|
|
Checkers Game Champions
of the 20th Century
As time moved forward at a steady pace
and one era rolled into another, the game
of Checkers/Draughts gained greater popularity
outside of Great Britain and Europe, and
quickly took root in North America, though
more so in the United States than in Canada.
It was no longer a mind sport dominated
by Scottish checker masters, but one that
saw the appearance of new names and faces
from the early days of the 20th century.
Changes within the game took place as well.
The Two-Move Restriction gave way to the
Three-Move Restriction, a format that has
gained a faithful following for decades in
Europe as it created a more challenging
environment for Checkers/Draughts; however,
GAYP (Go-As-You-Please) is still played by
many and it, too, shares World Championship
games, but these tournaments are more prevalent
in the U.S. and West Indies, than in Europe.
Pool Checkers has developed a strong arena
of players in the southern U.S., and has
given birth to numerous champions with technical
skill and innovative talent.
Then as the checkers game champions of the
20th century moved towards the 21st century,
Checkers was no longer solely a sport dominated
by men and young boys. Young women took a
serious interest in the game, and now women
wage battles over the checkerboard as well.
Europe and North America still appear to
dominate the world checkers scene, though
there are also numerous masters who play
GAYP in the West Indies, and during the mid-20th
century, Africa stepped up to the Checkers
table and has brought forth some talented
and skilled players ever since.
Since time
has wrought many new and accomplished champion
checker players, only some key figures will
be discussed in this section, but many Checkers/Draughts
Federations and Associations offer a myriad
of information for the checker champion enthusiast.
The emphasis is more on a chronological development
of the interest in Checkers rather than a
comparison between countries or regions since
the growth of this checkers game sport has
spread well across the continents.
|
|
