Interview with Spyros Dovas on WDC 2026 in Athens

After five months (maybe more?) between episodes, Gavin and Ken are back – and with WDC 2026 Athens about to happen, what better time to get the tournament organiser, Spyros Dovas, on the show to talk about everything you can expect from rocking up to Greece this year.

Intro

• Gavin and Ken kick off the show with cheers and reintroduce the podcast after a hiatus of over five months (0 mins 10 secs)
• Gavin explains the gap – his move away from Brisbane has made catching up with Ken less frequent, and a previously recorded episode went out of date before it could be released (1 min 30 secs)
• Gavin flags he's still searching for employment and shares his brief, unsuccessful foray into applying at Dan Murphy's – though he remains a loyal patron (3 mins)
• Ken notes that Gavin is heading to a certain upcoming tournament, and Gavin confirms he'll be attending WDC 2026 in Athens – flying via Singapore and living something closer to backpacker than five-star (4 mins 30 secs)
• Gavin talks about his travel plans, including the Athens itinerary, flying before the Middle East situation affected routes, and his fondness for Singapore's airport (6 mins)
• Gavin reflects that while he's been to Greece before, it's been about twenty years – and this time he'll be doing things differently (8 mins)

Interview with Spyros Dovas – WDC 2026 Organiser

• Gavin introduces Spyros as the tournament organiser for WDC 2026 (as distinct from Tournament Director Jamal Blakkarly) and hands over to him (9 mins 30 secs)
• Spyros explains how the venue came to be chosen – rather than a downtown Athens hotel, his wife suggested the beachside suburb of Saronida, about half an hour from central Athens, which he knows well (10 mins 30 secs)
• Spyros describes the venue logistics: as registrations grew, he booked an auxiliary venue nearby so there's now capacity for even a very large crowd (13 mins)
• Gavin asks Spyros to make the pitch: why should people come to WDC 2026 in Greece? Spyros covers the competitive angle (previous world champions, strong contingents from the US, Australia, and across Europe), the community experience, the setting, the weather, and the pricing advantages of being just before peak tourist season (14 mins 30 secs)
• They discuss the FOMO build-up section on the official WDC website (17 mins 30 secs)
• Spyros outlines the pre-tournament activities organised for Wednesday and Thursday (18 mins 30 secs):
  • Wednesday – a day trip to the island of Hydra, departing from Saronida to Piraeus and taking the fast boat across (approx. 1.5 hrs)
  • Thursday – a guided tour of the Acropolis with what Spyros describes as the best guides operating there, followed by a walk through Plaka and the historic centre, lunch by the sea, and an evening trip to watch the sunset from the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon
• Gavin enthuses about the Hydra day trip and reflects on the island's significance to Greek identity, noting it's less well-known internationally than Santorini or Mykonos but stunning (23 mins)
• Gavin shares that he's already visited the Acropolis and Parthenon once before, about twenty years ago with his family, but is genuinely excited to experience it again with expert local guides (25 mins)
• They discuss accommodation in Saronida – Spyros notes a good range from five-star hotels to Airbnbs at reasonable prices for this time of year, though availability is diminishing and people should book soon. He offers to assist anyone having difficulty (27 mins)
• Gavin mentions the Athens neighbourhood guide Spyros has put together – a Google Map indicating where to stay, where to avoid, and the character of different areas – inspired by advice Spyros gave his own son who is now studying at Bocconi University in Milan (29 mins)
• Gavin asks whether anyone stands out as a favourite to win. Spyros diplomatically declines to name names, noting at least a dozen players who wouldn't surprise him as champion – which he says makes the tournament all the more exciting to watch (32 mins 30 secs)
• They discuss the tournament format: four rounds in total, with a Friday afternoon opening round (around 5pm, to accommodate European day-of-travel arrivals), two rounds on Saturday, and Sunday morning featuring a top board alongside competitive play for all remaining players (35 mins)
• Gavin asks about the name of Spyros's Athens Diplomacy club – "The Gift Bearers" – and its tagline "Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts," which Spyros explains is a reference to Virgil's line about the Trojan War, chosen for its local resonance and edge. He also confirms there will be a welcome gift bag for all players at check-in (37 mins 30 secs)
• Gavin admits to attempting to read the Iliad in preparation and finding the going tough; Spyros explains that even modern Greeks find Homeric Greek fairly obscure, and discusses the remarkable linguistic density of ancient Greek compared to contemporary languages (40 mins)
• Spyros previews content he still plans to publish on the WDC website: a food guide covering local dishes people shouldn't miss and how to approach them, plus recommendations for experiencing authentic Greek nightlife and an Orthodox church service on Sunday morning (43 mins)
• They wrap up the interview with Spyros reassuring any hesitant attendees that Greece is safe, welcoming, English-friendly, and set up for international visitors (48 mins)
• Ken wraps up by expressing his jealousy and thanking Spyros (50 mins)
• Spyros signs off, noting the first round is exactly two months away from the recording date. If you want to attend WDC 2026 in Athens and haven't signed up yet, or want more info, go to https://athensdiplomacy.club/wdc2026/ (50 mins 30 secs)

Post-interview chat

• Gavin and Ken return and reflect on the interview – particular enthusiasm for the Acropolis guided tour and the Hydra day trip (51 mins 30 secs)
• Gavin reveals a bonus travel tip: on arrival in Athens before the tournament, he'll be visiting the island that Spyros's family originally came from – a recommendation straight from Spyros himself with full insider knowledge of where to go (53 mins)
• Ken shares a reflection on visiting Venice as a teenager and then studying the Italian Renaissance in Year 12, noting how historical knowledge transforms the experience of being in a place – relevant for anyone heading to Athens (55 mins 30 secs)
• They confirm the tournament details: four rounds, Friday to Sunday (22–24 May), with a top board on Sunday. Gavin checks in on the 21st (57 mins)

Around the grounds

• Ken mentions he's been quietly plugging away at a couple of online gunboat games, with mixed fortunes (58 mins 30 secs)
• Ken floats the idea of setting up a game of the vDiplomacy Greek Diplomacy variant – winner of the World Variant Design Contest in 2010 – to coincide with WDC Athens. Gavin enthusiastically signs up - This game has since begun and you can view it at (59 mins 30 secs)
• Gavin gives an update on his Europa Renovatio game (a 36-player variant set in pre-fall-of-Constantinople Europe) – he was positioned for a potential solo before getting dogpiled, and is now manoeuvring to encourage a draw - This has since finished in a draw with Gavin now able to reveal he was playing as the Teutonic Order (1 hr 1 min)
• Ken provides an overview of Europa Renovatio for listeners who haven't played it, and the two discuss a potential improvement: adding sea lanes across the Sahara to fix the unrealistic around-Africa single-move connection (1 hr 5 mins)
• Gavin asks whether Ken will bring a recorder to WDC – answer: depends on whether everything fits under the 7kg carry-on limit (1 hr 9 mins)
• Gavin shares his excitement after scanning the WDC 2026 player list – strong contingents from Australia, France, Greece, the UK, and the US, plus many familiar names from the online scene. Tempers expectations about his own chances of making the top board (1 hr 10 mins 30 secs)
• The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 12 mins)

  Venue: At home

  Drinks for the interview:

  Oops – we forgot to mention what our drinks were and we don't remember, although Ken definitely had one of his homebrews. Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment… or get the guys more drunk, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.