Date: Saturday, November 10, 2007
Location: U-Con Gaming Convention, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
Cost: US$3 for the event, plus convention admission (see web site for details)

Register to Compete

Participants will compete in a series of abstract strategy games (e.g. Hex). To emphasize original thinking over prior study, lesser-played abstracts will be featured. Initial pairings and events will be determined randomly. Game clocks are optional (bring your own). All rules and equipment will be provided, and prizes will be awarded.

If you would like to suggest games (or comment upon games that have been suggested) for inclusion in the tournament, please use the Two Player Abstracts Suitable for Tournament Play GeekList to do so. You can also read brief summaries from the 2005 and 2006 tournaments.

This event is part of the very short, and very small, and just created 2007 IAGO World Tour.

The 2007 season will consist of this event and a second one.

This is an event report for the 7th Annual U-Con Abstract Games Tournament, which was held at the U-Con Gaming Convention in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, from noon until 4:00 pm on November 10, 2007.

Six paying participants, and four additional competitors came out to compete, but some of them for only a few games. Numerous other competitors from previous years had to cancel due to travel, work, family and other scheduling-related difficulties. Although they were missed, the tournament proceeded. As in years past, I drew heavily from the games listed in my GeekList, Two Player Abstracts Suitable for Tournament Play, even though not all of the tournament games are on that list (yet). The results for the individual tournament games were as follows:

Abande
Kristi Gasinki defeated David Whitcher

Cannon
Amanda Rodeffer defeated Kristi Gasinki
Dave Lame defeated Eric McGlohon

Cathedral
David Whitcher defeated Kristi Gasinki
Kristi Gasinki defeated Eric McGlohon

Dino-Czars
Larry Wheeler defeated Mark Thompson

Emergo (original square board version)
Mark Thompson defeated Dave Lame
Matt Arnold defeated Kristi Gasinki

High Kings of Tara
Amanda Rodeffer tied Larry Wheeler

Ithaka
Amanda Rodeffer defeated Kristi Gasinki
Dave Lame defeated Amanda Rodeffer
Eric McGlohon defeated Mark Thompson
Kristi Gasinki defeated Amanda Rodeffer
Kristi Gasinki defeated Amanda Rodeffer (again)

Kage
David Whitcher defeated Clark Rodeffer

Khet: The Laser Game
Dave Lame defeated Matt Arnold
Larry Wheeler defeated Matt Arnold

Malawi
Mark Thompson defeated David Whitcher

Omnigon
Dave Lame defeated Eric McGlohon
Larry Wheeler defeated Clark Rodeffer

Pentago
Amanda Rodeffer defeated Kristi Gasinki
Dave Lame defeated David Whitcher
Kristi Gasinki defeated Amanda Rodeffer
Kristi Gasinki defeated Amanda Rodeffer (again)
Mark Thompson defeated David Whitcher

PÜNCT
Eric McGlohon defeated Mark Thompson

Quoridor
David Whitcher defeated Matt Arnold

Skybridge
David Whitcher defeated Kristi Gasinki
Eric McGlohon tied Dave Lame

TAIJI
Kristi Gasinki defeated Matt Arnold

Tako Judo
David Anderson defeated Kristi Gasinki
David Whitcher defeated Amanda Rodeffer
Eric McGlohon defeated Matt Arnold

Trax
David Whitcher defeated Kristi Gasinki
Eric McGlohon defeated Kristi Gasinki
Eric McGlohon defeated Kristi Gasinki
Kristi Gasinki defeated Eric McGlohon

Tunnelz
Clark Rodeffer defeated Mark Thompson
Dave Lame defeated Kristi Gasinki
Eric McGlohon defeated Matt Arnold
Kristi Gasinki defeated Dave Lame
Kristi Gasinki defeated Dave Lame (again)
Matt Arnold defeated Eric McGlohon
Matt Arnold defeated Eric McGlohon (again)

Zenix
Amanda Rodeffer defeated Dave Lame
Kristi Gasinki defeated Eric McGlohon
Mark Thompson defeated Clark Rodeffer

Zig Zag
Larry Wheeler defeated Amanda Rodeffer

The overall winner this year was Larry Wheeler with a record of 4 wins, 0 losses and 1 tie. Win:Loss:Tie records for the participants were as follows, along with the items they chose from the prize table:

Amanda Rodeffer: 4:7:1, a Rubik's Cube Sudoku
Clark Rodeffer: 1:3:0, no prize
Dave Lame: 6:4:1, , a copy of Trax along with a strategy book
David Anderson: 1:0:0, no prize
David Whitcher: 6:4:0, a copy of Travel Pente and a six-in-one set of other travel games
Eric McGlohon: 6:7:1, a Byte t-shirt
Kristi Gasinki: 11:11:0, a copy of Tunnelz
Larry Wheeler: 4:0:1, a copy of Pulling Strings and a copy of Zaubercocktail
Mark Thompson: 4:4:0, a Byte t-shirt
Matt Arnold: 3:6:0, a travel Cribbage board

Many thanks to Blue Panther LLC and Steve Jones for generously providing both prize support and equipment for some of the tournament games. Thanks also to PyroMyth Games and David Whitcher for providing additional equipment, and to both Mark Steere and Clark Rodeffer, who supplied additional prize support. Thanks also to the staff and volunteers of the U-Con Gaming Convention for allowing me to host this event. Finally, thanks to to IAGO for their publicity help. The 7th Annual U-Con Abstract Games Tournament was the penultimate event of the 2007 IAGO World Tour.

Very cool. I hope to make it out there eventually.

Jason, I hope you can, too! If it's any help, Larry (from Chicago) carpooled with Mark (from Valpo) this year, so maybe there's a chance all three of you could do something similar next year? Also, Amtrak still runs to Ann Arbor, so that's an option.

Clark