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Checkers Champion
3 Move Tournament
The summer of 2006 brought forth another
challenge for the World Checkers Champion
3 Move Tournament GAYP title, and this time
Ron King prepared to defend his title against
compatriot checkers Grandmaster, Jack Francis.
They competed for the coveted World Title
in Barbados, home turf for both checkers
players. The match took place between June
9 and 12, 2006, and Ron promised Jack a 6-0
beating! The Bajan checkers player, ‘King
Suki’, felt strongly about his
checkerboard skills and demonstrated to his
native fans that he believed he would trounce
Francis in this match. The following was
an article written Sherrylyn A. Clarke in
NationNews. Com, Barbados’ leading
newspaper:
“UNDISPUTED
king of the World Go-As-You-Please draughts
game, Ronald "Suki'" King,
plans to turn on the heat and extinguish
the challenge of compatriot John "Jack" Francis.
The supremely confident King, who leads
the championship match 2-0 after 16 games,
is keen to extend his lead when the two
arch-rivals make their next moves this
afternoon in the north of the island at
Zachary's Bar in Speightstown.
I am a King and it is my intention to behead
the Jack. Only Kings can do that. I am going
to beat him 6-0. We are reaching the halfway stage
and I plan to step up the pace.
"Jack will
have to go into the pack and play against
the others who are convinced he is not
even No. 2. Jack is not in my league," King
said.
On Wednesday night at Zachary's Bar & Restaurant,
near the Community Center, the two draught wizards battled
to draws in games 13, 14, 15 and 16. Game 13 was the
highlight of the evening. It was an absorbing contest
that spanned two hours and brought the best out of the
two men.
Francis, a former British Open champion,
is hoping that his hometown fans in Orange
Hill, St James, will make the trek to St
Peter today to support him. His 80 year old
mother, Carmen "Lucy"' Francis,
said her son was very determined and will
fight all the way.
Tomorrow afternoon, King and Francis will
clash again in Jubilee Gardens, the City,
and on Sunday in Queen's Park.
"Suki" still
king of draughts ~ this was the title
of another article written on June 12,
2006, in the Bajan newspaper. Ron King
had defeated Jack Francis in the World
GAYP Title match and had retained his title
yet again.
He defeated challenger John "Jack" Francis
with a score of two wins to none during their
final match when their all Bajan championship
ended in the evening before a small number
of spectators in Queen's Park. King had also
won two games the previous Sunday at the same
venue. Twenty-nine checkers games were played
during the total match with twenty-seven games
ending in a draw.
"Jack played
the match very safely. He was contented
to try not to get beaten, just lose a couple
games and draw the rest," King
said after the match. "Jack
couldn't beat me. He had no chance to beat
me. I left home without my brain, came
down here and played Jack. I never used
my brain in this whole tournament."
The challenger said he was
"satisfied"
with his performance, although it was affected by
intimidation and frustration.
"I believe
there is intimidation in sports, but I also
believe there is a limit and the tardiness
of King in the first days of the match was
overdone. It was totally unjustified," Francis
said. "It
disturbed my focus and concentration with
regards to my plans for attacks and defences
in the early games. I decided after I lost
the first two games to settle down and he
did not get any more."
Despite attempts to bring the checkers
games to the local people by playing in locations
like Jubilee Gardens and Queen's Park, only
a small number of spectators were in attendance
to observe the checkerboard play. Top female
draughts player, Joyann Branch, and National
Sports Council coach, George Shepherd, were
the only ones watching the early games. However,
some of the men watching a cricket match
between Super Center Spartan and Maple drifted
over later in the evening and then Ron King's
wife, Hazelin, also came to lend her support.
At the end of the twenty-nine games match, King and
Francis put on a short exhibition for those who were
there. Here were two checkers competitors promoting
the great mind sport to those who would take the time
to watch.
Edward A. Bruch National 3 Move Tournament
Following his GAYP win over Jack Francis in
Barbados, ‘Suki’ King joined a
players’ roster of seventeen other checkers
opponents in the Masters division of the 2006
3-Move National Checkers Tournament in Medina,
Ohio.
Journalist Chuck Bowen wrote:
“Barbados native,
Ron King, the self-proclaimed Muhammad Ali
of checkers, is the world's reigning freestyle
checkers champion - the style most Americans
probably learned growing up. He walks and
talks like his pugilistic equivalent, playing
on his surname to talk trash to his competitors.
He has been called the Muhammad Ali of the
checkers world for his "trash talking."
Ron King commented to Bowen:
"I'm a king. I
was born a king. I've got to dress like
a king," he says, referencing his traditional
long shirt and cap, both tie dyed in bright
purples and blues."Naturally, I came
to play checkers."
“Nicknamed King Suki
by his fans, the 50-year-old makes his living playing,
marketing and teaching checkers in Barbados. He says he
started playing the game when he was six, and
eventually was making thousands of dollars playing
the game for money.”
The National tournament in Medina became
another checkers jewel in the King’s
crown of winnings as Ron ‘Suki’ King
defeated, Albeit narrowly this time, his
opposition across the checkerboard. Checkers
champion 3 move tournament Ron King tied
with Alex Moiseyev and Richard Hallett with
a score of twenty-four points, but won the
competition on Honor Points. Ron held 142
HP, Alex 138, and Richard 132. King won the
National 3 Move tournament but Moiseyev became
the US 3 Move Champion. Alex commented later:
“Congratulations" to
organizers and directors, and also all
players. It was a good one - outstanding
ty! I played a bit softly and not very
aggressively compare with 2004. Final work
on SIXTH book) took out a lot of energy.
What really cost me with Honor Points -
in last round Clayton Nash beat Elbert
Lowder and Richard Beckwith beat Larry
Keen, which finally placed them as 6th
and 4th respectively. How I can be disappointed
with this 3 move tournament? I am happy
and satisfy with Richard and Clay's performance.
From the overall total 42 players at National
Ty, only 3 or 4 left without copy of SIXTH.
Ron King got one copy for himself and 4
more for his friends and Barbados players.
More later...Yours, Alex.
A 3 move tournament purse of $7300 was split
between the Masters and Minors divisions’ winners,
and the top three finishers were also awarded
trophies to commemorate their successes.
2006 Edward A. Bruch National 3 Move Tournament,
Medina, Ohio
Ron observing the action. |
Alex Moiseyev vs Ron King |
Larry Keen vs Ron King |
Alan Millhone presenting 3-Move Tournament
Winner, Ron ‘Suki’
King, with 1st place trophy.
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