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: All Time Best											Total Points
Player	Country	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	2009	Total Points
Nack Ballard	USA	7	4	3	2	1	1	1	2	6	270
Neil Kazaross	USA	17	10	6	4	7	7	2	5	3	236
Paul Magriel	USA	4	5	5	5	6	5	10	12	-	212
Kit Woolsey	USA	9	12	8	10	10	11	5	8	13	211
Mike Senkiewicz	USA	2	1	2	6	8	16	19	18	32	193
Bill Robertie	USA	6	9	10	15	14	15	20	17	26	165
Mike Svobodny	USA	5	7	4	9	12	19	24	-	-	151
Jerry Grandell	Sweden			9	1	2	2	9	-	-	142
Falafel Natanzon	Israel					17	8	4	1	2	133
Peter Jes Thomsen	Denmark		25	17	20	13	17	12	11	24	125
Jake Jacobs	USA			25	14	9	12	14	14	19	124
Malcolm Davis	USA	22	20	13	12	31	21	17	20	20	121
Francois Tardieu	France					21	14	3	3	5	119
Kent Goulding	USA	8	8	11	13	15	26		-	-	117
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
Steve Sax	USA					20	13	6	7	14	105
Billy Horan	USA	11	3	7	16				-	-	95
Jorgen Grandstedt	Sweden				21	5	10	13	23	-	93
Paul Weaver	USA	25	32	29	32	19	20	16	15	25	84
Bob Wachtel	USA	19						15	9	10	79
Joe Sylvester	USA	3	6	12					-	-	78
Howard Ring	USA	29	18	23	11	18	22		-	-	77
David Wells	USA			21	19	23	6	25	-	-	71
Gus Hansen	Denmark			22	25	22	23	26	21	23	69
Philip Marmorstein	Germany	13	13	15	22				-	-	69
Michael Meyburg	Germany				7	11	18	32	-	-	64
Masayuki Mochizuki	Japan							28	6	1	64
Hal Heinrich	Canada	14	16	16	23				-	-	63
Joe Russell	USA	15	14	18	26					30	62
Sander Lylloff	Denmark								4	4	58
Ed O’laughlin	USA	18	22					29	22	18	56
Lars Bonding	Denmark						24	7	13	12	55
Morten Holm Lassen	Denmark						28	27	10	12	55
Mads Andersen	Denmark					16	9	22		-	52
Mike Corbett	USA	23		26	27		29	30	27	17	52
John O'Hagan	USA							18	19	11	51

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 2009 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 (46%) of the votes in 2009 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	2009	Total Points
Mads Andersen	Denmark					16	9	22			52
Nack Ballard	USA	7	4	3	2	1	1	1	2	6	270
Rick Barabino	USA				31	24					11
Lars Bonding	Denmark						24	7	13		55
Harry Cohn	USA		29								4
Matt Cohn-Geier	USA									15	18
James Colen	USA	24	11	14							50
Mike Corbett	USA	23		26	27		29	30	27	17	52
Malcolm Davis	USA	22	20	13	12	31	21	17	20	20	121
Brian Elgaard	Denmark						25				8
Evert van Eijck	Holland		15	20							31
Leo Fernandez	Argentina					25	32		32		10
Ray Fogerlund	USA								24	16	26
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
Steen Grønbech	Denmark									22	11
Herb Gurland	USA	32	30								4
Gus Hansen	Denmark			22	25	22	23	26	21	23	69
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	19	124
Harald Johanni	Germany				28	27					11
Ralf Jonas	Germany						30		25		11
Michihito Kageyama	Japan									9	24
Neil Kazaross	USA	17	10	6	4	7	7	2	5	3	236
Jack Kissane	USA	28									5
Petko Kostadinov	Bulgaria								29	28	9
Bob Koca	USA									29	4
Mario Kuehl	Germany					28					5
Morten Holm Lassen	Denmark						28	27	10	12	55
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	4	58
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	1	64
Abe Mosseri	USA				24	26					16
Richard Munitz	USA								30	21	15
Falafel Natanzon	Israel					17	8	4	1	2	133
Dana Nazarian	USA								31		2
John O’Hagan	USA							18	19	11	51
Ed O’Laughlin	USA	18	22					29	22	18	56
Jurgen Orlowski	Germany									27	6
Stick Rice	USA									7	26
Howard Ring	USA	29	18	23	11	18	22				77
Bill Robertie	USA	6	9	10	15	14	15	20	17	26	165
Joe Russell	USA	15	14	18	26					30	62
Steve Sax	USA					20	13	6	7	14	105
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	32	193
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	5	119
Peter Jes Thomsen	Denmark		25	17	20	13	17	12	11	24	125
Lars Trabolt	Denmark							31	16	8	44
Walter Trice	USA	27	31					23	26	31	27
Bob Wachtel	USA	19						15	9	10	79
Paul Weaver	USA	25	32	29	32	19	20	16	15	25	84
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	13	211
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 2009). 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 (former auditor).