At 42 entrants, Risk enjoyed its second biggest year at WBC.	No former Laurelist graced this year's Final - a testament to the depth of the player pool or a condemnation of the skills required - or both.

This year's field of 42 players could have been three or four players larger and set an attendance record but not enough games were on hand, so a few players had to be turned away. There were seven 6-player games and three 5-player games in the two preliminary heats; 15 played in both rounds. The six finalists, in order of advancement, were Cary Morris (who had two wins in the preliminaries), Gary Schaefers, Keith Galbraith, John Long, John Henry and Richard Curtin.

SET-UP

Keith's blue based in Western US, Western Australia, Afghanistan, Southern Europe, Congo, North Africa and Egypt.

Gary's yellow occupied India, Ural, Northern Europe, Central America, Eastern US, Alberta and Greenland.

Cary's red started in New Guinea, China, Japan, Yakutsk, Middle East, Alaska and Brazil.

John Long's purple set up in Indonesia, Siam, Mongolia, Western Europe, Venezuela, Iceland and NW Territory.

John Henry's green were in Kamchatka, Irkutsk, Siberia, Ukraine, Scandinavia, Great Britain and Eastern Australia.

Richard's black started in Siam, East Africa, Madagascar, Quebec, Ontario, Peru and Argentina.

OPENING ROUNDS

The play was rather conservative in the first five rounds. Keith, after taking all of Australia and Siam on the first turn, concentrated on building up in southern and eastern Asia. Gary captured Great Britain and Scandinavia, Ontario, Quebec and Ukraine. Cary took two turns to conquer south America from Brazil; later made attacks into Alaska and adjacent NE Asia. John L focused mainly in the West of North America; but had minor operations in eastern Asia. John H concentrated his efforts in central Eurasia, settling by the end of this period with around 15 armies in S.Europe. Richard, who had split his forces between Quebec, E Africa and Argentina, withstood Cary's attempt to wipe the Argentines-- who then went through Brazil to N Africa on the first turn. He then took the next four turns to conquer all of Africa and Middle East.

In the sixth round all players turned in sets. Keith reinforced eastern Asia and took Irkutsk. Gary reinforced Great Britain and Scandinavia, taking N Europe. Cary put men in Brazil, Venezuela and Alaska; taking NW Territory. John L deployed purple armies in Siberia, Iceland, E & W US; taking Ural. John H put all of his men in S Europe (26 armies there now) and tried to take Richard out of the game; but the blacks in Africa fought well and green men abandoned the attempt with only five armies left in E Africa. Richard deployed black armies to N Africa; took Egypt and Madagascar.

ROUND 7: Keith cashed in the seventh card set (20 armies), reinforcing Irkutsk and Afghanistan; sweeping into Europe and E Africa to eliminate green. John Henry was relegated to 6th and took his leave.. Gary took Alberta from Ontario. Cary reinforced his large army in Venezuela; rattled his saber at John L in E & W US, took Alberta. John L added reinforcements to E US; made no attacks. Richard turned in the eighth card set; building up large armies in Africa and taking W Europe for a card.

ROUND 8: Keith added reinforcements in Kamchatka, Afghanistan, S Europe; took W Europe. Gary turned in the ninth card set (for 30);splitting forces between Ukraine, Great Britain and N Europe and took Iceland. Cary talked with Keith about an alliance to wipe John out in N America; he took W US. John added reinforcements and free moved from E US to Central America gathering 24 armies there. Richard, adding to his armies in N Africa, took W Europe.

ROUND 9: Keith turned in the tenth card set; building up in Mid East, Afghanistan, China and Kamchatka--took Japan. Gary reinforced Great Britain; took W Europe. Cary turned in the 11th card set (for 40), putting some in Brazil, but most in Alberta. He took Ontario, E US and wiped out half of John's Central American armies (down to 12). John took W US from Central America. Richard took E Africa, finally controlling the continent.

ROUND 10: Keith concentrated on clearing John's armies in Asia, gaining control of the continent. Gary placed his men in Quebec; attacked and eliminated John in W US and Central America, gaining his cards and relegating John Henry to 5th place laurels as the second eliminated. He turned in the 12th set, taking S Europe and controlled the continent with about 60 men. Cary took Central America from Venezuela, ending with 30 armies there. Richard, surrounded by large armies on all of his African borders, made no attacks. (By now, there are nearly 200 armies on the board)

ROUNDS 11 & 12: Keith turns in the 13th card set (50) and with 72 men in Mid East attacks and wipes out the black forces in Africa; capturing cards, and awarding 4th place to Richard. .Gary turned in the 14th card set; putting about 60 men in N America and worked to eliminate Cary in Central and South America. Those forces couldn't quite finish the job, so armies from W and S Europe had to attack through Keith's large force in N Africa to finish the job in Brazil. Cary's surrendered cards gave Gary the 15th set (60), so five dozen armies set out from N Africa to finish off Keith. A hundred die rolls later, it came down to a single army trying to take Keith's last army in Afghanistan--it failed.

However, even with Keith getting the16th card set of 65 men, it was not enough to completely do in Gary who, upon turning in the 17th set, had enough to end the marathon match.