Livestream of The WBIF Online Women's World Championship Semi-Finals

Kara Schultz and Leyla Zaloutskaya will compete in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Backgammon Internet Federation (WBIF) Online Women's World Championship on Monday, December 11, at 7 PM EST.

Come join the Backgammon. Winning. Women. Zoom session and watch this contest between two of the top U.S. women backgammon players, along with expert commentary by Roberto Litzenberger.

Kara Schultz has skyrocketed to the top levels of backgammon since winning the California State Novice division in 2018. She won the first U.S. Women’s Online National Championship in 2020 and a spot on the Women’s USA Team. The team won the Genud Cup against the UK Women’s Team. This year she placed 3rd/4thin the Paul Dingell Amateur Jackpot at the LA Open in June and won the Wonder Woman Jackpot. In 2022 she won the NY Metro Open Lady Liberty Cup, garnering the Women in Backgammon cash prize and a backgammon travel board, as well as capturing the NY Metro Limited Jackpot. She placed 3rd/4th in the California State ABT Open and 2nd in the Limited Jackpot in Las Vegas. She tied for 8th-12th in the Inaugural WBIF Online World Women’s Championship in 2022. She and her coach Jonah Seewald won the Doubles event at the 2021 Wild West Shootout. She has done well in ABT Online! events as well – winning the 2020 LA Open Online Advanced division, 3rd/4th in the Beale Street Blues Online in 2021 and tied for 3rd in the 2020 Denver Wild West Open. She is a member of the

Board of Directors of the U.S. Backgammon Federation.

Leyla Zaloutskaya has a number of prestigious backgammon accomplishments. In her very first Masters division appearance, she was finalist to grandmaster Sebastian Wilkinson at the 2016 Bristol Open. Since then, she has placed first or second in numerous Masters division contests, earned Women’s titles, and won Doubles events. Among her many Masters-level distinctions, she split 1st/2ndplace at the 2022 Jamaica Championship with partner Michael Neagu (Canada), and was finalist in both the 2017 Texas Championships and the 2017 Las Vegas Open losing narrowly to Matt Cohn-Geier, propelling her to 4th place in the 2017 ABT points race. Her Women’s Prizes include winning the 2023 5th Merit Open Montenegro Grand Prix Ladies Prize in the Masters Division and semi-finalist in the Ladies event.  She won the Ladies event at the 3rd Northern Cyprus Limak Open Backgammon Championship in Famagusta in 2019.  She won the 2023 Cherry Blossom Women in Backgammon Cup. Among her Doubles events titles, she placed 1st in the Doubles event at the 2023 Atlanta Spring Classic with partner Michael Neagu (Canada). With partner Blake Fleetwood she won the 2017 Viking Classic Open and the 2018 California State Championship. They were semi-finalists in Doubles in the 42nd Backgammon World Championship in Monte Carlo. Leyla has served for many years as President of the New York Athletic Club. She was the winner of 2010 New York City Mayor’s Cup Backgammon Championship.

The semi-final match of the 2023 U.S. Online Women’s National Championship between between the semi-finalists Karen Davis and Tiffany Van will be livestreamed Thursday, December 14 at 7 pm EST.

The winner will play Leyla Zaloutskaya for the U.S. Championship.