In this topic will be published all the relevant information about "Large Maps Groups" tournament that will be published in the next days on MAN2 website.

I hope this tournament will be great!

It seems that this format with K.O. groups is interesting for the community!

In attached image you can see the award associated to this tournament.

See you in the list!

Thank you, you're cool!!!)

Well, my friends....

We have reached 32 players and inscription was closed.

In attached images you can see the player's list ordered by glicko-points score and the table of the tournament with 1st phase groups and players included.

Our current world champion (alex1978) told me about time problems for start the tournament in the fixed date (Feb, 16). I think that is good for all of us have his presence here and I agreed with him start his games on Feb, 23... 1 week after of the official start. It is possible that he can't play until Feb, 27 but he would have time for play his games.

Games (included Group 1 where alex1978 is not as red or green) will start on Friday, Feb 16.

Of course, I hope that our co-moderator and analyst write its impressions about that groups!

Good luck to all and have fun!

First of all - thank you piccollos for saving the day and giving us all a full set to play with

This week is a very busy one for me... I will write comments and impressions after the first round when we have results and I'll have more to talk about

Good luck to everyone!

Dear co-moderator...

I think very interesting to know what are your impressions about the groups before the results. I pressume you don't know the future but maybe you could try it!

If you are busy, maybe you can have some little chance in the next week-end with the games just started...

Hi community,

A few opening comments on the tournament:

In group 1 we have a nice simmetry with 2 russians vs 2 americans (old and historic rivalry.. ) - of course alex will probably take first place with ease but I see a nice fight for 2nd place between Rem and Snook, both of them did really well recently in the SMG tournament.

Group 2 features double world champion dav, our saviour and only African player (:) - most of us don't really believe that he is from Somalia but let's leave it at that) and 2 "new" european players from Austria and Great Britain. A few words about that - when I say new I mean we didn't see them in the game for like 6-7 years, actually timm took part in the first MAN cup... I myself took a pause of several years from the game but I think that once MAN grasps you it doesn't let go easily. I think many of us will play the game even in our retirement years and at our leisure - that's a great thing that even in a single game you can play as often or as rarely as you have time or disposition. Welcome back guys, I hope you stick arround.

Group 3 has no russian players - rare occurence . A new flare of rivalry between happy and OBM - they met repeatedly recently in the world cup and small maps groups with happy always taking both games... maybe this time OBM will have the better of him at least once . Then we have Canada and USA again - I recommend paying attention to Neverodd, I watched a few of his games and he plays very well, above his rating by 1000 points easily...

Group 4 features 4 veterans of the game including Le_Roy, who came back after a long pause (welcome back) and our only player from India.

In group 5 yours truly will meet again with his latest Nemesis (Canya) to whom I lost 4 consecutive games in recent tournaments (I suspect tese of putting him with me again on purpose ). I hope the wheel turns and the sun will shine on my street this time . With vetere I battle frequently including a still ongoing and in my opinion very nice game on SS where by turn 20 things were still in balance with almost equal armies and uncertain finish - I recommend watching, it has a lot of twists and nice moves... our next double confrontation will certainly be tough.

Group 6 features Rambo and 3 russian players who did well in recent tournaments including -LEDOKOL- who came back after a longer pause and had a quite impressive performance in Word Cup 2016. I still give RAMBO first chance but I think second place will be hotly disputed.

Group 7 again strange (with no russians ) features our main moderator against Germany, Poland and Italy. I'm sure Mdogg has his mind set on taking another game from tese, this time on a large map - we wish him luck but it will certainly be much harder .

Finally in group 8 we have a full slavic profile with 3 veterans and old players from Russia and one from Belarus...

Just one little remark to the great intro by Lord Johnny - we have "jeet" also from India, he battled against me in the recent SMG tournament. I guess he is just making his first steps in the game, but we all know that India is a homeplace of checkmates and Indians are good in it))

Thanks. I changed computer and completely forgot about the game for a while. It's good to see it's still going.

Large Maps table updated on: Mar, 20

Dear Snook,

Neither myself or tese had anything to do with that; if you followed player statistics you would have seen that he lost several hundred points initially (that's an automated process which no one can touch) and after that things were reversed. That can only be done by working directly with the database at server level - inaccesible to all moderators including yours truly and tese; he probably asked someone with considerable power in the game and the wargaming.net staff.

I personally have no problem with that - the guy is the only one with 3 world cup titles and probably as many medals as all other players put together. He was the first to subscribe for this tournament and probably really wanted to play - something serious and possibly unfortunate must have happened to stop him from participating.

Now I can understand that this looks undemocratic and your complaint is quite justified but you should lodge it with the wargaming.net company... Considering that Mr. Putin was just reelected with overwhelming majority I would say that russians in general are not so big on democracy but you can always try.

Small correction - I think wargaming.net is actually not from Russia but Bielorus however if I am not mistaken they have their own version of Mr. Putin there...

Hope you can understand that I am writing with all sympathy towards you as a person and very skilled player and you really have my appreciation but this "problem" has nothing to do with us moderators.

Yours truly, LJ

For all the community....

I have not asked anyone for delete lost points of alex.

It was another player who asked to our wonderful support and on basis at his great relationship support did, but I can't to blame support. He only tried help a player asking for a "problem".

I don't like this situation and I don't agree with the change of lost points. alex1978 is a great champion and I always try to have him in the tournaments I manage and of course, as Lord said, he wants to play this tournament. I agreed with alex for start the games 1 week after the official start and we added more 5 days when his time was near to go out. I have noticed to the rest of the players groups of that "extra" time. Finally alex1978 can't log and his 6 games were timed-out by the system. It is really a pity our world champion be eliminated and lost many glicko-points but other players in the same tournament situation like -LEDOKOL- or lubkirill lost too many points.

I believe in the equality for all the players and all the players must be treated in the same way.

I asked our support for try to return the situation but I am not sure if that is possible.

Players can only trust moderators if they deserve such trust and I have the impression that for years I had that trust by the community. I hope this embarrasing situation don't change that impression.

I apologize if some player has felt discriminated.

Glicko points for unplayed games like this just distort the rankings and alex1978 would have been affected far more badly than others. I don't think this is a big problem although it would have been better applied to all unplayed games in the tournament for fairness.

Maybe tournament games should be created as non-rated games, so this issue doesn't arise.

Dear Lord, ours truly!
Don`t you mind, if we just leave MAN2 free of politics, like all other sports? I think, and I guess that the majority of the community agree, that you, as a moderator, should be more politically correct.
Let`s try not to make this forum becoming a kind of tabloid or yellow press.
Thank you.

You are absolutely right.

That was a mistaken and inappropriate remark for which I apologise.

Won't happen again, I promise

Accepted.

Sorry, guys. I couldn't participate in the tournament. I really wanted to. But I warned you about the problems. And they happened.. I couldn't even tell you that I do not have time. Just now I was able to appear again. I think it's fair that the rating hasn't changed.

but if you want points, no game, only points.. well, so be it. That's fine with me.I do not participate in it. You will be happier))

tese1969,
thank you,
sorry to let you down

Hi, alex

It is very good for me to know that you are OK and back again. I know you love this tournament and we have tried several ways for keep you active, but we can't add continuosly time for it....the rest of players deserve in my opinion and I am sure that too in your opinion a minimum respect to the rules and as moderator I think we can't change that relationship of trust.

This situation was not good for all of us and I appreciate very much your intervention here. Support have the last word. I will respect his choice.

Of course, I hope see you in the list of the next tournament too!