|
Champions of the
20th Century
Don Morgan Lafferty
Edwin Hunt
Willie Ryan
Asa Long
Walter Hellman
William Edwards
Sam Levy
Sam Gonotsky
Dr. Marion Tinsley
Derek Oldbury
Elbert Lowder
Leo Levitt
Richard Hallett
African
Checker Champions
1st International Match
In Barbados
Checkers in The
West Indies
The International
Checkers Stage
“Men Only”
Checkers in The News
Checkers Pool
Checkers Champions
Of The Netherlands
Jannes van der Wal
Ton ‘Teunis’ Sijbrands
Checkers Champion
Harm Wiersma
|
Checkers Champions of 2005
The World 3-Move Title Match between Alex Moiseyev and Ron King, held in Anderson, North Carolina, in May 2005, was probably one of the most significant checkers events of that year because of the competitive history between the two checkers Grandmaster players and the $10,000 championship purse.
For Ron King the 2005 3-Move World Championship title match was especially important. Alex Moiseyev became the 3-Move World Champion only after the American Checker Federation stripped King of his title in 2001, a checkers title that Ron had held for about 10 years; however, when Alex Moiseyev had challenged King to a match, the two simply could not agree on the terms of the match, and this was the main reason that it never took place. The ACF allowed Moiseyev to play the next checkers master in line for the title, and when Alex won the match, the ACF declared him the 3-Move World Champion. Unfortunately, it was only the ACF that recognized Moiseyev as the World Champion, as other world federations such as the FMJD and EDA still considered Ron King the World Champion.
Moiseyev and King finally played for the title in 2003, but Moiseyev won by a large margin. Even on that occasion, Ron King has said that he was unfairly matched with Alex because he had spent exhausting weeks before the games promoting the event and was fatigued even before the match began.
Even before the 2005 World Match began, tension was in the air and set the tone for checkers competition. They were scheduled to play a 40-game match, facing each other every day across the checkerboard for ten days during four games. Every day Ron King lived in the environment of checkers because he worked for the Bajan government, teaching checkers in schools and prisons and promoting the game of American checkers to the world. King said that although the job may seem fairly unimportant as a career in the U.S., it was a credible profession in Barbados because everyone on that small Caribbean island loved to play a good game of checkers.
In an interview, King commented: "You can find someone playing checkers at all times of the day and night...you can always get someone to play checkers with you...I was sponsored by my government to come here...(his dimple spread and his eyes danced)...Whenever I need sponsors, I have no problem getting them. Why would they do that if I were not a winner? I was named Sportsman of the Year in Barbados, and 275,000 people have to vote on that. I think I have brought the game of checkers to a new level."
“You have about 50 people here watching these games, but if this were Barbados, there would be hundreds," Charles Walker, president of the World Checker Draught Federation, told the audience at the Monday games.
This time around, Ron ‘Suki’ King did not have to do any of the work to prepare for the match. "So this is very serious to me," said King. "This is really a war."
The King was indeed intense in his checkers play facing Moiseyev across the checkerboard. He would watch his opponent closely during their games, but never smile. The referee’s repeated reminders to Moiseyev about stopping his clock after his moves caused the challenger to complain about these reminders because a referee’s friendly reminder to his opponent about his clock had once cost King a match before. Each checkers player knew that he must make 24 moves before his time ran out.
Alex and Ron in full concentration during the 3-Move World Title Match
The checkers skill and strategy behind this title match was observed by an audience of fans, who watched each move made by both master players with quiet admiration. Throughout the competition, both opponents displayed real sportsmanship, and despite some conflicts over checkers games in the past, respect for each other’s checkers craftsmanship was displayed throughout the tournament match. However, as long time checkers rivals, they rarely made eye contact and jotted notes in booklets after each move. Each of them lingered in thought for several minutes before nearly every move.
However, after thirty-six games the final day of the match in Anderson, North Carolina, was not needed as Alex had acquired a deciding margin over Ron. The checkers masters were scheduled to play four games on the last day, but decided to end the match because it was clear Ron King could not make enough of a comeback to win the World Title Match from Alex Moiseyev. The final result of the championship tournament was Alex scoring eight wins, three losses, and twenty-five draws. Moiseyev won the title match and retained the 3-Move World Title until another time a challenge is made.
A 30 minute closing ceremony was held on the Thursday afternoon and ended nearly two weeks of games that allowed Alexander Moiseyev to defend his world championship 3-Move Checkers Title. Both checkers champions were presented with a key to Anderson City; however, Alex Moiseyev was presented with his winning cheque in the amount of $6,000, whereas Ron ‘Suki’ King was presented a cheque for $4,000. Alex also presented Ron with a gold ring featuring a checkers emblem in honour of his 50th birthday the following week.
After the tournament finale, both Alex and Ron commented on their stay in Anderson, which was a city really trying to promote the great mind sport of checkers.
"Anderson has been very good for me," said Mr. Moiseyev."It is a lovely town, but more importantly, it has kind people." He was glad to keep the World Championship in the U.S. yet again.
Ron stated that Anderson had been a bit "overwhelming” at first, but..."Every time I come back, I want to bring more and more people to Anderson so they can see what a great place it is...If I had known Anderson was this nice, I would have brought my family...The next time I come, I will have children with me so they can see how good Anderson is."
‘Suki’ also commented that he had "maybe underestimated Alex a bit." But...
"Next time, next time, next time ..." he vowed.
During the summer of this year, Ron "Suki" King was again one of the contenders for the National GAYP Championship in the Masters Division held in Dublin, Ohio. The GM played against a roster of nineteen other checkerists in a tournament of eight rounds with four games per round. His checkers skills and end game tricks carried ‘Suki’King to another victory with 42 points and to a purse of $1515. Ron also attained the World GAYP Title, while Richard Beckwith placed second and became the U.S. GAYP champion of 2005. Richard, Jack Francis, and Alex Moiseyev all tied with 36 points, but Richard had 257 Honour Points, and Jack Francis was only one Honour Point behind him with 256, and Alex followed with 248 Honour Points. The match was very close and brought forth a high calibre of play at the checkerboard.
Gathering of players. |
Ron King receives
Championship certificate
from Charles Walker |
In October, Jim Morrison of Glasgow, Kentucky, won the GAYP World Qualifier held in Prague, Czech Republic. There were 14 entrants in the men’s division covering USA, Turkmenistan, Germany, Czech republic, England, Ireland, and Denmark. The men’s tournament consisted of nine rounds with two games per round and the top three finishers in each division were awarded medals. The champion of the qualifier also received a trophy. Morrison won the challenging rights to play King ‘Suki’ for the GAYP World Title at a date and venue that had yet to be determined. Later it was decided by the WCDF to hold the World Title Match at the International Checker Hall of Fame in Petal, Mississippi, from Nov. 27 through Dec. 2, 2006. Alan Millhone would referee the 24-game match. Jim Morrison would represent the ACF and had played for the GAYP title twice before, holding the World Champion, Ron King, close to the checkerboard. |
|
CHECKERS CHEST
Two Player