An active, worldwide community of Eastfront enthusiasts wishing to test and hone their strategic skills. The challenger tournament is their battlefield...

The tournament is an environment where players can gradually improve their Eastfront skills against opponents of similar caliber eventually earning the right to challenge the Field Marshalls of Eastfront. On the other hand, to stay at the top, these Field Marshalls will have to prove their worth by consistently showing their ruthlessness in achieving decisive victories.

Now, enjoy and let the Panzers thunder across the plains of Mother Russia!!

Tournament characteristics:
- New players can join at any time.
- Requires Computer Eastfront version 2.07 available from Columbia Games.
- Matches consist of 2 simultaneous games, one as the German and one as the Russian.
- Players can play multiple simultaneus matches.
- Frequently updated website with contact info, results and ratings.

Joining the tournament:

- A new player is placed on the 'Newcomer List' without any rating. They play 3 matches against ranked players to determine their initial ranking. For each win the new player receives the rating of the opponent. For each loss they receive one-third of the opponent's rating. The three results are averaged to determine the initial ranking of the new player. For example, a loss against a player with a rating of 1700, a loss against a player with a rating of 1000 and a win against a player with a rating of 400 results in an initial ranking of (1700/3 + 1000/3 + 400) / 3 = 433.

- Players on the newcomer list can challenge any ranked player. The challenged player may accept the challenge on a voluntary basis. The challenged player gains 20 bonus rating points for winning or loses 20 points for losing a match against a newcomer.

- If the newcomer match ends by draw the newcomer gets 2/3 of the ranked players rating points. The ranked playes rating is unchanged. 

- The newcomer is now placed on the tournament ranking list and the following rules apply.

Challenging & Waiting list:
- You may challenge any player within 500 points of your current rating, e.g. a player with a rating of 1200 points may challenge any other player with a rating in the range of 700-1700 points
- You may always challenge players ranked up to 3 places higher or lower than you regardless of rating
- Privates, Sergeants, Lieutenants and Captains have one "challenge slot". That means they have to accept one challenge but may accept additional challenges on a voluntary basis. They have two "voluntary slots" which means they can challenge up to two additional players who would then be requied to accept if they in turn had a challenge slot available. More than three active matches are possible on a voluntary basis to each player.

- Majors, Colonels, Generals and Field Marshalls have two challenge slots and one voluntary slot.

John Norgaardmanages the challenging process and the waiting list. Please send all challenge requests to John, i.e. all players you would like to play next. There is no limit to the number of 'open' challenges, but it is suggested to limit them to about 5. Upon receipt of the challenge John will check if the challenge is valid (rating differential and slot availability) and either contact the other player to start the match or place you on their waiting list. Once you reach the top spot on the waiting list for a certain player John will inform you and you can contact that player.

Just a reminder, newcomers don't have to wait on anybodys waiting list. They may challenge anybody at any time. 

Please realize this important rule: This is a challenger tournament! This means that when you are challenged you must play that match with priority over any voluntary matches you might be playing at the moment. So, if you are short of time for whatever reason, the voluntary matches will have to wait. A minimum of 1 turn per week is the guideline though many players play at a much faster pace. Players playing too slowly without a valid explanation (e.g. holiday, sickness) will be asked to speed things up. Too many complaints may result in a player being delisted.

Match determination:

- The winner of a match is determined by the difference in VPs of the total of the two games of the match during the victory determination phase (Nov/May)
- Matches MUST end with the May '44 victory determination. In case still no winner can be determined, the match is won by the lower ranked player
- Match ends if VP difference exceeds or equals:

Nov '41: 27
May '42: 25
Nov '42: 22
May '43: 20
Nov '43: 17
May '44: 15

- Example 1 - Nov '41;
Player A German vs player B Russian -10 for player A
Player A Russian vs player B German +27 for player A
Match total is +17 for player A. Since this is less than the required 27 the match continues.

- Example 2 - May '42;
Player A German vs player B Russian +5 for player A
Player A Russian vs player B German +19 for player A
Match total is +24 for player A. Since this is less than the required 25 the match continues.

- Example 3 - Nov '42;
Player A German vs player B Russian -5 for player A
Player A Russian vs player B German +27 for player A
Match total is +22 for player A. Since this is greater than or equal to the required 22 player A wins.

- When the winner is determined one of the players needs to send the results to John (with a copy to the other player) with the following information: Player A defeated Player B in Nov '42 with +22VP (G-5,R+27). 

Rating calculation:
- If the lower rated player wins the match, the winner goes up by 40 points plus 30% of the difference in both players ratings. The loser goes down by same amount of points.
Example: Player A with a rating of 1600 loses to player B with a rating of 1200 =>
((1600-1200) * 0.3) +40 = 160. Player A is now rated (1600 -160) = 1440. Player B is now rated (1200 + 160) = 1360.

- If the higher rated player wins the match, the winner goes up by 20 points plus the rating of the lower rated player divided by the difference in both players ratings (minimum difference is counted as 100). The loser goes down by same amount of points less twenty points. In other words, the loser goes down by only the variable amount of points. If the winner goes up by 25 points then the loser goes down by 5 points.
Example: Player A with a rating of 1600 beats player B with a rating of 1200 =>
(1200 / (1600-1200)) +20 = 23. Player A is now rated (1600 + 23) = 1623. Player B is now rated (1200 - 3) = 1197. 

- As you can see from the above examples the rating calculations penalize higher rated players who lose. This provides an incentive for lower rated players to challenge higher rated players.

- Calculation of new ratings uses the rating of both players at the moment of the start of the match. There is no influence from intermediate rating changes as a result of other matches.

- If both players have the same rating the winner goes up by 40 points the loser goes down by 40 points.

- For matches ending in a draw the lower rated player wins.

Ranking classes as indication of Eastfront skills:

Field Marshall ( 2001 Rating Points and more )

General ( 1751 - 2000 Rating Points )

Colonel ( 1501 - 1750 Rating Points )

Major ( 1251 - 1500 Rating Points )

Captain ( 1001 - 1250 Rating Points )

Lieutenant ( 751 - 1000 Rating Points )

Sergeant ( 501 - 750 Rating Points )

Private ( 0 - 500 Rating Points)

Ranking List