paths of glory [Updated August 2001]

POG  5 prizes Experienced Swiss Elim Continuous 
 
   9  Round 2 17    Round 3 9   Round 4 17  
  Round 5 Semi  Round 6 17 Final        

   Valley

David Dockter, MN

2001 Champion

2nd: Tom Drueding, FL

3rd: Pete Reese, VA

4th: Jim Falling, MI

5th: Michael Johnson, MA

6th: Ric Manns, IN
Event History
1991    None      -
1992    None      -
1993    None      -
1994    None      -
1995    None      -
1996    None      -
1997    None      -
1998    None      -
1999    Donald Stone     36
2000    Peter Reese     52
2001    David Dockter     34

AREA Ratings:

GM: Jim Falling

Return to the Trenches

Was POG at WBC 2001 a "POGfest" or a "POGmare"? That depends on who you talk to. The biggest difference this year was three rounds of full campaign game qualifying play, followed by three semi-final elimination rounds. For the brave, determined, POG finalists, David Dockter and Tom Drueding, that meant SIX eight-hour campaign games.

GM Jim Falling yields his baton to the tournament winner, David Dockter. David intends to seed pairings next year using previous tournament/AREA results and perhaps use a shorter scenario for qualifying rounds.

Contrary to the accepted theory, the CP won most of the 39 games with 51.3% CP victories, 41% Al victories, and 7.7% draw results. Twenty-six of the total games opened with the Guns of August event card play. Of these, 46% were CP victories. Of the six games that reported not using a GOA opening, half were CP victories. (Seven games did not report). This does not support the camp of players who believe that non-GOA is the only way to play the CP side.

About half of each side's victories ended prior to turn 10, showing that quick victories are possible. Only eight games were resolved after turn 15.

Game designer, Ted Raicer, was successfully able to play the Treaty of Brest Litovsk and knock Russia out of the war, a very rare event in this tournament.

David Dockter met last year's champion, Peter Reese in the semi-finals. David had a grudge to settle given that Peter had massacred David's Allied forces by turn 7 in a qualifying round. Now, as the CP, David dealt some revenge by clearing out the British forces in Basra. Peter responded with massive attrition on the West front, knocking David down to five German
armies. David was able to stabilize the west with big replacement card plays and then moved to the East. Since Sinai and Allenby were somewhat delayed, David took Egypt with the TU YLD army and German support. He was also able to cause the Fall of the Tsar, although just missing the extra points due to a neutral entry by Romania. Peter conceded on Turn 18, realizing it would be difficult to regain the five VP lost in the Near East.

David again played the CP side in the finals against an undefeated AL player, Tom Drueding. During their game, most of the action again happened in the East and Near East. Tom tried a stunning attack using the MEF and British corps to land at Gallipolli and assault Constantinople. He didn't hold back and played both Limited War 5/5 cards, Italy and Romania, to take Gallipoli. Alas, Tom's four-corps table attack on Constantinople vs. a five-corps table defense failed and the Turks were saved. David again used his Turkish army with German advisors to clean out Egypt. Later he was able to batter the
Russians and force the Tsar's Fall. Tom conceded on T15.

 GM      Jim Falling  [1st Year]   2326 Elmwood SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 
    jimbofal@aol.com   (NA)

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