Falafel is the 2007 Giant of Backgammon

Matvey "Falafel" Natanzon of Israel topped the Giants of Backgammon list for 2007. Falafel was chosen by 120 backgammon players and tournaments directors from around the world as the best active player in the backgammon world. The second spot was captured by American Nack Ballard and François Tardieu of France settled in the third spot. 

Israeli backgammon player Matvey Natanzon, known around the backgammon circuit as "Falafel", was named the best backgammon player for 2006-2007. In the 2005 Giants of Backgammon Falafel was ranked at number 4, while the 2005 Backgammon Giant, Nack Ballard of California slid into the second place. 

The Giants of Backgammon is a tradition started out 15 years ago by Yamin Yamin, a backgammon player of Illinois. Every two years, the top 64 active backgammon players in the world are chosen by international championship or open division backgammon players and tournaments directors. The 32 top Giants of Backgammon are awarded in a special event in Las Vegas. 

The ballots for the 2007 Giants of Backgammon were sent by 120 members of the worldwide backgammon community. 297 backgammon players from different countries were nominated to the prestigious list. Richard Munitz (no. 30), Goetz Hildsberg (no. 52), Philip Vischjager (60) and Stick Rice were the new entrants to the Giants of Backgammon. 

Matvey "Falafel" Natanzon was born in 1968 in Russia, immigrated to Israel at the age of 3 and to Buffalo, New York at 10. As a young adult, Natanzon was a second rate chess hustler who lived in the park and earned enough money for falafel meals, that's were he got his nickname. Luckily, his backgammon skills were above the average and he made a successful career as a pro backgammon player. Most recently, Falafel took part in the 2008 Nordic Open Backgammon Championship.