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Checkers Game Champion of the World
Ton Sijbrands
from 1968 ~ 1981
During the next seven years, checkers champion
of the world Ton Sijbrands easily displayed
his checkers skill development and checkerboard
prowess by winning the Dutch national championship
in Utrecht/Apeldoorn 1969, 1970, 1971, and
1973. He also won the European championship
match again in 1968, 1969 and 1971. Then in
1972 he defeated World Champion, Andris Andreiko,
in the Hengelo tournament and captured the
European World Checkers Championship title,
which he then defended in the 1973 Den Haag/the
Hague World Championship competition with a
successful win against Andreiko in a score
of 22-18.
However, after 1973 world champion Ton Sijbrands
refrained from playing in the World tournament
arena until 1988; however, he did continue
playing against master opponents in various
tournaments throughout the European checkers
circuit during that time period.
World Champion Ton
Sijbrands 1975
Throughout his checkers tournament experiences,
World Champion Ton
Sijbrands honed his strategic style of
play at the checkerboard, and when he returned
to the World Championship arena in 1988 contested
for the Dutch championship and successfully
won the title once more.
The following year, Ton challenged World
Champion, Alexei Tsjizjov, in the final round
of the European World Championship checkers
tournament held in Amersfoort, Netherlands.
During the last game of the title match,
the defending champion tied with Sijbrands
with a closing result of one win, one loss
and eighteen draws each out of a match with
20-20 games. The end tie score thus allowed
Tsjizjov to retain his World checkers title
for another year and Ton placed 2nd in the
world competition.
In 1992, World Champion Ton
Sijbrands was one of many Grandmasters
who played in the checkers world Cup competition
in Toulon. Alexei Tsjizjov was the defending
World Champion, and in the final game of
the tournament match, Sijbrands and Alexei
were the opponents. World Champion Ton seeking
the World title and Alexei defending to hold
on to the checkers title.
Ton Sijbrands vs Alexei Tsjizjov
Toulon, France 1992.
The end result of the World Championship
match was Tsjizjov defeating Sijbrands and
retaining his checkers world title; however,
Sijbrands loss placed him in 2nd place ranking
with Harm Wiersma, Rob Clerc, and Alexander
Baljakin. This also raised the question as
to who would be the challenger the following
year.
Of this outcome, Harm Wiersma commented:
(translated version) “World
Champion Ton Sijbrands
and I always look for the perfect moves.
This takes a lot of mental energy. Tsjizjov
(then 28) is conditioned and physically strong
playing with a fun approach.”
On the subject of his opponent and checkers
Grandmaster, Alexei Tsjizjov, Ton remarked
that the Russian player had a distinctive,
clear style and that he played the game quickly,
making easy capture decisions, with the possibility
of winning on simple standings or checkerboard
plays. This is in contrast to Sijbrands own
more pensive, analytical approach. Perhaps
the differences in the cross board techniques
and styles could have had a significant ‘play’ in
the overall tournament outcome. The Dutch
Grandmaster player took a significant stance
in the European checkers arena during a fourth
round game at the Apeldoorn tournament in
1993. From all accounts of the game, there
was construction taking place to rebuild
part of the Town Hall, and though some attempts
had been made by the competition organizers
to reduce the noise level, Sijbrands found
the hammering, etc. excessive and it affected
his concentration at an important phase of
his checkers game. His opponent was Peter
Hoopman at this juncture.
Ton finally asked the referee to stop the game clock
while a solution was sought to stop the construction
noise. This was done and then the referee came back
and told the Grandmaster that whatever the remedy was ‘would
soften the noise’. Apparently they had
attempted to block out the disturbing sounds by taping
off the doors; however, it did not appear that this
solved the issue with Sijbrands for he offered the
game win to his opponent. Unfortunately, Peter Hoopman
declined the offer and did not want to take it on a
default so he would say nothing to the organizers.
World Champion Ton Sijbrands stepped away from the
game while he made a decision and then surprised the
tournament officials by not coming back, but later
informing them that he had withdrawn from the match
competition. Although his decision did compromise the
game outcomes somewhat, he had tried to conclude the
game in a fair manner, and eventually a decision was
made as to how to proceed with the remainder of the
match minus the Dutch player.
Ton Sijbrands concentrating on checker board.
1995
Ton Sijbrands playing
outdoor checkers with Igor
Ton Sijbrands spent a lot of time preparing for tournaments and the World Championship matches.
Checker training session with
‘Slawa’ Sjtsjogoljev
Singelstraat Church,
Muiden, 1999 |
Ton analyzing the checkerboard
during the Muiden Tournament
1999 |
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