Winning a major backgammon tournament is a special achievement for any player, but when that championship comes in Dubai after overcoming one of the best players in the world, its significance is doubled.
After navigating a difficult path through the Dubai competition, Omur defeated Dirk Schiemann in a thrilling match and lifted the championship trophy. The final initially saw Omur take a 5-0 lead, but Schiemann fought back to 6-6, eventually pushing the match to a DMP game.
In an interview, Omur spoke about his feelings before the final, the decisive moments of the match, facing Dirk Schiemann, and what this championship means to him.
How did Omur feel before the final against Dirk Schiemann?
Omur has regularly competed in international tournaments in recent years, and that experience has helped him maintain greater control over his nerves in the later stages of competitions, especially in streamed matches.
However, he also carried a painful memory from the previous year. Omur had come close to winning the Merit Middle East 2025 final but was unable to take the trophy.
According to him, losing a final is part of life and part of backgammon, but reaching the final stage of a tournament and losing the trophy can be very frustrating.
Even so, having Dirk Schiemann in the final was something special for him. Omur knew he was facing one of the best players in the world and even says that if he had to defeat someone for the championship, he would have wanted that player to be Dirk.
He viewed the match as an opportunity to test himself against one of the strongest players on the international backgammon scene and believed that winning such a major tournament against a player of this caliber would be an indescribable honor and source of joy.
How did the Dubai final unfold?
From Omur's perspective, this was the calmest and least stressful competition he had experienced throughout his professional career. For most of the tournament, there were no major swings in the score or game positions, and he reached DMP only twice, one of those occasions being this final.
Omur made an excellent start and took the score to 5-0. But Dirk Schiemann gradually fought his way back into the match and brought the score to 6-6. At that point, Omur stepped away from the match for a few minutes. He went to his room, reviewed the match stream, and realized that Dirk was playing at around 0.30 PR at that moment.
This made Omur think about how he could withstand such a level of performance. However, after the break he returned to the table and tried to reset his mindset to the beginning of the match.
One of the final's most important moments: a cubed gammon
One of the turning points of the match came at 6-6, when Omur managed to win a cubed gammon against Dirk. The result had a major psychological impact on him and gave him greater confidence.
After that, Omur had several opportunities to finish the match but could not close it out. The score later reached 10-8, and the match entered a stage with significantly greater psychological pressure.
The moment Omur felt he was losing the title
In the game after Crawford, Omur found himself in a situation where he was at serious risk of losing a cubed gammon. He says this was the first time throughout the entire tournament that he felt the championship was slipping away from him.
However, contrary to expectations, he managed to save the gammon. From Omur's perspective, this was one of the most important moments of the entire tournament. Saving the gammon under such difficult circumstances allowed the match to reach DMP, leaving the championship to be decided in the final stage. Ultimately, Omur took the last step as well and claimed the title.
How was playing against Dirk Schiemann different?
This final was the first tournament match between Omur and Dirk Schiemann. Before the match, Omur knew very well that he was about to face one of the best players in the world. He even described playing against Dirk as being similar to playing against a machine, but that very difficulty made the potential championship even more valuable to him.
During the match, Omur closely observed Dirk's approach to analyzing positions and making quick decisions, and after the match he emphasized that he currently considers him the best player in the world.
At the same time, an important part of Omur's comments concerned his respect for Dirk. In addition to his technical skill, he praised Dirk's sportsmanship and character at the table, saying that he feels fortunate to have played against him in such a major tournament.
The end of the match became a lasting memory for Omur. He says he still remembers the final roll of the match clearly. After shaking hands with his opponent, he covered his face and said to himself:
"You finally did it."
For a player who had waited a long time for such an opportunity, this moment was more than an ordinary victory. According to Omur, winning a tournament of this size may not happen for many players for years, and some players may never get the opportunity to win such a title.
What was the secret behind Omur's championship?
Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of Omur's championship story is that he felt more mentally prepared for this tournament than ever before, despite having done very little practice.
Before traveling to Dubai, he had told his wife just one thing:
"I really miss playing backgammon; I just want to play a lot."
Omur had not participated in a live tournament for around four months, and his main preparation was limited to taking part in an online tournament. Nevertheless, he believes that this renewed desire to play had a major impact on his performance.
He also speaks about the "positive energy" that stayed with him from before the start of the competition until the very last moment. Of course, Omur does not attribute his success solely to this. He sees himself as a competitive and combative player who does not give up on a match even when he is facing a significant score deficit.
In his view, one of his greatest strengths is that he approaches every game with the same focus and mindset he had in the first game of the match.
The significance of the Dubai championship for Omur
Omur had previously achieved strong results in various tournaments, but none of them could compare with this championship in terms of size and importance. The large number of participants and the tournament's substantial prize made this title especially meaningful to him.
He describes his championship as a combination of pride, luck, and a special feeling. But perhaps his best description of the achievement is the sentence he chose for his fans:
"Being a champion is amazing, but becoming a champion in Dubai is valuable."
Omur's next step: the Merit tournament in Cyprus
Omur's adventure in Dubai is not going to be the end of the road. He has announced that his next destination will be the 13th Merit Backgammon International Tournament in Cyprus. His goal, as always, is clear: to win the championship.
However, Omur knows very well that in a long backgammon tournament, skill alone is not enough and luck can also play an important role.
For that reason, he says his first goal is to enjoy the competition, and after that, he hopes to bring another trophy home.
Conclusion
Omur's championship in Dubai is not simply another title on his résumé. It was the result of getting through an extremely difficult final, with his opponent coming back from 5-0, resisting psychological pressure, saving a crucial gammon, and ultimately winning at DMP.
The showdown with Dirk Schiemann also gave the story greater significance. Omur not only managed to defeat one of the most powerful players in the world, but also describes the match as one of the most valuable experiences of his professional career.
Now it remains to be seen how the Dubai champion will perform at the Merit tournament in Cyprus and whether he can soon add another trophy to his collection of achievements.