Matt Cohn-Geier - USA
Matt Cohn-Geier is probably the youngest backgammon players to enter the giants list in 2009, and definitely the player with the shortest career. Matt had started playing backgammon only in 2006; after only two years he finished second at one of the biggest challenges in American backgammon – the Las Vegas Open.
Like his biggest rival, Jacob "Stick" Rice, Matt Cohn-Geier fast road to the top came with the help of backgammon bots. At the same time, he has been participating in live backgammon tournaments, usually those ran by the ABT. His first major win was at the advanced division (1st consolation at the 2007 Midwest Backgammon Championships).
In 2008, Cohn-Geier had won 19 matches at his local San Francisco club and was named the player of the year and finished third at the ABT Wisconsin State Backgammon Championship. A year later, he finished second at California State Backgammon Champion consolation (losing the first place to Stick), championed the Land of Lincoln Masters at the Illinois Championship, the Hypergammon contest at the Minnesota Open, and the New York Doubles at the New York Metropolitan Backgammon Open, together with Carol Joy Cole.
In 2010, Matt Cohn-Geier was invited to represent the US in the Denmark vs. the World team competition at the Nordic Open. Matt also writes a backgammon column in the online magazine GammonVillage.
