Championship Race Begins with 111 Opening-Round Fixtures
With the release of the Round 1 draw for the 25th Cyprus Open main bracket, the opening matchups of this international tournament have been set. According to the published schedule, 111 matches have been arranged for the first round, pitting 222 competitors against one another.
The announcement of the Round 1 schedule marks the official start of competition for players gathered for one of the premier fixtures on the international backgammon calendar. From seasoned veterans and household names to emerging contenders, every entrant must overcome their first opponent to advance along the tournament bracket.
Several Iranian competitors have also learned their opening opponents. Matchups pitting Iranian players against competitors from Turkey, Germany, Lebanon, Israel, and other nations highlight the opening-round program.
Opening-Round Matchups for Iranian Competitors
The announced schedule features several notable pairings involving Iranian players, including the following fixtures:
Hamidreza Shahrokhi vs. Minh Nguyen
Rambiz Khalili Yazdi vs. Bahman Sadeghi
MOTI ITALY vs. Berk Eksioglu
Amirhossein Motarjem vs. Fabrizio Lo Surdo
Hamid Esmaeili vs. Recep Gunbakan
Farhad Heydari vs. Amir Eshraghi
Mehrdad Goodarzi vs. Pouya Rajabi
Amin Shahvalizadeh vs. Wissam Karam
Arash Afrouzian vs. Hasan Serov
Houman Khatami vs. Nurettin Sizmaz
Behzad Ahmadi vs. Kemal Erdem
Amirali Tavakoli vs. Dag Ekmark
Mohammad Javad Shams vs. Mertcan Uslu
Sina Azarhoush vs. Adnan Tayfur
Shahin Nejat vs. Akin Aman
These fixtures represent only a portion of the opening round, with the complete schedule featuring many more Iranian contenders. The outcomes of this stage will provide an initial picture of how Iranian competitors stand within the main bracket.
Notable Clashes Among International Contenders
Beyond the Iranian fixtures, several other encounters have drawn the attention of backgammon enthusiasts.
Shai Asaraf takes on Aykut Keskin in the opening round, a notable clash given Asaraf's impressive form in recent speedgammon play. Mario Wakim begins his tournament against Rad Malekniazi.
Honza Cerny faces Nikos Sofocleous, while Gil Davidovich meets Atanas Tachev. In other fixtures, Leonid Riskin squares off against Gia Rizinashvili, and Juergen Orlowski competes against Hakan Bozkurt.
Additionally, Jason Champion is matched against Mehmet Akis, and Alicem Dincer faces Ali Cetinbelen in another scheduled clash.
The announcement of these pairings does not imply guaranteed winners. Outcomes will be decided on the board, and in Round 1, even the most experienced players must earn their progression from scratch.
Following Round 1 Action
With opponents confirmed, attention shifts to the opening dice rolls and the recording of initial scores. Round 1 will clarify the tournament path for many competitors and register the first major shifts on the bracket board.
For the Iranian delegation, advancing through this opening stage is crucial. Fielding a large contingent provides an excellent opportunity to gauge their performance against international rivals. Nonetheless, evaluating ultimate prospects or title odds remains premature before match results are posted.
The complete schedule and live match updates can be tracked via the official FTBgsystem platform.
Overview
With the release of the 25th Cyprus Open opening-round draw, the battle to reach the championship stages has officially begun. The schedule outlines 111 fixtures as Iranian players and international competitors discover their first hurdles.
From Hamid Esmaeili facing Recep Gunbakan and Amin Shahvalizadeh playing Wissam Karam to Shai Asaraf dueling Aykut Keskin, Round 1 features a compelling slate of backgammon action. Enthusiasts now await the opening results to see which players take a decisive first step.