alltimegiantslist

As stated at the Giants of Backgammon website (link provided at the bottom of this page): “Every two years since 1993, Yamin Yamin of Illinois has surveyed Championship-level players and tournament directors around the world. He asks them to rank the best currently active players in the world, considering both their tournament skills and side games. Which players are the most respected and feared by their fellow competitors?”

The statistics below are compiled from the information found on that website. Under the year columns (each actually representing a span of two years), the ranking of the player is listed (1 is best, 2 is second best, etc.). 32 points are given for finishing first (“1”) in a given year, 31 points for finishing second (“2”), etc., and these points are tallied in the “Total Points” column. There is further discussion below the table.

Backgammon Giants: Statistics										Total Points
Player	Country	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	Total Points
Nack Ballard	USA	7	4	3	2	1	1	1	2	243
Paul Magriel	USA	4	5	5	5	6	5	10	12	212
Neil Kazaross	USA	17	10	6	4	7	7	2	5	206
Mike Senkiewicz	USA	2	1	2	6	8	16	19	18	192
Kit Woolsey	USA	9	12	8	10	10	11	5	8	191
Bill Robertie	USA	6	9	10	15	14	15	20	17	158
Mike Svobodny	USA	5	7	4	9	12	19	24		151
Jerry Grandell	Sweden			9	1	2	2	9		142
Kent Goulding	USA	8	8	11	13	15	26			117
Peter Jes Thomsen	Denmark		25	17	20	13	17	12	11	116
Wilcox Snellings	USA	1	2	1	17	29				115
Johannes Levermann	Germany			30	3	3	4	11		114
Dirk Schiemann	Germany				8	4	3	8	28	114
Jake Jacobs	USA			25	14	9	12	14	14	110
Malcolm Davis	USA	22	20	13	12	31	21	17	20	108
Falafel Natanzon	Israel					17	8	4	1	102
Billy Horan	USA	11	3	7	16					95
Jorgen Grandstedt	Sweden				21	5	10	13	23	93
Francois Tardieu	France					21	14	3	3	91
Steve Sax	USA					20	13	6	7	86
Joe Sylvester	USA	3	6	12						78
Howard Ring	USA	29	18	23	11	18	22			77
Paul Weaver	USA	25	32	29	32	19	20	16	15	76
David Wells	USA			21	19	23	6	25		71
Philip Marmorstein	Germany	13	13	15	22					69
Michael Meyburg	Germany				7	11	18	32		64
Hal Heinrich	Canada	14	16	16	23					63
Gustav J. Hansen	Denmark			22	25	22	23	26	21	59
Joe Russell	USA	15	14	18	26					59
Bob Wachtel	USA	19						15	9	56
Lars Bonding	Denmark						24	7	13	55
Mads Andersen	Denmark					16	9	22		52

There are some limitations to the meaningfulness of this table:

The Giants list is an opinion poll, though the opinions on which it is based are highly informed.

The Total Points criterion is not to be confused with current strength (which correlates better with the 2007 rankings). The table is designed to ultimately weed out flashes in the pan and is a list of all-time great backgammon players.

Players who were active before the inception of the Giants poll (including many giants whose rankings appear only in the 1990s columns) are underrepresented.

The table is most significant for players who have been playing since 1993. Today’s young and upcoming players are underrepresented. However, as this table is expanded in the future, they will be fully included.

Nearly half (47%) of the votes in 2007 still come from the USA. It is expected that a greater percentage of non-USA players will vote in the future, allowing for a fairer international representation over time.

The table below lists (alphabetically) all players who have ever been in the top 32:

Backgammon Giants: All Players - Top 32										Total Points
Player	Country	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	Total Points
Mads Andersen	Denmark					16	9	22		52
Nack Ballard	USA	7	4	3	2	1	1	1	2	243
Rick Barabino	USA				31	24				11
Lars Bonding	Denmark						24	7	13	55
Harry Cohn	USA		29							4
James Colen	USA	24	11	14						50
Mike Corbett	USA	23		26	27		29	30	27	36
Malcolm Davis	USA	22	20	13	12	31	21	17	20	108
Brian Elgaard	Denmark						25			8
Evert van Eijck	Holland		15	20						31
Leo Fernandez	Argentina					25	32		32	10
Ray Fogerlund	USA								24	9
Kent Goulding	USA	8	8	11	13	15	26			117
Jerry Grandell	Sweden			9	1	2	2	9		142
Jorgen Grandstedt	Sweden				21	5	10	13	23	93
Herb Gurland	USA	32	30							4
Gustav J. Hansen	Denmark			22	25	22	23	26	21	59
Hal Heinrich	Canada	14	16	16	23					63
Peter Heitmueller	Germany				30					3
Billy Horan	USA	11	3	7	16					95
Stuart Hosen	USA			31						2
Jake Jacobs	USA			25	14	9	12	14	14	110
Harald Johanni	Germany				28	27				11
Ralf Jonas	Germany						30		25	11
Neil Kazaross	USA	17	10	6	4	7	7	2	5	206
Jack Kissane	USA	28								5
Petko Kostadinov	Bulgaria								29	4
Mario Kuehl	Germany					28				5
Morten Holm Lassen	Denmark						28	27	10	34
Tino Lechich	Australia	12	17	28						42
Jason Lester	USA	10	19	19						51
Johannes Levermann	Germany			30	3	3	4	11		114
Sandy Lubetkin	USA	20	23	32						24
Thomas Lumper	Germany	16	21	24						38
Sander Lylloff	Denmark								4	29
Paul Magriel	USA	4	5	5	5	6	5	10	12	212
Philip Marmorstein	Germany	13	13	15	22					69
Michael Meyburg	Germany				7	11	18	32		64
Masayuki Mochizuki	Japan							28	6	32
Abe Mosseri	USA				24	26				16
Richard Munitz	USA								30	3
Falafel Natanzon	Israel					17	8	4	1	102
Dana Nazarian	USA								31	2
John O’Hagan	USA							18	19	29
Ed O’Laughlin	USA	18	22					29	22	41
Howard Ring	USA	29	18	23	11	18	22			77
Bill Robertie	USA	6	9	10	15	14	15	20	17	158
Joe Russell	USA	15	14	18	26					59
Steve Sax	USA					20	13	6	7	86
Dirk Schiemann	Germany				8	4	3	8	28	114
Rolf Schreuder	Holland	30	26							10
Hugh Sconyers	USA					32	27			7
Erik Seidel	USA	31								2
Mike Senkiewicz	USA	2	1	2	6	8	16	19	18	192
Wilcox Snellings	USA	1	2	1	17	29				115
Alan Steffen	USA	26	27							13
Mike Svobodny	USA	5	7	4	9	12	19	24		151
Joe Sylvester	USA	3	6	12						78
Frank Talbot	USA	21	28		29		31	21		35
Francois Tardieu	France					21	14	3	3	91
Peter Jes Thomsen	Denmark		25	17	20	13	17	12	11	116
Lars Trabolt	Denmark							31	16	19
Walter Trice	USA	27	31					23	26	25
Bob Wachtel	USA	19						15	9	56
Paul Weaver	USA	25	32	29	32	19	20	16	15	76
David Wells	USA			21	19	23	6	25		71
Elliott Winslow	USA			27	18	30				24
Kit Woolsey	USA	9	12	8	10	10	11	5	8	191
Abbas Zaltash	USA		24							9

The statistics above were compiled from www.flintbg.com/giants.html (where you can also find the #33 through #64 rankings for 2007). The Giants of Backgammon list is and has been maintained only by the joint efforts of Yamin A. Yamin (Founder and Chairman), Carol Joy Cole (Editor), John Stryker (Statistician), Jake Jacobs (Auditor) and Howard Ring (also an auditor, who passed away in 2005).