30 minutes before the start we only had 12 players registered which caused me loads of angst because I loath running a 3/4s full tournament. A fully registered tournament runs itself so much better and players tend to be far more involved in the development of the tournament.  

But by 9.00 p.m. we had a full 16 registered and a couple of reserves as well. Phew. However 2 players were missing so I did a quick search for them: 1 was online but in another room so I private messaged him and he arrived full of apologies because he had lost track of time. The other was not online so I gave away his seat to our 1st reserve. While all this was happening we had another two players arrive who wanted to play but the tables were all full so they had drinks and watched instead.   

In Round 1 of the Main miraculi beat pamporovo in super quick time (no more than 3 or 4 minutes I think), QueenofDarkness8 dispatched efulya and byeplaymaker saw off shell in about 8 minutes. This left efulya to play pamporovo in the Consolation before the other 1st Round matches were finished and I called the match in the lobby. Meanwhile I had other 1st Round matches to report. Grant beat fauchon and Mac_The_Dice beat Deya. Shortly after stan beat mazda and our late starting match (because of a replacement player) was won by Choti over irvbighead. It seemed all was running perfectly.   

Ah, but this was not so. Pamporovo was missing and efulya let me know via a message in the lobby. In accordance to the rules of play when I saw efulya's message I put a timer (15 minutes) on pamporovo and (in accordance to custom) served efulya a J&B. A spectator told us that pamporovo was probably rebooting his computer. 

Meanwhile the tournament played on. Mazda beat fauchon in the Conso, byeplaymaker beat Grant and QueenofDarkness8 beat sweetypie in the Main.

Pamporovo's 15 minutes were up and he was still not back with us so I was forced to give efulya his bye in the 1st Round of the Conso. I hate having to do this but 15 minutes is more than other tournaments give missing players and one has to draw the line somewhere. Poor pamporovo reappeared no more than 1 or 2 minutes after his deadline and asked if he was still in. It was my sorry duty to inform him that he had timed out but I did serve him a Double Cognac. Pamporovo took the bad news in good spirit, took the good cognac too and told efulya he was duty bound to win the Conso - efulya commiserated with pamp and said he would do his best. 

Back at the tables stan beat Mac in the Main, bugs beat irvbighead and shell beat Deya in the Conso followed by Choti beating miraculi in the Main. 

So we were up to the Semi-Finals on both the Main and Conso.

efulya could not do the deed over buggalugs2u and shell beat mazda who is having a bad year in all tournaments he has played in. This set up the Conso Final to be played between partners buggalugs2u and shell which is also a repeat of the Main Final in Knockout 22. shell asked me if she had to play it. I told her yes she did and that I wanted her to win it. She said she couldn't win it - I said she could. They commenced play. 

Back in the Main stan beat Queen (who's results this year have been good) and byeplaymaker beat Choti to set up the Main Final between stan and byeplaymaker.

A good number of players were watching the Conso Final and (no problem) the Main Final was slow to start because of this. When I joined the Conso Final shell was 4 - 0 up (5 pointer). No wonder people were watching this match. Winning tournaments to bugs is becoming olde hat, but no so to shell. Last week she achieved her best score ever in a TTT and was proud as punch about it too. If she could win just one more game in this Conso Final she'd be walking on cloud 9 for weeks. But bugs won the Crawford game, correctly cubed the following, won that and they were at 4-3. The cube was turned again by bugs making the last game an effective Double Match Point. In a well played by both players game it was bugs who won.  As the T.D. I of course should remain impartial but I still said damn! Later shell asked what prize bugs would get - I replied a tin of dog food ! He laughed and said this would be normal diet for him. Good sport.

In the Final of the Main we had the makings of a good match between two very good tournament players. byeplaymaker took an early lead of 4-0 in a 7 pointer. The cube was on 2 and stan looked very gammonable - it would all be over if byeplaymaker got his checkers off cleanly. But he didn't and with just 4 checkers left in play was forced to leave a blot and stan hit it. Backgame time and possibly match back on. stan had a 3 point prime on his 2, 3 and 4 points so he had a lot of work to do. But he's been in this situation before and with some good rolls and some carefully planning managed to start to close out his home quarter. He had to hit loose in his home quarter at least twice I think it was but the correct play and it worked. After a while he had his home quarter all shut and bought round his remaining checkers and started to bear off. Gammon saved. With some slightly risky play (again correct I think) he also managed to win the game.  4-2. The ensuing games were just as thrilling to watch and this really was a match worthy of a Final. However despite stan's valiant efforts to win back points it was byeplaymaker who won the match. Bravo bye hard luck stan.  

I know byeplaymaker has snowie and runs his matches through to examine his and his opponents play and I'd be surprised if he hasn't done this for this match. It would be lovely if he is able to share the match analysis with us on the web. 

byeplaymaker has always been very supportive of what I do on Playmaker and I'm always pleased to see his name on the Registered page of anything I organise but I believe he has had a few disagreements with Playmaker in the past. I'm not sure of the details of these disagreements - they are not really my business - but after the Final he announced that this would be his last match on Playmaker. If this is really so this would be a great pity - he really is a very good player and a perfect Gentleman as well. I don't have a huge interest in what else goes on in Playmaker - I'm an independent tournament organiser who attracts a good community of players to what I do. I'd hate to lose byeplaymaker because of other politics. Maybe byeplaymaker will defend his title of Current Knockout Champion in the next Knockout. If not good luck to you in all your future endeavors and it's been a pleasure knowing you.

Thank you to all the players and to the spectators that where there too. Special mention must be given to PaulUK who came along about half way through to watch. And this also gives me the opportunity to relate a little story that has had me chuckling over the last few weeks. At the BIBA Bright'n'Breezy I met Paul though he didn't know who I was. During our chat he mentioned that he played on Playmaker. I enquired which rooms he plays in to which he replied (rather disparagingly) "All of them expect those Tric Trac Tournos things." I informed him that I was the chap who runs those. After a quick grimace he explained that he likes long matches and hence has no interest in short 1 pointers. Not a problem I explained - I'm already fully aware that a lot of players will not entertain 1 pointers. I also informed him that I do run traditional Knockouts on PM as well. So I was very pleased to see him come along and have a look see. Hopefully you'll come along and play in the next Paul. I notice you have now joined the TTT & Knockout mailing lists so you'll get emails before the next ones. See you again soon. 

 

WINNER OF KNOCKOUT 26 byeplaymaker CONGRATULATIONS you win a  set of Kama Sutra Dice And Bravo too to buggalugs2u Winner of the Consolation you win a  tin of chunky beef dog food