Here’s the latest news from the Weasels.
Sparta!
I wish I could give you the epic poem that last week’s game at the Red Lion deserves. Our 300th truly was one for the ages. Check out the brief recap and endgame statements from several of the players.
June Busts out all Over
To help you shake the rust off in advance of WDC (June 24-26!), we’ve scheduled three games for the first week and a half of June.
First, join one of our club’s most decorated vets at the Red Lion on June 4 for a WDC primer. Matt Sundstrom will hold a Q&A about WDC, and there will be at least one board. The fun starts at 2 p.m., and there is no hard stop. (Another rarity for a bar game.)
Then on June 8, we’ll be back at the Red Lion for our regular Red Wednesday. A couple of the recent Red Wednesday tilts have been excellent training for the tight play you’d see on a top board.
Finally, Pete McNamara will host the last house game before WDC at his home in Evanston on June 12.
Check out the game openings!
Speaking Of…
WDC will be here in 37 days. Seriously, now is the time to negotiate the weekend off. Keep in mind that the tournament starts Friday morning at 9:45. Two rounds Friday, two on Saturday, and a final round on Sunday.
If you’re daunted by the prospect of playing in a world championship, don’t be. We’re going to have a big crowd, and my experience — having attended six of these things — is that WDCs tend to attract more casual players than the average tournament does. It’s a five-round tournament with a lot at stake, so there are bound to be a lot of intense moments. But I promise you that those moments won’t define the weekend.
Still not convinced? Then consider coming out for the first round on Friday or the final round on Sunday. Intensity comes with pressure, and on Friday when the tournament opens, most players won’t be feeling the pressure. And on Sunday, the top board will be set. Everyone else will be playing for pride and the love of the game, mostly.
Anyway, just come. Having WDC in your backyard may not seem like a big deal, since we just did it four years ago, but it’s a huge deal. It likely will be a decade or more before we have a chance to host again, so take advantage of this.
WDC will be June 24-26 in Roosevelt University’s vertical campus, 425 S Wabash in Chicago. So far, 69 people have said they’ll attend, and 31 of them have taken advantage of the $10 preregistration discount. Those numbers will continue to climb as the days count down.
On the Road with DiplomacyCast
As you might have seen on Facebook, last weekend, Ben DiPaola, Peter Lokken and I road-tripped to Greenfield, Ohio, to visit the Big Oozy, Nate Cockerill, who has been battling cancer for nearly two years.
We had a great time playing games with him — no Dip, but Nyet, Pandemic, Saboteur, Red 7 and Room 25 — and catching up. We hope to see him again at WDC next month.
The time in the car was fun as well, thanks largely to our friends at DiplomacyCast, Nathan Barnes and Eric Mead (whom we will definitely see in June). We listened to Episode 38, featuring Chris Martin; Episode 41, the latest April Fool’s episode; Episode 36, featuring reigning world champ Toby Harris; Episode 35, last year’s April Fool’s episode; and Episode 29 (I think), featuring Christian Pedone; and the epilogue of the epic Episode 34, Chris Martin’s brilliant treatise on Fleet London.
Unfortunately Episode 42 hasn’t been uploaded yet. That one will feature me. š
If you’re not a listener, you’re missing out. Subscribe on i-tunes or check them out on Facebook or their website.
Dues Still Due
Your 2016 dues are now due! Once again, we’re charging $25 for members and $10 for students. Dues will get you $10 off the registration fee for the World Diplomacy Championship at Weasel Moot X in June, plus eligibility for our season-ending awards and the Weasel Royale. And you’ll also help us maintain the website and keep our Meetup page.
You can PayPal your dues to wcwsneak@gmail.com. For your convenience, just use the button on this page. Thank you to the 24 Weasels who have paid up thus far. Check the link below for the complete list of dues-paying Weasels.
Upcoming Games
- June 4 at the Red Lion in Lincoln Square, beginning at 2 p.m. A rare Saturday bar game. Have five.
- June 8 at the Red Lion in Lincoln Square, beginning at 6:30 p.m. until no later than 11. Have 10. Can we fill a second board?
- June 12 at Pete McNamara’s home in Evanston, beginning at 11 a.m. until no later than 7 p.m. Have five for what likely will be the last house game before WDC.
Sign up for games here, on Meetup, or by emailing me at jimthegrey1013@yahoo.com.
Important Dates
- June 24-26: World Diplomacy Championship at Weasel Moot X!
Up Next on the Tournament Circuit
- DixieCon: May 27-29 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (http://dixiecon.com/)
Help Needed!
- Database. We still are looking for someone who can convert Matt Sundstrom’s rating system to a searchable, web-based database. Please email us at wcwsneak@gmail.com if you can help or have questions. (Ben DiPaola has nibbled on this one…)
- Airport Runs. If you’re interested and available to make airport runs on June 23 or June 26, send me an email, jimthegrey1013@yahoo.com.
That’s all for this week. See you soon!
Jim
