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GM OF THE YEAR: Ivan Lawson has won the 2007 GM of the Year Award in a
close vote to edge Ed Beach for the honor. Ivan, who finished third in
the voting last year, in only his second year as a WBC GM impressed the
Board with his preparation and organizational skills that enabled Lost
Cities to nearly triple its attendance during his time at the helm. The
other Top Six GM nods went to Eric Brosius, Ellen Hoam, Jim Jordan and
Kathy Stroh. Complete details are available at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/topgm.htm
KIRCHER WINS SIEGELMAN: Rob Kircher of Rhode Island narrowly defeated a
pair of Pennsylvanians, Alex Bove and Mike Kaltman, by a single point
to win the Harold L Siegelman Award for Top Individual Performance at
Euro Quest V. The Euros conference again grew in size with nearly 250
attending over the four-day weekend with 12 tournaments vying for
attention with Open Gaming opportunities. The latter was again enhanced
by Tom McCorry's gracious demonstration of the newest releases from
Essen and several vendors with new products. Individual event winners
were: Eric Freeman (Wild Card), Tom Dunning (Ra), Thomas Browne (Saint
Petersburg), Brian Reynolds (Settlers), Rob Kircher (Thurn & Taxis),
Virginia Colin (Ticket to Ride), Peter Putnam (Caylus), Alex Bove
(Goa), Peter Eirich (Imperial), Joe Jaskiewicz (Power Grid), Lyman
Moquin (Princes of Florence), and Sam Atabaki (Puerto Rico).
EURO QUEST LAUREL UPDATES: The complete results of the 11 events held
at Euro Quest have been posted on their corresponding Yearbook
tournament pages with updated Laurel totals. Individual event reports
for each of WBCs tournaments are posted at http://www.boardgamers.org/yearbook/ Each page contains the GM's
report plus Century status, 2007 laurelist photos, career laurel
updates, and candid photos of the summer's event as only BPA does it.
2007 PATRONS: The 2007 BPA Patrons List has been posted for review.
Check your standing on the list to advise us of any errors or omissions
by Jan. 1 to ensure your correct listing in the upcoming Yearbook. The
list can be viewed at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/patrons.htm.
NEW YEARBOOK POLICY: In 2008, we will be printing the convention
schedule separate from the full-color yearbook. This new policy will
ensure that everyone who attends the convention will get a printed
schedule, while preserving one of the unique traditions that IS
WBC—our full color souvenir Yearbook. All Tribune and Sponsor members
will receive a copy of the Yearbook as part of their membership dues.
In addition, as a bonus for early commitment, any Sustaining member who
joins by Jan. 1, 2008, will receive a free copy also. Additional copies
of the Yearbook are available for $10 while supplies last.
DECEMBER MEMBERSHIP DRIVE: Prospective BPA members are urged NOT to
renew memberships for 2008 until the December membership application is
posted with the 2008 Ballot for Trial events and Sportsmanship. That
page will be updated on or about Dec. 1, 2007. In the meantime,
check out the nominees for your Sportsmanship vote during the
Membership Drive at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/sportmanNominees.htm.
LAST CALL FOR NEW EVENTS: If you'd like to introduce a new event to WBC
2008 (or return an old one) NOW is the time to submit an event form to
GM that event next summer. Only by doing so by Nov. 30, 2007, will
that event be added to the ballot for our Annual December Membership
Drive. If your favorite game is missing, don't lament it unless you've
done something about it! Take a turn running it yourself. See the list
of events already eligible to be run and an updated list of those that
will be on the ballot at http://www.boardgamers.org/wbc/orphans.htm and
get an event form at http://www.boardgamers.org/forms/EventForm.htm.
We are also always in need of volunteers to GM or assist Juniors events
and to offer Seminars. If you're looking for a way to give something
back to your hobby, here it is.
EURO COORDINATION: Eric Freeman is again volunteering to co-ordinate
Euro events in an attempt to minimize scheduling conflicts. If you'd
like to be part of this effort, contact freemaneric@comcast.net.
WAM VI: The next BPA gaming conference is on Thursday, Jan. 24
through Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008, in Timonium, MD. The Winter
Activation Meeting is again the week before the Super Bowl. The focus
of this four-day event is to provide a gaming convention for the
two-player historical "card-driven" boardgaming community: players and
designers. We offer the following titles as BPA tournaments with
expectation of full laurels to be won: Paths of Glory, Wilderness War and Twilight Struggle as featured tournaments. An Open Play and "swiss
open" format will allow gamers a chance to play a favorite all weekend,
or to enter a number of events, even returning to later rounds of
events after failed attempts to win the championship in others. Other
CDWs such as Hannibal, For the People, We The People, Empire of the Sun and Trimuph of Chaos will be played in a less formal setting, and
should attendance justify it, tournament status will be granted the
winners of those games as well after the fact. The Open Play match-up
system features GMs matching players of like records as soon as they
have an open time slot to play the game (thus allowing players to fit
short games in between rounds of longer games). Opening day on
Thursday, starting at 2PM will be Open Play First Rounds for all
events. Win and you are one round deep into that tournament. Those who
arrive on Friday will still be able to join any tournament without
missing the First Round. Note: There are no Mulligans in 2008. BPA has
obtained a very favorable group room rate of $79 per night plus
applicable state and local taxes (currently 13%). To obtain this rate
you must identify your affiliation with the BPA's WAM gaming conference
and make your reservation before Jan. 11, 2008 (or when our
roomblock sells out, whichever occurs first) at 410-560-1000 weekdays
between 8 AM and 7 PM EST. For more details see
http://www.boardgamers.org/specific/wam08ann.htm.
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PBeM NEWS
GETTYSBURG FINAL: #3 seed Ed Menzel's Confederates, bidding 3.0,
defeated #2 seed Allen Kaplan in the first semi-final. Ed forced a
Union surrender on turn 14. In the other semi, GM Vince Meconi (a #4
seed) bid 3.5 for the Confederates against #8 seed Bill Place. The
Union inflicted good attrition on the Confederates through the first 7
turns, eliminating Pender and flipping two artillery units. However,
the South scored a rare flanking maneuver and took Little Round Top to
barely eke out a July 1 knockout. These results lead to a
Menzel-Meconi final, the 8th time these two have met in Gettysburg.
Those wishing to join the Gettysburg email newsletter for more details
can contact Vince at vmeconi@verizon.net.
BREAKOUT NORMANDY FINAL: Steve Andriakos and Tom Dworschak have
advanced to the sixth and final round of the 5th BKN single elimination
tournament. Both players have gone 9-0 as the Germans with Dworschak
claiming the only Allied win in a semi-final match against Don
Greenwood serving as an Eliminator. Andriakos scored his fifth German
win over Harvey Smallman—playing only his fifth rated game in
tournament play—in the semi-finals.
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All BPA PBeM tournaments require current BPA membership when the event
starts. All multi-day paid attendees to WBC are current BPA members for
the balance of that calendar year. Associate Calendar year memberships
enabling play in all PBeM events starting in that year cost only $10
and earn discounts for pre-registered admission to all BPA gaming
conferences. You need not keep your membership current in order to
finish a PBeM event. Players may join the BPA throughout the year.
Members are reminded they can upgrade their current memberships at any
time by remitting the additional funds. See http://www.boardgamers.org/bpaterms.htm for details.
BPA members who would like to see an email tournament for their
favorite game are encouraged to step forward as the GM of such an
event. BPA does not run tournaments. Rather, we are an organization of
gamers lending support to one another so such events can happen. No one
cares as much about your hobby as you do. Get involved. See the
requirements to host a BPA email tournament at http://www.abovethefields.com/top_pbem/.
Visit the BPA website at http://www.boardgamers.org
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otherwise be unavailable to those who do not join the list in this
fashion. If already receiving the BPA News you need take no additional
action.
Don Greenwood
WBC Convention Director
