Madras might be the right train….

extreme backgammon! To the bridge!

To be free from giddiness is definitely a must for a real extreme backgammon player! Especially if you want to enjoy a nice spot and play a nice backgammon match at the same time. This picture shows the rope bridge built to access Carrick-a-Rede island in county Antrim/North Ireland. Originally built to assist slamon fishery, the swinging rope bridge is now a perfect place for real extreme backgammon hardcore! As usual - click on the picture to see the high resolution image - we are not faking here!!!