Yeh Bros Team Cup – Yokohama City (Japan) 21-26 April, 2013. After two rounds of the knock out phase (KO1 and KO2), we enter KO3 with an important match between Italy and Denmark. Italy has previously defeated China Red 127-42 and Sweden 69-60. Denmark firstly beat USA Kranyak 92-51 and secondly China Blue 89-82.
The other six teams who have gone through behind Denmark and Italy play two triads (KO3): the winner of each triad qualifies for the next stage (KO4). The teams involved in the triads are: China Blue, Yeh Bros I and Russia (first triad); Sweden, USA Kranyak and Netherlands (second triad).
The winner of Italy-Denmark directly qualifies for the final with a carryover of 6.5 IMPs. The loser of this match is not sent home, but joins a triad (KO4) which determines the other finalist: it is thus possible that Italy and Denmark will meet again in the final.
KO4 phase consists of a triad match between the two winners of KO3 triads, and the loser of Italy-Denmark. The winner becomes the other finalist. The two losers take part in the play-off.
To sum up the complex mechanism (for more details see http://www.jcbl.or.jp/home/English/yehbros/conditions/tabid/1032/Default.aspx):
By the end of the Swiss qualification phase, the first 15 teams plus the Yeh team have played four 32-board rounds (two 16-board stanzas). There are two sections: the upper and lower brackets, each comprising eight teams. The losers in the upper bracket are demoted to the lower bracket. The losers of the lower bracket are eliminated. After three rounds there is only one undefeated team in the upper bracket, who directly qualifies for the final, with a 6.5 IMPs carryover. In the third round, the two losers from the upper bracket, defeated during the second round, join the four winners of the lower bracket. These six teams play in two triads. The two triad winners go through.
In the fourth round the two triad winners and the loser from the head-to-head play in another triad. The winner of this triad is the second finalist.
In all triads, the winner is the undefeated team. If each team is once-defeated, the team with the highest number of VPs wins.
At the moment, we are in stage KO3: Italy and Denmark play a head to head match. The loser can still get to the final, but through a very long path.
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