After winning the Canadian Championship in 2005 (defeating the 2004 champion in the round robin play) I read every Catan strategy guide I could find in my attempt to win the World Championship. At that time there was not a lot of information available, with the exception of a few online articles. There is more information available these days, but I have yet to find anything comprehensive written by another tournament player. This is an advanced guide to the game of Catan and goes beyond anything written previously. It is intended to become a reference piece rather than something that you read once and put on the shelf. I hope that it inspires you to study the game, your opponents, and your own level of play. This is not just a book of rules, scenarios, and statistics, it is a book written to change the way you think about Catan. I want you to learn the intricacies of the game, and show you how to solve problems using methods implemented by the top players in the world. I am not suggesting that my way is the only way to win, there are more ways than one way to win at Catan, however, in order to win you will need to learn how to think through a situation and develop your own winning strategy. I truly believe that whatever level of play you are currently at, the additional skills you will learn by reading this book will significantly improve your Catan gaming ability.