1st International Checkers Match

Bridging Checkers Between United States and Barbados

By Richard Beckwith

The following is a report of my trip to Barbados for the 1st International Checkers Match of the United States vs. Barbados, June 2004. I was a late addition to the team. Several prominent U.S. Players (such as Hallett, Keen, Lowder, Laverty, Burton) were unable to attend. U.S. Captain and 3-move world champ Alex Moiseyev asked me to play at the April Illinois State Tournament and assured me I was truly needed, given the suspected strength of the Barbados team. I was interested in the Barbados trip anyway since I have never been to the islands, so I said yes. This gave me less than two months to arrange international flights, update a passport, and study for my first serious Go-as-you-please (GAYP) checkers match competition. This is my second international checkers match, as I went to England in October 2001 for the 7th I. M.

The majority of tournaments in the U.S. use the three-move restriction style of play where the first three moves of the game are balloted from a random draw of a special opening deck of cards. In this international checkers match, Alex Moiseyev beat Ron King of Barbados last October to become World Champion in this format. The GAYP format, or freestyle format, allows the players to select their own opening moves. Of the seven possible opening moves, the 11-15 move is usually played since it is the strongest, but other moves such 9-14 or 11-16 are occasionally tried. The GAYP format has smaller scope of openings than three-move, but requires greater foreknowledge of 11-15 openings in an event like this. Ron King is still world international checkers match champion in GAYP.

Travel information on the Internet indicates that Barbados is rated highly in terms of both quality of life, and in its rate of repeat visitors (39%). The duty free shopping is supposed to be significantly cheaper than in North America and Europe.

Checkers Match Appendix

U.S. vs. Barbados Checkers Match Results:
U.S. Player	W	L	D	Barbados Player	W	L	D
Richard Beckwith (OH)	4	1	13	Michael Barker	2	3	13
Anthony Bishop (TN)	3	3	6	Anthony Cadogan	0	1	1
Charles Freeman (KY)	0	0	8	Jeffrey Clarke	1	1	16
Michael Holmes (KY)	2	3	9	Carson Farley	2	7	9
Steve Jones (MO)	4	4	10	Cedric Fields	0	2	0
Gene Lindsay (TN)	2	2	12	Anthony Fergusson	4	3	7
Gerry Lopez (CA)	0	7	7	Ozone Goddard	0	1	1
Alex Moiseyev (OH)	9	0	9	Richard Grazette	2	2	12
Jim Morrison (KY)	2	0	16	Nathaniel Grosvenor	1	2	5
Clayton Nash (MS)	3	5	10	Ron King>	9	1	8
Albert Tucker (LA)	0	2	6	Darwin Lorde	2	2	10
John Webster (NC)	1	0	17	John Walcott	3	1	14
				Junior Walrond	0	2	12
				Rawle Williams	1	2	15
Total	30	27	123	Total	27	30	123

1st International Checkers Match	Checker Match Barbados Hotel	First International Checker Game Match Clayton Nash
Checker Match John Walcott	Checker Game Match Barbados Boat Trip	First International Checkers Game Match
Barbados International Checkers Match	Checker Game Match Barbados Players

DeerLake Online Store Items

Wonder Mugs Play checkers online, and enjoy drinking from this cool wonder mug.
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Checkers is a two-player game, where one player is assigned white-chip checkers and the other red. The aim is to play checkers online, capture all of the other player's checkers or make them impossible to move.