The 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 3-time ABT winner, 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 Backgammon Open in 2026, Rory also serves as Tournament Organizer and Director for both the Chicago Open and Boston Open Backgammon Tournaments, and most impressively since 2021 he has been Director of Registration for the Monte Carlo World Championship.