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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
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Checkers Champion Richard Hallett
1929-
On December 2, 1929, Richard Hallett was born in Lynn, Massachusetts. Richard’s interest in the checkers game was developed early in his life and he quickly displayed a natural talent for the board play. Soon America saw another checkers prodigy come to life by the age of fifteen. Young Richard defeated the veteran Maine checkers master, Ray Gould, in the New England Tournaments of 1946 and 1947. Hallett’s real achievement was in his successful win over another young checkers prodigy, Leonard Rosenfield of Boston, in the finals. Rosenfield was only sixteen.
Richard continued to practice his checkers game and build on his board skills and strategies, so that in 1950 he entered the Paxton U.S. Open. He finished in tenth place, but still his record was impressive for a young checker player in that he only lost to Maurice Chamblee, but his games ended in draws against Willie Ryan, Leo Levitt and Bruch.
Shortly thereafter, Richard Hallett made a temporary move to Nashville, Tennessee. There he entered and won the 1950 Southern States Checkers Tournament. However, this was the last time the checkers world saw Richard Hallett play in any checkers game for many years.
Around 1975, Richard reappeared on the scene once more as a handicapper in a Miami, Florida, dog track. It was here that Hallett met master player and checkers expert, Joe Schwartz. This friendly, outgoing businessman from New York convinced Richard that he should return to the checkers arena as he had a natural flair for the game and there was always room for one more qualified competitor.
Richard got back into the game. In 1978 and 1979, he entered the Florida Open Checkers Tournaments and successfully won both competitions. After the checkers matches Hallett moved to Poughkeepsie, New York, to work for Joe Schwartz’s real estate company. However, Richard maintained his checkers profile throughout the 1980’s. He competed against notable checkers champions in the U.S. Open Tournament and maintained a solid record in the game. In 1980 and 1982, Richard placed third in the tourney, while in 1984 he moved up to second place.
Outside of the U.S. Checkers Tournaments, Richard Hallett also played two stake matches with Derek Oldbury; one was a 20-game 3-Move Match in 1985, which ended in a draw between the two checkers masters with a score of two wins, two losses, and sixteen draws each. The other challenge was a 20-game 11-Man Ballot match in 1986 where Hallett defeated Oldbury with a close score of four wins, three losses, and thirteen draws.
Also in 1986, Hallett took eighth place in the U.S. Tournament, and then he placed fourth in 1988, 1990, and 1992.
In 1991, after the resignation of the World Checkers Champion, Marion Tinsley, and the withdrawal of champion player, Asa Long, Richard was selected as the U.S. representative to challenge Derek Oldbury for the World 3-Move Match title. The tournament match was played in Weston Super-Mare, England, in October 1991. Derek Oldbury defeated Hallett to win the title with a score of seven wins, four losses, and twenty-seven draws. This was still an amazing showing in the checkers arena when one remembers that Richard had taken a long hiatus of twenty-five plus years from the mind sport, and also considering that DEO was one of the strongest checkers masters in the world.
Three years later, at the 39th National 3-Move Tournament in Garland, Texas, Richard did not show as well but finished in eighth place. However, two years later, in the 40th 3-Move Tournament held in Danville, Virginia, Richard made a significant showing as the U.S. 3-Move Champion in the Masters Division.
The Canadian computer checkers program, CHINOOK, officially won the 1996 tournament, but Ron King took first place as a human checkers player, and Richard Hallett placed second. As runner up to the world champion, Ron King, Richard was again eligible to challenge for the World 3-Move Match title.
The following year, Richard Hallett was among the forty checkers players who entered the U.S. Open GAYP National Tournament held in Greensboro, North Carolina. There was a fine prize fund of almost $8,000.00 to be split between the successful checkers winners in the three divisions of play: 13 masters, 10 majors, and 17 minors.
The results for the Masters division were as follows:
1 - Richard Hallett, 28 points;
2 - John Webster 24 points & 178 Honor Points;
3 - Ron King 24 & 172;
4 & 5 tied - Jack Francis 22 & 176, Elbert Lowder 22 & 176;
6 - Ed Bruch 20 & 166;
7 - Malcolm Grimes 20 & 163;
8 - Jim Morrison 20 & 160;
9 - Les Balderson 18;
10 - Tim Laverty 16;
11 - Ron Bailey 16;
12 - Carl Reno 14;
13 - Robert Johnson 4.
Richard Hallett took the title and became the U.S. GAYP Champion of that year.
In 1998, Hallett challenged the champion, Ron King, in the GAYP World Championship Match. The checkers match consisted of 22 games, wherein Richard had two successful wins, six losses, and fourteen draws, thus allowing Ron King to retain the World title for another year. However, Richard also challenged checkers opponents in the 41st U.S. 3-Move Tournament in Hattiesburg, Missouri, that same year and won the championship title in 3-Move Restriction play.
Now, at the age of 70, Richard Hallett was going strong in the national checkers arena. He scored a close second with twenty-four points, just behind Alex Moiseyev with twenty-six points, in the Master Division of the 1999 National GAYP Tourney held in Niagara Falls.
Then in the 2001 National GAYP Tourney, named the Tom Wiswell Memorial Tourney held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Richard once again played against the regular checkers notables and placed fifth with a score of 24 points; however, his opponents who were just ahead of him in the final listing also scored 24 points: Alex Moiseyev (U.S.), Jack Francis (Barbados), and Jim Morrison (U.S.). Ron King, from Barbados, won the tournament but Alex Moiseyev held the U.S. 3-Move title.
The next year, Richard entered the 43rd National 3-Move Tourney, which was also held in Las Vegas, and placed fourth with a score of twenty points. Also with twenty points were 3rd place, Ed Bruch, Tim Laverty (5th), and Jim Morrison (6th). It is apparent by these close scores that the Masters Division displayed the skills of numerous talented checkers players.
At the 2003 National GAYP Tourney in Anderson, South Carolina, Richard was now approaching the age of 74, and yet, his checkers techniques were holding strong. In this tournament, Hallett played against an experienced field of checker champions: Alex Moiseyev, Jack Francis, Jim Morrison, John Webster, Ed Bruch, and Elbert Lowder. His game was certainly challenged by these checkers notables, but Richard displayed his game prowess by scoring a close second to the winner and U.S. GAYP Champion, Alex Moiseyev. Richard’s game score was 24 points to the champ’s 26, and Hallett also acquired 184 Honor Points to win a total purse of $1760.
The following year, Richard was back with his checkers game in the 2004 U.S. National 3-Move Open and GAYP Tournaments, both held in Las Vegas. Richard defeated Elbert Lowder, Ed Bruch, and Jim Morrison as well as others in the checkers field to place second in the 3-Move tourney with 22 points, again behind the U.S. Champion, Alex Moiseyev.
Ron King won the GAYP tournament with 26 points, while Jim Morrison placed second with 24 points and 186 Honor Points, and Richard Hallett placed third with 24 points and 132 Honor Points. Jim Morrison became the U.S. GAYP Champion.
In 2005, the world checkers arena still saw Richard Hallett on the scene during the GAYP Nationals in Dublin, Ohio. Although he ranked seventh in this tourney, it was still an amazing achievement considering that this great checkers master is in his winter years.
The Edward A. Bruch 2006 3-Move National Tournament was held in Medina, Ohio. Once again there were three divisions of checkers players. There was a total purse of approximately $7300 for the main tourney. All divisions played eight rounds. The Masters Division used the traditional round scoring by match, which meant four games limited by eight hours and played through six days including Saturday.
One of the checker champions to play in this tourney was Richard Hallett. He brought sound checkerboard techniques and skill to the checkers playing field. Ron King won the tournament with 24 points and 142 Honor Points, while Alex M. placed second with 24 points and 138 Honor Points; however, Moiseyev became the U.S. 3-Move Champion. Richard Hallett successfully claimed third place with 24 points and 132 Honor Points.
The 2007 Derek Oldbury Memorial and 51st National GAYP Tournament held in Las Vegas saw new faces emerge on the checkers scene. Lubabalo Kondlo from Soweto, South Africa, and Shane McCosker from Northern Ireland joined the regular roster of checker masters to play in this challenging mind game. Richard Hallett was also back for yet another round at the checkerboard. Although he ranked ninth in this tournament, he was among six players with a score of 28 points, but what set each checker player apart from one another, were the Honor Points that the masters acquired during the match. Richard had 319 Honor Points, ahead of Jack Francis and Ron King of Barbados, but behind Joe Schwartz, Clayton Nash, and Jim Morrison. The prize fund for the Masters division was $7640.
Throughout his checkers career, Richard Hallett has a consistent force at the checkerboard. Had he stayed in the checkers arena after his first checkers successes, Hallett’s record may have been staggering. However, considering that he rejoined the circuit after a prolonged absence, Richard has certainly displayed to the checkers world that his heart is still in the game.
Champion checker master, Richard Hallett, retired from the work force quite some kind ago and currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida. Undoubtedly, as long as his health allows, he will remain a checker contender in the U.S. 3-Move and GAYP tournaments that will appear on the checkers scene in the future.
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CHECKERS CHEST
Two Player