Michihito Kageyama - Japan
Michihito Kageyama "Michy" is one of the most notable Japanese players in the international backgammon scene, along with #1 backgammon giant and 2009 world champion Masayuki Mochizuki "Mochy", backgammon puzzle maker Othello Itikawa who closes the expanded Giants of Backgammon list on #64, Kenji Shimodaira and others.
Michy has started playing backgammon professionally in 1997, and since then he authored at least five backgammon books, won the 2006 Riviera Backgammon Championship Last Chance, 2007 Cannes Doubles Consultation (together with Toyotaka Nakamura), captained the winning Japan team on the 2007 Nordic Open Nation Cup. In 2009, he finalized the 2009 8th Velden Backgammon Open & the French Open Masters, semi-finalized Nice Casino Ruhl Backgammon Open, won the Sperti trophy in Nice and the long distance award in the 1st Cyprus Backgammon Open.
On the 2010 Nordic Open, held beside the publication of the 2009 Giants of Backgammon list, Michihito finished fourth the Championship event. He also played the World Team that was led by Stick Rice and featured backgammon masters such as Masayuki "Mochy" Mochizuki, Matvey "Falafel" Natanzon and Katja Spillum at the celebrated Denmark vs. the World match. Michy was paired against backgammon giant #12 Mortem Holm Lassen at the opening speed gammon 3 match, and lost in all three matches.
