This August, something very special is happening for British backgammon. For the first time, the UK will welcome the WBGF World Teams and Individual Championships, bringing players from across the globe to London for a remarkable week of competition, camaraderie and, inevitably, a few memorable rolls of the dice.
From 24–30 August 2026, the Mercure Hotel, Earls Court, London, SW6 1UD will become the meeting place for the international backgammon community as some of the world’s finest players compete for the sport’s biggest honours. The championships will take place in association with the 30th Mind Sports Olympiad, making London the place to be this summer for anyone who loves competitive games of skill, strategy and nerve.
A first for British backgammon
Hosting the WBGF World Championships in the UK represents a genuine landmark for the game in this country. The World Backgammon Federation (WBGF) and United Kingdom Backgammon Federation (UKBGF) are bringing together national teams and individual competitors for a packed programme of world-class backgammon. As ITV News reported, this will be the first time Britain has hosted the World Team, World Women’s Team and World Individual championships.
For a British backgammon community that has grown enormously in recent years, it promises to be a week to remember. WBGF President Bernhard Mayr has described the UK as one of the strongest backgammon nations in the world. The UKBGF Chair Julia Hayward has pointed to the continuing growth of the game, with new players discovering backgammon and new clubs appearing around the country. Now those players will have the chance to experience a major international championship right here in London.
The perfect home for a world championship
London feels like a natural setting for the occasion. International, welcoming and easy to reach, it provides the perfect meeting point for a game that crosses borders. Backgammon has been bringing people together for thousands of years. Two players, one board, 30 checkers and a pair of dice are all it takes to create a contest that can be friendly, fiercely competitive and completely absorbing.
Anyone who plays regularly knows the attraction. There is the satisfaction of finding the right move, the tension of a crucial cube decision and the agony of watching your opponent produce exactly the number they need. There are spectacular wins, painful defeats and those positions that players will still be discussing over breakfast the following morning. That shared experience is what makes a major international tournament about much more than trophies.
Celebrating 30 years of the Mind Sports Olympiad
This year’s championships will also form part of a particularly special occasion: the 30th Mind Sports Olympiad (MSO). First staged in London in 1997, the Mind Sports Olympiad has spent three decades celebrating games that reward thought, judgement, creativity and strategic skill. Its 2026 programme brings another international gathering of players to the Mercure Hotel in Earls Court.
Backgammon belongs perfectly in that company. Few games combine skill and luck quite so beautifully. Every roll presents a new problem. Players must weigh probabilities, evaluate risk and reward, judge the position and make a decision. All of this while knowing that the dice may immediately make them look like a genius or a fool. Howver, over time, skill tells. That combination has kept backgammon fascinating for generations and continues to attract players of every age and background.
Come and be part of it
For the UK backgammon community, 24–30 August 2026 is a week worth putting firmly in the diary. Whether you are competing for your country, entering an individual event, following friends and familiar faces, or simply want to experience the atmosphere of an international backgammon championship, this is a rare opportunity to see the game at its highest level on British soil.
Just as importantly, it is a chance to meet the people who make backgammon such a wonderfully sociable game. Old friends will be reunited, new friendships will begin across the board, positions will be analysed long after matches have finished and stories from London will undoubtedly be retold at tournaments for years to come.
The boards will soon be open. The dice will be rolling. The clocks will be running. Let the games begin.
Venue: Mercure Hotel, Earls Court, London, SW6 1UD
Dates: 24–30 August 2026