The New Zealand Diplomacy Champs

Brandon Clarke

The first FTF Diplomacy Tournament in New Zealand (as far as I know) since 1990 or 1991 was held in Auckland on the weekend of August 22nd and 23rd, 1998. 29 players from all over New Zealand and Australia attended, and played 3 very successful rounds of Diplomacy over the two days. The bug that I caught when I went to Melbourne, Australia last December to play in the Don Challenge Cup has really caught hold here in New Zealand. Plans are currently underway for a second Tournament to be held in the Waikato in February, and in the wake of the NZ Champs the Auckland Diplomacy Club has sprung into vigorous life. The ADC meets monthly, 2 weeks removed from the Hamilton Diplomacy Club, so if you're from the Northern part of the North Island there are regular club meetings near you every two weeks now. Contact Brandon Clarke or Craig Purcell if you want to join the fun. For contacts in other parts of New Zealand and Australia check out the "Other Clubs and contacts throughout New Zealand & Australia" link on the Auckland Diplomacy Club web page.

At the web site for the NZ Diplomacy Champs you'll finds all the results, and some very interesting stories and reviews under the "Tales from the tournament" link. There's also now a photo gallery for you to enjoy.

The tournament was won by Peter Taylor with a solo victory as Austria on the last turn of the tournament. The next three positions were filled by three of the four Australians who crossed the ditch from the West Island to play. If you do nothing else, you MUST read the account of the origins of the "Great Dalinski F.U.B.A.R. Memorial Cup", now a perpetual trophy at the New Zealand Diplomacy Champs for the biggest cock-up of the tournament. (see it under the "Tales from the tournament" link)

The second annual New Zealand Diplomacy Champs will be held in August 1999. By then there will be an annual North Island Champs, and there could well be a South Island Champs too, as there's quite a number of Dippers coming out of the woodwork in Christchurch, Timaru, and Dunedin. For more information, see the New Zealand Diplomacy Champs page.

Brandon Clarke
(bjc@stevensons.co.nz)
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