lost cities [Updated August 2001]

LST   2 prizes Beginners Single Elim Continuous 
    Demo 18   19 Round 2 20 Round 3 20  Round 4 21  Round 5 22 Final
  

  Salon CD

Jared Scarborough, IL

2000 Champion

2nd: Jeff Bakalchuck, NY

3rd: Joshua Garton, VA

4th: Jordan Ludwick, NJ

5th: Rob Kilroy, PA

6th: Eric Hymowitz, MD
Event History
1991    None      -
1992    None      -
1993    None      -
1994    None      -
1995    None      -
1996    None      -
1997    None      -
1998    None      -
1999    None     -
2000    Daniel Broh-Kahn     48
2001    Jared Scarborough     84

AREA Ratings:

GM: Jay Fox

swamped ...

What happens when you prepare for 48 participants based upon WBC 2000 numbers? Nearly double show up!

84 Lost Cities hopefuls made their way to Salon CD on Friday night, overwhelming this GM and the salon, and frightening the poor ACW players in the same room. Yet after a harrowing registration process, the participants sat down for the tournament.

Upon recent recommendations, the tournament rules were adjusted. This year, rather than using cumulative score, a best of three games format was adopted for each round. We had found that one blowout game in cumulative scoring usually ended the round, even with three games played. By using best of three, each game became as important as the last, and the rounds actually moved quicker since two straight games ended the round.

In attendance at the start were Daniel Broh-Kahn and Laurel Stokes, last year's champion and runner-up. Not for long, though, as both were bounced in the first round. Following them, were forty other first round participants, culling the numbers and allowing the remaining folks to finally fit in the assigned room.

Over the next few hours, with the help of random byes (please note ­ famed gamer Anthony Rubbo did not get a bye), we ended up with a nice mix of quarter-finalists, including Laurel Stokes' husband Thomas, who was proudly wearing badge #666. However, his deal with the devil fell through, and the Stokes family run at another championship ended.

The semi-finals found two young players still competing. Joshua Garton ­ 16 was paired against Jeff Bakalchuck, and Jordan Ludwick ­ 14 squared off against Jared Scarborough. But seniority and its attendant wisdom prevailed, as Jeff and Jared moved on to the finals.

It was now past midnight, and both men looked exhausted. Jared stated he could not go on, but Jeff was unavailable the following day for a postponed championship. After some prodding by the GM, Jared agreed to continue.

Jared made the right choice, as he swept the match. Both hands were frustrating for Jeff, as he opened five expeditions in the first game, and four in the second. Too many expeditions are usually a prelude to disaster. Matching his exhausted patience against Jeff's risks, Jared won both hands by comfortable margins (21 to ­18 and 53 to 3). Jared took home this year's first prize, Tally Ho, another of Kosmos' two-player games courtesy of Jay Tummelson and Rio Grande Games.

 GM      Jay Fox  [2nd Year]   3 Anvil Court, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003-2231
    megliman@aol.com   NA

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