11th Friedrich World Championship, 2016
The Qualification Round
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In the qualification round 32 games were played. They can be briefly summarized like this:
Game 1: Richard Sivél wins with Prussia after 15 turns. The Austrians (Christian Blattner) had a hard time fighting his diamonds defence around Neisse. And so had Hendrik Möschler with Russia against Richard's clubs. In the end, Christian – the 2015 world champion – earns only 5 points. Does this already mean his chances to reach this year's final are gone?
Game 2: Klaus Blum (Prussia) is defeated by Andrew Brown (France) after 14 turns. Several times Klaus had to switch his suits-strategy, because several times he received TCs of only one suit, and of course always a different suit! A crazy game! Game 3: Another French victory (by Raphael Sümpelmann)! After 15 turns Prussia (Christian Yorck) is doomed . Game 4: Anton Telle (Prussia) brings home a very safe win. He was aided by the fate, as well: Sweden dropped out in turn 6, Russia turn 7, America came in turn 8, and India in turn 14. On the other hand, the subsidy reductions did not occur (they would have come in turn 22 and 23). Or, differently put: A very good cut of the deck, so the Prussians said. Game 5: The third French win of the evening, achieved by von Martin Höfer in turn 9. Rouven Lotze, a FWC rookie had no chance. And, of course the early subsidy reduction in turn 7 were no help for him either. Game 6: Mark Luta (Prussia) loses against Russia (Arnold de Wijs) in turn 14. France (Peter Hannappel) was already bankrupt, but all in all the allied pressure was too high. Game 7: Alexander Heinz, another FWC rookie, wins with Russia (turn 18). Prussia (Guy Atkinson) kept Austria (Stephan Jordan) under control. Game 8: After 21 long and exhausting turns, Jose Bonilla Rau is another victorious Prussian king. The tsarina (Andreas Buschhaus) dies in turn 8. Nevertheless, Austria (Bjorn von Knorring), was able to conquer all but one of her objectives. |
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 Game 3: Christian Yorck is thinking over his defence against France.  Game 5: Christoph Kaminski moves his Swedes, while Rodrigo Witzel seems not to be too happy with his Austrians positions.  Game 8: Jose Bonilla Rau in combat with Austria. |
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 Game 10: Andreas Buschhaus moves his Prussians in Saxony.  Game 15: As to be seen, the Prussians in Saxony can also be moved while standing. Prussia (Hendrik Möschler) will win this match after 23 turns.  Game 16: Martin Höfer just lost almost all his Austrian troops. But, he will be the winner, nevertheless, after 19 turns. |
Game 9: After 8 turns, Florian Blums defence against Russia (Christian Blattner) collapses. Marius Meierhöfter (Austria) and John McCullough (France) were kept at bay by Florian. They harvest only 6 and 5 points, respectively.
Game 10: Andreas Buschhaus (Prussia) has the game totally under control. Guy Atkinson (Russia), Kai Windmöller (Austria) and Thorsten Hennig (France) make only 7, 5, and 8 points. Game 11: Arnold de Wijs encircles and eliminates an Austrian stack of 3 generals with 24 troops. However, Klaus Blum returns in good shape and wins after 12 turns – just in the moment when France (Christian Yorck) would have dropped out. Richard Sivél (Russia) gets only 4 points. Due to his enormous lack of clubs, he kept his generals stacked for too long. Game 12: Stephan Jordan wins with Prussia after 23 long and hard fought turns. The strokes of fate all came quite late in this match: Elisabeth turn 13, Poems 15, Lord Bute 21. Bjorn von Knorring, Christoph Kaminskik and Karsten Kraft have to leave the table with honour. Game 13: Alexander Heinz, the FWC rookie, wins his second match as well, this time with Prussia after 21 turns. Sweden and Russia (Jose Bonilla Rau) dropped out early in turn 6 and 8. But, can you call luck of fate, when immediately thereafter in turn 9 and 10, both subsidy reductions occur, and when America and India come not earlier than turn 20 and 21? No, you can't! Game 14: Despite Lord Bute showing up in turn7, Peter Hannappel's Prussia survives until turn 22 to be the winner. Alex Calderon earns 6 points (his Tsarina died after turn 11); Andrew Brown (Austria) and Maurice de Wijs receive 9.2 and 9 points, respectively. Game 15: Hendrik Möschler is winning with Prussia as well (turn 23). Although Mark Luta's Tsarina died early (turn 7), and although Jürgen Winter's France went bankrupt in turn 15, Hendrik runs off the clock at the end. But the limited stop watch time is enough for him to carry home victory. Game 16: Andreas Zölitz is under heavy attacks from all sides. The fate is silent for a long time in this match. And although Martin Höfer loses almost all of his troops in the mid-game, it is Martin who pulls off victory in turn 19. And, it is an Austrian-Imperial double victory worth 13 points! |
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Game 17: Maurice de Wijs detaches 3 generals to protect against the Russians, and to use them in a new tactics, called the de Wijs Line: After having eliminated a Russian supply train, the Prussian generals spread out to block all possible supply lines, and the effect is that a Russian stack is eliminated due to lack of supply. The downside of the strategy is that Silesia is left unprotected. It is quickly conquered by Austria (Richard Sivél) which then win the game with a final battle in Saxony in turn 8. And this although Austria lacked diamonds in the early turns completely. Game 18: Guy Atkinson (Austria) defetas Prussia (Stefan Schönweiß) in turn 8. Game 19: Peter Hannappel and Jose Bonilla Rau pull off a simultaneous victory with Russia and Austria in turn 18. Alex Hofmann fought hard with Prussia, but it was too much. Even the dropout of France in turn 16 did not help to turn the tide. Game 20: In this match, Bernd Preiß (Prussia) encircles Anton Telle's Austrians twice, eliminating ca. 40 troops in total. This and the early Russian exit (turn 7) are enough for victory in turn 23 – although it became tight in the end, when Austria was able to encircle Bernd's defenders of Saxony. But, even in this situation Bernd had enough diamonds to win the battle. Game 21: Bjorn von Knorring (Prussia) wins after 18 turns. Neither Andreas Zölitz (Russia) nor Mark Luta (Austria) nor Rouven Lotze (France) are ever close victory, although they are 12 minutes over the chess clock time at the end. Game 22: Christian Blattner seems to have a subscription for the diamonds 13. Again and again, a diamonds 13 is shot at Austria (Karsten Kraft). Christian wins after 22 turns, while Karsten makes only 6.7 points. Game 23: In a long match, with many ups and downs, Alex Calderons (Prussia) finally loses against John McCullough (Austria) after 21 turns, despite the early exit of Russia in turn 8 (Klaus Blum). Game 24: Jürgen Winter (Prussia) keeps Austria (Christian Yorck) and France (Andreas Buschhaus) under good control. But not Martin Höfer who manages his third win! This time with Russia in turn 16. |
 Game 20: Anton Telle and Bernd Preiß, deep thinking.  Game 20: Stephan Jordan has lost Sweden and Russia already in turn 6 and 7. He is now playing with the Imperial Army.  Game 24: Jürgen Winter is not very happy by the TC played by Christian Yorck in combat. |
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 Game 26: John McCullough moves his Prussians in Poland.  Game 30: Thorsten Groß standing and playing, while Marius Meierhöfer and Mark Luta are smiling about a funny remark.  Game 32: Raphael Sümpelmann, still in good mood. In the end, however, his Prussians will be defeated in turn 20 – which turned out to be the last turn since France's exit would have ended the game. |
Game 25: The Tsarina dies in turn 8, and this is the last minute (from Martin Höfer's Prussian point of view). One turn later and Russia (Anton Telle) would have won. But so, Peter Hannappel wins with Austria in turn 12 which means him entering the final as first ranked player. Also Martin enters the final with the 6 points earned by Prussia. – On a special side note: If Anton would have won, he instead of Peter would have been in the final (at least most likely).
Game 26: John McCullough's Prussia is in good touch with the fate, and so the game ends after 15 turns with a Prussian victory. Arnold de Wijs Austrians conquer not much, and so Arnold has to be satisfied with 2.5 points... Game 27: Austria (Andreas Buschhaus) defeats Prussia (Karsten Kraft) in turn 14. This is another match with the Tsarina dying in turn 8. (Is there a subscription of the Tsarina's death in turn in this year's FWC?) Game 28: No, there is no such subscription! Elisabeth can die in turn 7 as well, as to be seen at Andrew Brown's table. His Prussia has the almost perfect fate on his side: India turn 6, Elisabeth turn 7, America turn 9, and Sweden turn 10. Stephan Jordan is the only attacker to earn good points (9 for him, while Christian Yorck gets 6 and Hendrik Möschler 2.5 points.) Game 29: Christian Blattner realizes his third win of the heats! This time with France in turn 9. This means that he will enter the final, despite his very bad start with Austria. Christian made good profit of a Prussian blunder (Kai Windmöller): Kai eliminated a French supply train, not being aware that the protection of the last 2 French objectives is given up by that move! Game 30: Marius Meierhöfers Prussian have everything under control. Everything, but the small, yellow Hildi (Alex Calderon), this so sneaky Imperial army, sneaking calm and quiet to victory in turn 9. Game 31: Christoph Kaminski plays the Prussian match of his life, but has to give up after 18 turns. Jose Bonilla Rau wins with France, thus entering the final game as second ranked player of the qualification round. Game 32: This match with many ups and downs and with a fate silent for a long time; this match where everybody could have won, France wins in turn 20 (Richard Sivél). But, imagine Raphael Sümpelmann (Prussia) would not have been on the stop watch! Would he have made such a disastrous move with Seydlitz, offering encirclement, and thus losing both Magdeburg and Halberstadt in turn 20? Would he have let slip away the opportunity to attack the French with Hanoverian hearts in turn 18, 19, or 20? — And, be aware, that turn 20 was the last turn of the game, because France would have dropped out now! — But also Stefan Schönweiß with Russia and Alexander Heinz with Austria had their chances! And the special bitter thing: Alexander was in a good position to enter the final, but 6.7 points earned in this match were not enough. |
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Ranking after the qualification round:
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 Suddenly, the King himself visits the FWC! Christoph, the Old Fritz, Kaminski gives some funny anecdotes and royal greetings.  Game 11: Arnold de Wijs encircles Klaus Blum's Austrians after having emptied the Austrian diamonds hand in the previous battle.  Game 11: And yes! The battle victory is perfect and has to be cheered at! — But, eventually, Austria will triumph and take all glory (victory in turn 12).
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 Die four finalists: Peter Hannappel, Martin Höfer, Jose Bonilla Rau, Christian Blattner.  Andreas Zölitz, the "Fair Ehrensvärd" of this FWC. He is awarded the golden medal for his all-time fair and calm playing style, always paying attention that both game and tournament rules are not violated.
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The four best ranked players of the qualification round Peter Hannappel, Jose Bonilla Rau, Martin Höfer and Christian Blattner entered the final game. This was started at 17:30. Peter Hannappel as best ranked player had the first choice of his role, Jose Bonilla Rau the second choice, and so on. For Jose Bonilla Rau and Martin Höfer it was their first final game. For Christian (the defending champion) the third, and for Peter the second. The Fair Ehrensvärd was awarded to Andreas Zölitz, honouring his all-time fair and calm playing style, always paying attention that both game and tournament rules are not violated.
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