Masayuki Mochizuki - Japan

#1 Backgammon Giant for 2009

07/04/2010

2009 World Backgammon Champion and past #6 on the Giants of Backgammon list, Masayuki "Mochy" Mochizuki has reached number 1 at the new list for 2009, pushing the reigning giant, Matvey "Falafel" Natanzon to number 2. New entrants to the list include Stick Rice of the US on number 7, Japanese Michihito "Michy" Kageyama on number 9 and Jurgen Orlowski of Germany on number 27. Modern backgammon most recognized name Paul "X-22" Magriel was dropped out of the list.

As Matvey "Falafel" Natanzon maintains his position as the bridesmaid of backgammon - at the same week finishing second at the Nordic Open and dropping down to number 2 of the 2009 Giants of Backgammon list - Masayuki "Mochy" Mochizuki continues his race to the top by winning both the world championship and the top of the giants list. It is the first time in the history of the giants of backgammon list that a player wins both titles at the same year. Yet, this achievement says more about Mochy's unique position in the backgammon world then on the importance of any of the titles.

Mochy is no longer the only backgammon giant of Japan as his backgammon tournaments traveling partner Michihito Kageyama reached the top ten list, and their fellow "Othello" Itikawa closed the list at number 64. Another trend shown by the current listing is the entrance of young (mostly) Americans on the account of old school representatives, Paul Magriel (formerly number 12) among them. No woman backgammon player has entered the top 32 list yet, but several ladies have reached the 33-64 places: Norwegian Katja Spillum has climbed from number 36 to 41; American Carol Joy Cole, who won last year's US Backgammon Open, made a giant leap from 169 to 44, and Mary Hickey, also of the US, jumped up from 96 to 53.