Magic the Gathering

The top 16 Magic the Gathering players in the world competed in the Invitational Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2-5 March. Jon Finkel of the USA was ahead after 15 rounds all-play-all, but he lost the final to Chris Pikula. Reigning World Champion and 1999 Pro Player of the year Kai Budde of Germany was 5th.

The Grand Prix tournament held alongside this event was won by local player Ryan Soh. Grand Prix tournaments are a circuit for amateur players, giving them the chance to increase their rankings and break into the$1,000,000 Pro Tour circuit. Competition is intense these days, with over 270,000 officially ranked players worldwide, and another 6 million who play the game recreationally.

The Pro Tour travels all around the world, and culminates each August with the World Championships. Last year's World Championships were in Japan, when Budde beat Mark le Pine in the final. This year the championships are in Brussels, and coming up soon is the New York Pro Tour event on 14-16 April.