With a stunning view of the Manhattan skyline in the background, Lee Genud, the 1981 backgammon world champion, was inducted into the American Backgammon Hall of Fame. It is American backgammon’s most prestigious award! She was inducted along with Wilcox Snellings who went on the next day to win the New York Metropolitan Open Championship and Lewis DeYoung, who created the Backgammon World Championship and directed prestigious tournaments in Europe and the Bahamas.
As Karen Davis, co-founder of Women’s World of Backgammon, noted in her introduction of Lee at the awards ceremony held at the Hyatt on the Hudson in the New York City metropolitan area on January 6, “Lee Genud has been a courageous path-breaker all her life! She has been an inspiration to women backgammon players – for the quality of her play, her fearlessness and willingness to take chances, and her competitive spirit – while charming one and all with her warm smile and gregarious personality.
“She arrived on the world stage when she won the Backgammon World Championship in 1981. During the backgammon heyday in the 1970s, she toured the U.S. promoting backgammon and major sponsors, including television appearances in seven cities.
“She directed backgammon clubs in California and New York and taught thousands of students to play the game. Most recently, she has been presenting seminars at backgammon clubs and giving backgammon lessons in Palm Beach, Florida. She won the 2023 WWB Palm Beach Women’s Classic and finished second to Backgammon World Champion Katie Scalamandre in the Inaugural WWB Palm Beach Women’s Classic Tournament (2022), where she was honored at a brunch at a Palm Beach private club.
She paved the way, and women players all over the world are grateful for what she demonstrated and accomplished.”
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