Asian Grand Prix (1st Series)

A record 17 medals for Russia: the Asian Grand Prix international backgammon tournament concluded in Tashkent with the world's largest prize fund.

The Asian Grand Prix international tournament under the auspices of the International Backgammon Federation (IBF) concluded in Tashkent. The largest prize pool in history — $500,000 — was awarded, which is more than seven times larger than the prize pool of the previous tournament in Dubai (December 2025).

Results of the international tournament

The competition, organized by the International Backgammon Federation (IBF) under the leadership of Umar Kremlev, brought together more than 500 players from 54 countries — significantly exceeding the results of the previous IBF tournament, the Arabian Grand Prix in Dubai (UAE), which had 200 players from 36 countries.

The tournament in Tashkent was held at the large and modern Axelon venue: nearly 200 gaming tables, constant video broadcasts, a team of 24 professional referees, and full technical support. For the first time in the world, players competed in 12 disciplines, including both main and additional formats. An unprecedented prize fund of $500,000 was distributed among the winners across all disciplines.

Players from Russia won a record 17 medals, five of which were gold, once again demonstrating the high level of training in the Russian backgammon school. The winners and prize-winners came from various regions of the country, highlighting the game's widespread popularity in Russia — both in cities with over a million residents and in regional centers.

Results for all disciplines

Main Backgammon (322 players from 41 countries)

1. Vyacheslav Pryadkin (Germany)
2. Artur Muradyan (Armenia)
3. Sam Mizutani (Japan)

Main Longgammon (116 players from 15 countries)

1. Tsaruk Manukyan (Russia)
2. Kirill Ignatiev (Russia)
3. Soinguli Amirov (Georgia)

Backgammon Masters Cup (128 players)

1. Revaz Tskhovrebashvili (Georgia)
2. Ethan Wen (USA)
3. Kenji Shimodaira (Japan)

Longgammon Masters Cup (60 players)

1. Tsaruk Manukyan (Russia)
2. Nail Arzukhanov (Russia)
3. Yuri Akopov (Russia)

Backgammon Blitz (256 players)

2. Airat Fatykhov (Russia)
1. Tigran Oganyan (Armenia)
1. Taner Kandirali / Aytug Yigit (Türkiye)

1. Sergey Makichyan (Russia)
2. Timur Azizov (Russia)
3. Janette Hodgkinson (South Africa)

Sprint Backgammon (128 players)

1. Almaz Salimzyanov (Russia)
2. Alexey Zlobin (Russia)
3. Khachik Melikyan (Armenia)

Backgammon Women's (64 players)

IPSL Team Cup (3-person teams backgammon) (67 teams)

1. Amir Ali Tavakkoli / Amin Shahvalizadeh / Arash Afrouzian (Iran)
2. Alexey Ignarin / Sergey Alenin / Timur Azizov (Russia)
3. Konstantin Bartash / Alexander Solodukhin / Vasily Chemokhonenko (Russia)

Players from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States participated in the competition. Winners and runners-up represented Germany, Japan, Romania, Russia, Georgia, Iran, Argentina, Turkey, South Africa, Armenia, and other countries.

A symbolic match: Umar Kremlev's victory

A highlight of the tournament was the opening game, in which IBF President Umar Kremlev defeated two-time world champion Masayuki Mochizuki. 

"Our goal is to make backgammon a truly global sport. We will continue to improve tournaments and expand the geography of players" noted Umar Kremlev.

Backgammon, as an intellectual sport, has no age limits: the youngest athlete was 16-year-old Vladimir Sazonov from Russia, and the oldest was an experienced player from the USA, Tom Zarrinnam, aged 91. Women are increasingly showing interest in backgammon – they account for 12% of all longgammon players and 9% of backgammon players. Russian athlete Elena Gromenkova placed among the top five in the main longgammon event.

The International Backgammon Federation thanks all players, partners, and guests of the tournament and notes that the Asian Grand Prix has opened a new era for future IBF competitions.

Photos from all days of the tournament and the closing ceremony can be viewed here.