Catan Savant

CHENGDU, China - With the building of two new roads, the Longest Road card, and its 2 victory points, transferred hands and the match was over. With the victory, a new title was bestowed upon Rachel Allmen, 27, on July 30th at the conclusion of a marathon session of Settlers of Catan: "The Catan Savant."

The roads were built at the end of an incredible final turn for Rachel. When she picked up the dice to begin her turn, she had only 11 points - putting her in 4th place and 5 points short of victory. However, thanks to a well-played Alchemist card, she was able to unleash a flurry of activity that included a Merchant, and 2 new settlements, in addition to the roads.

Rachel was always confident in her ability to win, despite being behind. "I just put myself in a position to expand," she commented after the match. "Even though I had only 2 cities and no metropoli, I benefited from the camel caravans passing along my trade routes."

The victory left her competitors stunned. Her husband, Alan Allmen, and friend Dawn Scott, remained shocked at the outcome long after the match was over. "We were ahead the whole time," said Dawn. "Then all of a sudden, in one turn, she gets a whole bunch of points to beat us."

As the game was well into its 3rd hour, fatigue may have been a factor amongst Rachel's competitors. Dawn stormed out to an early lead and was the first to reach double digits, while Alan was in the lead for 2+ hours of the match and came within 2 points of victory. Obviously shaken, Alan left immediately and did not want to speak with the media.

This past month has been a banner month for Rachel. As the games have increased in frequency, complexity, and length, she has shown the persistence necessary to win in all circumstances. Chris Scott, who took 3rd in the match and prior to this year dominated the Chengdu Catan circuit, has been charting Rachel's winning ways with tremendous frustration. "Rachel has won 7 of the last 8 Catan matches. She's on a roll. You know, I have yet to beat an Allmen in Catan."

When asked to explain her strategy for success, Rachel replied matter-of-factly. "That's easy. One word - manipulation."