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Checker Champion
Alexander Baljakin
Checker Champion
Alex Baljakin
Checkers Tournaments
Dutch Open
Checkers Championship
Chekcers In
Den Haag~The Hague,
Russian Champion
Checker Players
Not Gold, but Silver
Checker Champions
Noteworthy International
Checkers Players
21st International Festival
des Jeux and
Checkers Championships
Nijmegen Open International
Damtoernooi
Checkers Tournament
Checkers Champions
Balt Cup 2007
Checkers Champion
Iser Koeperman
Cannes International
Checkers Festival
Women's Checkers
Checkers Champion
Amangul Durdyev
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Not Gold, but Silver Checker Champions
In 1998, Tsjizjov defended his World title against compatriot, Alexander Schwarzman in his home town of Izhevsk, but unfortunately his fellow Russian was able to defeat Alexei in the checkers match and the Grandmaster placed 2nd in the world. Then in 2002, he defended his World checkers championship title against challenger and compatriot, Alexander Georgiev in a match where the venue of the games were split between Izhevsk and Ufa, Russia. The final outcome resulted in the title changing hands once again and Georgiev became the reigning World Champion in the checkers arena.
The following year in March, these same two Russian Grandmasters faced each other across the checkerboard in yet another championship competition of 5 sets, where two were again played in Izhevsk, and the remaining three sets in Basjneft, Ufa. The two compatriots challenged each other in a total of 40 games, which resulted in one win, four losses and thirty-five draws for Alexei Tsjizjov so that Georgiev retained his championship title.
However, later that year, Zwartsluis, Netherlands, then became the site for the 2003 World Championship tournament in checkers with an open roster of master players. Twenty checkerists met across the checkerboard in a variety of match plays, strategies and innovative endgames in the mind sport. The players’ list included notable personalities such as Getmanski, Boezjinski, Heusdens, Samb, Clerc, Ndjofang, Valneris, Thijssen, G. Jansen, Sijbrands, Bassirou Ba, Gantwarg, and Adam Andall from Grenada. The May checkers world competition ended in a three way tie between Alexei Tsjizjov, Guntis Valneris and Alexander Georgiev with six wins and thirteen draws, where they scored 25 out of a possible 38 points. They agreed to share the title and first place win amongst them for a few months.
In late September, the two Russian checkers GMI and the Latvian GMI came together to decide a winner for the World Champion title. During this competition, five individual matches were played alternately between two champion checkerists. All games ended in draws in the first four matches. Not until the fifth set did Georgiev win over Valneris after two draws, placing Alexei 2nd and Guntis 3rd.
Schwarzman vs Tsjizjov 1998 |
Georgiev vs Tsjizjov Championship World Cup 2003 |
Alexei vs Alexander G. |
World WC Match Winners 2003 |
In 2004, Alexei Tsjizjov challenged Alex Georgiev for the World Championship checkers title in a 15 game world cup match, which was held in Izhevsk and Ufa. Georgiev won the match with three wins, one loss and eleven draws to retain his World checkers title and Alexei thus finished in 2nd place again.
Georgiev vs Tsjizjov
2004 |
Alexei
2006 |
As reigning World Champion in the checkers arena in 2006, Alexei Tsjizjov was scheduled to face Alex Georgiev across the famous checkerboard for another round in the mind sport to determine the new World Champion, but Alexei withdrew from the competition. What happened, Alexei?
In February 2007, the FMJD council declared Alexander Georgiev World Champion in the field of International checkers and he contested the world tournament in Hardenberg as the reigning champion. Alexander Schwarzman tied with Mark Podolsky from Germany with 25 points in 19 games, but was declared the winner and placed 1st. Podolsky finished 2nd, followed by Alexander Georgiev with 24 points for 3rd place and Alexei Tsjizjov with 23 points in 4th rank.
Throughout his checkers career, Alexei Roedolfowitsj Tsjizjov was deeply involved in the mind sport in his native Russia, as well as in numerous competitions across the checkered game board in Europe and others in different parts of the world where the great game of checkers was rapidly spreading its fingers and moving the light and dark checker pieces.
Over the years, Alexei has been a member of both the Apeldoorn checker club in the Netherlands and the Udmurtneft club in Russia and contended for the Russian, European and World checkers championships titles. Tsjizjov has also been honoured by the Russian sport federation for his mind sport achievement as a checkers Grandmaster, and has certainly demonstrated his own personal style, game ingenuity and inherent crossboard skills in the various tournaments and matches in which he has competed.
Amongst the many competitions at the checkerboard that Alexei Tsjizjov has contested throughout his career so far, he has acquired a very successful record with numerous first place finishes and several second place standing and he has only been facing opponents for about thirty-two years. The following is a list of only some of his checkers achievements in the International Draughts circuit:
- 1995
Maars-toernooi, Gelderse Dambond
4th place tie with Vadim Virny.
Bijlmertoernooi
- Bijlmer Tournament, NL
Alexei placed 4th 2001 and won first place in this checkers competition
in 2002 and 2003; placed 2nd behind Alex Schwarzman with 12 points in 2007.
2000
- Nijmegen Open
Alexei tied with Alex Schwarzman and Guntis Valneris for
2nd to 4th place with a total of 15 points at the checkerboard.
2001
- Nijmegen Open
Alexei tied for 2nd place with Ndiaga Samb with 15 points,
just behind winner Auke Scholm.
- Delft Open 2001
Alexei Tsjizjov won the checkers match and placed a strong 1st.
2001
- Vladimir Ptitsyn WI Open
In Yakutsk, Russia, winner of the checkers competition & award.
2001
- Cannes Festival des Jeux
Alexei played a strong tournament of nine rounds to win the competition and place 1st with +5 end score, with Meier, Cordier, Samb and Valneris finishing the checkers play in the ranks following the Russian GMI.
- Salou 2001
Checkers tournament held in Spain, Tsjizjov finished in 2nd place overall.
2002
- Cannes WK Qualifier
Tsjizjov placed first in the checkers tournament to be eligible to contest for the World Championship title.
2002
- Orap Open (Den Haag)
Alexei again won the game play and finished 1st with Hans Jansen placing 2nd
and Ndiaga Samb ranking 3rd.
- Delft Kennistad Duwo Open Damfestival
- 2002 1st
- 2003
Division A checker play, Tsjizjov finished 1st with 16 points, Anatoli G placed 2nd and Rob Clerc ranked 3rd at the match checkerboard.
- 2003
Regular‘slow’ checkers – Anatoli Gantwarg won first place, while Alexei and Rob Clerc tied for 2nd and 3rd with 11 points.
- 2003
Final overall score: Alexei Tsjizjov, Anatoli Gantwarg and Rob Clerc tied for 1st place with an end score in the checkers match of 20 points.
- 2005
Division A regular checkers, the Russian GMI won 1st place with 42 points, while Alexander Schwarzman finished 2nd, Ndiaga Samb 3rd and Alexander Getmanski 4th in the Delft tournament checkers arena.
- 2005
Division A Rapid draughts (checkers) concluded with Alexei again winning the competition in a tie with Alexander Georgiev with a 35 point total and Ndiaga Samb followed in their footsteps with 32 points overall.
- 2005
Sneldamtoernooi
Regular checkers at the checkered board where Alex Schwarzman won the game play with 12 points/56 total score in seven rounds, while Alexei T. and Alexander Georgiev placed 2nd with 11 points/61 total score, and 9 points/57 total score, respectively.
- 2006
Alternative WK Match
Between Alexei Tsjizjov and Guntis Valneris, which ended with Guntis winning over the Russian GMI with a score of 43-27.
- 2006
Sneldamtoernooi
Regular checkers match with the game results at the checkerboard of Auke Scholma placing 1st with 12 points/52 WP in seven rounds, Alexei T. placing 2nd with 12 points/46.5 WP and Rob Clerc finishing 3rd with 12 points/43.5 WP.
- 2006
Openlucht Toernooi
Open Air Checkers Tournament which resulted in Alexei taking yet another first place after seven rounds at the checkerboard with a final score of 14 points/64 WP, followed by Hans Jansen in second place with 11 points/62.5 WP and Rob Clerc in 3rd with 10.5 points/61.5 WP.
- This checkers competition saw a change in Tsjizjov’s playing strategies, especially in a strong endgame, which was not nearly as conservative as in past years, but more innovative and forceful.
- 2007
Duwo Rabobank Mini WK
Where the checkers champions displayed a very high calibre of game and a sharp duel in tactical checker moves and plays; the same world competitors have fought for the win with fire and sword for close to 20 years and challenge each other at every checker move because of the history between them in knowledge and awareness of the mind sport personality habitually facing them across the checkered game board; Tsjizjov attacked his opponents with a self-assurance resulting from past wins and a joy at displaying his honed skills in the checkers arena; the end result was that Alexei Tsjizjov won the mini WK with 36 points, while Alexander Georgiev and Alexander Schwarzman tied for 2nd place with a score of 30 points and Guntis Valneris finishing 3rd with 24 points overall.
- 2007
Sneldamtoernooi
Regular checkers match ended with a final score of 13 points/65 ½ WP and 1st place for Alex Georgiev, 11 ½ points/64 ½ WP and 2nd place for Guntis Valneris and 11 ½ points/61 ½ WP and 3rd place for Alexei T.
2006
- Bovec European Championship Checkers Tournament
Bovec, Slovenia, hosted a roster of very talented checkers masters and the games displayed quality playing techniques and various strategies throughout the matches between renowned mind sport specialists; the end result in scores was merely a point separating the different talents so that Alexander Georgiev, Alexander Schwarzman and Guntis Valneris shared 1st through 3rd place with equal checker totals of 14 points, followed by a tie for 4th place between Mark Podolosky and Alex Baljakin with 13 points from 3 wins and 7 draws each and then this time Alexei didn’t quite make the top of the ladder, yet still finished with 13 points also but through 4 wins, one loss and 5 draws; the loss pre-empted his run with Mark and Alex at 4th.
2007
- Cannes Festival des Jeux Cannes, France
Alexei Tsjizjov joined a roster of familiar checker faces to participate in the Individual European Championship Rapid Draughts Blitz; after 11 rounds the contenders in the ¼ Final were Baljakin vs Misans, Tsjijov vs Schwarzman, Getmanski vs Georgiev and Valneris vs Clerc; the same masters in opposition to each other’s familiar game tactics and this session ended with Valneris vs Baljakin and Tsjijov vs Georgiev in the Semi-finals; Valneris and Baljakin played to 3 draws but Guntis won the match on WP, whereas Alexei won both games over Alexander; the final round consisted of a match between two champions who had faced each other so many different times and places throughout the years in the checkers circuit, but out of the two games, Alexei and Guntis tied one and then Alexei won the final checker game to win 1st place in the Rapid Draughts Blitz.
Apart from participation in individual checkers tournaments throughout Europe, the Russian GMI was also involved in several team competitions representing his native Russia. The following are indicative of his major role in the team checkers play in the Bijlmer tournament and also in the Team World Championships in Varazze, Italy, Dakar, Senegal and Cannes, France.
2002
- Bijlmer Groep Toernooi
The Russian Grandmaster successfully defeated his checker opponents across the familiar venue of the checkerboard with a final score of 15 points, leaving Guntis Valneris in 2nd place with 13 points and Ndiaga Samb and Kees Thijssen tied for 3rd with 12 checker points; participation within this competition also involved team match displays with European Youth checker players.
2005
- World Team Championship Match
at Riviera del Beigua in Varazze, Italy, the Russian checkers team consisting of GMI’s Alexei Tsjizjov, Alexander Georgiev, Alex Schwarzman and Alexander Getmanski won the Team World Championship title, while the African team from Senegal featuring Bassirou Ba, Abdoulaye Der, Ndiaga Samb, Amsata Fall and Modou Seck placed 2nd and Latvia led by Guntis Valneris and Raimonds Vipulis finished in 3rd place.
2006
- Dakar, Senegal
Teams from around the world travelled to Africa to enjoy some hot weather and checkers challenges seeking the World Championship title yet again; a roster of teams representing many countries faced opponents across the checkerboard for several days striving for the ultimate win, but luck held with the Russian team of Alexei Tsjizjov, Alexander Georgiev and Morodoulo Amrillaev as they defeated the Latvia team of Guntis Valneris, Robert Misans and Raimonds Vipulis in the final round with a score of 4-2; Alexei won his checker game but his compatriots’ matches ended in draws; Belarus also beat the Netherlands with a score of 4-2 to place 3rd with NL finishing 4th.
- Cannes 2007 International Festival Team Blitz
Russia came on strong once more in the European Cup Blitz at the Cannes Draughts/Checkers Festival; the team of Tsjijov, Georgiev and Schwarzman won the Blitz by defeating it checkers opponents with a score of 13 Match Points and 37 Board Points; the Netherlands team of Rob Clerc, Harm Wiersma and Ron Heusdens finished 2nd with 12 Match Points and 34 Board Points, whereas the Latvian team of Guntis Valneris, Robert Misans and Raimonds Vipulis placed 3rd in the checkers tournament with 11 Match Points and 20 Board Points
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CHECKERS CHEST
Two Player