Il Giocatore dell’Anno 2026

IL GIOCATORE DELL’ANNO 2026
(Italian Player of the Year 2026)

Ferrara, 1-2-3 May 2026

After almost 20 years, the Player of the Year tournament is back!
A welcome return, which for us at studiogiochi has a touch of nostalgia: we organised it 13 times between 1992 and 2007!
Dario De Toffoli took part as a player seven times, with great success (https://studiogiochi.com/en/activities/historical-events/player-of-the-year/)
So, thanks to Daniele Ferri (the only person to have taken part in all 13 editions), who decided to pick up the torch again, organising a trial edition in Ferrara, supported by the Associazione Cultura Ludica Estense. A sort of pilot edition.
The games played were Azul, Carcassonne, Cartagena, Cuori, Genial, Hare&Tortoise, Perudo, Rummikub, Sei, VEGEtables.

Dario De Toffoli’s report

It was good fun; there were a few minor issues to sort out, but it worked – we can carry on. It was also great to catch up with various old friends and rivals.
A marathon of 10 mini-tournaments in 48 hours – enough to make you faint – but fortunately no one collapsed (though I nearly did!).

In the 13 previous editions, I’d taken part seven times, never failing to make the podium, and unexpectedly I managed to keep that tradition going: I finished third, behind only the two top foreign guests, so first among the Italians. And even with a few regrets, because I really did squander a few points, mainly due to tiredness, given my age.
The winner was the formidable Spaniard Daniel Angelats, Carcassonne World Champion and already runner-up in the Pentamind in London: truly unbeatable, even with the 40 years he has on me. I narrowly missed out on second place to my dear Spanish rival, the eclectic Paco García de la Banda, a fellow combatant in so many battles on the board.

But let’s get to the games:
Azul: two-player games with 12 minutes each – far too little for me; I didn’t have time to work through all the necessary moves. After four games, I was essentially exhausted.
Cuori: a revelation; I knew it by name but had never played it before. Very enjoyable… especially when you get the good cards. 🙂
Cartagena: I was probably the one who knew it best, but I lost the crucial match against Angelats by playing really badly, because I’d completely run out of steam: three tournaments in the afternoon and evening really do test your stamina.
VEGEtables: it was a must, given Ferri’s organisation, but the four-player game is faster and less mentally taxing than the two-player version; perhaps more down to luck, but certainly more accessible.
Sei: the classic little game, but in a two-player version, with 24 cards and the ability to attack from both sides – very interesting.
Carcassonne: cthe way Angelats plays is quite incredible; you discover there are unexpected levels of depth. Obviously, he won all his games hands down; I managed to lose one game by 2 points and another by 3 points…
Perudo: a two-player game without the stocking and with Palifico only on the first turn; we had a right good laugh.
Genial (Mensa Connection): here in the morning, nice and fresh, I gave it my all, winning all 4 games, including those against the two Spaniards.
Hare&Tortoise: I was the clear favourite and indeed won the first two games, despite having Angelats at the table; in the final, however, a completely random move by a somewhat inexperienced opponent threw me off my stride, and Angelats, who was back at my table, took advantage.
Rummikub: I’m one of the favourites, I win the first two games, but then tiredness gets the better of me and my eyes, which are due for an operation, start to blur the tiles on the table; Another crucial game against Angelats; it’s my turn and I have one minute left on the clock. I think I can finish, but I struggle to focus on the tiles, so I decide not to take any risks and play for time; my opponent has only 20 seconds left, and I move quickly, counting on him not making it; he immediately starts making his move, without knowing whether he’ll make it or not… and finds the winning move with barely a second to spare. And that single second cost me second place to Paco.
But that’s fine, Paco’s a great player and he deserves it all.
Come on, we’ve really let off steam!

Dario De Toffoli