The illustrious list of winners of the title of 3-cushion billiards world champion has been enriched by a completely new name. Phuong Vinh Bao, until recently a totally unknown billiard player from Vietnam, grabbed the 2023 world three cushion billiard title at the tournament held in Ankara, Turkey.
In a demonstration of skill and class, Tayfun Tasdemir has won the 2022 UMB 3-cushion world title. In Donghae City, South-Korea, he defeated Ruben Legazpi in a one-sided final: 50-14 in 15/14 innings. For Turkiye, it had been a nineteen-year wait since Semih Sayginer was world champion in 2003.
Pedro Piedrabuena defeated long-time rival and former champion Miguel Torres to win his 11th USBA 3-Cushion National Championship title.
His play throughout the event was nearly perfect and included an incredible come-from-behind victory against Kang Lee in the penultimate Semi-final round.
In a recent interview with Yonhap News Agency, World No. 1 ranked Torbjorn Blomdahl declared South Korea as a 3-cushion billiards utopia. With five World Union of Billiards (UMB) World Championships, nine European titles and 43 World Cup wins, Blomdahl is regarded as one of the greatest carom billiards players of his generation. He now lives near Stuttgart, Germany, but the three-time UMB Player of the Year feels South Korea is his real home.
Many of our readers will already know this, but it's important to remember that not all billiard chalk is created equal. Some brands just don't seem to stick, leaving a mess all over your hands, ball, and table. And there are so many different types of chalk for sale at the moment, it can be extremely difficult to know what to get.
Here's how to find the right chalk for three-cushion billiards.
Vietnamese cueist Nguyen Quoc Nguyen, 35, started participating in professional billiards tournaments when he was close to 30, but despite the late start, he has made his mark internationally. Viet Nam News interviewed Nguyen and delivers a personal perspective on this up-and-coming world class player.