Ticket to Ride 20th Anniversary World Tournament

[SuperPello]

I am quite surprised that the tournaments in France weren't open to all - was this the case for other countries? I don't recall what countries did participate the last time around in 2014, but I think that it was mostly Europe and North America (were there any World Finalists that went to Paris 2014 from Asia, Oceania, South America or Africa)?

Hi all,
Memories from Paris 2014:

28 participants from:
Austria
Bulgaria
Danemark
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Norway
Russia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Australie
Belgique
Estonie
Grèce
Hongrie
Lettonie
Lithuanie
Pays-Bas
Pologne
République Tchèque
Slovaquie
Suisse
USA 1
USA 2

(I would say 27 participants + 1 stupid cheater guy)


About 10 online players between them:
USA (world champion) = Drake
ITALY = SuperPello
U.K. = PeterHowitt
RUSSIA = Vigulisam
BELGIUM = Micky8
SPAIN = Suburu
SWISS = Cat
OSTERREICH = Angel6
SLOVAKIA = Maia
FINLAND = Val

Big hospitality from Days of Wonder: flight, car from/to airport, welcoming brunch in their offices, Dinner for all participants and companion, Metro tickets, championship in the MUSÉE DE LA CARTE À JOUER. And 2 nights Hotel reservation.
Morning session with 4p USA + 4p EUROPE. Noon session with 4p Legendary Asia and the final 8 with 2p USA best of 2 out of 3 games.

About Italian Championship , qualifications open to all with many tournaments in all Italian big cities. About 70 tickets released for Italian Championship, about 48 persons came . Played 4p Europe only, 4 games as qualification plus the final (played with friends Dandee and Loca and new friend Tex Willer).

[Rwain]

We had 22 players qualified for semifinals yesterday, now we have 38. Let's have a closer look on today's events.

The first thing to notice is the awakening of american's players ! Only two of them were qualified till yesterday, but 5 more have joined the list of semifinalists in the late 24 hours, making american team the largest in the semifinals, with 7 representatives.
After thekid, first semifinalist of all tournaments, two others american seeds have honoured their status with a 6th victory that lead to qualification.
Scorps4 , seed 5 of the Pacific tournament, and onyx puffin , seed 8 of the Eastern 2 tournament, had to fight till the end to defeat their opponents. Scorps4 was opposed to an experienced player, Strider_the_Ranger, ELO 542, and they started with a fierce battle around Phoenix. Strider might have disturbed scorps4's plan when he claimed Phoenix-Denver !



The battle followed the two players in the North, forcing scorps4 to overdraw (even if he did not have the start). He was behind in placed trains, but Strider_the_Ranger had to slow down a bit in his last turns, and scorps4 seized the opportunity to link Calgary and Winnipeg... 15 pts and the longest path. The final score does not represent the difficulty of this game : 121 - 105.

It was tough for onyx puffin too, who "only" won 127 - 116 against an opponent who seemed a little tender for a sixth round. Orville2TenBacher is only a 256 ELO, but he fought well against a seed... onyx puffin is the third top players to represent USA in the semifinals.
Our three american seeds will be "escorted" by nyan-cat , Zabergau, and mr_snuffelupagus (what a hard pseudonyme to write !!! ). With their respectives ELO 480 ; 414 and 404, they are three solid players that might cause trouble in the semifinals. Not favorites for the finals, but one of them could create a surprise and take a place for USA in the 8 finalists.

France and Italy were the leading countries yesterdays, with 3 semifinalists each... there are no more at the first place, but it was still a good day for these two countries, who managed to place another 3 players in the semifinals !

France will bring two other to players in the second part of the competition, very experienced players, with huge ELOs and regulars at international tournaments : Sysyphus (ELO 742, the 10th best ELO in all BGA) and Nicolas21 (ELO 698).
Nicolas21 was facing a solid player, Beefisback, ELO 534, and yet he made short work of it : 118 - 50, qualification guaranted.
Sysyphus seemed more favorized with his draw, facing RedFoxie, an italian player with an ELO of 430. But his game did not really go as planned.
His two destination tickets matched pretty well : Los Angeles - Chicago and Duluth - Houston... but the draw was not really good : only 3 locomotives, and so few pinks, green and blue... going up north would not be so easy !

How would you have played such a hand ?

We haven't seen this kind of strategy in our previous comments, but Sysyphus chose to be agressive, claiming El Paso - Los Angeles quite early (with "only " 36 cards in hand). RedFoxie answered with Winnipeg - Sault Ste Marie in green... and that might have come as a relief for Sysyphus (who could be free to claim green routes... should he have green cards !) Sysyphus stayed patient, and optimized his way in the centre of the map, after having assured control of Seattle - Duluth. Greens finally came, and he managed to reach Houston directly via El Paso.. 15 points more, and the longest path. The game was won, 127 - 113.
Sysyphus is the 5th french seed to join the semifinals ! An impressive cohort, who surely has in mind to arrive numerous for the finale in their home country.
These 5 top players will be accompanied by a less expected french guest , Mac-Leod, ELO 479.
Mac-Leod took the benefit of seed 6's withdrawal (Oliver2000) to win his table and reach the semifinals. He is a less experienced player than his compatriots, but seems quite at ease in this tournament. No one knows what he might be able to do in the semifinals !

Italy also had a nice day, very similar to France's one ! 2 more of their top players will represent Italy in the semifinals :
ExaltedAngel showed no mercy for his opponent of the day, Beaver, who was defeated 118 - 68 !
It was a bit closer for Gattivo 4, who had to fight against matt979 (a high profile player, with ELO higher than 500) to earn his ticket.
They will take with us another top player, who could have been a seed if he had not chosen one of the most challenging tournament : the Central European 1. With a ELO over 600, BalduvianHorde is a solid recruit for Italy.

With USA, France and Italy trusting all places... are there still room for other nations in the semifinals ?
There might be !
Spain also placed a top seed in the semifinals, in the name of daedin28 . Seed 4 of the China Tournament didn't leave any chance to his opponent Da Pyrate with a 108 - 58 victory ! And thanks to the qualification of Espidifen in the CET3, Spain will have at least 3 representatives.

Canada also managed to bring a third player in the semifinals. After Cournot and Olihelm, it was the turn of Bunger to earn his ticket ! Even if Bunger was not a seed of the Eastern 2 tournament, his name should remind you something... We've already spoken of him in a previous summary. He is the one who surprised admitted (seed n°2) in round 3 ! We were wondering then how far he could go... and now, we know, as he will be one of the 60 best players of 2024. He might not be the leader of the Canadian delegation, but he has showed that he could beat any top player he will face.

Finally, Swede and Brazil managed to place their first representatives in the semifinals.
Swede will be represented by a solid player, 312 wins in 404 games, ELO 549 : seasonalsleeper . He had to face Malkshur in round 6, the one who defeated top seed Toutoune-Morgon. Malkshur did not took advantage of this prestigious victory but he fell with honour, in a very close game 117 - 115.

The player from Brazil, chucrute2000, has an unusual profile : only 14 games on BGA, 14 wins... and a ELO who has already came over 400. His last victory was against Larrioto, seed n°6 of the Eastern tournament. A close one 99 - 95, but still a victory. This unusual course leaves lots of mystery on what chucrute2000 might do in the semifinals. We'll know in three weeks.

[chooosen]

Grand Finale: The top 8 players will be invited to Paris for an in-person final, scheduled for May 2025.

What is the format of Grand Finale?
1. time constrains
2. can you use notes during the game?
3. or computer ?
4. will be some online transmission from the finals on twich? (We have to consent for TV/internet/photos so I assume yes)

5. `Ticket to Ride product bundle` what is it?
train set https://houseruleslounge.com/products/t ... color-sets or board games bundle?
from rules pdf:

A product package (games and/or accessories) from the Ticket to Ride range with a total
value of €100 (recommended retail price from the manufacturer) as of the date of these
Rules, subject to availability in the Participant's country

[smartin23]

Hi all,
Memories from Paris 2014:

28 participants from:
Austria
Bulgaria
Danemark
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Norway
Russia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Australie
Belgique
Estonie
Grèce
Hongrie
Lettonie
Lithuanie
Pays-Bas
Pologne
République Tchèque
Slovaquie
Suisse
USA 1
USA 2

(I would say 27 participants + 1 stupid cheater guy)


About 10 online players between them:
USA (world champion) = Drake
ITALY = SuperPello
U.K. = PeterHowitt
RUSSIA = Vigulisam
BELGIUM = Micky8
SPAIN = Suburu
SWISS = Cat
OSTERREICH = Angel6
SLOVAKIA = Maia
FINLAND = Val

So at that time people qualified from national qualifying real life games?

[Sysyphus]

I am quite surprised that the tournaments in France weren't open to all - was this the case for other countries? I don't recall what countries did participate the last time around in 2014, but I think that it was mostly Europe and North America (were there any World Finalists that went to Paris 2014 from Asia, Oceania, South America or Africa)?

There was at least an instance where a friend was not allowed to enter a tournament. In the US, closest tournaments was Phoenix (maybe Denver?). We could have easily a tournament in Utah, (we have 7 great players online and lots of good board game stores) but that was not possible.

So at that time people qualified from national qualifying real life games?

Yes.

Great reports Rwain

[Rwain]

About prizes and "grande finale", I can't give you an answer yet. I will come back to you as soon as I get the info from Days of Wonders.

Now, let's talk about the last events of this qualification phase. We're approaching its end, knowing the names of 52 semifinalists ! Only 8 seats left...
It's over for the Central European 1 ; Eastern 2 and Pacific ; and only a few games left in the other qualifying tournaments (2 in the China ; 1 in CET 2 and 3 ; 1 in EST 1 and ... 3 in CET 4 as this tournament only qualifies 4 players, and so gives his verdict one round later).

Till then,USA, Italy and France were the dominating nations of this qualification phase. Is it still the case after yesterday's results ?

It's a big YES for USA, who adds two more top players on its group, making it 9 for the semifinals ! Seed 6 of the Eastern 2, MadManMark and seed 3 of the Pacific, ommie32 both managed to get their tickets although they were opposed to very good players in their last game.

MadManMark was opposed to tex willer, ELO 564 ; and he managed to read his plans, blocking him in the North when claiming Calgary - Winnipeg ! Tex willer had to struggle to complete his tickets, losing all hopes of the longest path. He fought till the end, and tried to stay in the game by drawing destination tickets in his last moves... but it was too late to catch up with MadManMark.


MadManMark (in purple) took control of the North, leaving no opportunity to his opponent.

The rest of the story to come later... a small impediment prevents me from continuing now

[speedypuzzlement]

The game between DrakeStorm and olihelm is absolutely fascinating, won by the slimmest of margins! The crucial moment in my opinion is after move 83 (DrakeStorm's turn on move 84).



Drawing a green or a white would enable 121 points and LCP 44 (below), but is it worth the risk? olihelm has already taken two greens and the blind draws haven't been very kind to DrakeStorm.



Alternatively, can we get 43 continuous trains without relying on luck of the draw? Taking two face-up blue cards would enable 121 points and LCP 43 (below). Since olihelm can end the game without drawing more cards and just drew blind despite the two face-up blues, it's unlikely that they will be taken in the near future, meaning DrakeStorm could start claiming more routes at this point and leave the blues for later.



The LCP 43 plan can be played in 2 ways. Option A: save the 1-route for last, gaining speed but risking a fatal and deducible block on the final round. Option B: place the 1-route earlier and guarantee you can't be blocked on the last route claimed - if you get blocked on the 4-route, the plan transposes into what was actually played but guarantees winning LCP.



In summary, drawing blind on move 84 was a calculated risk that did not pay off, although we can only see this in hindsight. Taking the two face-up blues instead would have been a minor optimization (2 points), but nonetheless could have transformed defeat into victory. Otherwise, an excellent game from both players!

[Rwain]

Thanks for your analysis speedypuzzlement. It's clear that DrakeStorm could have played different moves, but I find it hard to determine exactly where it went wrong.

Let's get back to our presentation of the last semifinalists.
I was speaking about american players, who should be 9 in the semifinals thanks to the qualification of MadManMark and ommie32. We saw how MadManMark handled his game, let's have a look on ommie32's one. She was opposed to another american player SSounder, with quite a good experience of the game : ELO 550 ; 253 games on BGA, 198 wins. Tickets she got were not the best pair... Winnipeg - Houston with Chicago - New Orleans... lots of small routes to complete, this takes time, and does not score much. That's why ommie32 chose to start claiming 6 ! Duluth - Helena ; Winnipeg - Sault Ste Marie and the last one Toronto - Duluth. It seemed clear that passengers of ommie32's train company would have to do lots of zigzags to join Winnipeg and Houston ! 3 moves : 45 points, and a good control of the northern part of the map... but SSounder started to play north... and when he linked Winnipeg to Chicago, ommie32 had to react with Chicago - Saint Louis. And that's were she had to slow a little... and even if she was ahead in points, she had to be very careful as SSounder was playing with 3 tickets... and that was not the only point to worry about. Her tickets depended on small routes on the south of the map, routes that could be blocked easily by SSounder... But he did not see the weakest part of ommie32's path, and tried to block on the north with Sault Ste Marie - Toronto.



ommie32 (in green) could assure her tickets, playing Houston - Orleans in her last 3 moves. SSounder also completed his three tickets, for 33 points, but this was not enough as ommie32 controled the longest path ; 115 - 104 for her stressful game, that could have ended differently.

ommie 32 had the kindess to make a little comment of her game :

It was stressful with my opponent having 3 tix. Thought he might have van Mon or win lr. 6 pink was a key track. He decided to wait on it due to low locos.

With 9 representatives, USA is the n°1 nation in the semifinalists. France and Italy were just behind... did they manage to follow USA's tempo ?
Not really...
Italy had qualified 3 players the first day... 3 players the second day... and ... 0 player then ! They stay with 6 representatives, still the third nation, but far from USA.
France did a bit better, with 1 more player to join them. We expected one of the numerous seed they had in the 8 qualifying tournaments, but this time, it was none of them. The 7th french player to qualify for the semifinal was not a favourite at the start. A 396 ELO, only 70 games played on BGA, mattECM2 benefited of the elimination of the seed of his table, AlexZ, to have a a more lenient course, even if he had to face three solid players (the ELOs of his opponents were 124 ; 142 ; 439 ; 347 and 432... to finish with a game against Alderbranch, ELO 474).

mattECM2 will be a challenger for the semifinals, but his win ratio of 50 wins in 70 seems quite interesting. Will he be able to keep such a win percentage against top players ?

I'll come back later for the awakening of german players, a seed from Belgium, Paolo's new gift, the worst qualification ever ... and other things

[DrakeStorm]

In summary, drawing blind on move 84 was a calculated risk that did not pay off, although we can only see this in hindsight. Taking the two face-up blues instead would have been a minor optimization (2 points), but nonetheless could have transformed defeat into victory. Otherwise, an excellent game from both players!

Nice analysis. I wanted to go the 4 green route you traced, but just didn't have the green/white/locos to do it.

I also was worried about 3 good west coast tickets, so I took the 6 yellow.

I didn't take the 2 face up blue because I didn't know at the time that 43 longest was needed. Usually 44 is.

And honestly it was just my mistake, for some reason I thought I had longest by 1, so it was a pretty big shock when I lost.

Sometimes luck doesn't go your way, and sometimes you get hit in the face on all fronts. Opponent goes 1st, opponent keeps 3 good tickets, and opponent gets a lot more locos (8 to 2). And they played pretty good.

[speedypuzzlement]

Appreciated @DrakeStorm - I learned a lot from your posts on BoardGameGeek. Aside from move 84, I thought your play was flawless - a strong defense worthy of admiration. Daring to face the luck of the blind draw takes the bravery of a champion, which I applaud as a spectator.