John Crawford

In this world it is tough enough to dominate in one area of life. Never again we will watch a World Series where the best hitter on the field was also the best pitcher as Babe Ruth was when he was playing for the Boston Red Sox. It is also just as unlikely that we will see anybody more feared across a card table as John Crawford.

When he was just a boy, Crawford was a prodigy at bridge. He managed to earn the nickname "the Boy Wonder" without having to don a pair of green briefs and hang out with a guy who dressed like a six foot bat. After a number of trophies in bridge, the brash young man remarked that "He only feared his opponent if his name was John Crawford."

After conquering the bridge world with the same malicious ease that Alexander conquered most of the real world, he set his sights on backgammon. Because many of the same analytical skills that made somebody good at bridge crossed over to backgammon, it was not long before he was dominating here as well. In 1965 he reached the sport's pinnacle by becoming the International Tournament Champion.

As he grew in experience and knowledge, he started to imagine ways to improve the game of backgammon. He was very soon among the most respected people the game has ever seen. Today anybody who plays the game is familiar with the rule named in his honor: the Crawford Rule.

His impact on the game of backgammon survived his death in 1976. He left behind him a legacy of winning, a number of innovations that we recognize as common fare in the game we play today, and a number of books that are not only guides on how to win, but also are a window into the mind of a consummate champion.