Oliver Squire is one of the leading figures of the new generation of British backgammon. He holds the BMAB Grandmaster G2 title and ranked No. 10 in the world in the 2024 Giants of Backgammon list. Squire's journey is particularly interesting; unlike many established players, he did not begin his serious backgammon career decades ago. A few friendly games with his father in the summer of 2016 were enough to gradually introduce him to the professional world of backgammon.
Less than a decade later, his name appeared alongside championship victories at major events in Britain, the United States and international competitions. Winning both the main event and Super Jackpot at the 2024 California State Championship, winning Oasis 2025 Super Jackpot 3 and taking the Super Jackpot #1 title at the 2026 World Championship are among his achievements.
Who Is Oliver Squire?
Squire is from Britain and, according to his BMAB profile, started playing backgammon with his father in the summer of 2016. His initial motivation was very simple: he wanted to find a way to beat his father! Searching online for game strategies quickly introduced him to the technical depth of backgammon.
He then followed matches played by leading players around the world, particularly Masayuki Mochizuki, or Mochy, and tried to understand the logic behind professional players' moves. Squire's first tournament experience came at the Blackpool Imperial Cup 2017. In his debut, he advanced from a field of 102 players to the final 16, a start that showed his journey was not going to remain at the level of a few family games.
Grandmaster G2 and No. 10 in Giants of Backgammon
The Backgammon Masters Awarding Body, or BMAB, lists Squire as a Grandmaster G2. This title is based on technical performance and match data recorded in the BMAB system, placing him among the high-level players recognized by the organization.
Another major milestone came in 2024. In the Giants of Backgammon 2024 list, Squire made a significant leap to No. 10 in the world. The official list shows him ranked ahead of players such as Hideaki Ueda, Jörgen Granstedt and Akiko Yazawa. Reaching the top 10 of the Giants further strengthened his position on the international backgammon scene.
Oliver Squire's Major Championships
A significant part of Squire's development came from 2022 onward. His BMAB profile lists victories at the Blackpool Imperial Cup 2022 and the UK Open Super Jackpot 2022 among his major results. That same year, he also finished runner-up in the Super Jackpot at the Merit Open.
In 2024, Squire experienced one of the best weekends of his professional career at the California State Backgammon Championship. The U.S. Backgammon Federation records that he won both the ABT Open and the Super Jackpot at the event. Alex Toth finished runner-up in the main event, while John Rockwell took second place in the Super Jackpot.
Blackpool Imperial Cup: Champion, 2022
UK Open Super Jackpot: Champion, 2022
Merit Open Super Jackpot: Runner-up, 2022
California State Championship ABT Open: Champion, 2024
California State Championship Super Jackpot: Champion, 2024
Oasis International Backgammon Cup Super Jackpot 3: Champion, 2025
Backgammon World Championship Super Jackpot #1: Champion, 2026
Winning the Super Jackpot at the 2026 World Championship
One of Squire's most important recent results came in Monte Carlo. He won Super Jackpot #1 at the Backgammon World Championship 2026. The event featured 96 players and was held from July 25 to August 2 alongside the World Championship in Monaco.
Squire finished ahead of Gili Davidovich of Israel to claim the title, while Nadjib Kawkab of Germany finished third. This result ranks among Squire's most important international victories through 2026.
Oasis 2025 Victory and Continued Success
Before his Monte Carlo success, Squire also achieved an important result at the Oasis 2025 International Backgammon Cup. WBGF records him as the winner of the Super Jackpot 3 at the event.
This result, together with his two California State Championship victories, shows that Squire's success is not limited to a single tournament or country. In recent years, he has maintained a consistent presence at events across Europe, the United States and various international competitions, producing major results along the way.
Team Achievements with Britain
Squire's record is not limited to individual competitions. He was a member of the British team at the World Team Championship 2021 in Trier, Germany, where Britain finished runner-up.
A year later, Squire was again part of the British team at the 2022 World Team Championship in Venice. Britain finished third that year. As a result, he reached the podium with his country in two consecutive editions of the World Team Championship.
From 2016 to the World's Elite
What makes Oliver Squire's journey particularly interesting is the speed of his progress. There was little time between his first games with his father in the summer of 2016 and his first tournament appearance in 2017. A few years later came domestic and international championships, and in 2024 his name reached No. 10 in the Giants of Backgammon.
The Grandmaster G2 title, his simultaneous victories in two sections of the California State Championship and his 2026 World Championship Super Jackpot victory provide a clear picture of his current standing. Squire is now one of Britain's best-known players, and his results in recent years show that his presence at major tournaments should be taken seriously.
Conclusion
Oliver Squire's story is an interesting example of a journey that began with curiosity about game strategy and reached the highest levels of competitive backgammon in less than a decade. From reaching the final 16 at his first tournament to ranking No. 10 in the Giants of Backgammon and winning a World Championship Super Jackpot, his progress has been step by step.
Among his recent achievements, winning both sections of the California State Championship, taking the Oasis 2025 Super Jackpot 3 title and winning World Championship Super Jackpot #1 in 2026 stand out the most. Oliver Squire's name is no longer found only among Britain's leading players; he has established himself among the recognized figures of world backgammon.