once more behind the sand dunes
...
The tournament drew a record 29 entrants this year, largely
because of the flexible scheduling format instituted by GM Jonathan
Lockwood. In another change, bidding for supplies became mandatory
if players wanted the same side, while the controversial "reroll
rule" was made optional this year, and will not be included
next year. Surprisingly enough, overall play balance continued
to tilt in favor of the British, with the British winning 15
matches to the Axis 9! Five of the nine Axis victories would
be won by eventual finalists Jonathan Lockwood (3) and Lane Newbury
(2), a veteran player from the 1970s who returned to the WBC
2001 for his first tournament in nearly two decades.
Round One saw several upsets, among them former two-time champion
Gregory Smith falling to newcomer Michael Day's Axis forces,
and Steve Packwood coming up short against Michael Mitchell's
British defense. GM Lockwood's match against Ken Whitesell saw
Whitesell giving Lockwood two German supplies to keep him from
employing his Paleveda Gambit as the British. This proved fatal,
as the Axis stormed to victory by August 1941. Other Round One
survivors included Lane Newbury (Axis), Phil Evans (British),
Ed Menzel (British), Steve Likevich (British), Bruno Sinigaglio
(British), James Pyle (Germans), Tim Miller (British), John
Clarke (British), Johnny Hasay (British), and Victor F Hogen
(British). Bill Scott advanced on a bye.
Round Two saw GM Lockwood employing the Paleveda Gambit to
deadly effect against Hasay's Axis, defeating him in July 1941
with an encirclement around Tobruch aided by the Gambit forces
in Cyrenaica. In other matches, Evans (British) defeated Pyle
(Axis), Menzel (British) defeated Clarke (Axis), Likevich (Axis)
defeated Hogen (British), Sinigaglio (Axis) defeated Miller (British),
and Bill Scott (British) defeated Michael Day (Axis).
Round Three once again had Steve Likevich giving GM Lockwood
two German supplies to keep him from using the Paleveda Gambit
as the British. And again Lockwood used the supply advantage
to decisive effect, compelling Likevich to concede in June 1941
as the Axis forces stormed virtually unimpeded toward Alexandria
after sealing off Tobruch. Meanwhile, Lane Newbury scored the
upset of the tournament, stunning top-ranked Bruno Sinigaglio
with a tenacious British defense. Phil Evans advanced to the
semifinals on a forfeit, with Ed Menzel advancing in the other
bracket on a bye.
Round Four had only one match, as Lane Newbury advanced by
forfeit over Ed Menzel, who had to choose between continuing
in VIP or AFK. It would prove to be a wise choice. Lockwood
faced off against Phil Evans, who again bid to give the Germans
a two supply advantage to deny Lockwood the use of the Paleveda
Gambit. Lockwood scored a decisive victory in June 1941 by taking
Alexandria, forcing Evans to concede once the siege of Tobruch
became inevitable.
The final was another classic, with Lockwood bidding one German
supply to take the British. Newbury accepted, and employed an
extreme southern opening with the 21st Panzer. Lockwood stymied
this with the Paleveda Gambit, and prevented the Axis from advancing
to the Tobruch perimeter until June II 1941. Newbury, however,
had perfect supplies to this point, and was in excellent position.
Looking for a knockout blow, Lockwood overran the 21/3 near
Knightsbridge, encircling most of the Afrika Korps and destroying
two supplies. Newbury found a counterattack combination that
enabled him to break the encirclement. Lockwood responded with
a 2-1 surrounded counterattack that destroyed Ariete, but with
substantial British casualties. After another two turns of furious
attack and counterattack, Lockwood conceded in July II 1941,
giving Lane Newbury his first (and well earned) WBC wood!
|