Team USA defeats Iran in the final at the WBGF World Team Championship in London, capturing the world title in women's backgammon

Backgammon.com, the modern platform dedicated to making backgammon a global cultural force, today celebrated Team USA's Women's Team on winning the 2026 WBGF World Team Championship, held August 24–27, 2026, in London, England. Backgammon.com was a proud sponsor of both of Team USA's national squads at the championship — the Open Team and the Women's Team — with its support announced earlier this year as part of the company's strategic partnership with the U.S. Backgammon Federation (USBGF).

Team USA's women's squad advanced through the tournament bracket, defeating England and Norway en route to the final, where they met Iran for the world championship. In a closely contested finals round, Melissa Shin defeated Catherine Thome 15–14 and Irina Litzenberger defeated Afsaneh Koohestani 15–4, securing the title for the United States despite Kara Schultz's 7–15 loss to Zhina Bergström.

The victory marks another world championship for the program and comes just months after Backgammon.com and the USBGF announced their strategic partnership to elevate competitive backgammon globally — an alliance built specifically to support Team USA on the world stage and expand the sport's reach to new audiences.

2026 Women's Team USA Roster

Lynda Clay (Captain), Kara Schultz, Irina Litzenberger, Melissa Shin, Karen Davis, Wendy Kaplan, and Marcy Kossar represented the United States at the championship.

2026 Open Team USA Roster

Backgammon.com's sponsorship also backed Team USA's Open Team, which advanced through seven rounds of preliminary play before falling to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. The Open Team roster included Gerry Tansey, Joe Urso, Steve Sax, John O'Hagan, Petko Kostadinov, Dmitriy Obukhov, and Thomas Keisler.

"We were proud to sponsor both Team USA squads at this year's championship, and to see our Women's Team bring home the world title is exactly why we do this," said John Accardi, CEO, Backgammon.com. "Congratulations to Lynda, Kara, Irina, Melissa, Karen, Wendy, and Marcy on becoming world champions, and to our Open Team — Gerry, Joe, Steve, John, Petko, Dmitriy, and Thomas — for representing the U.S. with pride all week. This is the kind of story we started Backgammon.com to help tell, and we can't wait to bring more of it to a global audience."

“Participating in the 2026 World Team Championships was an experience like none other. The camaraderie shared by the team with one another, as well our competitors, strengthened my love for the game. The support we received from the backgammon community, the USBGF and Backgammon.com was invaluable, both emotionally and monetarily. The financial support made a difference: enabling more than one of our team members to be able to make the trip to the tournament. As well as increasing our visibility across the Globe. Our win was truly a team effort, and I could not be any prouder to have been a member of the 2026 USA Women's Team.”

— Marcy Kossar, 2026 WBGF World Team Championship, Team USA Women's Team

About Backgammon.com

Backgammon.com is a modern platform built to elevate backgammon globally by fostering human connection, inclusivity, and cultural relevance through the game. Built around friendship and accessibility, Backgammon.com is bringing backgammon into modern culture — one move at a time.

About the U.S. Backgammon Federation

The U.S. Backgammon Federation is a not-for-profit organization devoted to advancing backgammon as a social pastime and competitive mind sport. The USBGF supports players of all levels across the country, organizes the American Backgammon Tour, and represents the United States in international competition.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260924161950/en/

"We were proud to sponsor both Team USA squads at this year's championship, and to see our Women's Team bring home the world title is exactly why we do this," said John Accardi, CEO, Backgammon.com.