kremlin [Updated October 2005]  

2005 WBC Report   

 2006 Status: pending 2006 GM commitment

Steve Cuccaro, MD

2004-05 Champion


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Event History
1991    Jim Fuqua      25
1992    Sean Cousins      20
1993    Jim Fuqua      49
1994    Caleb Cousins      42
1995    Sean Cousins      36
1996    Sean Cousins      20
1997    Tracy Graf      46
1998    Chris Geggus      46
1999    Bruce Glassco     38
2000    Tom McCorry     45
2001    David Buchholz     51
2002    Steve Cuccaro     50
2003    Llew Bardecki     56
2004    Steve Cuccaro     48
2005     Steve Cuccaro     40

 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Steve Cuccaro      MD    05    112
  2.  Tom McCorry        VA    01     46
  3.  Llew Bardecki      ON    03     40
  4.  Marc Houde         VA    04     35
  5.  David Buchholz     MI    01     30
  6.  Bruce Glassco      NJ    99     30
  7.  Charles Davis      WV    04     25
  8.  Peter Stein        OH    05     30
  9.  Peter Pollard      TN    02     24
 10.  Bob Jamelli        PA    00     24
 11.  Brian Carr         VA    05     18
 12.  Nick Smith         UK    01     18
 13.  Peter Staab        PA    99     18
 14.  Sean McCulloch     OH    02     16
 15.  Jason Wagner       NJ    00     16
 16.  Lee Rodrigues      VA    05     12
 17.  Jim Jordan         MD    04     12
 18.  Jerry Ohlinger     NY    03     12
 19.  Ron Wuerth         VA    02     12
 20.  Sean Cousins       ME    01     12
 21.  James Hopkin       CA    00     12
 22.  Ray Stakenas II    MI    05      9
 23.  Steve Cameron      PA    01      9
 24.  Linda Pattison     MD    03      8
 25.  Ray Stakenas       MI    02      8
 26.  Roy Pettis         VA    04      6
 27.  Jay O'Donnell      OH    99      6
 28.  Barry Shoults      MI    03      4
 29.  David Rohde        MI    02      4
 30.  Elizabeth Lang     MA    00      4
 31.  Nick Smith         UK    05      3
 32.  Don Tatum          MD    04      3
 33.  Zach Fietsch       NC    01      3
 34.  Mark Neale         ME    99      3
          

2005 Laurelists

Brian Carr, VA
2nd

Lee Rodrigues, VA
3rd

Ray Stakenas II, MI
4th

Peter Stein, OH
5th

Nick Smith, UK
6th


Past Winners

Jim Fuqua, MI
1991, 1993

Sean Cousins, ME
'92, '95-'96

Tracy Graf, MD
1997

Chris Geggus, UK
1998

Bruce Glassco, VA
1999

Tom McCorry, PA
2000

David Buchholz, MI
2001

Steve Cuccaro, MD
2002, 2004

Llew Bardecki, ONT
2003


Laughing at the Cold War ...

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

Things had changed when we last saw our hero. Instead of taking I-95 from New York to Hunt Valley, he now took I-70 from Columbus to Lancaster. New job, new friends, new place to live. Under the personal tutelage of the plaque King as an official CABS minion. Would that be enough to break the curse of the Kremlin GM, now in his 11th year of trying to win his own tournament? Hey, the Red Sox won last year!

At first it didn't look promising. While the GM bided his time in heat #1, Tom Bissa made a strong bid for the prestigious "Learn the Game at 5PM, Beat the GM at 6PM" Award. In one legendary situation the table decides they don't need to purge a very sick, old Party Chief. The GM, having been on this road before, tells them not to rely on the health roll to kill him off. They don't listen and they roll a 20 to keep him alive, giving the GM the chance to spout the immortal line for any game "What did I tell you! Don't count on the die roll!"

But eventually the politicians do die off and somehow by Turn 9 the GM has gotten his man as Party Chief. He is able to keep him alive until Turn 10 when the Politburo empties out and our hero has a win in the first heat!

Now playing with house money, the GM moves on to the second heat. Poor John "Team X" Coussis lands at the wrong table and the GM repeatedly gets legitimate chances to make his life absolutely miserable. Easily the most fun you can have without winning. To John's credit he is able to get his man on top on Turn 9- just in time for the GM to play the blackmail card! However John's politician dies on turn 11 and James Tyne was able to sneak off with a win.

The GM was pretty much a non-factor in Heat #3, saving his strength up for the playoffs. He didn't even play in heat #4, instead using the Secret GM Hand Signals to get Ron Wuerth to sign him up for Formula Motor Racing (where he tied a record for most crashes in a heat, but that's Ron's story).

There were 40 players in this year's tournament, down a bit from the last few years. Other first round winners include Brian Carr, Joel Tamburo, Nick Smith, John Pack, John Zahorsky, Sean McCulloch, Lee "It's My Team Game but Nobody Colluded Against Me" Rodriguez, Ray Stakenas II, and defending champ Steve Cuccaro.

Only ten showed up for the semis, so Steve Cuccaro (defending champ) and Ray Stakenas (random) were given byes into the Fnal, setting up two tables of four for the semis. In one game, Brian Carr got an early wave, only to see the Party Chief, KGB Head and Defense Minister all die in the second health phase. Nick Smith was able to sweep in and get three waves for the win, with Carr getting second.

In the second semi, Lee Rodriguez and John Pack went on a purging spree early with Lee getting two waves (which would get him 2nd place) and John missing his one try. However, the GM had correctly guessed on a housecleaning and put his points on politicians that weren't on the board yet. By Turn 4 Siberia was packed (no pun intended) with everybody else's politicians, and the GM had his in the Politburo, giving him the win in Turn 5. Could this be the year? Was Bruce Reiff's most outlandish prediction about to come true? Could I possibly pull a Coussis and win my own tournament?

The Final featured six veteran players and turned out to be the classic game most thought it would be. Knowing Ray Stakenas and Lee Rodriguez usually played an early game, the GM again buried his points in the people. Lee won the bidding war on Nestor and three times rolled a 20 for his Health roll, keeping him relatively well. Unfortunately that only got him two waves before he was convicted of treason and sent to Siberia. Ray got the next wave and failed on Turn 5. So far, so good. On Turn 6 he was gone, replaced by a new healthy politician. . .

AND IT'S THE GM'S TEN POINTER!!!!! It's over! He's going to do it!!!!

But wait- it's also Nick Smith's 10 pointer. And Brian Carr's 10 pointer. The GM does get control but it's only for one wave as Brian goes to 10+ during the add influence phase. Brian gets the wave on Turn 7 but the GM's 9 pointer replaces him on Turn 8. But that politician is too old and sick to do much. On Turn 9 defending champ Steve Cuccaro finally gets to play and misses a wave on Turn 9. The GM sees it slipping away and in desperation puts a point on Nestor. Hey, he's won with Nestor on turn 11 before, who knows?

Turn 10 Steve's leader is removed and replaced by another politician for Brian who gets a second wave that is now academic as the game is going the distance. On turn 11 Nick Smith (in his own world of desperation) plays a first purge card, followed by a blackmail card that prevented the KGB Head from attempting it. So now the purges fall to the Ideology Chief- and it's Nestor!!! He's back and he's going to give the GM another miracle win!

Unfortunately the reality is that Nestor is way too old to do the housecleaning that is needed. So he fails the roll and is sent to the retirement home, ending all hope for our hero. Meanwhile Brian's Party Chief is removed and after the dust is settled, Steve Cuccaro defends his title in a hard fought game that all played well.

Meanwhile it has been a fun 11 years but it is time to move on. I will not be the GM of Kremlin in 2006, though I suspect I will wind up doing something. I'll let somebody else will pick up the reins next year and I will keep trying to win that elusive title - without pulling a Coussis.

 GM      Peter Stein  [11th & Last Year]   6625 Millridge Circle, Dublin, OH 43017
    AttackPeter@aol.com   (NA)

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