By their very natures, the World Championship and World Magic Cup are historical events in Magic tournament lore. The title "World Champion" never really goes away, and players who win either an individual or team championship are forever etched in our memory.
But as we look to crown our 21st World Champion (see question 3 for the asterisk that goes on this one), the sheer volume of that history can be overwhelming. There are so many cool moments from years past, so many great accomplishments, so many fantastic achievements, that it's starting to sound like...a quiz.
So as you prepare to gorge on five total days of Worlds coverage, see how well you know your history—and prepare to see some more this year.
WMCQ Level
- Who won the first World Championship?
Answer:
Zak Dolan
- What city has hosted the most World Championships?
Answer:
Bit of a trick question, as four of the first five were held in Seattle, Washington, as was the 2012 Players Championship. Tied for 2nd is San Francisco, California (2004 and 2011), and Yokohama, Japan (1999 and 2005).
- For one season, the World Championship was replaced by the Players Championship, a tournament that crowned the Player of the Year. Who won the Players Championship?
Answer:
Yuuya Watanabe
Invitee Level
- Only one nation has ever held the individual World Championship two years in a row. Name that country.
Answer:
Japan, twice. Katsuhiro Mori in 2005 and Makihito Mihara in 2006, then again with Jun'ya Iyanaga in 2011 and Yuuya Watanabe in 2012. Japan, unsurprisingly, has the most individual wins.
- Until Germany won the team championship in 2002, only one other non-United States country had won the World Team Championship. Name that country.
Answer:
Canada, in 1997.
Bonus: Name the members of that team.
Answer:
Gary Krakower, Michael Donais, Ed Ito, Gabriel Tsang
- Who was the youngest player ever to win the World Championship (by age at time of win)?
Answer:
Julien Juijten from the Netherlands won in 2004, at the seasoned age of fifteen.
- This country managed to not only have its top representative finish exactly 2nd in both of the first two World Championships in 1994 and 1995, but also 2nd in the first Pro Tour in New York.
Answer:
France
World Champion Level
- What special prize did Tom Chanpheng receive for winning the 1996 World Championship?
Answer:
This:
One of the rarest cards in existence, this card was only given out to Chanpheng, while all other copies of it—and the printing plates—were ceremonially destroyed.
- Once upon a time, Wizards of the Coast released non-tournament-legal versions of World Championship Top 8 decks in groups of four. These were representative samples of the Top 8 and not necessarily the Top 4 decks. Name two of the four deck archetypes represented in the 2003 World Championship group. (I may or may not have these exact decks sitting on my desk.) Bonus: Name all four.
Answer:
Blue-Green Madness, Goblin Bidding, Reanimator, Wake
Double bonus: Name the decks' pilots.
Answer:
Blue-Green Madness: Dave Humpherys
Goblin Bidding: Wolfgang Eder
Reanimator: Peer Kröger
Wake: Daniel Zink
Triple Bonus: who won?
Answer:
Daniel Zink
- In one year, the United States took seven of the Top 8 slots at the individual World Championship. Name...
The year:
Answer:
1998
The winner:
Answer:
Brian Selden
The one non-American to make the Top 8:
Answer:
Raphaël Lévy...who is playing in this week's World Championship, sixteen years later!