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Mike Windle and Rodney Bacigalupo
await the outcome of the dice. |
Queen's Gambit's toy factor is quite
a lure to boys big and small. |
Still brought to you by BPAclassics.org
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In the tenth year of Queen's Gambit play, the field
remained stable despite and perhaps because the game is long
out of print. Like last year, there were no game shortages -
thanks to those who brought extra games, especially "Jabba
the Hutt" Gubbay, Brian "Bossk" Sutton and Frank
"IG88" Sinigaglio. As usual, players who can't handle
the time-pressure fell by the wayside as they crapped out with
the Naboo and whimpered about the unfair nature of the format
and how "it sucks to be the Naboo!" This year's overall
outcome was again close to a 50-50 split.
In the preliminary heats 46 entrants played a total of 44 games
in three heats with each side winning 22. There is no time limit
in the preliminary games and this slants the game some towards
the Naboo. In the time-limited playoffs, however, the Trade Federation
wins if it is still standing after two hours - this reflects
the time-limited aspect of the battle in the theatre. In 2011,
the Naboo won eight of 15 playoff games, so the final tally for
the preliminaries and the single-elim playoffs was Obiwan 30,
Darth Maul 29.
Congratulations are in order for Bill "General Greivous"
Morse for successfully running the gauntlet for his first Queen's
Gambit Championship. Bill had been previously known as Bill
"Battle Droid" Morse in view of his prior history of
futility in Queen's Gambit. After the grueling ten-hour
single elimination play-offs on Friday, Greivous was burned out,
but smiling. Bill is also invaluable as a Game Master for his
organizational and clerical skills.
Incredibly, there was a Sportsmanship nominee in 2011. A player
must truly stand out to earn a sportsmanship nomination for Queen's
Gambit which historically has been a very cut-throat game.
Only one other player has ever been nominated for our Sportsmanship
Award, David Gubbay. Larry Lingle would have surely advanced
into the Final by honestly playing out his turn and winning by
virtue of the time limit; but, if there was no time limit, El
Lingle would surely lose. So, the three-time champion unselfishly
"passed" on his card plays, which permitted David "Plo
Koon" Platnick to win as Anakin shut down the droids in
the last seconds before the time limit expired.
16 players advanced to the playoffs, but only two former champs
made the cut: 2005's Karl "Sith Witch" Henning and
defending champ Lawrence "Red Queen" Lingle.
In the round of 16: Bill "Greivous" Morse, Gino "Greedo"
Sinigaglio, Larry "Red Queen" Lingle, Steve "Boushh"
Boone, Ted "Tamtel Skreeg" Lange, Carolyn "Guri"
Strock, Sean "Jar Jar Binks" McCulloch and David "Plo
Koon" Platnick defeated, respectively, Steve "Sandtrooper"
Sabatino, Andrew "Acklay" Sinigaglio, Evan "Piell"
Cagwin, David "The Hutt" Gubbay, Marilyn "Purple
Queen" Flowers, Keith "Crab Droid" Boone, Karl
"Sith Witch" Henning and Alexander "Lobot"
Lange.
In the quarter-finals Morse put the hurt on Gino as his Darth
Maul killed Quigon, Obiwan and ten palace guards. Platnick pounded
Lange as his Darth Maul killed Quigon, Obiwan and every light
side piece on the first, second and third floors of the palace.
Lingle taught Boone a lesson with the Naboo as Obiwan killed
Maul and Anakin destroyed the Droid Control Ship and Carolyn
slapped McCulloch silly when her Darth Maul killed both jedi
and a slew of palace guards.
In the semi-finals, Morse upset Carolyn. For the past several
years Carolyn has had her way with the Charlottesville wargamers,
winning a number of local Queen's Gambit tournaments.
In the other semi-final, Platnick took advantage of Lingle's
chivalry to defeat the "Red Queen" as described previously.
That put two of the Charlottesville guys into the Final. Bill
played the dark side and his Darth Maul killed Quigon and Obiwan
as Maul rolled an uncanny number of blocks of Jedi attacks. David's
Red Queen and Captain Panaka sacrificed themselves amongst the
battle droids and droideka on the first floor of the palace enabling
the Purple Queen and four palace guards to use window ledge movement
into the throne room. Alas, Bill's droideka on the third floor
killed the Purple Queen and too many palace guards while Anakin
was stuck amidst star fighters two spaces from the druid control
ship.
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