diplomacy [Updated October, 2004]  

2004 WBC Report    

 2005 Status: pending 2005 GM commitment

Andy Bartalone, MD

2004 Champion

2nd: Tom Kobrin, NC

3rd: Nathan Barnes, WA

4th: Eric Mead, WA

5th: Corey Mason, MD

6th: Rick Desper, MD

Event History
1991    Bruce Reiff        56
1992    Tom Kobrin        65
1993    Stephen Koehler        71
1994    Will Wible        57
1995    Sylvain LaRose        73
1996    Will Wible        50
1997    Steve Cooley        46
1998    David Hood        65
1999    Tom Pasko       55
2000    Simon Bouton     141
2001    Nick Benedict       44
2002    Andy Marshall       49
2003    Rick Desper       28
2004     Andy Bartalone       54


Offsite links:

Diplomacy Ratings
boardgamegeek

 Laurels
Rank Name

From

Last
Total
 1. Andy Marshall

MD

02
96
 2. Tom Pasko

CT

03
76
 3. Nick Benedict

PA

03
75
 4. Andy Bartalone

MD

04
60
 5. Alvaro Ugaz

VA

01
60
 6. Simon Bouton

UK

00
60
 7. Rick Desper

MD

04
56
 8.  Tom Kobrin

NC

04
48
 9. Ric Manns

IN

03
48
10. David Hood

NC

02
42
11. Melisa Nicholson

MA

02
36
12. Brian Dennehy

Ireland

00
36
13. Mike Czajhowski

NJ

02
29
14. Nathan Barnes

WA

04
24
15. Doug Faust

MD

02
24
16. Matt Shields

OR

00
24
17. Conrad Woodring

NY

03
20
18. Eric Mead

WA

04
18
19. Sean Cable

VA

00
18
20. Corey Mason

MD

04
12
21. Mike Hall

DC

02
12
22. Simon Szykman

MD

01
12
23. Jon Evers

MD

00
12
24. Yarden Livnat

UT

00
  6
25. Edi Birsan

CA

99
  6

Past Winners

Bruce Reiff - OH
1991

Tom Kobrin - NC
1992

Stephen Koehler - NC
1993

Will Wible - VA
1994, 1996

1995: Sylvain LaRose - QUE
1997: Steve Cooley, CA

David Hood - NC
1998

Tom Pasko - CT
1999

Simon Bouton - UK
2000


Nick Benedict - ONT
2001


Andy Marshall - MD
2002


Rick Desper - MD
2003
   
 


Potomac Tea & Knofe Society ...

Okay, we'll brag. The Potomac Tea & Knife Society (PTKS) put on one heck of a Diplomacy tournament at WBC. Filling the big shoes of the departing Jim Yerkey who had run Diplomacy here for the past dozen years, the transition was smooth. 58 players played on 18 boards over the three-day tournament. Most games were hotly contested and several best-country awards came down to the results of the very last game (the only game during the tournament to be called because of the time limit). Players came from as far away as the West Coast and Canada (actually, the Canadian West Coast) to participate in the event, one of the largest Diplomacy tournaments in North America this year. PTKS thanks all those who attended, especially those who traveled. PTKS also thanks Don Greenwood, host of WBC itself, and BPA, for the fantastic facilities and support.

A number of awards were given that are not reported in the official WBC report. The Golden Blade, a Diplomacy tradition, went to hobby veteran David Hood for stabbing the tournament director. Hood spent two months telling the TD he wouldn't be attending WBC. When the TD arrived in the great hall upstairs at HVI, Hood greeted him with a hearty "Stab!"

Hood tempered this accomplishment by winning the Dead Meat Award, another PTKS tradition, awarded for his stellar performance in getting mauled by the other players. It was the first known instance of a player winning both the vaunted Golden Blade and the Dead Meat Awards in a single tournament.

 David Hood

 Lisa Foster

 Brian Lee

 Mike Hall

 John Barringer

The TD awarded a brand new award, the "Tweak" award for outstanding twitchiness, to two hyper-nervous players, Adam Sigal and Kyle Kalember (both WBC newcomers--we like extending the cold dead fish of welcome). The "They Killed Kenny" award went to Lisa Foster and Brian Lee, who were, between them, involved in all three of the tournament's solo victories. Solos are fairly rare in tournament play (although PTKS tournaments tend to encourage them), and this was an unparalleled accomplishment.

The Chris Kulander Clown Prince of Diplomacy Award went to Canadian guest Mikey Hall for his lifetime achievement in hobby clownishness. John Barringer won the Outstanding PTKS Newbie Award for standing in against hardened tournament veterans and cutthroats and gaining a piece of one shared victory.

This year's DIP event provided some publicity for WBC. Players and the TD were shadowed by a free-lance reporter, Blake Eskin, who was writing an article for the Washington Post Magazine. At this writing, the article was slated for publication in the magazine in late October or early November. Eskin spent three days following players and hobby luminaries to try to gain insight into what drives the hobby, its players, and the hobby's relationship or connections to realpolitik. Eskin cheerfully denied (at least in public) that what he saw was three days of clown college. He left promising to come back another time to try the game, and walked away with a colorful and cheap certificate, the Director's Choice Award, earned primarily by entertaining the tournament director at the playful expense of others.

The tournament pool was an interesting mix of WBC regulars, PTKS regulars, and WBC veterans who hadn't played Diplomacy for years. Several of those left promising to return to play Dip in future years. Since Diplomacy players have a reputation as sort of clannish and insular, slow to accept new friends into their ranks, it was high praise indeed that a number of non-regulars played, did well, and most importantly had fun.

Dip at WBC was the final leg of the annual Eastern Swing event, a compilation of tournament results from East Coast Dip tournaments, created to encourage Diplomacy-related travel in regional tourneys and increase tournament participation. Doug Moore won the third annual Swing, edging out Andy Bartalone, who made a late run at his second Swing title by winning Dip at WBC. Congratulations to Doug, the East Coast Diplomacy Champion for 2004.

PTKS again sends its thanks to Don Greenwood and the BPA for the opportunity to put on a well-received event.

Best Country Awards:

Best Austria: Nathan barnes - 16 centers in a 2-way draw.
Best England: Adam Sigal - 12 centers in a 2-way draw.
Best France: Tom Kobrin - 18 center solo
Best Germany: Doug Moore - 12 centers in a 3-way draw.
Best Italy: Graham Woodring- 16 centers in a 3-way draw.
Best Russia: Andy bartalone - 18 center solo.
Best Turkey: Carl Willner - 15 centers in a 2-way draw.

The WBC 2004 Best Country Awards went to:
                     

                                   

Nathan Barnes

Adam Sigal

Tom Kobrin

Doug Moore

Graham Woodring

Andy Bartalone

Carl Willner

Austria

England

France

Germany

Italy

Russia

Turkey

2w16

2w14

1w18

3w12

3w16

1w18

2w15

 GM      Andy Marshall  [1st Year]   NA 
    landruajm@yahoo.com   (NA)

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