2nd Friedrich World Championship 2007

The Final Game



A: The players choose their roles


Nico Maly, best player of the qualification round, chooses Maria Theresa.

Anton Telle, again second best player of the qualification round (as 2006), takes the "hot seat": Frederick.

Finally, Josef Gundel (Champion of 2006) and Steffen Schröder sit down as Elisabeth and Madame Pompadour, respectively.

The Final Game was played with very skillful play.


B: Course of the Final Match

At the beginning of the Final Game, the attackers showed very much respect. It took 9 turns, until a real big attack was launched against Prussia. Only France had combat with Hanover right from the start and was storming towards Magdeburg. But there Anton's Prussian defenders were waiting with a TC-deck which was indeed frightening.

Prussia's positional play was excellent: Against Austria fixed positions in diamons were found (both in Saxony and Silesia). Against Russia, general Lehwaldt was playing the Runaway-Lehwaldt, that is: Lehwaldt was manoevring back and forth, and when finally attacked in turn 7, he went off-map with his single army without playing a card at all.

During the opening 10 turns, it seemed to be a clear Prussian victory.

But then the events started to chase each other: In turn 9, the first Russian big attack was launched (in this combat about 100 points of TC were thrown into battle; Russia was defeated only marginal). This was the signal to start repeated attacks in all theatres. And when England reduced her subsidy payments to Prussia after turn 10 and after turn 11 (bringing down Prussia to 4 TC per turn), the attackers had gained new hope.

Nico Maly had no good luck with his repeated attacks against Anton's diamons position in Silesia, but he detached 2 generals northwards to the Berlin area, where they attacked every Prussian general they could find. With that move, he started to unhinge Anton's suit-strategy. Russia was threatening massively the Neumark and was giving good aid to Sweden on her move to Kammin. -- Meanwhile, France was attacking again and again Magdeburg.

Anton fought hard-bitten, but his formerly enormous TC-deck started to dwindle rapidly.

Suddenly, after turn 16, there was a big sigh of relief in Sanssouci: Death of the Tsarina, just at the right moment! One turnlater, and Sweden would have been able to win the game.

But the game was not won yet: France only needed one last objective (Diepholz) (Anton was able to engage 2 French generals in the Kassel and Magdeburg area each, thsu Steffen could detach only 1 general for the conquest of Diepholz.), and also Austria's pressure in Silesia became higher and higher.

After turn 20, Sweden exited. Josef took over the Imperial Army, which needed only 1 city for the win. Josef immediately attacked with 14 points of hearts, but Prussia was strong enough to repulse the yellow hordes.

Anton was also able to neutralize the final attacks of France by clever retreats. And when France lost India after turn 21 (America was the first fatecard to be drawn, by the way), the new Friedrich-World-Champion was: ANTON TELLE.


C: Pictures


Turn 6: Anton has entered safe positions. Note that France has conquered already quite a lot objectives, but the Prussian TC-deck is really powerful.

Turn 8: Anton: "Ah, that's the way you want to break me?"
Josefs Antwort (smiling): "No, first we have to feed you strong."

A lot of concentration, but also a lot of laughing.

Steffen Schröder (France) seems to be happy about his soon starting attack on Magdeburg.
Nico Malys looks quite sceptical on the Silesian theatre.

Turn 9: The first massive attack. Russia has marked 2 objectives with a question mark. Now, a fierce clubs-battle is fought.

The clubs battle: Prussia wins. In total, 96 points of clubs were played.

But still, despite this attack, the Prussian TC-deck is still enormous.

Anton feeds himself.

Dennis Kelsey is watching the game.

So do André Spiegel and Ulla. In the background there is another Friedrich game going on (just for fun).

Meanwhile, Prussia has lost all English subsidies. Note that France is just laying siege to Magdeburg. The Austrian generals have just started their raid towards Berlin, where they will cause a lot of damage in the following rounds.

Sweden is now east of Stettin.

Between the turns 12 and 16, the game is on the razor's edge. Bernd Preiß is watching Prussia's struggle for survival.

The Austrian are hunting everything which is moving in the Berlin area.

With a lot of sorrow, Anton is watching the move of Steffen's France.

Anton has just finished his movement. A final check: Is everything okay?

Birte Wolmeyer and Franziska Gilbert are writing down the game. They have a lot of fun because of the funny sentences dropped by the players.

Russia is still in the game and makes high pressure. Also Sweden is close to qonquer her 5th first order objective. Richard Sivél has fun with a beer.

No! This is not the reaction to Russia's exit! And also not to the game end! – Anton simply has recruited one new army, and so the attackers have to close their eyes.

Soon thereafter, the game ends after 21 turns of struggle for survival. Both sides had 13 minutes left on the chess clock. As to be seen, France needed only one last objecitve (Diepholz). But, since Anton's positional play was very good, Steffen could detach only 1 general for the conquest of Diepholz. With this single general Anton would have been able to play "hide and seek" fow a very long time.

Anton Telle is Friedrich-World-Champion 2007 !!

Richard Sivél congratulates Anton, both for the title and for his superb play.

The World-Champion and the 3 Grandmasters:
Josef Gundel, Nico Maly, Anton Telle, Steffen Schröder (from left to right)

Nico Maly explains his moves. Especially his initial weakness in diamonds was quite a handicap for him.

Josef Gundel realizes: Damned hard to attack in diamonds without diamonds.

At the start of the game, Nico Maly has made a travel with the Imperial Army to the Götting-area. He explains why he did so.

Josef Gundel tells about his impressions of the game.

Steffen Schröder and Denham Block take an analytical look at the positions of France.

Denham Block looks at the game record. Beside him is Alex Hofmann, with best mood (although he missed the final game only narrowly (he was ranked 5th in the qualification round).