Some of the latest news in tournament-level Magic, as Daniel Stahl reported last week, is that MagicTheGathering.com will soon include a section for tournament-level Magic strategy and event coverage. Today we take a look at some of the oldest news in tournament history: Magic's first sanctioned tournament.

The first Magic: The Gathering tournament sanctioned by the DCI took place at Gen Con 1993. Not many records of that tournament are still around, but we still have a play-by-play record of the last duel. In the following transcript, Rick Townsend, running a defensive green-white deck, faces off against Alex Parrish's aggressive red-black. (It's important to note that, as mentioned in a past Magic Arcana, Orcish Oriflamme was misprinted in Alpha with a mana cost of 1R.)

Rick and Alex are tied in the finals, 1-1, and this duel would decide the winner of the first sanctioned tournament. (Transcription by Steve Bishop and Monty Ashley.)

Magic's First Sanctioned Tournament

Gen Con 1993

Game Three

Turn #1 (Alex)

Alex: 20, Rick: 20

In Play: Nothing

• Drop: Mountain
• Tap: Mountain to cast Mons's Goblin Raiders

Turn #2 (Rick)

In Play: Nothing

• Drop: Plains

Turn #3 (Alex)

In Play: Mountain, Mons's Goblin Raiders

• Drop: Swamp
• Tap: Mountain and Swamp to cast Orcish Oriflamme
• Attack: with Goblins

Alex: 20, Rick: 18

Turn #4 (Rick)

In Play: Plains

• Drop: Forest
• Tap: Plains and Forest to cast Circle of Protection: Red

Turn #5 (Alex)

In Play: Mountain, Swamp, Mons's Goblin Raiders, Orcish Oriflamme

• Tap: Swamp to cast Unholy Strength on Mons's Goblin Raiders
• Attack: with Mons's Goblin Raiders

Alex: 20, Rick: 14

Turn #6 (Rick)

In Play: Plains, Forest, Circle of Protection: Red

• Drop: Forest
• Tap: Plains and Forest to cast Disenchant on Unholy Strength

Turn #7 (Alex)

In Play: Mountain, Swamp, Mons's Goblin Raiders, Orcish Oriflamme

• Drop: Mountain
• Tap: Mountain, Mountain, Swamp to cast Stone Rain on Rick's untapped Forest
• Attack: with Mons's Goblin Raiders

Alex: 20, Rick: 12

Turn #8 (Rick)

In Play: Plains, Forest, Circle of Protection: Red

• Drop: Plains

Turn #9 (Alex)

In Play: Mountain, Mountain, Swamp, Mons's Goblin Raiders, Orcish Oriflamme

• Drop: Swamp
• Tap: Mountain, Mountain, Swamp, Swamp to cast Juggernaut
• Attack: with Mons's Goblin Raiders
• -Rick taps Plains to activate Circle of Protection: Red and takes no damage

Alex: 20, Rick: 12

Turn #10 (Rick)

In Play: Plains, Plains, Forest, Circle of Protection: Red

• Drop: Forest
• Tap: Forest, Forest, Plains, Plains to cast Giant Spider

Turn #11 (Alex)

In Play: Mountain, Mountain, Swamp, Swamp, Juggernaut, Mons's Goblin Raiders, Orcish Oriflamme

• Tap: Swamp to cast Dark Ritual
• Tap: Mountain, Swamp to cast Disintegrate on Giant Spider (using mana from the Dark Ritual to do 4 damage, destroying the Giant Spider)
• Attack: with Mons's Goblin Raiders and Juggernaut

Alex: 20, Rick: 4

Turn #12 (Rick)

In Play: Plains, Plains, Forest, Circle of Protection: Red

• Tap: Forest to cast Scryb Sprites

Turn #13 (Alex)

In Play: Mountain, Mountain, Swamp, Swamp, Juggernaut, Mons's Goblin Raiders, Orcish Oriflamme

• Tap: Mountain, Swamp to cast Terror on Scryb Sprites
• Attack: with Mons's Goblin Raiders and Juggernaut

Alex: 20, Rick: 0

ALEX PARRISH IS THE 1993 GENCON MAGIC TOURNAMENT CHAMPION!

It was a simpler time, wasn't it? Doesn't it make you want to wax nostalgic, dig out your Alpha cards and build an Orcish Oriflamme deck? (Or perhaps you it makes you run screaming and go crack packs of Mirrodin.)