1st Annual Music City Open

Backgammon Tournament

Wednesday, September 23^rd - Sunday, September 27^th, 2026 Holiday Inn Nashville Airport

TWO New Pre- Tournament Event Options

Tuesday- Grand Ole Opry Experience &

Wednesday - the Nashville Backgammon Association Weekly Tournament

Get more info here

Featuring...

Players Cup BMAB

We’re excited to host a Backgammon Masters Awarding Body (BMAB) event as part of the tournament, giving players the opportunity to earn internationally recognized results toward their BMAB rating and titles.

BMAB events are known for their strong competitive standards and are highly respected within the global backgammon community.

This is a great chance to test your game in a serious match-play setting and have your performance count on the world stage.

Bachelorette Party Women's Event:

The Bachelorette Party Women’s Event at the Music City Backgammon Open is first and foremost about serious backgammon and serious competition. Bringing together women who love the game, this event celebrates the skill, strategy, and growing presence of women in competitive backgammon.

The competition stays focused on the board. The sparkle happens at our special Bachelorette Party Photo Booth, where players can grab the glitter hats, fun glasses, boas, and other Nashville-inspired props for photos with friends before, after, or between matches.

Come ready to compete, connect with an incredible community of women, and make a few Music City memories along the way.

Zavoral Board Tournament

Get ready for a special high-stakes side tournament where the winner takes home a Bob Zavoral backgammon board—a prize every serious player recognizes and respects.

Known for exceptional craftsmanship, smooth play, and tournament-grade quality, a Zavoral board is the kind of equipment players aspire to own.

Enter for the competition, stay for the bragging rights, and walk away with a board that represents the very best of the game.e.

Main Event: MoreSwiss Format

The ABT Open, Intermediate, and Novice divisions will use the MoreSwiss tournament format, ensuring plenty of play for everyone. Players remain in the main event until they reach their third loss, creating a competitive structure that rewards consistency while giving participants multiple chances to stay in the hunt. This format delivers a fair, exciting experience with more meaningful matches for players at every level.

Michihito "Michy" Kageyamam - It's All About the Blitz!

It’s All About the Blitz

A Special Seminar with Michihito “Michy” Kageyama

Friday Night • 7:00 PM

The Music City Backgammon Open is thrilled to welcome one of the world’s most celebrated backgammon players and teachers, Michihito “Michy” Kageyama, for a special Friday evening seminar:

“It’s All About the Blitz"

Join Michy as he takes a deep dive into one of backgammon’s most exciting—and often misunderstood—game plans: the blitz. Learn how one of the greatest players in the game recognizes blitzing opportunities, evaluates attacking positions, and makes the critical decisions that can turn an aggressive attack into a winning game.

Whether you’re an Intermediate player looking to better understand the fundamentals or an experienced Championship player wanting to sharpen your attacking game, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of backgammon’s elite.

Don’t miss the chance to spend an evening learning the blitz from one of the best to ever play the game.

Watch all the action from the Music City Open streamed Live!

Stream on USBGF YouTube Channel

View Live Stream

Tournament Team

Kristin Westerman - Tournament Organizer

Kristin Westerman is a lifelong backgammon player who began competing in national and international tournaments in 2025, quickly falling in love not only with the depth of the game at the highest levels, but with the people and community that surround it.

Inspired by the welcoming, competitive spirit she experienced on the tournament circuit, Kristin became deeply involved in growing the game locally.

She currently manages the Nashville Backgammon Association and, motivated by both her passion for backgammon and her city, set out to bring a major, nationally recognized backgammon tournament to Nashville—creating a destination event that reflects the energy, hospitality, and character of Music City.

Rory Pascar - Tournament Director

Rory Pascar is a highly respected figure in the U.S. backgammon community with nearly 30 years of competitive experience. He is a 4-time ABT winner, 2026 Atlanta Classic, 2024 Viking Classic, 2014 Central States Invitational, and 2010 Wisconsin State Championship. He has won many side events including both Super and Master’s Jackpots, SpeedGammon, and Juniors. Rory is also a 7-time Chicago Club Player of the Year.

In addition to his success as a player, Rory has become one of the top ABT Tournament Directors, leveraging his background in hospitality to elevate major events. He was instrumental in transforming the Chicago Open into one of the premier stops on the ABT, and during the challenging COVID period helped run online tournaments that kept the community connected.

His leadership in tournament direction led to being entrusted with additional high-profile events such as the U.S. Open and Las Vegas Open, and he organized the first St. Louis Gateway Open. In 2025, he was approached by the New England Backgammon Club, who requested he bring an ABT Tournament back to Boston. His first Boston Open was a resounding success over Halloween weekend.

Rory continues to work with community members by sitting on the USBGF Board of Directors, expanding competitive backgammon across the United States. In addition to coming on board to direct the 1st Annual Music City Open in 2026, Rory also serves as Tournament Organizer and Director for the Chicago Open, Boston Open, and Las Vegas Open backgammon tournaments, and most impressively since 2021 he has been Director of Registration for the Monte Carlo World Championship.

Membership requirement to play in an ABT Event

Players int he MoreSwiss ABT Open, Intermediate, & Novice Divisions must be USBGF members. Visit USBGF.org to join or renew your membership now! Please feel free to stop by the membership desk where a USBGF staff member can assist you and show you the many ways the USBGF is working to grow the game!