Thomas Meyer: The Undefeated Champion of the Cyprus Open
Seven rounds of competition concluded with Thomas Meyer claiming the top spot in the final Cyprus Open Speedgammon standings through a remarkably consistent run. The Danish player notched six victories without suffering a single defeat, alongside one bye recorded in his run.
A pivotal moment in Meyer's campaign was his head-to-head victory over Ivory Regva Demri in Round 7. Contested between the top two players on the leaderboard, Meyer emerged victorious with a 5-2 scoreline. This triumph capped off a dominant tournament performance and cemented his place at the summit of the standings.
In a competition demanding relentless focus across successive rounds, recording six victories without defeat is a stellar achievement. With this display, Meyer secured the best overall record on the tournament leaderboard.
Ivory Regva Demri: The Leader's Closest Challenger
Ivory Regva Demri claimed second place with five victories, one defeat, and one bye. He defeated Amin Shahvalizadeh 5-1 in Round 5 before taking on Thomas Meyer in the seventh round.
Despite the 5-2 loss to the eventual leader, Demri retained second place on the strength of his five wins. His tournament run showed he remained among the chief title contenders, even though the decisive direct clash went the Danish player's way.
Intense Battle for Top Leaderboard Spots
Behind the top two competitors, three contenders solidified spots in the top five. Aykut Keskin finished third with four wins, one defeat, and one bye. Gabi Menasherov placed fourth with four wins and one loss, while Amin Shahvalizadeh claimed fifth place with four wins and one defeat.
Keskin defeated Menasherov 5-3 in Round 5. He then pushed Thomas Meyer to the limit in Round 6, narrowly falling 5-4 in a nail-biter.
Despite the loss to Keskin, Menasherov racked up four victories in the table to remain among the top five. These results underlined that fierce competition extended well beyond the battle for first and second place.
Amin Shahvalizadeh's Tournament Performance
Amin Shahvalizadeh finished fifth in the standings with four victories and one defeat. One of his key milestones came in Round 3, where he defeated Fernando Neumark 5-3.
Shahvalizadeh followed up in Round 4 with a dominant 5-0 shutout in an all-Iranian clash against Amirhossein Motarjem. However, his streak ended in Round 5 with a 5-1 loss to Ivory Regva Demri.
A fifth-place finish placed Shahvalizadeh squarely among the tournament's top performers. Alongside him, several competitors finished with three wins, including Christoph Wagner, Ali Nasreddine, Behzad Ahmadi, and Amirhossein Motarjem.
Decisive Clashes Across the Final Three Rounds
The closing three rounds played a decisive role in shaping the final upper-bracket standings.
In Round 5, Aykut Keskin defeated Gabi Menasherov 5-3, and Ivory Regva Demri bested Amin Shahvalizadeh 5-1. Thomas Meyer was on a bye this round.
In Round 6, Thomas Meyer edged Aykut Keskin 5-4. Ending by a single point, this was one of the tightest contests of the championship stages. Ivory Regva Demri held the bye in this round.
Finally, in Round 7, Thomas Meyer defeated Ivory Regva Demri 5-2, closing out his title-winning campaign with a direct win against his closest rival.
Full Match Results: Rounds 5 Through 7
Round 5
Aykut Keskin 5–3 Gabi Menasherov
Amin Shahvalizadeh 1–5 Ivory Regva Demri
Bye: Thomas Meyer
Round 6
Aykut Keskin 4–5 Thomas Meyer
Bye: Ivory Regva Demri
Round 7
Thomas Meyer 5–2 Ivory Regva Demri
71 Players from 13 Countries Competed in Cyprus Open
The Cyprus Open Speedgammon brought together 71 competitors hailing from 13 nations. Iran led all delegations with 21 participants, followed by Turkey with 18 players.
Germany with eight competitors and Bulgaria with seven formed other well-represented contingents. Israel fielded five players and Sweden four, while Greece was represented by two entrants.
Russia, England, Argentina, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Lebanon each featured one player in the official field, reflecting the broad international footprint and geographic diversity of the tournament.
Final Top Five Standings
According to the official final leaderboard, the top five positions finished as follows:
1st Place: Thomas Meyer, Denmark, 6 wins, 0 losses, 1 bye
2nd Place: Ivory Regva Demri, 5 wins, 1 loss, 1 bye
3rd Place: Aykut Keskin, Turkey, 4 wins, 1 loss, 1 bye
4th Place: Gabi Menasherov, 4 wins, 1 loss
5th Place: Amin Shahvalizadeh, Iran, 4 wins, 1 loss
Tournament Conclusion: An Undefeated Champion Crowned
With the conclusion of seven rounds at the Cyprus Open Speedgammon, Thomas Meyer claimed the tournament's top record with six victories and zero defeats. Ivory Regva Demri took second place, while Aykut Keskin, Gabi Menasherov, and Amin Shahvalizadeh secured top-five honors.
Featuring 71 competitors from 13 nations, the event delivered thrilling clashes, emphatic clean sweeps, and tight battles at the top. Meyer's victory over Demri in the final round provided the defining moment of the championship stretch, cementing his status as the undisputed leader.
The Cyprus Open Speedgammon ended with an undefeated champion at the top, crowning Thomas Meyer as the star of this edition.