▁The ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁U . S . ▁National ▁Tournament ▁had ▁ 5 0 ▁contest ants ▁- ▁ 4 9 ▁State ▁Champions ▁( Ok lahoma ▁was ▁not ▁represented ) ▁and ▁the ▁reign ing ▁national ▁champion . ▁ ▁Qual ifying ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Championship ▁has ▁been ▁online ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁For ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁Championship , ▁qual ification ▁was ▁limited ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁fifty ▁people ▁who ▁correctly ▁completed ▁an ▁online ▁qu iz . ▁Out ▁of ▁concerns ▁that ▁such ▁methods ▁of ▁qual ifying ▁might ▁not ▁always ▁ensure ▁a ▁competition ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁players , ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Championship ▁qual ifying ▁was ▁expanded ▁to ▁include ▁an ▁online ▁multiple - choice ▁qu iz ▁( a ▁score ▁of ▁ 8 0 % ▁or ▁better ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁advance ); ▁followed ▁by ▁an ▁online ▁five - question ▁ess ay ▁test ; ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁two - game ▁online ▁tournament ▁at ▁P ogo . com . ▁The ▁process ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁produced ▁a ▁field ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁plus ▁one : ▁Matt ▁Mc N ally , ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁national ▁champion , ▁who ▁received ▁a ▁by e ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁required ▁to ▁qual ify . ▁However , ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁online ▁tournament , ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁eleven - way ▁tie ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁six ▁sp ots . ▁The ▁decision ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁inv ite ▁all ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁tied ▁for ▁said ▁sp ots . ▁In ▁fact , ▁two ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁had