|
|
Checkers Game
Kim Willis
In much the same way that Jan Mortimer took
her love of checkers and personal game experiences
back to New Zealand after her International
tournament matches and desired to promote the
game throughout the school system, Kim Willis
has developed a similar checkers game dream.
Through her success on the national and international
levels, Kim Willis hopes to bring more attention
to the game with a checkers program for Eldon
elementary school children.
"I want
to get women and children to play. Children
will use math and think and use strategy
when they play. It will keep them motivated
and using their brains."
Willis also dreamt of holding the 2006 World
Qualifying tournament in Mid Missouri, as
a way to bring in additional revenue for
the area, but more importantly, as a way
to spread the word about the benefits of
playing a great game of checkers.
According to Kim Willis, some may believe
that checkers is merely a children's game
that anyone can master, but she contends
that it is not because tournament matches
can last a grueling amount of time, which
will drain even the most experienced of players
mentally.
Over the past few years, Kim Willis would
practice four or five hours a day in order
to perfect her game skills and techniques
by playing against opponents online. She
has had great support from her husband, Wesley
Willis, but he will not play against her
anymore. However, checkers game player Kim
Willis was encouraged by her spouse to continue
seeking her dream by promoting this mind
sport wherein she developed such a passion.
"Don't let go of dreams.
If you got a dream, go for it. It's not going to
come to you."
In September 2004, Kim Willis became the
National Youth Director for the ACF. After
her trip to Barbados, she gained a lot of
recognition in her hometown and was able
to start a program that would teach checkers
in elementary schools. Through the donation
of checkerboards from the local Wal Mart
stores, Kim’s program would help youngsters
sharpen their thinking skills, but more importantly,
create a renewed interest in the game of
checkers.
Over the next few months, Kim Willis put
her plan into effect and began working on
the assemblage of the Rainbow Checker Game
Club Beginners Packets for her program. She
spent a lot of her time researching and putting
together beginner packets for children that
teach them the basics of the checkers game
and also how to begin learning the game itself.
At the same time, Kim Willis stated that
she also had plants for a summer camp where
children of all ages could come and enjoy
various activities that included swimming,
fishing and learning how to play checkers.
At the end of the week, Kim Willis would
organize a Youth Checkers Game Tournament.
Kim Willis entitled her program as Youth
Director, Leave no Child Behind, and again
encouraged everyone to never let go of a
dream.
Kim’s dream of a Youth Checkers Game
Tournament was indeed realized later that
year. Kim Willis joined forces with Youth
Champion Checkers master, Clayton Nash, to
both organize and act as referees for the
first National Arthur Niederhoffer Youth
Tournament. It was held in June 2005 during
the weekend before the GAYP National Tournament
Match in Dublin, Ohio. Funds were made available
through the ACFD for the provision of trophies
and award monies. Furthermore, through the
efforts of Josh Bricker of the Dublin Hotel
and Tourism Department, Dublin agreed to
provide the ACF Youth Tournament with free
room for that week-end.
Although the tournament roster of checkers
game players was small, all participants
had a great time and many exceptional checkers
games were played considering the age of
these future checker stars.
The ACF checkers bulletin acknowledged clearly
in the importance of such a tournament in
this statement: “The
youth of today who play Checkers/Draughts
is the future of our game and the future
of the ACF.”
Kim Willis then participated in the National
GAYP Tournament held in Dublin and won the
women’s
division to become the U.S. Women’s
GAYP Champion, and this national win qualified
Willis for a shot at the Women’s GAYP
World Qualifier held in Prague in October
2005. Kim traveled to Prague and participated
in the Women’s GAYP World Qualifier
and although the field of checkers expertise
ran only to five players in total, the tournament
witnessed excellent play at the checkerboard
all around. Kim placed 3rd behind, Jan Mortimer
with 2nd place and Amangul Durdyev taking
first and winning the Women’s GAYP
World Title.
2005
Checkers Women’s
World GAYP QT |
2006
Checkers Champions
Kim Willis
vs
Raymond Shelly |
In 2006, Kim Willis contested in the Edward A. Bruch
3-Move National Checkers Tournament hosted by Medina,
Ohio and won yet again to become the US National 3-Move
Checkers Champion. The 2nd annual Arthur Niederhoffer
National Youth Tournament in checkers was also held
in Medina and was directed by Kim Willis.
The following year, Wilma Wolverton defeated Kim Willis
in the Derek Oldbury National GAYP Tournament held
in Las Vegas to become the US National Women’s
GAYP Champion. The 3rd Annual Arthur Niederhoffer National
Youth Tournament in Checkers also took place in Las
Vegas and again Kim Willis directed the event.
Checkers games will likely be a part of Kim Willis’ life
for some time to come, as her checkerboard ingénue
continues to blossom, as well as her love of a checkers
game.
Although a limited number of women players appear
as opponents across the checkerboard in national and
international tournaments in the classic game of checkers,
one newcomer joined the field of players at the 2007
Irish Open. This new young checkers player was a 16
year old from Turkmenistan and her name was Hurmugul
Toyeva. It will be interesting to see how her skill
level develops over the next few years in the checkers
arena of Masters and Grandmasters.
In contrast to American and English checkers,
the circuit of International Draughts has hosted
a far broader field of female players from
across the European continent for many years.
These International Masters and Grandmasters
come primarily from the Netherlands, Russia,
Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and the
Ukraine. They compete regularly in a variety
of International tournaments in the 100 square
game of draughts/checkers and also participate
in a yearly Women’s World Draughts Championship
to determine the Women’s World Champion.
Zoja Golubeva, born in Minsk in 1967, was
the Latvian Belarussian reigning Women’s
World Champion in 1986, 1988, 1990-92 and from
1994 until 2000. Tamara Tansykkuzhina (Tansikkuzhyna),
born in Russia in 1978, defeated Zoja in 2001
and then this checkers champion reigned as
the International Draughts queen during 2001,
2002, and 2004 and she recaptured the Women’s
World Title in 2007.
However, during Tamara’s role as Women’s
World Champion, a new face entered the women’s
checkers arena. Darja Tkatsjenko (Darya Tkatchenko)
easily became a rising star from the Ukraine,
and has been honing her checkerboard skills
in the International Draughts/Checkers circuit
for a few years. She first made noteworthy
appearances in the World Youth Championships
in 2001 and 2002. In several accounts about
her game skills in checkers, her dark shimmering
hair and confident gaze drew the attention
to the young cross board player.
 
|
|
