2007 Status Report

The WTCC came into being one year ago in October 2006.  It is located at the Macedonian Society of Florida Cultural Center at 1895 Virginia Avenue, Clearwater, Florida.

It began offering weekly meetings for Tavli players, who love the game, and provided an opportunity to find the best Tavli players in Pinellas County, Florida. It also began to offer an opportunity for the best players to compete in competitions with judges and recording of player statistics.  Photographing the players in action and using game rules, enabled the sponsoring host to determine the “best of the best” County champion during the year 2006-2007.

The goal of the WTCC was and is to promote and elevate the game of Tavli and to find and recognize a world Tavli Champion.

A Tavli exhibit was assembled and presented in the local communities, in church sponsored festivals, on college campuses, in social clubs and coffee houses in the area.

A newspaper interview spread the news of Tavli game offerings, and TV interviews helped to promote the availability of Tavli games to the general public.

Slowly but surely increased interest in Tavli led to a climax with the scheduling of a World Wide Tavli contest in Greece on October 27, 2007 at the City Hotel in Theasaloniki, and the celebration of naming the first ever Tavli champion (as far as we could tell), in 3000 years in the history of Tavli play.

We are proud of our achievement and now plan to expand our efforts by sponsoring Tavli contests throughout the world, and recruiting the best players to participate in the World Tavli Championship.

Our ambition does not include the promotion of wagering or gambling in any form. However, we do want to honor those players who play under standard rules and conditions and who by luck and skill are able to successfully win the prize of being identified as the World Champion for the year of play.

We welcome inquiries and sponsors for our goal of creating a World Wide fraternity of Tavli players, who will continue to support Tavli for the next generation.

Our local plan is to: expand the number of Tavli clubs in University settings, YMCA’s, coffee houses, and social clubs; find partners willing to help us in our quest; and in 2008 to hold again the World Championship Game.

For 2006-2007 the World Tavli Champion is Panagiotes Gatzoulis of Pentalofos Nomos Kozani, Greece.  Congratulations to the Champion!