BrainBusters Solo Tournament, Geneva (NY) HS, 2-27-2016

[Ithaca Cricket Ump]

This is a preliminary announcement that the Third Annual BrainBusters Solo tournament will take place on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at Geneva High School in Geneva, New York. This tournament is an all-tossup affair for individual players of all skill levels, and will mirror a slightly reordered and modified version of David Reinstein's excellent New Trier Scobol Solo set as its question set. The tournament's format mixes a NAQT style Swiss system powermatching system with gameplay similar to that found in the National History Bee, where players will play 7 or 8 to a room to reach a certain target number of points and get awarded bonus points depending on how fast they reach that target. The powermatching system ensures that top players will be constantly defending their totals against the other top performers, whereas younger and less experienced players will mostly play against others of their ability level (unless good performances earn them a subsequent-round trip up the tournament ladder). Incorrect interrupts earn players "ejection penalties", where they must sit out both the rest of the question they missed AND the next question in the set, after which they may return to the game. After 8 30-35 question rounds, the players with the top 8 cumulative scores will play in an unlimited-tossup final until someone gets to 15 points (players who performed particularly well in the 8 prelim rounds may receive headstarts in the final). The first player to reach 15 points will be the BrainBusters Solo 2016 Champion. Trophies, medals and/or plaques will be awarded to all 8 players who reach the final table, the top player in each grade level (12, 11, 10, 9 and middle school) who did NOT reach the final table, and the Earl Weaver Memorial Award, given to the player who suffers the most ejection penalties in the 8 preliminary rounds.

The registration fee for BrainBusters Solo 2016 will be $25 per player, which can be paid on-site on the day of the tournament, and registration is open to all students grades 6-12 who did not play the New Trier Scobol Solo tournament in 2015 (middle schoolers may enter and there is in fact a Top Middle Schooler award, albeit with the caveat that they will be competing against mostly high schoolers, on high school level or higher questions). Players who preregister ON or BEFORE FEBRUARY 6, 2016 will receive a $5 discount on the registration fee. We may announce buzzer and staffer discounts in the weeks leading up to the tournament. To pre-register for BrainBusters Solo 2016, simply drop me a line at scottblish at gmail dot com and inform me of your intent to compete. Players May, of course, come to the tournament with their teams, or as individuals.

We hope to see many of the top quizbowlers (and all of the enthusiastic ones, of any skill level) in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Canada at Geneva on February 27 to hear and compete on what is an outstanding set of questions written by Mr. Reinstein and friends at New Trier. E-mail me to register or with any questions you may have.

BRAINBUSTERS SOLO CHAMPIONS (Runners up, 3rd place)

2014: JENSEN LO, Ithaca (Aryeh Zax - Ithaca, Eric Wolfsberg - Bethlehem)
2015: ERIC WOLFSBERG, Bethlehem (Casey Wetherbee - Ithaca, David Kilbridge - Brighton)

--Scott

[Jonathan Swift]

I haven't gotten any replies from emailing or messaging you, so I guess all I can do is post here to ask what time the tournament will be held.

[Ithaca Cricket Ump]

Due to a lack of signups, BrainBusters Solo for this year has been cancelled.