In this second Tournament, no players will be eliminated immediately. There will instead be seven rounds in which winning players are awarded points. Every player will play each other, and the players with the more than 3 points will move on into the next round. This process is repeated, until there is a winner.
Round one
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Perchan | Giovanni Vespucci | Elenos Varion |
Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Leonism | Stefanie Hirschberg | Tohan Kōmun |
Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Your imaginary friend | DOF | DOF |
Sinyal | Katie Flames | Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Bysh Hope |
Commentator's comments: There were some very close games with masterful tactics from all players.
The Mzeusia-Perchan game was especially close, and both players ended up with only a few pieces on the board, but Varion was able to pull ahead with a well thought-out manoeuvre with a pair of heavy infantry.
The Hanguk-Nippon-Leonism game seemed for a long time to be going in Hirschberg’s favour, but Kōmun, was biding time, and managed to outsmart Hirschberg’s with a clever trick, and from there, Kōmun was able to snag a convincing victory.
Snoodum’s Veranik and Your Imaginary Friend’s DOF played the longest game in this round, both not willing to take any unnecessary risks. They both moved into strong positions, and the game appeared to be heading towards a stalemate. However, DOF had the slightest of advantages, and made use of that well, seizing a win at the end.
Sinyal and Loftegen 2’s game was a fierce one, between two clearly committed players. Hope showed the crowd some interesting tactics however, probably stemming from his chess background, and Sinyal’s Katie Flames was caught off guard, resulting in a win for Loftegen 2.
Round two
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Elenos Varion |
Perchan | Giovanni Vespucci | Leonism | Stefanie Hirschberg | Draw |
Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Sinyal | Katie Flames | Draw |
Your imaginary friend | DOF | Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | DOF |
Commentator's comments: The Mzeusia-Hanguk-Nippon game was a tough fought match, but the Mzeusian presented a strong opening, and despite Kōmun's every attempt to thwart her, from there, Varion was able to claim victory, although not without significant losses that forced her to rethink her strategy at several points in the game.
The Perchan-Leonism game ended in a draw, and was a long, hard fought struggle for both players. They played until only a couple pieces were left, and neither made a mistake, so with one last trade of pieces, the remaining one piece that each player had, would not be enough to have an edge over the opponent.
The players from Snoodum and Sinyal also ended their game in a draw, with a ferocious flurry of pieces being taken as the game progressed. Despite a bold move from Veranik, near the end of the game, he was not able to win, as Flames made sure to defend well, even launching into her own counter-attack that seemed to catch the Snoodian off guard.
DOF from Your Imaginary Friend, and Hope from Loftegen had both won their previous games, but DOF began a blisteringly offensive attack at the very start, forcing Hope into a defensive position, that was slowly chiselled away throughout. That being said, DOF made a careless mistake towards the end of the game, that left him vulnerable, and Hope was able to regain some ground. Ultimately, despite intense resistance, DOF was able to be the victor.
Round three
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Getred Veranik |
Your imaginary friend | Giovanni Vespucci | Leonism | Stefanie Hirschberg | DOF |
Perchan | Giovanni Vespucci | Sinyal | Katie Flames | Giovanni Vespucci |
Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Draw |
Commentator's Comments:
In the match between Mzeusia and Snoodum, both players started out well, but as the game progressed, it was clear that the Snoodian had the advantage, and although his opponent was able to cling on for an unusually long end-game, the Snoodian proved to be victorious in the end.
DOF, from Your imaginary friend managed to snag another victory, against Hirschberg from Leonism, leaving those in the country delighted as they are so far undefeated, and have won every single game. That said, the game itself was far from a decisive victory, with Hirschberg gaining an early lead, and putting DOF in a precarious position. However, the lead was lost in the late game as DOF responded with a little used tactic, surprising Hirschberg. From there,DOF was able to push onward towards a win.
Supporters of Perchan will be celebrating the win against Sinyal, although the two players definitely put on a show, with radical, risky moves being made by both. However, with a particularly clever nice by Vespucci, he broke through his opponent's lines and went on to win.
Both representatives of Hanguk-Nippon and Loftegen 2 expressed confidence before the game, and as the have commenced, the tension was evident. Both players battled for possession, but neither one could gain much of a lead. Then, in a stunning move, Hope put into action a carefully devised plan, helping victory seem close. However, victory was not that close, as another set of masterful skills by his opponent evened the pieces left on both sides, and when they had played until they could not play anymore, the game was called a draw.
Round four
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Your imaginary friend | DOF | Draw |
Sinyal | Katie Flames | Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Draw |
Leonism | Stefanie Hirschberg | Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Bysh Hope |
Perchan | Giovanni Vespucci | Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Draw |
Commentator's Comments: Out of the four game, three of them were draws, but despite this, the matches have been just as intense. Withh the heatwave Mzikos is currently experiencing, the players had several breaks for water, as the air-conditioning broke down in the early hours of the day.
In the Mzeusia-Your imaginary friend game Varion was able to break DOF's streak of victories, and after a vicious fight, stopped many times for some water and relaxation, the Mzeusian managed to draw with DOF, although DOF is still leading the pack. The Mzeusian walked away with a smile, and his opponent did not look too put out by the draw, although some have speculated that this could be a turning point in the tournament.
The game between Flames of Sinyal and Tohan Kōmun of Hanguk-Nippon also ended in a draw, and by this point, it was suspected that the heat might be having a noticeable impact on the player's performance. Flames being somewhat of the underdog, fought hard and it paid off, as she successfully battled her opponent into a draw.
When Leonism's Hirschberg came up against Loftegen 2's Hope, Hope was able to win against Hirschberg, although it was a Pyrrhic victory. In the end however, a slip up from the Leonian gave Hope an opportunity that was not missed, allowing a victory for Loftegen 2.
Snoodum played Perchan in the last game. Despite Snoodum's Veranik taking a strong position that allowed him to get ahead, Vespucci changed tactics from a highly offensive one, to a highly defensive one, and with a clever move, was able to take several of Veranik's pieces, turning the tide enough to secure a draw.
Round five
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Bysh Hope |
Sinyal | Katie Flames | Leonism | Stefanie Hirschberg | Katie Flames |
Your imaginary friend | DOF | Perchan | Giovanni Vespuccii | Draw |
Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Tohan Kōmun |
Commentator's Comments:
It is the second day of the heatwave, but the tournament must go on. Varion played Hope in the first game, with Hope claiming the victory. The game was a long one, with a deadlock seemingly forming, before it was broken by Hope, who was able to break through the Mzeusian's defences and from there, win the match.
Those in Sinyal will be happy as Katie Flames was able to win against Hirschberg. The game was short but intense, and although Hirschberg never slipped up, thanks to Flames' cool-headed tactics, the Leonian was at a disadvantage from the start.
In the next match of the day, Vespucci was able to fend off a ferocious attack from DOF that lasted for most of the match. When DOF's attack had been beaten back, Vespucci was able to push on, although with limited success, and the game ended in a draw.
The last game of the day saw Kōmun play Veranik, and it was one of the closest and longest games of the tournament so far, as neither player wanted to call it a draw. After whittling each other's pieces down to three pieces each, the game became a slow, careful manoeuvre of pieces, and it was crucial that every piece's strengths and weakness be taken into account, as the two opponents did not have the same pieces remaining. In the end, it was Kōmun who managed to outplay Veranik, and once he had a clear advantage, Kōmun was able to win the match.
Round six
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Leonism | Stefanie Hirschberg | Elenos Varion |
Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Perchan | Giovanni Vespucci | Draw |
Your imaginary friend | DOF | Sinyal | Katie Flames | Draw |
Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Getred Veranik |
Commentator's comments: Commentator’s comments: This round is the penultimate round before the extra rounds begin if any ties are found. The first match pitched Varion against Hirschberg. Both players were showing signs of tiredness, but luckily the heatwave has abated somewhat. If Hirschberg was disappointed by her performance in the tournament so far, she did not show it, and put up a good fight. However, the Mzeusian was relentless in her attack, pressing down on the Leonian with a series of moves that proved too much for her opponent to beat back. Although it quickly became obvious who had the advantage, Hirschberg kept fighting and succeeded in surprising Varion and eliminating some of her more important pieces. Nevertheless, the victory went to Varion in the end.
In the second match, Kōmun clashed with Vespucci in a struggle that was, compared to the other games seen in the tournament, quite short, although a swift taking of pieces did not result in either player being able to gain an advantage, and the game ended in a draw.
Sinyal's Flames sat down with Your imaginary friendl's DOF, and Flames succeeded in drawing with her opponent. Originally Flames had the advantage due to some clever moves that forced DOF to make some rather difficult sacrifices, but as the game continued, DOF was able to fight back well, turning what would have most certainly been a loss for him, into a draw.
Those in Loftegen 2 and Snoodum tuned in to watch their two nations play against one another. It was a tense game, but Veranik must have been in a good mood, cracking a few jokes as the game progressed. As the ending neared however, there was nothing but concentration. Veranik had secured an advantage in the middle of the game, and it was this that made the win his.
Round seven
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Sinyal | Katie Flames | Katie Flames |
Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Your imaginary friend | DOF | Tohan Kōmun |
Perchan | Giovanni Vespucci | Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Bysh Hope |
Leonism | Stefanie Hirschberg | Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Draw |
Commentator's comments: The last round before the scores would be compared, began with Mzeusia playing Sinyal. Both players started well, although the pressure was on, and an unusual mistake from the Mzeusian gave Flames the advantage. Throughout the game, although Varion regained the advantage partway through, Flames managed to scrape a win in the end.
Kōmun faced off against DOF in the second game. Both players had done quite well in the tournament. The game was one of the most exciting ones in the tournament. Both players had learned from their mistakes, and were well-versed in how their opponent played. Kōmun went first, with an interesting, defensive opening and DOF responded with an aggressive one. DOF's classical attack was thwarted however, placing him in a very precarious position as important pieces were left undefended. The widening advantage allowed Kōmun to break his defensive stance and commit to an aggressive one. The game went on for a little while longer as DOF clung on, but Kōmun's numerical advantage, combined with his skill won the Hanguk-Nipponese the day.
Bysh Hope played Vespucci next, with the two getting off to a slow start, neither wanting to make too risky a move. Something had to budge however, and as Vespucci pushed a piece into the firing line, the game picked up once more, with pieces being taken left and right as both the players had meticulously planned their strategy to be the one on top when all the trading abated. Hope, with an unexpected move, set up a trap, one which Vespucci unfortunately fell for. Hope took the lead numerically, although Vespucci still had the positional advantage. As the game continued, Hope started to gain a more obvious lead, and with this edge, he was able to claim victory.
In the last game of the day, Snoodum's Veranik squared off against Leonism's Hirschberg. The opening was fast paced, with Veranik moving first, and Hirschberg only able to react to her opponent's attacks. Veranik's attack paid off, and he was able to chisel away at Hirschberg's forces. It seemed to be a while before Hirschberg could make any significant move against Veranik, although with a brilliant move, forcing the Snoodian to defend a weaker left flank, Hirschberg applied enough pressure to do significant damage to her opponent. In the end, despite the successful counter attack, Veranik had just enough pieces left to create a stable defence of what was left, and the two players ended up fighting until a draw.
With the conclusion of this seventh circle of hell round, each player has played every other player, and the final scores have been tallied. As you will see, there are quite a few ties, and all those who have tied will play another round against each other to establish positions.
Your imaginary friend's DOF scored 9
Loftegen 2's Bysh Hope scored 9
Hanguk-Nippon's Tohan Kōmum scored 9
Mzeusia's Elenos Varion scored 7
Snoodum's Getred Veranik scored 7
Sinyal's Katie Flames scored 6
Perchan's Giovanni Vespucci scored 6
Leonism's Stefanie Hirschberg scored 2
As you can see, there have been many ties, but to Hirschberg, we say goodbye. As thanks for taking part, we, the Mzikos Belmedon's Gamble Club would like to bestow upon Hirschberg a freshly and intricately carved Belmedon's Gamble set. Thank you for Leonism for sending Hirschberg to represent their country in this tournament.
Tiebreaker round for the others
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Mzeusia | Elenos Varion | Snoodum | Getred Veranik | Getrder Veranik |
Perchan | Giovanni Vespucci | Sinyal | Katie Flames | Giovanni Vespucci |
Commentator's comments: This being the final round of the tournament, all the players were expressing a mixture of nerves, excitement and determination. On this day, central Mzikos had been blessed with clear skies, a warm sun and a cool breeze, but as Mzeusians gathered outside to watch Varion play, she strode into the room where she would be playing with a determined scowl. At the other end of the room, Veranik did the same, and the two of them shook hands. Outside, the public cheered Varion’s name and waved Mzeusian flags. The Snoodian supporters were somewhat calmer. A group of Snoodian foreign officials watched from the sidelines.
As the game began, the concentration was evident, both players taking twice as long as they would usually. As the game continued, Varion seemed to be getting more agitated, and although Vernaik was better at hiding it, it was obvious that he was also feeling the pressure. With an ever so slightly shaking hand, Varion carefully move a unit of heavy infantry into position. The Snoodian’s face fell as he realised that his opponent had laid an elaborate trap. After sitting for a good three minutes, he realised that there was no safe way out. As he moved, the trap was sprung, allowing Varion to take several important pieces.
The Snoodian wasn’t out of tricks however, because a little while later, he was able to snatch a pair of important pieces from Varion. Chipping away from the Mzeusian’s army, the Snoodian was able to level the playing field somewhat. At this surprise turn of events, Varion called a five minute break, which she spent with other players who had come to watch. When the game resumed, the Mzeusian rearranged her pieces to form a seemingly impregnable defence. When she had fended off the serious Snoodian attack, a ferocious assault, charging forward on both flanks. The Snoodian however, wasn’t helpless, and succeeded in forcing a situation that might have usually ended in a draw. Neither player was prepared for that though. By this point, each move took a good five minutes to think through. In the end, with Veranik succeeded in gaining a slight advantage, using that to win the day.
After the tensest game of the tournament, Vespucci shook the hand of Flames, determination etched on both their faces. The game began, and for a good twenty minutes, neither could get the edge over the other. Despite the pressure, they both appeared calm, although the pressure could not have been easy to bear. The clock ticked, and both players scoured the other players army, trying to decipher what they might be planning next. After a brief exchange of pieces, Flames had eliminated slightly more pieces of Vespucci’s, than Vespucci had of hers, but Vespucci had the clear positional advantage. Vespucci called a break, took a swig of water, a chat to some of the spectators, one of whom clapped him on the back. Flames took a drink as well, and spent the rest of the time scanning the board. The game came back into play, and Flames attack Vespucci’s right flank, which seemed to be paying off. Someone from the crowd outside screamed “I love you Flames!”, and another person hit them, yelling “Vespucci for the win!”
A lesser player might have been felled by Flames’ attack, but Vespucci halted it soon enough for it not to be too damaging, and he followed up with a devastating counter-attack against his opponent’s more disorganised pieces. This was enough to give Vespucci a clear edge, and as another spectator screamed “Flames, burn him up!” Vespucci was able to continually whittle down Flames’ forces, until he snatched a victory for himself.
Tiebreaker for the top three
Nation | Player | Opponent | Player | Winner |
Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Your imaginary friend | DOF | DOF |
Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Your imaginary friend | DOF | Tohan Kōmun |
Hanguk-Nippon | Tohan Kōmun | Loftegen 2 | Bysh Hope | Tohan Kōmun |
Commentator’s comments: The first game of the round saw Loftegen 2 play Your imaginary friend, and as Hope shook hands with DOF, the tension was evident. One of these two players could be walking out of the Mzikos Belemedon’s Gamble Club with the golden Heavy Infantry piece. The game began calmly enough, with DOF even making a joke about the crowd outside. The crowd of course, heard it on the giant TV screen they were watching, and a chant of “DOF!” clashed with a clash of “Hope!”, but the chanters kept things civil between themselves.
Their chants carried to the players themselves, and they chuckled together. Despite the pleasant atmosphere though, the stakes were extremely high, and the level of focus retuned with an intensity as DOF moved the next piece. From there, the spectators were respectfully silent. DOF struck out with a risky move, but Hope wasn’t falling for anything, and succeeded in warding off the attack, although DOF had protected his attacking pieces well, and none were exchanged in the first attack of the evening. Not to be outdone, Hope hit back with an attack of his own, amidst the usual moving of pieces into position. This one had a little more success, but the attack was on DOF’ left flank, but DOF responded by attacking Hope’s corresponding flank rather than dedicate himself to seeing off his opponent’s own attack. Many pieces were exchanging in a brutal slaughter, but DOF it seemed, had spotted a way to get an advantage, and when the board had been significantly emptied, it has he who came out on top. Hope then tried to move into a defensive position, although it wasn’t enough, and DOF repositioned for the final blow, and when it fell, there was ultimately very little Hope could do.
The next game began saw the victorious DOF face off against Tohan Kōmun, who knew of his opponent’s victory in the last game. That didn’t stop him from forming a strong opening position, which DOF found hard to push against. If DOF won this game, he was guaranteed second place at least (and first place if Kōmun lost the next game against Hope), so the pressure was most certainly on. Both players were very strong of course, and they established a deadlock near the middle of the game. One of them had to break it however, and when they did, the other one would be waiting. The duty of breaking the deadlock fell to DOF, and Kōmun’s forces closed in. DOF however, was able to mitigate the damage. The game resumed, and it became clear that Kōmun now possessed the positional advantage, and although he had fewer pieces on the board, he was still able to do quite well. The game continued at a steadier pace for a while, but Kōmun aimed to end it with a brutal move against DOF. What followed was a long exchange of pieces, with the occasional retreat in places, but Kōmun’s attack proved to give him the numerical advantage, and with an interesting sacrificial move, he won the game.
The last game of the day was against Hope and Kōmun. Like every other game, the players shook hands before the game began. First place was lying open for Kōmun if he could win this game, although Hope was a formidable opponent, and not to be underestimated. The Hope fans were back for this game as well, taking up the chant once more, with someone else shouting waving a large Hanguk-Nipponese flag.
Hope and Kōmun engaged in brief attacks on one another to start of with. When Hope took an important piece of his opponent, while being safely protected, one spectator shouted, “Have hope in Hope!”
Kōmun however, had hope in himself, and moved forward with an attack, which Hope failed to defend as well as he could have. However, things were far from over. With a lot of threatening on both sides, and scanning the board for every possible move, the two players seemed matched, although Hope called a short break and came back into the game ready for action. He advanced his centre with a dangerously risky move, but Kōmun reacted quickly. Had the attack gone off without a hitch, Hope would have almost certainly seized the victory, but Kōmun was able to exchange an equal number of pieces. The game came down to the wire in the end, but with another short break, Kōmun was able think more clearly, and ended up securing a win.
The final scores are:
1. Hanguk-Nippon
2. Your imaginary friend
3. Loftegen 2
4. Snoodum
5. Mzeusia
6. Perchan
7. Sinyal
8. Leonism
Just as Hirschberg got her Belemedon’s Gamble board, freshly carved and highly ornate, every other player also received on at the end of the game.
Leonism is interested in a challenge to intellect and tactical thinking. The game of Belmedon's Gamble is unknown in our part of the world, but we're quick learners when it comes to strategy games. We will send a delegation to Mzeusia by plane.
