Joe Russell (backgammon)

Joseph Russell is a professional backgammon player from Los Angeles, California. He is a founding sponsor and a member of the board of directors of the U.S. Backgammon Federation, where he serves on its Executive Committee and is chairman of its Education Committee. He organized and directed the first national collegiate backgammon championships on behalf of the U.S. Backgammon Federation. He was a teacher/coach for the UCLA backgammon team that won the national collegiate backgammon championship in 2011.

He is a former World Champion. The backgammon titles he has won include:

• the American Backgammon Tour Championship in 1995;
• the Rio Pro-Am of 1999;
• the Backgammon World Championship held in Monaco in 1989;
• the 2015 U.S. Open Backgammon Championship.