Tobias Hellwag is one of the best-known and most experienced figures in German backgammon. Three titles and rankings above all demonstrate his standing: winner of the International German Championship 2011, holder of the BMAB Grandmaster G3 title, and 26th in the world in the 2024 Giants of Backgammon. Hellwag has competed in international tournaments for years and continues to appear in major tournament fields across Europe and the world.
His recent results also show that his long career is not based solely on past achievements. Finishing runner-up at the Arabian Grand Prix 2025, fourth at the Grand Pasha Open 2026, reaching the top group at the Cyprus Open 2026, and finishing fifth in the Main at the Oasis 2026 tournament are among his most notable recent results.
Who Is Tobias Hellwag?
Hellwag is a German player and one of the veteran figures on the international backgammon scene. His history with the game dates back to his teenage years, and over the years he has traveled to different countries to compete in tournaments and play against professional players.
Today, his name appears in the BMAB system as well as in WBGF and German rankings. This combination is important because Hellwag's professional standing does not come from a single result or tournament; it is backed by a long history of competing at a high level.
International German Championship 2011 Winner
One of the most important titles of Hellwag's professional career came in 2011. The official list of Backgammon Deutschland champions records him as the International German Champion 2011.
In the historical results of the competition, Tobias Hellwag finished first, with Rogier van Gemert of the Netherlands as runner-up. Christoph Wagener and Norbert Lisiecki shared third place. This championship remains one of the most important titles in Hellwag's career and should not be overlooked when presenting his professional profile.
No. 26 in the 2024 Giants of Backgammon
In the Giants of Backgammon 2024 list, Tobias Hellwag was ranked 26th in the world. He had been ranked 34th in the 2022 list, moving up eight places in the 2024 edition.
Giants of Backgammon is a ranking based on votes from Championship players and tournament directors and differs from points-based systems such as WBGF. Hellwag's 26th-place position on this list demonstrates how highly he is regarded within the professional backgammon community.
BMAB Grandmaster G3 Title
The Backgammon Masters Awarding Body also lists Hellwag as a Grandmaster G3. According to the current BMAB data, his PR is 3.8546, with 314 recorded matches used for his title evaluation.
The BMAB title is based on analysis of the quality of a player's decisions in recorded matches and differs from tournament results alone. For this reason, the Grandmaster G3 title, combined with his championships and Giants ranking, provides a more complete picture of Hellwag's playing level.
Arabian Grand Prix 2025 Runner-Up
One of Hellwag's most notable recent results came in December 2025 at the Arabian Grand Prix in Dubai. The event's main backgammon field consisted of 154 players, and Hellwag advanced all the way to the final.
In the final, Masayuki Mochizuki of Japan defeated Hellwag 9–3 to win the title. Hellwag finished as the Championship Main runner-up, an important result against one of the strongest international fields of the year.
Grand Sapphire Open 2025 Result
An important correction is necessary regarding the Northern Cyprus Grand Sapphire Open 2025. Contrary to some initial lists, Hellwag did not win this tournament. WBGF results and tournament reports record him in fifth place in the Championship Main.
Arash Afroozian won the event, Sebastian Wilkinson finished second, while Hamid Esmaeili and Mikayel Vardanyan followed in the next positions. Recording this result accurately is important; Hellwag's career already contains enough verified titles that there is no need to add an unconfirmed championship.
Fourth Place at the Grand Pasha Open 2026
In April 2026, Hellwag finished fourth at the 4th Grand Pasha Open in Northern Cyprus. The tournament featured 87 players, and Shahin Nejat of Iran won the title.
Andre Abi Haidar finished second and Julian Becker third, while Hellwag took fourth place. FTB data records six wins and two losses for him in this tournament. A few days later, he also achieved another strong result at the Cyprus Open.
Top Finish at the Cyprus Open 2026
At the 24th Cyprus Open 2026, Hellwag finished in the sixth-to-seventh-place range in the 138-player Main field. Murat Hazır won the event, with Dagfinn Snarheim finishing runner-up.
Hellwag and Ali Haydar Bayar shared the sixth-to-seventh-place group. He recorded eight wins and three losses in the tournament, a result achieved only a few days after his fourth-place finish at the Grand Pasha Open.
Hellwag's Key Results in 2026
2026 has brought several notable appearances for Hellwag in major tournament fields. At the Georgian Grand Prix, he finished fifth in the Super Jackpot Main, and in September of the same year he also placed fifth in the Oasis International Backgammon Cup Championship Main.
The WBGF profile continuously records his recent results. His most important 2026 finishes include:
Grand Pasha Open: Fourth place
Cyprus Open Championship Main: Sixth-seventh place
Georgian Grand Prix Super Jackpot: Fifth place
Oasis International Backgammon Cup Championship Main: Fifth place
Tobias Hellwag's Position in the WBGF Rankings
In the WBGF ranking dated September 28, 2026, Hellwag was ranked 13th in the world with 1,234.99 points. Among German players, only Dirk Schiemann had more points, placing Hellwag second in Germany.
These figures change over time as new results are added to the system. For example, the WBGF ranking displayed on October 3, 2026, still showed Hellwag as the second-ranked German player. His Grandmaster G3 title is also listed alongside his name.
Sixth in the German National Ranking
The September 2026 Deutscher Backgammon-Verband ranking placed Tobias Hellwag sixth in Germany. His ELO in this ranking was 1736.4, with an Experience score of 3,731.
Dirk Schiemann, Kimon Papachristopoulos, Volker Sonnabend, Peter Naguib, and Mario Kühl were the five players ranked above him. The difference between his domestic and WBGF positions is natural because the two systems use different criteria and sets of results.
Tobias Hellwag's Major Achievements
Hellwag has been competing at the highest level of international backgammon for more than a decade. For his professional profile, three key indicators stand out: his German championship, Grandmaster title, and Giants ranking. His more recent results also show that he has not stepped away from top-level competition.
International German Championship: Winner in 2011
Giants of Backgammon 2024: 26th in the world
BMAB: Grandmaster G3
Gibraltar Backgammon Championship: Championship Main winner in 2024
Arabian Grand Prix Championship Main: Runner-up in 2025
Northern Cyprus Grand Sapphire Open: Fifth place in 2025
Grand Pasha Open: Fourth place in 2026
Cyprus Open: Sixth-seventh place in 2026
Georgian Grand Prix Super Jackpot: Fifth place in 2026
Oasis 2026 Championship Main: Fifth place
Final Words
Tobias Hellwag is best introduced through his specific and measurable achievements: 2011 International German Champion, Grandmaster G3, and No. 26 in the 2024 Giants of Backgammon. These three credentials alone demonstrate that he is one of the most experienced figures in German backgammon.
Alongside these achievements, his 2024 Gibraltar championship, 2025 Arabian Grand Prix final, and several strong results in 2026 show that Hellwag remains a serious competitor in major tournaments. Years have passed since his German championship, but the name Tobias Hellwag continues to appear near the top of international tournament standings.