TOP 8 COVERAGE
Tyler Blum is your Grand Prix Chicago 2014 Champion! Black Devotion is back, and it's better than ever. Five of eight players that made it to the elimination rounds were armed with some flavor of the archetype. Adrian Sullivan was the only non-Black Devotion player to penetrate into the semifinals, but Jadine Klomparens, a Black Devotion specialist, made quick work of him on her way to the finals. Veteran professional Yuuta Takahashi was pitted against Tyler Blum in an intense Black Devotion mirror, but Blum's Bile Blight proved crucial and forced Takahashi into an unwinnable position. Klomparens had her hand and library stripped to pieces in the finals, and Blum's Erebos, God of the Dead was able to crash in for lethal damage.
2049 players came to The Second City with dreams of being first. Coming into the event, players expected red strategies to be a dominant force. After nine rounds of swiss on the first day of competition, it was clear that something very different was afoot.
Blue Devotion made a big splash this weekend as the weapon of choice for most professionals in the room. Blue/White Control decks were fully realized as the best control strategy in Standard. When the dust settled after another six rounds of swiss and a top 8, though, it was clear that Black Devotion was the new top dog.
DAY 2 COVERAGE
Welcome back to Grand Prix Chicago! Yesterday, 2049 Magic players descended on the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center with dreams of being crowned the 2014 Grand Prix Chicago Champion! With nine rounds of Standard in the books, just 239 players return to battle in the second day of the tournament. The remaining players will play another six rounds today before we cut to a Top 8. Only six players managed to make it through the first day of competition with unscathed records: Adrian Sullivan, Kyle Ferguson, Steve Wise, Jadine Klomparens, and Daniel Kwiatkowski sit atop the standings. Blue Devotion was the weapon of choice for top professionals this weekend, but the deck is quickly being struck down by Blue/White Control variants. Will Blue Devotion reestablish itself as the deck to beat in standard? Or will the Blue/White Control masters be able to assert supreme dominance? Stay tuned to all the action as it unfolds here on day 2 of Grand Prix Chicago!
Article
June 22 2014
Meet (9) Paul Rietzl
by Nate Price
It almost seems unfathomable that Paul Rietzl has been playing the game for as long as he has. It seems like only yesterday that Little Darwin was tearing it up at events on the East Coast,...
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Article
June 22 2014
Family Matters
by Rusty Kubis
There are two types of players at a Grand Prix, the ones who come for the experience and the ones who come to win. Noah, Sammy and Freddy Michael have made the trek from St. Louis not only to...
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DAY 1 COVERAGE
2049 planeswalkers descended on The Windy City this morning with dreams no shorter than The Sears Tower. After nine rounds of Standard competition only 239 remain in contention. Of the remaining competitors, only six remain undefeated: Adrian Sullivan, Kyle Ferguson, Steven Rubin, Steve Wise, Jadine Klomparens, and Daniel Kwiatkowski will enter the second day of competition with unscathed records. Standard continued to evolve here on Day 1. Blue Devotion is back, and more popular than it has been since last October. Many of the game's biggest names showed up hand in hand with Thassa, God of the Sea. Competition resumes at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Will the waters of Blue Devotion rise to dominance once more, or will a new king of Standard be crowned? Stay tuned to all the action as it unfolds here at Grand Prix Chicago.
Article
June 22 2014
A Minute with Marshall
by Nate Price
Doing text coverage for a Grand Prix is a daunting proposition. There is so much to keep track of over the course of the day that many of the cooler details of the Magic that's being play can be...
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Article
June 22 2014
Quick Questions #2
by Nate Price
What is Your Favorite Thing about Standard Right Now?
Jamie Parke: Right now, Standard is fairly well solved, which I actually dislike a little. To me, Magic is a game much like chess, where you...
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Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Finals
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Semifinals
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Quarterfinals
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 15 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 13 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 12 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 11 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 10 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 9 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 8 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 7 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 6 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 5 Feature Match
Grand Prix Chicago 2014 - Round 4 Feature Match
