This is the final position on the Top Board of the Milan 2006 tournament and represents a good tactical example for a Center Count C-Diplo style ending. The game ends in the Fall of 1907 and the scoring system is such that the player's center count in 05 and 06 plus four times the 1907 count is the key to winning. Going into the Fall the two contenders are France and Russia. The French had center counts of 7 and 8 and the Russians had center counts of 6 and 7 going into the last round, so the Russians needed to beat the French by one center to win.

The basic diplomacy behind the final move was:

• Turkey: wanted to take Serbia and asked for Russian help by attacking Budapest or giving support.
• Austria: took Munich from the Russians in the Spring with French support but has promised the Russians to support him from Berlin to Kiel, and the French to support Kiel to Berlin, promised the Italians to leave him Vienna and asked the Russians to take Vienna.
• Russia: has worked the entire game with the English and was given a critical ultimatium on the Spring move to France and Russia that he would support them in the Fall. Russia supported him into Denmark and Kiel(which bounced) while the French made attacks on England.
• Italy: The entire game never took another center other than Tunis and for the last few moves was locked in a battle with the Austrians and all his neighbors.
• Germany: after being stabbed by everyone around him after a rather set of odd negotiations in 01, he has focused on helping the French and doing everything possible to hurt the Russians.
• France: following a fluid diplomacy classic in C-Diplo where he stabs Germany, England, Italy and Russia in consecutive years he has gained a lead by tactical superior play over the English and the toadying of the German player.
• England: after establishing a very paranoid course of play in regard to France and Germany and stabbing the later in 1902, they work with the Russians in the north and against Germany in a very cautious manner that allows the French to crawl up his back and take a bite out of him in the -05-06 period.

With 1 minute to go in the negotiations the following is exchanged:

• England tells Russia that he will give him Norway and move Norway to Skag as a reward for having supported him into Denmark and a punishment for the French.
• Russia tells the Italians that he is going to attack Vienna with support and cut Budapest while the Turks take Serbia so that he might as well go for Trieste.
• Austria tells Italy he is going to Greece, in the last second tells Russia to support himself in Rumania.
• France agrees with the Russian that he has a 70% chance of winning.
• Turkey repeats his request about Serbia/Budapest but fails to tell Russia where the attack on Serbia is coming from.

The buzzer hits and all orders are in, the Russian makes his one 'Grace Call' or 'Yellow Card' call to change his orders with 1 minute.

So what do you do as Russia, and what happens?

Date end Spring 1907

England

centers: Edi, Lon, Nwy, Hol
units: F Nwy, A Yor, F Hol, F Den

France

centers: Por, Spa, Mar, Par, Bre, Kie, Lvp, Bel
units: A Bur, A Ruh, A Kie, F Lon, F Cly, F Wes, A Gas

Germany

centers: Den
units: F Bal

Italy

centers: Tun, Nap, Rom, Ven
units: F Ion, A Tyr, A Ven, F Apu

Austria

centers: Rum, Bud, Vie, Ser, Tri
units: A Ser, A Bud, A Vie, A Mun, F Alb

Russia

centers: Sev, War, Mos, StP, Swe, Ber, Mun
units: A Boh, A Gal, A Rum, A StP, F Swe, A Ber, A Pru

Turkey

centers: Ank, Smy, Con, Bul, Gre
units: F Aeg, A Bul, A Gre, A Con

What should the Russian orders be?

Edi Birsan (edi@diplom.org)

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