Overview

What is the BMAB Players Cup?

BMAB Brighton is a 7-round Swiss tournament, open to any entrant regardless of BMAB rank. It runs within the 8th Brighton Summer Open Backgammon festival — a UKBGF tour event — alongside side events, jackpots, and consultation doubles at the same venue.

Brighton is meant to be the opening event of the European Players Cup — a run of BMAB Players Cup events across a few cities, with points carrying toward a season final in Budapest. The following events will be released on this website under Tournaments as they're confirmed.

Eligibility

Who can enter?

  • Open to all — no BMAB rank or PR average requirement
  • Registration is through this page — email hello@backgammondata.com to enter
  • Part of the wider Brighton Summer Open Backgammon festival (19–23 August 2026); BMAB Brighton itself is the 19–20 August leg
Format

How the tournament works

Rounds 1–3 — Pre-Drawn Day 1 · Fixed Pairings
The pairings for the first three rounds are drawn in advance, before play begins. Each round is a single 7-point match. Each win is worth 1 point; the player with the lower PR in that match earns a further 1 point — so a round can be worth 0, 1, or 2 points.
Rounds 4–7 — Live Swiss Days 1 & 2 · Paired Round-by-Round
From Round 4 onward, pairings are drawn fresh before each round based on the standings so far. Because PR analysis takes longer than the gap between rounds, pairings use match-win points only — PR points are added to the published standings once analysis catches up, but don't hold up the next round's draw. Players are paired within their current score group where possible, avoiding repeat opponents.
Result No Knockout
There is no bracket — the tournament is decided entirely on Swiss standings. Whoever tops the table after Round 7 (by total points: match wins + PR wins) is the champion. See the rules page for the tiebreak if two players finish level.
Entry & Prizes

What it costs, what you can win

Entry fee: £150 (plus £25 registration for those only attending for the BMAB). £100 covers all recording, transcription, BMAB fees and administration costs; £50 contributes directly to the prize fund.

Player limit: 50 players maximum.

  • Prize fund: 1st place — 55% + trophy · 2nd place — 30% · 3rd place — 15%
  • Side pools (split 70/30%, 10% rake applies): Overall PR win ONLY, Points wins ONLY, and Overall PR and match wins — each £50, £100 and £200

Full detail in the tournament rules.

Schedule

Day-by-day programme

Day 1 Wednesday, 19 August
11:00
Registration opens
12:00
Side events commence
13:00
Round 1 (pre-drawn)
14:45
Round 2 (pre-drawn)
16:30
Round 3 (pre-drawn)
18:30 – 20:30
Dinner break
20:30
Round 4 (first live Swiss draw, from Round 1–3 standings)
Side events (jackpots, consultation doubles, etc.) run in parallel and are separate from the BMAB Cup standings.
Day 2 Thursday, 20 August
10:30
Round 5
12:15
Round 6
14:00
Round 7 — final round
16:00
Super-Jackpot #1, round 1 (separate side event)
18:00 – 19:00
Dinner break
The champion is whoever tops the standings after Round 7 — see Format, above.

Individual start times may be adjusted at the tournament director's discretion — see the tournament rules.