Intense checkers championships begin in Anderson

By SAMANTHA EPPS
Anderson Independent-Mail
May 23, 2005

In the time that it would take a novice player to lose an entire match, the two world champions of checkers had surrendered only two game pieces each.

Alexander Moiseyev, 46, and Ron "Suki" King, 49, are in Anderson for the next two weeks to battle it out for the Three-Move Checker World Championship title.

The first game, which lasted more than an hour, was a draw. The pair will play four games a day for 10 days, taking a break on Saturday.

As the games began, the audience — made up of checker fans and a curious reporter — observed each move with admiration and spoke only in whispers.

The players, longtime checker rivals, 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.

The games will last until June 2 and will end in closing ceremonies.

The games kicked off with a 9 a.m. opening ceremony, where county officials, Honea Path officials and the leaders of the city of Anderson welcomed the two players to Anderson. Both of the men complimented the area.

"If I had known Anderson was this nice, I would have brought my family," Mr. King said. "The next time I come, I will have children with me so they can see how good Anderson is."

Anderson is doing a great deal to help promote checkers, said Charles Walker, president of the World Checker/Draught Federation. Mr. Walker operates the International Checker Hall of Fame in Petal, Miss.

In a conference room adjoining the City Council chambers, spectators sat in front of their own checker boards, watching the game being broadcast onto television screens.

Some of them mimicked the moves that the world championship players made, while others shared tips and tried their own strategies.

Among the players watching the games was 16-year-old Priscilla Hill of Donalds, who is the state Youth Checker Champion. She and her brother — who is the Honea Path 15 and Under Checker Champion at 12 years old — were excited to see Mr. Moiseyev and Mr. King play, Ms. Hill said.

"I don’t know who I am rooting for yet," Ms. Hill said as she watched the first game. "They are both such good players."

Ms. Hill will compete in the state youth checker championships in October, and the winner of that tournament will play an international match in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

Samantha Epps can be reached at (864) 260-1259 or by e-mail at eppssh@IndependentMail.com.

RESULTS OF MONDAY'S GAME:

May 23, 2005

RESULTS OF MONDAY’S GAME:

Game 1: Draw
Game 2:Winner -Ron King
Game 3: Draw
Game 4: Draw

MEET THE CHAMPS

May 23, 2005

MEET THE CHAMPS

Ron "Suki" King and Alex Moiseyev will be playing Three-Move checker games at the Anderson City Hall daily (except Saturday) through June 2. But fans will have chances to meet with them outside of the games.

Meals: Several area restaurants are hosting the players for lunch and dinner throughout their stay in Anderson. To dine with the players, sign up on the "Meet and Eat with the Champs" sign-up sheets located at City Hall. Seating is limited, and fans must pay for their own meals.

Events

Balloon: The players will be playing checkers in a hot-air balloon on Saturday during the Freedom Weekend Aloft festival at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center. For details, contact Joe Redd at (864) 369-1415 or Tommy Martin at 369-2660.

Catfish: The players will be making an appearance at the Catfish Festival in Ware Shoals on Saturday. For details, contact Joe Redd at 369-1415 or Tommy Martin at 369-2660.

ARE YOU A CHAMPION?

May 23, 2005

ARE YOU A CHAMPION?

Top 10 ways you know you’re playing in a checker match for a world championship, based on observations from Monday’s opening rounds of the Three-Move Checker/DraughtWorld Championship Match in Anderson:

10. You know the difference between a checker and a draught.
9. The only sound in the room is your opponent’s knees knocking together. Literally.
8. Even the mayor is quiet while you play.
7. You leave the room to smoke, and when you return, your opponent still hasn’t made a move.
6. The checker fan giving a play-by-play of your game keeps using words like "strategy," "foretelling" and "mastermind."
5. Your nickname is "Suki," and no one thinks it’s funny.
4. Someone on an Internet site somewhere is discussing your last game.
3. The thousands of dollars in prize money doesn’t come out of a Monopoly game box.
2. The competition is so intense that people keep whispering to each other about how intense it is.
1. Someone suggests that you play a game of checkers in a hot-air balloon during the Freedom Weekend Aloft

Anderson News Articles on World 3-Move Title Match

World 3-Move Match