During the Covid pandemonic the north norwegians for the first time got the chance to play the norwegian master series in an even playing field. Meaning everybody played everyone. The masters series went online, and of course there were plenty of opportunities to qualify to the final master event, which every year is played in oslo, and which has become a traditional event in Norway. The weakness of the system is clear. The master series does not compensate for geographical difficulties Norway provides. So it favors the big clubs in big cities and clubs that have short travel distances between each other. Geographically isolated  clubs and players that have no club have absolutely no chance to qualify without a valid  internet alternative.

NBGF recently got a new political  regime. I am not so sure that the smartest thing to do, to secure a sustainable growth of backgammon activity nationally, is to exclude half of Norway as its first execution of power. These types of regimes tend to fall.  Finnmark alone is 107 times as big as Oslo, and has its share of important history to it. Not only did NBGF cut all online qualification possibilities for the master series for 2022 and out, they also abruptly changed the criterias for equal competition in the  very end of 2021 when lots of players from all over Norway were desperately trying to qualify for the final 16 spots. With only one month left of the year NBGF opened up for live master tournaments and shut down the online arena where the entire competition had been played in 2020 and 2021. Leaving small clubs or far away clubs in a hopeless position. The fact that  professional backgammon politicians that are sitting in the NBGF can’t see this fact  is kind of scary…It is an Elitism I was hoping never to see in our community.  Norway has its natural limitations and challenges due to its geographical nature, and I see it as a duty of any member of the NORWEGIAN BACKGAMMON FEDERATION to do everything they can to be inclusive. Norway is not Oslo and Bergen.

So what would Norway gain by excluding half the country, especially when we look at what these “enoying” north norwegians have done historically for norwegian backgammon. Lets take a sentimental look at this.

1) Showing the general population that anything is possible:

2) Mentoring less experienced players with the jedi approach. Prizless

3) Social inclusion. North Norwegians tie everything together.

We can only wonder why central figures in both NBGF and central clubs do not even open the window for an equal participation, and hide behind ancient thoughts about live rules. The world has moved on…so must NBGF. Every club in Norway has many many master tournaments every year. More than most can even participate in. So why don’t NBGF say that each club has to arrange 1 or 2 master tournaments each year online? Is it too much to ask? It will give less central parts of Norway at least a very small window to qualify? Or do we tell players that do not live south of Trondheim to find another hobby? The Jedi Report is baffled by this, as it should not even have been on the agenda in 2022. The end result will be that all clubs outside the big cities will exclude themselves from the master series. Because why should they participate in something they can't qualify for?

Free Nelson Mandela…..

Hello Nelson!

This is the Norwegian President calling.

The masters series is originally a live concept, but as you point out, it’s not working. Clubs and players feel discriminated, and boycotts are common.

Moving online ended the backgammon apartheid system, but the Village Chiefs fought to preserve the system and I am trapped. Without their support I am nothing. I had to send you back to prison Nelson.

I am aware that the regime is under attack and statistically will fall within 13 months so it would be unwise of me not to support you. I don’t want to die for something I don’t believe in.

However, your solution is simply fake news, it’s not worthy of a Jedi. It doesn’t end apartheid; it only allows for Jedi’s to use the backgammontoilet.

This is how to end apartheid:

• 24 online tournaments under the NBgF umbrella.
• 1 live Norwegian championship
• 1 live Village Championship pr club

The tax income would be almost equal as of current system and securing free access for all regardless of location (live tournaments only included if weekend). One could also introduce 2-3 classes to ensure the 40% of the players we lost when going online has an alternative and reason for playing.

The Village Chiefs would also loose their power, any boycott would be pointless as it barely would effect the tax income.

Yours humble servant,

Thorleif