The North American Diplomacy Federation's 2009 Grand Prix will kick off with WACCon, which begins at 7 p.m. on January 23 at the Washington Athletic Club in downtown Seattle. Many (including me) consider WACCon to be the hobby's most prestigious tournament, and it was the launching pad for Grand Prix championships in both 2005 and 2006.
 
Other eligible tournaments in the 2009 Grand Prix include TempleCon and PrezCon in February, the National Block Party in March, the BADAss Whipping in April, DixieCon in May, and the World Diplomacy Championship at Origins in June. We will announce the complete list of eligible tournaments prior to WAC.
 
The 2009 Grand Prix will feature several modest rules changes and one significant one: Each competitor's Grand Prix score will be capped at up to his or her four best individual tournament scores. Check out the complete rules at http://diplom. org/~seattle/ grandprix/ gprules.htm.
 
Note that while the rules state that tournaments must announce their intent to participate in the Grand Prix by December 31, there will be a grace period of three weeks. And I will personally contact all the TDs from the eligible 2008 events to determine their intent.
 
I hope to see you at WAC or one of the other tournaments on the 2009 Grand Prix circuit. Good luck, and best wishes for the holidays!
 
Jim O'Kelley
2009 NADF Grand Prix Administrator