for the people [Updated October 2003]  

2003 WBC Report    

 2004 Status: pending 2004 GM commitment

James Pei, TX

2001-2003 Champion

2nd: Mark Giddings, NY

3rd: Trevor Bender, CA

4th: David Dockter, MN

5th: Bill Thoet, VA

6th: Keith Butler, CA

Event History
1999    James Pei     22
2000    Trevor Bender     21
2001    James Pei     22
2002    James Pei     29
2003    James Pei     32

PBeM Event History
1999    James Pei     24
2002    Stefan Mecay     46
WAM Event History
2003    James Pei       8
Offsite links:
AREA Ratings

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 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. James Pei

TX

03
216
 2. Mark Giddings

NY

03
  81
 3. Trevor Bender

CA

03
  62
 4. Stefan Mecay

TX

02
  60
 5. Baron August

PA

02
  36
 6. Mike Mitchell

GA

02
  24
 7. David Dockter

MN

03
  21
 8. Dan Hoffman

NC

02
  19
 9. Hank Burkhalter

GA

02
  18
10. Doug Whatley

MD

00
  18
11. Tom Drueding

TX

99
  18
12. George Young

VT

03
  12
13. Paul Risner

TN

02
  12
14. Tim Hughes

UK

02
  12
15. Rob Winslow

NY

01
  12
16. Bill Thoet

VA

03
  10
17. Steve Bucey

OH

99
    9
18. Tim Miller

GA

01
    8
19. Kevin McCarthy

OH

99
    6
20. Keith Butler

CA

03
    5
21. John Firer

WI

01
    4
22. Mike Welker

OH

99
    3

Past Winners

James Pei - TX
1999, 2001-2002

Trevor Bender - CA
2000
 


Pei for the three-peat ...

The 2003 For The People tournament was the largest ever with 32 participants logging in over 350 hours in hard fought campaign scenarios. The tournament this year used the upgraded version 2.6 rules available free on the Official For The People website.

The key rule changes were focused on adding more history into the game reflecting Union advantage in fort construction and reduced Confederate raiding impact on border states. The overall effect of these changes is the sides were chosen randomly as bidding was not necessary.

All of the name FTP players showed up ready and itching for a fight. The first amongst equals was the current reigning champion James Pei who has stacked up an impressive record in this event. Also present was a former champion Trevor Bendor, who celebrated his 36th birthday while engaged in the most intense game of the event versus David Dockter in the quarter finals. David has taken 2nd place on numerous occasions. Also included were Ed Beach (former 2nd place holder), Don Chappell, Mike Welker, and the designers son, Grant Herman plus many other high end FTP players, such as the up and comer Bill Thoet (of ACTS fame).

The first round saw all of the seeded players advance to the 2nd round with ten Union and six Confederate victories logged. This is a significant improvement over last year when the CSA dominated all of the statistics. The second round saw the strongest players, through random draw, receiving the Union side with a consequent outcome of Union Union and one Confederate victory.

The quarter finals saw a Union Mark Giddings (sportsmanship nominee) go up against the aggressive Confederate Bill Thoet. The CSA came within one die roll of taking DC on the first turn. Giddings AoP sacrificed itself for the Union giving the Confederates an early advantage. The conflict see sawed back and forth until Giddings scored a huge turn in the summer of 1863 when the Union converted Kentucky, Florida, and proclaimed the Emancipation Proclamation. Riding on this momentum, the Union hammered on the South, who honorably conceded in the spring of 1864 when Richmond could no longer be defended.

Also in the quarter finals, James Pei with the Confederacy defeated newcomer Keith Butler who put up a great fight with the Union. However, successive Confederate concentration cards in the hand of the master were too much for the Union defenses leading to an early 1862 Union defeat.

The Bendor (Union) versus Dockter (Confederate) game was a marathon slugfest with the outcome in doubt until the last game turn. Early in 1862, using a tactic made famous by James Pei, Dockter amassed three armies in the East and played a Major Campaign card that rocked the Union, but did not put Bendar away. A very effective Union blockade (level 4) coupled with poor blockade running resulted in the South losing 57 strategic will points over the course of the game. This coupled with strong Union play ultimately led to the defeat of the Confederacy, but only after Lincoln won a very close election in 1864. The game ended on the last turn when Reynolds and the Army of the Missouri conducted a "march to the sea" that put old Dixie down.

In a forced march finish, Mark Giddings (Union) fought into the wee hours of Saturday night to defeat Trevor Bendor (Confederate). In another hard fought contest the Union prevailed at 4:30 Sunday morning. In an extraordinary display of stamina and good humor, the FTP sportmanship nominee immediately launched into the finals game with the current champion James Pei. James playing the Confederates took the final and repeated as FTP champion when in the Fall of 1862 the South doubled the Union up in strategic will. Next years FTP tournament should be even larger as the top seeded players train to take on Master Pei for the title.

 GM      Mark Herman  [1st Year]   NA
    markherman@aol.com    NA

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