The Second FIBS International Team Tournament

[dorbel]

International Team Tournament.

In 2004 I hosted an International Team Tournament on FIBS, which attracted a field of 16 teams. 13 different countries were represented (the USA had two teams) and in addition we had a European team and a Rest of the World Team. Finland were the champions, defeating the UK in the final.
The tournament went very well and was enjoyed by everybody who took part. I did intend at the time to make it an annual event, but I moved countries three times in the next two years and it didn't happen then. It can happen now if there is enough interest and I hope that there will be.

You can read all about the original tournament on Fibsboard http://www.fibsboard.com/inter-nation-tournament/
But here is the preamble and I repeat it almost verbatim because this format worked well before and I hope that it will again.

An International Team Championship.

To be played on Fibs, for three person teams of players from the same country.



Selection procedure. All players interested in taking part shall submit their name, fibs nick, the country that they wish to represent and their e-mail address to the provisional TD, who is dorbel. The deadline for submission of names will be [2359UTC, 31st March 2011] . Players may submit their names by e-mail to dorbel(at)gmail(dot)com, fibs message, fibsboard message or any other convenient means and receipt of their entry will be acknowledged. Immediately after the cut off point, complete lists of all possible participants for each country will be published and the players from each country will vote for the two players that they would like to have as team mates. We can assume that each player has voted for himself! There shall be no experience requirement or bar on new nicks, but players will be required to play with the nick used for the voting round.
Players from countries that cannot field sufficient players for a team, will be invited to group together, e.g. Team Europe or Team South America say, in order to have a chance to participate.
The three players who receive the highest number of votes will be the team. In the event of a tie breaking process being called for, the voters shall have a second ballot.

Pre-tournament procedure. The team will elect a team captain, who will be responsible for the conduct of his team, choosing the playing order, posting results etc.
The team captains will also have an opportunity to select a TD of their own choice to replace the provisional TD. Any captain may nominate another fibster for this position and there will be a vote, confined to team captains.
The team captains will ex-officio be members of an appeals committee. In the event of a dispute arising, that cannot be resolved by the TD in consultation with the parties involved, then the TD shall invite three disinterested captains to give a ruling and the parties in the dispute will have an opportunity to present their side of the case. The decision of this committee will be final. As far as I remember, in 2004 we only had two disputes, one was a player barred from entry before the tournament started for breaching the conditions outlined in the next paragraph. The other was a player who had to be disqualified during the tournament for cheating! This is of course two more incidents than one would like.

It is to be hoped that the tournament will attract the very best players, but participants should note that the main aim of this tournament is to foster good international relations, through the medium of friendly competition. With this in mind, only players prepared to adhere to the highest standards of courtesy and sportsmanship should submit themselves for selection. Players should note that insulting language, or other behaviour likely to bring their country or the tournament into disrepute is not tolerated. This includes derogatory language directed towards other fibsters and/or their countries in shouts, tells, kibitzes, fibs forum or any other medium. Such actions may render that player and/or his/her country liable to disqualification.




Format. In the first stage, teams will be divided into pools of three or four teams by random draw. In each pool, each team will play every other once. Each tie will be all play all in 7 point matches, i.e, each team member plays a match against each member of the opposing team. The team winning the greater number of matches, e.g 5-4, will win the tie. The team with the best record when all matches are completed will advance to the later stages of the tournament. It is hoped that this stage will take a maximum of three weeks to complete. Teams should complete all the matches in each tie, even if it is no longer possible to win, because in the event of teams being level on ties won at the end of the group stage, matches won will be the tie-breaker.
The later stages of the tournament will be sudden death knock-out, for two, four or eight teams, depending on the number of groups. Each tie will be all play all in 9pt matches.

Teams will have an opportunity to enter into an optional prize pool of $100 US per team. Such monies will be returned in full as prize money to the winning team. There will be a runner up prize if the number of teams entering the prize pool is 8 or greater.

This is an invitational tournament and the Director may refuse entry at the initial stage to any player without giving a reason. The Director reserves the right to amend these and any other supplementary rules published by him at any time, in the interests of fairness. At all times he will seek the opinion of the team captains and take their opinions into consideration.

Playing rules. Players are not permitted to use any aids during play. Watching is welcomed, indeed encouraged, but watchers should not make comments during the play other than with the "whisper" command. Watchers should not communicate with either player by tell or other means during the match. An incorrect resign or cube action shall stand, so it is the responsibility of all players to protect themselves in these matters.
Team captains shall be responsible for telling their players who their opponents are and players shall make their own arrangements as to time and day of play. Clearly if teams are all able to play at the same time, that will add to the sense of occasion, particularly in the later stages.


This tournament is intended to be as inclusive and as broad based as possible. Please encourage fibsters who do not play in fibsleague and/or who don't read fibsboard to submit their names to me, by e-mail, fibs message, fibsboard message, chat, smoke signals or carrier pigeon.  

[dorbel]

.........and our first query comes from Miss Betty Boxer, 264, Wongabongaboola Drive, Dinkum, Australia.
The answer is, fibsters may represent the country of their choice, if they live there or were born there or have a strong ethnic connection to that country.

[garp_02]

I would like to put myself forward for Team Scotland.

Come on all you sons of Wallace!

(and any daughters)

[dorbel]

Selection procedure. All players interested in taking part shall submit their name, the country that they wish to represent and their e-mail address to the provisional TD, who is dorbel

Please supply your e-mail address to complete a valid entry, by private message if you prefer.

[Kari_Grandi]

You can read all about the original tournament on Fibsboard http://www.fibsboard.com/inter-nation-tournament/

Nice memories came to my mind from the original tourney. Tough competition and very well organized tourney.

I sure hope, that Your new tourney will be a success again, Dorbel.

Hopefully Finland can get a Team in this tourney as well to defend the title

[manxcat]

Kari !!!!
Good to see you alive and well. You are missed. 
Will you join the defense??
x0x00x0x

[KDP]

i would like to participate.  if anyone needs someone to help field a USA team, let me know.  i've also been doing some genealogical research and it turns out my original relatives came to this country from the Netherlands.  if that is enough to qualify me for a dutch team i'd be interested in that as well.  thanks.

[dorbel]

In order to avoid a clash with Tomawaky's fibstenty tournament, I will postpone the start of this until the end of April. We've waited seven years after all! You can still register though. Please do.