We are all here at SimplyBG.com to enjoy the game and company in good clean backgammon fun.

There are many publicly offered tournaments and they are a great to participate in.  

These tournaments will continue to be a core part of the SimplyBG site.  We want everyone to enjoy them.

The Tournament Participant Tickets are a good way to help keep the site operable by helping cover some of the costs associated with any online website.

We are committed to staying free of embedded ads at the site as these degrade the experience and take away from the game.

The last thing we want the tickets system to do it keep anyone from participating. Although the tickets are low priced, the burden of the extra cost may be a deterrent for some to join. 

Anyone who is unable to cover the costs for the Tournament Participant Tickets, please contact me using the contact form for support via a private sponsor. 

Thank you. Frank

The meetup tool works great for arranging meeting times with your opponents for playing through your unfinished matches.

If you've used this tool once, you know how easy it is to work out times to meet up with opponents in all time zones.

The tool already offers ways to add agreed meetup times to your Google calendar or any online calendar that supports the standard file format extension .ics (Universal Calendar ).

As an added value to your playing online backgammon with opponents across the globe, add this browser extension  to your Chrome , Brave , or Microsoft Edge  browser. It works great to set an alert as a reminder of your agreed meetup time.

To add the "Best Reminder App" as an extension to your browser, use this link: https://bestreminderapp.com/

To adjust the display of the on-screen PIP count on the playboard, use the "Wrench" icon in the lower-left corner of the playboard to open the "Quick Board Settings" dialog. Then cycle the PIP-count display modes using the button labeled "Pip display mode:"

Each time you click the button, the pip display will change.  Multiple settings include turning off the pip count or setting the color and font size to your preference.

Click Image for Full View.

An effective way to connect with new opponents is using the "Ready to Play" tool shown on the Openplay parlour .

The basic way to use this tool is to click the "Ready to Play" button to open and show your match invites. Then select up to 3 of your match invites to offer on the screen. Then click "Ready to Play" button again to display your offers.

Now when someone clicks your offer on the screen, an invite to play is activated for you to accept or decline.

The tool allows you to set a timeframe to show your offers, the default is 15 minutes.

Note the "Manage this list" button on the tool which takes you to your invites dashboard to set up offers and choose which to include in your list.

Additionally, you can click on the actively displayed offers of others to send them invites. If you click on your offer as it's displayed on the screen, you'll be prompted with an option to show your offer in the "Message Board" too.  That offer is also clickable by others to initiate the invite for a new match.   Your offer will remain on the "Message Board" for a few hours even if you leave the site. When a potential opponent clicks it will receive a notice in your email.

The features of the "Ready to Play" tool offer the most robust way to connect with opponents.

Click Image for Full View.

Many beginner players ask what are the best opening moves in backgammon.

Here is an age old simple list of opening rolls and moves .  Thanks for playing at SimplyBG.com

I am happy to announce that the new private parlor is a go!

I will be working to roll this out in early August.

Many have expressed interest in this parlor, involving multiple tournaments, chat boards, fun trophies, and whatnot.

Many of you have also expressed interest in pitching in on the annual cost of running this parlor. There will be a Venmo thingie coming to give you this opportunity.
I would remind you that this is honestly optional and there are no expectations on any of you. Donors and non-donors alike will be welcome to participate in this community.

So keep your eyes open. This is going to be fun! I hope to get some replies from y'all.

Thanks, BigMur

Click Image for Full View.

We apologize for the sudden changes in the management of the Raptor League.

For those participating in this well-organized backgammon tournament league known as the Raptor League, the sudden resignation of the league hosts has caused this tournament to be put on temporary hold.

We are eager to restore this league as soon as possible.

This league of backgammon tournaments is easily managed via an additional set of customized tools for posting and reporting league standings, which are nothing more than essentially a small collection of images displayed in the parlour where this league is hosted at the site.  The simple-to-use tools created for all Tournament Directors are also used in managing this league.

Essentially this league is operated on an annual basis with monthly tournaments. Within the league are three divisions of 12 players who play a single round-robin tournament in the month.  The league has several divisions, in which members gain access to higher levels of competition, or drop to lower levels  .
It is similar, if not the same, as the system of promotion and relegation used in European soccer leagues and cup competitions .

Refer to these local posts for additional useful details on the Raptor League at SimplyBG:
Introduction of the League
League Handbook

We are open to anyone available and interested in helping host this league. Please contact Frank @ simplybg@feweb.net

Thank you.

7 1/2 years ago I was diagnosed with a chronic brain disease with a very long name. I suffered a brain hemorrhage that left me in a very bad way for over 13 months.

After undergoing 2 brain surgeries I was given another chance at life. While stuck in my lift chair recovering and gaining back my strength, I began playing games online.

I played some golf games, word games, and Mahjong. I stumbled on a Backgammon site or two and played some.

I had only played a few times when I was in college but didn't understand it. It was fun, but not my favorite of all the online games.

I played on a few sites before I stumbled on SimplyBG.com .

Very quickly I was drawn in by the banter going on in some of the matches.

Some just said gl and gm when it was over, but others engaged me in fun conversations.

I think the 1st conversation I remember was with member "Maclaren" from Canada.

I mentioned that I liked to golf. He told me that his best memory on a golf course was when he shot a buck on a fairway, hilarious!

I was fascinated by the back games between Paul C. and Thomas Z that I would watch live from the site.

Their dialogue with each other cracked me up. My ELO slipped 13 or something before I started getting the hang of it (thanks to my new friends Raymond and LDC).

In no time at all I was hooked! This site was awesome! It was a gaming site, but more than that, a community of a vast variety of souls who shared a love for backgammon.

I believe the owners, Frank, and right-hand man Hank, have done an amazing job creating an extremely unique environment to play an exciting game.

In my opinion, the community aspect they have created sets this site apart, along with the many tournaments that the community can participate in.

As in all communities, there are disagreements and misunderstandings.

I had a long chat with Frank a couple of hours ago and he explained some changes on the site that were being implemented which concerned me and other tournament directors, regarding some of the social aspects of the site.
He did a great job explaining his desire to balance the social and technical aspects of the site's future.
I can see clearly that his heart is in the right place with his vision for the site, and we discussed an idea I had pitched to Hank regarding a "private parlor" where the social aspect many of us have come to love can carry on as it has been all along.
Anyone who would choose could be invited into this Parlor, which would contain multiple tourneys, which would have a chat board that I would moderate and would welcome a variety of dialogue, opinions, critiques, jokes, pics, etc...

There is an annual fee that varies according to a number of tournaments in the parlour. The cost will be covered by members on a donation basis.
There are many who have expressed the desire to pitch in, but I want those who are lower income, or simply feel the annual fee they have already paid is all their experience is worth to them, that it is genuinely ok not to donate.
I received a call from a friend and fellow BG Junky on this site who has generously offered to pay whatever the donations fail to cover.
It was a Blast meeting and chatting with this guy after years of knowing him on this site.
He expressed his love for this site and his appreciation of the creators and all who make it the place it is.
Anyone who chooses to enter can do so and get this... you can join the parlor and play all the tournaments you'd like. NO TICKET Necessary!
The Openplay parlor is used primarily to direct people to casual games and tournaments. Lots of the live information about the site is accessible there.

Feedback tools to communicate w/higher ups and whatnot are available on every page of the site.

The community forum is easy to access once you get the hang of it.

The alert system recently implemented will keep you informed of things that pertain to you.
Chatting in matches will go on as usual, but please keep in mind that certain conversations can lead to problems just like in any community. Gossip and slander can lead to trouble...  

Well, I hope I didn't bore you. I am a trucker, not a writer. But like you, I like BG and I love this community.

My sincere thanks to Frank and Hank and all of you in SimplyBGville! Your's truly, BigMur 

Can you explain all the different numbers in the Exp. column? 1500.00, 47, 27, 1463

Evan - 5K. Margot 2869?

Answer from Hank Wrote:The "Exp" column is short for "Experience"

When this number is a decimal, like 1500.00 or 1650/9K ... this is the ELO for this member the "/9K" is 9000 matches for example.
The 1500.00 ... this is a new member, never played a match here yet.

The ELO value only shows in this tool when there is a "match type" to align it to. Since SimplyBG supports tracking on ELO based on types of matches being played.

So then this column "Exp" will show the ELO when the member has a "match-offer" active for the Openplay parlour. It's considered the players sort of standing offer.

But when the member does not have an active "match-offer" ... the "Exp" column will display the total matches played for this member.
This is a non-decimal value, like 1463

If you ever want to be reminded of what the column is showing, click on the "Exp" in the column header. It will show a small and brief reminder.
Your question is one that many probably have. Thanks for asking.

Date: July 2024

Introducing the tournament participant ticket system called Tournament Participant Tickets for all public tournaments.

One ticket is needed by each participant for each run of any of the publicly run tournaments.

Tickets can be purchased in bulk as needed at this URL: https://www.simplybg.com/tournamentparticipanttickets.html
An unlimited-play purchase option is also available.

Your tickets are held safely with your active Annual subscription account.

You can always check your Tournament Participant Tickets bank total from your dashboard at this link: https://www.simplybg.com/dashboard/settings-subscription

The revenue from the ticket system will help ensure the continued quality of the SimplyBG online backgammon play venue. 

Thank you for your continued support.  /Frank