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Double-Threat

The term “double-threat” refers to the number of players at the board in a single game.

It is taken into consideration that “friendly fire” poses a threat, too, as allied pawns may be forced to eliminate each other from the track.

Allied colours line up side-by-side as vanguard and rearguard (see right board) for each double-threat game played under Championship (2T) or Masters (2T+) rules.

Depending on the set of rules applied, the winner of a single counted game is either the first player to bring home all pawns of one allied colour (2T) or the first player to bring home all pawns of both allied colours (2T+).

Double-threat ranking tournaments yield points for the 2T Rankings.

League (L)

Such events shall be scheduled for a number of double round-robins (DRR), optionally followed by a playoff format, both determined individually.

Game results reflect the “counted pawns” saved which, depending on the set of rules applied, are either the pawns of the respective players’ best one allied colour (2T) or both allied colours (2T+). Accordingly, game results will be 4-x pawns (2T) or 8-x pawns (2T+).

Double-round robins

Prior to each DRR, the players’ positions (#1, #2, #3) on the schedule shall be determined by round of die-roll with the highest yield being #1, the middle yield #2, the lowest yield #3. Ties must be broken by additional round(s) of die-roll. The at-boards shall then be scheduled as follows:

Game 1: player #1 vs player #2
Game 2: player #3 vs player #1
Game 3: player #2 vs player #3
Game 4: player #2 vs player #1
Game 5: player #1 vs player #3
Game 6: player #3 vs player #2

The order of the at-boards of the bottom half (Games 4 to 6) shall remain flexible in aiming to determine the significant outcomes on the table as late as possible. Once they have been determined, remaining round-robin games may be cancelled by mutual consent of the respective players.

Table

Table rankings and playoff seeds are determined by the players’ overall win-loss records. The following tiebreaking steps shall apply once all DRR have been concluded:

  1. head-to-head win-loss record
  2. head-to-head counted-pawns difference
  3. overall counted-pawns difference
  4. overall counted pawns scored
  5. quickness of victory (all victorious game times accrued; full minutes only)
  6. round of die-roll

When a player is eliminated from a tie involving more than two players in any direction, players remaining tied will revert to step 1.

Playoff

If the playoff format includes only the top two players on the table, they will qualify directly for the Final Game (FG) or first-to-x-wins Final Series (FSx).

If all three players are included, the players finishing in second and third place will have to play a Qualifying Game (QG) or first-to-x-wins Qualifying Series (QSx) to determine the second finalist to take on the player finishing in first place.

Starting into a playoff round, the higher seeded player chooses colours which shall not be switched throughout that round. Provided that they had a superior overall win-loss record, the higher seeded player may be awarded a one-win head start (1-0) into a first-to-x-wins series.

Challengers (C)

Such events are scheduled for “first-to-x wins” distances (counted games only). The minimum distance shall be “first-to-4”, thus making sure that each player will have at least two at-boards.

The at-board for Game 1 is determined by uncounted “Game 0”, a triple-threat qualifying game with only one colour per player (3TQ), lining up in star formation (see right board) on the 6-colour board. 1st and 2nd place qualify for Game 1 and 1st place also chooses colours.

The winner will stay at the board and keep their allied colours for the following counted game while the loser will have to sit out one single counted game before returning to the board.