New friends, old board-topper

Our first bring-a-friend event was a hit last night at the Red Lion. Ten people showed up, and we initiated four new Weasels. The board-topper, however, was a familiar face.

Matt Sundstrom launched his latest campaign to complete the Weasels’ Grand Slam with a nine-center board top. Game No. 198 ended by time limit after the Fall 1905 turn in the following center counts:

Sundstrom is one of two players to capture three of the four Weasel titles. He’s won CODCon twice, Weasel Moot, and the regular season Weasel of the Year title. Only the Royale championship has eluded him. Winning the Royale starts with qualifying, and that takes board-tops. With this one in his first game of Season Eight, Sundstrom is off to a good start.

Yeargin is the other player with three of the four titles. He’s won the Royale but not CODCon. Jim O’Kelley has won the Royale and Weasel of the Year. No one else has captured more than one of the four titles.

As for our newcomers, Reichart works with McNamara, and Radu is a friend of Reichart’s who was in town from Traverse City, Mich. Brown works with Nate Cockerill, and Stahl, who had to leave early to take care of a crisis at home, works at the Red Lion. All four seemed to have fun; hopefully we’ll see some, if not all, again.

Meanwhile, Cockerill, Glass and I shot the breeze, answered questions from the new players, and occasionally checked on the game’s progress. Glass took over for Stahl in 1904. Per club rules, neither player scored the game, but the position’s square counted toward the sum. Therefore, the total score does not add up to 100.

The supply center chart is here. Let’s hear from the players. And make your plans to join us on Nov. 28 or Dec. 9 in Downers Grove. The latter is scheduled to be our club’s 200th game, and there are still two seats available.