2002 World Championship Press Coverage

16-year-old Eleanor Gordon (GBR) had a fine run in the 2002 World Tantrix Championship, beating Peter Henderson (AUS), Peter Hinton (GBR) and last year's Pan-American runner-up Steven Wiley (USA) on the way to the last 16.

The Shields Gazette then published the following article, which also appeared a bit more briefly in the Sunderland Echo.

Article from the Shields Gazette 30 October 2002

When this story was written, Eleanor was just about to face reigning World Champion and first-ever Tantrix Grand Master Matt Peek (NZL) in a 6-game match in the last 16. She lost that match but acquitted herself well, managing to draw one game and go very close to winning a couple of the others. Matt's progress in the 2002 WTC was covered by the New Zealand Herald.

Quiz: The article is a good one, but just for fun, the reader with time on their hands might like to try to spot the two contradictions in it - the answers can be found below the next pic.

A follow-up article reporting that the hoped-for miracle had not occurred appeared later in the Sunderland Echo. Eleanor was very gracious in defeat, and her prediction may yet come true:

Article from the Sunderland Echo November 2002

Article from the Sunderland Echo November 2002

Answers: The two contradictions in the first article are:

1) The caption underneath the picture refers to the national Tantrix Championships, whereas the article itself makes it clear that the World Championship is very much an international event.

2) Eleanor reached the QFs in the caption and in the first paragraph of the article, but by the second paragraph she had only reached the last 16. Matt Peek will be relieved to hear that the latter is correct!

The less youthful UK players may have thought that the reference to WTC matches (or rather, each game in a WTC match) taking just 15-20 minutes was an shocking error, but in Eleanor's world, this statement is probably true! ;-)