About BCGMN
The Backgammon Club of the Great Manhattan North is a competitive backgammon club in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. We welcome players of all levels who share a love of the game.
Where & When
Le Chéile — 839 W 181st St in Manhattan (take A train to 181st).
We meet on the second floor of the restaurant.
Registration 7:00 pm · Play begins 7:30 pm · Entry $20
House Rules
Each meeting is a 3-round Swiss tournament — everyone plays all three rounds regardless of wins or losses, with pairings based on similar records. A bye is assigned when there's an odd number of players. We play under USBGF rules with the following specifics and exceptions:
- 7-point matches
- Clocks are required — 12:30 per player with a 12-second delay per move
- We use the Dice on Checkers policy — dice landing on flat checkers (no finger dishes) are valid and must be played; if a die lands on a non-flat checker, both dice must be re-rolled.
- We use the Legal Moves policy — illegal checker moves must be corrected if noticed before the opponent has made a valid roll; once the opponent rolls, the move stands. Each player is obligated to report any observed illegal move, regardless of who is on roll; failing to do so is tantamount to cheating.
BMAB
BCGMN tournaments are valid BMAB entries. The Backgammon Masters Awarding Body awards mastership titles to players based on their performance rating (PR) across verified tournament matches — submitting your results is how you earn titles like Master and Grandmaster.
How Standings Work
Points are awarded per meeting and standings reflect the current calendar year only.
| Event | Points |
|---|---|
| Attending a meeting | 5 |
| Each match win | 5 |
| Bye | 2.5 |
| Going 3–0 (bonus) | 5, split among all 3–0 finishers |
Merch
Rep the club — hats, t-shirts, and more are available at Backgammon Wizard.
Join Us
No advance signup required, but a quick email to let us know you're coming is appreciated — it helps us get an accurate headcount.
Play Us Online
Several of our members play on OpenGammon and enjoy the chance to play against people they know. If you'd like to join us, our handles are listed on the Players page. If you do join, you can ask peanut to add you to the NYC club on OpenGammon.