Women Who Changed the Game: Backgammon Edition

 

Over the past few decades, it has been interesting to notice the increasing representation of women in previously or currently male-dominated fields. Films and TV shows such as Hidden Figures (2017), The Queen’s Gambit (2020) or, most recently, Barbie (2023), have gone a long way in reminding the public that there are certain areas in which women have not been given equal opportunities to excel.

Sadly, this is still true for the game of backgammon. According to BackgammonMasters.com, “there have only been very few people in the world that can truly be called masters, however no women backgammon players have ever reached these heights.”

However, Japan’s Akiko Yazawa makes a strong case against that view. Yazawa is a two-time world champion and the third woman in history to take that title. In 2022 became the first woman considered by the the United States Backgammon Federation (USBGF) to be a worldwide “Backgammon Giant.”

It is no wonder, then, that most of the women who’ve notched significant achievements in backgammon are also big advocates for representation of all kinds. In an interview, Yazawa said, “Backgammon is overwhelmingly male, and when I was just starting out, I didn't think I was a player. I also hope that the future direction of female players will change as women win the world's best.” She is a great inspiration for women players worldwide, especially as she continues to add accolades to her already impressive resume. 

Another leading lady in the backgammon world is Antoinette-Marie Williams. Apart from being an exceptional backgammon player with fifty years of experience, she also sits on the USBGF’s Board of Directors and partners with DOROT, an intergenerational organization that pairs senior citizens with young students, to provide instructional backgammon and chess sessions.  

She says, “I…lead the educational program for the USBGF Women of Backgammon. By inviting world renowned players, this program seeks to get more women involved in the game and elevate their skill level.” 

A native New Yorker who advocates on behalf of the elderly and those with limited mobility, Williams is also “especially eager to increase the number of young people playing backgammon,” so much so that she gives free lessons every other Saturday in Manhattan, on the corner of West 109th Street and Amsterdam Avenue from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. 

The 2009 US Open Champion, Carol Joy Cole, is another backgammon phenom who has devoted her life to her community. A native of Flint, Michigan, Cole founded the Flint Area Backgammon Club in 1978 (where she still offers free lessons by appointment) and has directed the Michigan Summer Championships and the Fleet Underwood Charity Tournament. 

Cole has been actively involved in organizing tournaments for decades, collecting backgammon books, and preserving the backgammon legacy of her state, as well as that of the world (she created and maintains her own Giants of Backgammon website). 

Inducted in the American Backgammon Hall of Fame in 2021, Karen Davis is another force in the backgammon world. Some of her notable accomplishments include being a member of Team USA in the 2019 World Team Championship in Montenegro and in the 2020 Magriel Cup. She was captain and Most Valuable Player on the Women’s Team USA in the 2020 Genud Cup competition against the UK Women’s Team. She also ranks #2 in USBGF Lifetime Online Master Points.

Just like Williams and Cole, Davis is also actively involved in organizing tournaments—she runs the Cherry Blossoms Championship in Washington, D.C., as well as the Sunny Florida Championship in Fort Lauderdale—and has served on the USBGF Board of Directors.

That’s just what Davis gets up to in her spare time. In fact, Davis holds a PhD in economics from Rice University and currently serves as the Eugene and Mildred Lipitz Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and Director of the Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.

It is clear that these women have not taken their high places in the backgammon world for granted as each one continues to work tirelessly to pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive range of people to play and excel in the game.

On top of these women’s incredible individual efforts, there are two organizations whose missions are to empower female players. One is the USBGF Women of Backgammon, which “provides support and resources to girls, women, and gender minorities seeking to get involved in the game.” They also mention that they are looking to “increase the number of active women players and support them on their learning journey.”

Another organization worth mentioning is Women’s World of Backgammon (WWB). They want to “promote women’s participation, place, and preeminence in competitive backgammon,” and offer an impressive array of resources—mentoring, information on women-friendly tournaments, education—that women players can take advantage of. 

Hopefully, the next generation of women backgammon players is already beginning to break through. Thanks to the women highlighted here, when the next wave makes their way to the spotlight, they will have a multitude of resources and a wellspring of support to break records and achieve greatness.