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Backgammon NewsJuly 28, 20082008 WSOB Final in Cannes – ResultsThe 2007-8 World Series of Backgammon final in Cannes was held on July 21, 2008, a week after the Monte Carlo World Backgammon Championship. Only on its second season, the WSOB proved to be a larger, more organized backgammon tournament than the World Backgammon Championship held in Monte Carlo a week before. The title and 1st prize (€100,000) were taken by an unknown French player named Frederick Andrieu, who had arrived to the tourney after winning a live super-satellite. His runner-up, Bob Koca earned €60,000 in cash.16 players played at the 2008 WSOB final including the top 8 players in the World Backgammon Rating (including WSOB, WBA and US Open backgammon tournaments), winners of the WSOB 3 stops (UK Masters, Nordic Open and Riviera Cup, held at the same place before the final event), and winners of live and online super satellites organized by the backgammon websites Play65 and True Money Games and Zakynthos Festival of Backgammon and Poker. 2008 WSOB Quarter FinalsAfter the first round of the WSOB Championship, only 8 players remained with the 2008 World Backgammon Champion, Lars Trabolt of Denmark, Karsten Bredhal, also of Denmark who is currently ranked number 1 at the World Backgammon Rating and Matvey "Falafel" Natanzon, 2007 Giant of Backgammon and the winner of the WBA Portuguese Open among them. Andy Plater, the only Play65 qualifier who had advanced to the quarter finals was eliminated at this stage after losing 3-0 to Frederick Andrieu; Lars Trablot defeated Rida Hassan 3-0 and Bob Koca bested Jacob Simonsen. The most intriguing match in the quarter final was the one taken between Karsten Bredahl and Falafel, which ended up in the 3-1 outcome with Falafel on the upper hand. 2008 WSOB Semi FinalsOnly four were left: Andrieu, Trabolt, Falafel and Koca. With the guaranteed €60,000 prize hanging above their heads the Andrieu & Trabolt pair played amazingly; From his superior position as the new World Backgammon Championship, Trabolt allowed himself to play a little bit with his relatively inexperienced opponent by cubing without having a point in board, but soon came to his senses… This suspenseful match came to its end at 3-0 to you know who and left the World Champion out of the final. The Falafel vs. Koca battle was shorter: it took a single game, full of cube action for the American Bob Koca to get over Israeli Falafel 4-0 and climb up to the WSOB Championship final.
WSOB Riviera Cup in Cannes |
