Cape Town’s Doron Claxton has turned a familiar coffee table game into a moment of South African pride on the global stage.
Monte Carlo, Monaco (04 August 2025) – South Africans just have a way of turning the most ordinary things into something extraordinary. Take backgammon, a game we may remember from a coffee table at home, with dice and checkers sliding across the board. Thanks to Doron Claxton, this familiar, and to many others, ordinary game has carried South Africa all the way to the Backgammon World Championship final in Monte Carlo.
For Doron, this moment is a dream he never thought possible. Heading into the tournament, he never expected to get this far. In fact, Monte Carlo is his first-ever international tournament and the first time he has played live outside South Africa. Imagine the first time at a World Championship and you roll straight into the final. From a local Cape Town board to the world’s most prestigious backgammon stage.
Doron’s road to the final has been a dramatic journey. After a free pass in the first round, he faced a series of top players, including fellow Capetonian and defending South African Open champion Dirk Howsley, and Lebanese Grandmaster Toni Bernaba. His quarter-final against Chris Rogers was a test of nerves as he trailed 8-13 in a match to 17, he clawed his way back to win. The semi-final against Christoph Wagener brought more tension. Doron fell behind again but held his nerve, using a perfectly timed doubling cube to turn the match around and claim victory 17-14.
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In the final against Finland’s Timo Vaatainen, Doron fought bravely, with the crowd behind him and messages of support pouring in from friends and fans back home. In the end, the trophy slipped away, and he finished as the 2025 Backgammon World Championship runner-up, an achievement that has still made South African history.
This moment is also a proud milestone for the local backgammon community. While the game has long been played in small, passionate circles across the country, official recognition under Mind Sports South Africa is only now beginning. Cape Town Backgammon is preparing to become the first recognised club.
Doron’s journey from a homegrown player to a world finalist proves the biggest dreams can come true, even on your very first roll of the dice.
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