Checkmate Games & Hobbies Hosts “Magic: The Gathering” Pro Tour Qualifier on January 18, 2014

TOLEDO, Ohio - Jan. 9, 2014 - PRLog -- On Saturday, January 18th, Checkmate Games & Hobbies will host Northwest Ohio’s first-ever Pro Tour Qualifier event for “Magic: The Gathering.” This tournament gaming event will determine the region’s qualifier for the national Pro Tour competition “Journey into Nyx,” held May 16 – 18, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia.  Checkmate’s Pro Tour Qualifier (PTQ) will take place in Sylvania, Ohio at American Legion Post 468.  The event will run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.

“Magic: The Gathering,” the unprecedentedly-popular card game, was developed by game designers Wizards of the Coast in 1993 and acquired by Hasbro in 1999. Today, there are over 12 million active players of the game throughout the world and Hasbro reports it as the biggest brand in their games portfolio. Over twenty years, “Magic” has developed a core of dedicated gamers, as well as a professional circuit of players with many more who seek to enter its ranks.

Checkmate Games & Hobbies in Toledo is one of the many game stores nationwide which participates in the “Friday Night Magic” playing sessions.  Founded in 2011, Checkmate has been so successful in attracting and cultivating a large and loyal following of “Magic” players that the store was selected by Wizards of the Coast to host the region’s exclusive PTQ. Checkmate owner Ken Solo states, “We were honored to be chosen as the presenter of this region’s PTQ. We opened Checkmate in 2011, so we are a relatively new gaming venue—but our “Friday Night Magic” is always well-attended and our resident Level 1 “Magic” Judge Rob Jelf has really helped us affirm our commitment to the brand—it’s great to have that recognized by Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast.”

Checkmate’s January 18th PTQ will begin with event registration at 8:30 a.m. and the Players Meeting and Tournament play will begin at 10 a.m. and continue through 10 p.m.  The registration fee for the event is $25.  The tournament will be conducted under official “Magic” rules, beginning with Swiss-style rounds (players randomly matched one-on-one) and proceeding to elimination rounds that will determine the Grand Prize winner who receives two “Magic: The Gathering” Booster Boxes of “Theros” cards, as well as an invitation to compete in the national Pro Tour competition “Journey into Nyx” and airfare to Atlanta. Georgia. Prizes of “Theros” cards in varying quantities will be awarded to 2nd- through 16th-place winners.

The PTQ will also feature Side Events beginning at 1 p.m. with an additional entry fee of $12; the prize is a “From the Vault: Twenty” set of “Magic” cards.

Due to the large volume of players anticipated for Checkmate’s PTQ, the event will take place off-site at American Legion Post 468 at 5580 Centennial Road, Sylvania, Ohio 43560. A vendors’ room will be available and the American Legion will be offering buffet food service for attendees.

What:  “Magic: The Gathering” Pro Tour Qualifier Event

Where:  American Legion Post 468, 5580 Centennial Road, Sylvania, Ohio 43560

When:  Saturday, January 18, 2014, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. (Event Registration at 8:30 a.m.)

Cost:   Entry Fee: $25

For More Information Contact:  Ken Solo (Owner, Checkmate Games & Hobbies) at 419-720-6901, or visit www.checkmategames.net

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