Overview

What is the BMAB Players Cup?

BMAB London is a 5-round Swiss tournament played in a single day, open to any entrant regardless of BMAB rank, capped at 48 players. It's a qualifier for the European Players Cup — a run of BMAB Players Cup events across a few cities, with points carrying toward a season final in Budapest — following on from Brighton in August and Aachen in October.

London is played on the opening day of the London Open 2026, the final event of the UKBGF Tour, hosted by Backgammon London (tournament directors Andy Selby and David Potter) at The Stay Club in Kentish Town. Finish the BMAB day by late afternoon and stay on for the London Open weekend. Play follows World Backgammon Federation (WBGF) rules; the tournament is registered with BMAB, the international governing body, and every match is also UKBGF-rated. See Tournaments for the wider series and live results.

Eligibility

Who can enter?

  • Open to all — no BMAB rank or PR average requirement, and no London Open registration required
  • One open field — Masters and Intermediates play together
  • Capped at 48 participants
  • Entry fee £80 per player, including venue and food — see Fees, below, for what it covers
  • Register at londonopen.uk/registration/bmab — payment is collected by the London Open, and places go to the first 48 paid entries. Registration deadline to be announced
  • Rules questions go to the tournament director — email hello@backgammondata.com
Fees & Prizes

What it costs, what's included

One entry fee for the day: £80, covering the BMAB day itself, the venue, and food served during play. The entry fee is paid when you register at londonopen.uk/registration/bmab.

What the Entry Covers £80 Entry Fee
Tournament direction and the Swiss draw, video recording of every match, transcription, full XG analysis with a PR for every player and every match, BMAB registration of all matches, and live standings and final results on backgammondata.com/tournaments — plus the playing venue and food served throughout the day, so there's no lunch break.
Side Pools Optional · At the Venue
Side pools will be offered at the venue on the day. They are optional and separate from the entry fee — join on the day if you want to play for money as well as Cup points.

The BMAB day is entered separately from the London Open itself (Saturday–Sunday), which has its own registration fee — see londonopen.uk.

Format

How the tournament works

Five Rounds — Swiss, No Knockout 7-Point Matches
London is played as a single 5-round Swiss event in one day — there is no bracket and no knockout stage. Every round is a single 7-point match, with 14 minutes per player per match plus a 12-second delay. Note that this differs from the London Open's own clock settings. Boards and clocks are provided by the London Open.
Seeding & Draw R1–3 Pre-Drawn · R4–5 Live
Players are seeded into strength groups by BMAB grade and rating and paired within their group. Rounds 1–3 are pre-drawn, so play flows without waiting between rounds; Rounds 4 and 5 are drawn on the day from results. No player meets the same opponent twice. See the rules page for details.
London Champion — Skill and Win Local Result
Every match awards 1 Cup point for the win and 1 Cup point for the lower PR. The London champion is the player with the most Cup points after Round 5, with the lower overall PR breaking a tie — the same skill-and-win placing used at Brighton. See the rules page.
European Players Cup Points Season Standings
The same Cup points carry straight through to each player's European Players Cup season total, alongside points from Brighton and Aachen, on the way to the Budapest final. See Cup points in the full rules.
Schedule

Round-by-round programme

Friday 11 December 2026 75 Min per Round
11:00 Round 1 Pre-drawn
12:15 Round 2 Pre-drawn
13:30 Round 3 Pre-drawn
14:45 Round 4 Drawn on the day
16:00 Round 5 Drawn on the day
17:15 Finish — final standings Before the London Open warm-up

No lunch break — food is served at the venue throughout the day. Individual start times may be adjusted at the tournament director's discretion — see the tournament rules.

The Weekend

Stay on for the London Open

The BMAB day opens a full weekend of backgammon at the same venue. The London Open is entered separately through londonopen.uk.

Fri day BMAB Players Cup London — 11:00 to 17:15 This event
Fri eve Warm-up events, including Win-A-Board and a £200 Super Jackpot London Open
Sat Round Robin qualification; evening doubles, speed and Super Jackpot events London Open
Sun Main, Consolation, Last Chance and Lucky Loser London Open

Rooms on site: the London Open has a room block at The Stay Club (kitchenette and breakfast included) — 1 night single £77 / double-twin £99; 2 nights single £140 / double-twin £180. Book through the London Open.