It's the World Diplomacy Championship earlier this month, and three out of five rounds have elapsed. I've had 2 eliminations and one 5wd. Not a great score so far. While the tournament director is announcing on the mic who is on which of the 10 boards playing which country, I'm standing next to a guy who is a VP at a firm where I've applied for a job (obviously trying to make a good impression). The VP tells me, "hey, if we end up on the same board, take good care of me and I'll take good care of you." (yes, metagaming pervades the highest levels of ftf).
Against all odds, we end up on the same board. I'm Italy. He's Russia. Austria is a double world champion. England is also a world champion. In S1901, Russia and I talk about roping Turkey in to a 3-way pounce on Austria. I open to Trieste and Venice, with consent from Austria (but I didn't tell Russia this). In F1901 I move ION-AEG (sacrificing Tunis since I think I can take it next turn) but Triest holds. However, France complicates this by moving MAO-WES and sacrificing Portugal.
Either way, Russia (potential future boss) thinks I'm fully committed to an attack against A/T and comes up to me with congratulations. He thinks I'm striking a deal with France to let him keep Tunis and fight England (which I do). At this point Russia has armies in GAL and RUM and Turkey has army in BUL). I build F NAP and go TYS+ION against a single French fleet which takes Tunis. I also move VEN-PIE. So the Frenchman is caught off guard (since I told him he could have Tunis and focus on England) and I get Tunis in the fall, while moving PIE-TYR and using TRI to support Serbia (which Russia and Turkey attack).
This is a potential source of tension between me and Russia. He asks me which I supported Austria. I tell him..."he's a double world champ and dangerous. I want him to think I am on his side while I stab him. That's why I moved to Tyrolia. With Tyrolia and Trieste and Russian Galicia we can take Venice next year," I say. Russia (potential future boss) says, "keep putting pressure on Austria! Me and Turkey are going to kill him in the South!"
I then go to Austria and tell him, I need another fleet to take on France/Turkey for real (his choice). He says, ok, take Venice in F1902 (next turn) and build an extra fleet but don't tell anyone we're working together (this is the ingenuity of world champions btw...I never let him down). So I tell Russia, in fall I'm stabbing Austria for Venice. On the side, Russia and Austria work out a deal to take Bulgaria out of Turkish hands. But he lost Vienna because I took it (per agreement) and so he doesn't build anything. Now I control Trieste and Vienna with consent from Austria and I have a sizeable fleet that I use against Turkey (after I ask France to turn on former World Champ England who is growing in the North).
After this point, Turkey gets eliminated (I own CON and SMY while Russia owns ANK) and Russia is used by me and Austria as a vassal against world champ England (who owns STP with a fleet) in the former German centers which England is occupying. Austria (2 time world champ) ends the game on 8 (VIE, BUD, SER, GRE, BUL, MUN, BER, KIE) while i'm on 7.
At the end of the game, Austria announces that all the Italian 'stabs' of Austria had been planned.
I never got an interview at the firm where Russia was VP.
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Gunboat with 12 Hour Phases
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