stat me up

Basing on the list of players registered for this year's WSC in Johor Bahru here are some interesting facts:

• 95% of eligible players have signed up
• average player ranking is 1887 (ranked players)
• only 7 % of the players are women
• average player's age is 37
• the youngest player is 15, the oldest is 66
• 65% players are less than 40-years-old
• players from 44 countries are eligible to play
• 39 countries have confirmed at least one player
• players from Barbados, Cameroon, Germany, Israel and Nepal are yet to sign up

Data source:
http://www.wscgames.com/2009/roster_long_rating.html (2.10.09)

the goal revised

It looks like my primary goal is almost achieved - I have signed up to represent Poland at this year's WSC in Malaysia.

The only thing to do now is to get on the plane.

Too simple?
That's what I thought and I set up new goals:

minimum: to equal Wojtek's 1999 performance at the WSC in Melbourne by winning 10 games

optimum: to win 11 games and become the best ever Polish player in a WSC

maximum: to win 12 games with a decent spread to be placed in the top half and to guarantee my country two places in the next WSC

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History of Polish participation at the WSC:
1999 Melbourne Wojtek Usakiewicz placed 84/98 with a 10-14 record and a spread of -876
2001 Las Vegas Mateusz Zbikowski has qualified but didn't participate
2003 Kuala Lumpur Wojtek Usakiewicz has qualified but didn't participate
2005 London Mateusz Zbikowski placed 96/102 with a 9-15 record and a spread of -1652
2007 Mumbai Wojtek Usakiewicz placed 98/104 with a 8-16 record and a spread of -844
2009 Johor Bahru Bartosz Pieta...
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History is waiting to be written - I just gotta sit down and learn those words... ;)