2006 Ohio Tournament results

[rich beckwith]

1. A. Moiseyev (OH) 22
2. E. Bruch (NY) 18-104
3. T. Kozenski (PA) 18-94
4. R. Beckwith (OH) 15
5. L. Cowie (OH) 14-93
6. S. Holliday (OH) 14-81
7. N. Wenberg (PA) 14-79
8. J. Acker (OH) 13-93
9. A. Millhone (OH) 13-89
10. J. LoConti (OH) 12
11. B. Amicarelli (OH) 5

Congratulations to Alex for winning his 4th straight Ohio state title and 5th Straight Ohio Tournament. Ed Bruch at age 90 had another solid performance. I don

[Alan Millhone]

Hello Dr. B:

Excellent coverage of our recent Ohio Tournament, thanks! I had a great time playing some tuff players this past week-end. It was good to see many familiar faces and a special welcome to John Acker who now resides in Ohio. As usual I have some openings to review.............. I usually choose one or two from each tournament to review. This one wil lbe 11-15,23-19,9-13 that I lost one side to John Acker and I need to review a Pioneer line that Mr. Bruch beat me with. My main books to study (when I have time) are SIXTH, Basic Checkers, and America's Best Checkers which covers 80 some openings played by some of the best Grandmasters who ever lived and played. Don't neglect your endgame study either......................... The late Mr. Walter Hellman once remarked that he took a solid year once and studied nothing but endings !

My thanks to Dr. Beckwith for a well run tournament and to Mr. Joe LoConti for supporting Ohio Checkers financially, thanks Joe. Those who could not attend missed a top notch tournament and the opportunity to meet and play some of the best talent avaliable in the game today.

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation
" Journeyman Checker Player "
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Checkers--------- " The Mind Game Alternative To Video Games "
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[mday]

1. A. Moiseyev (OH) 22
2. E. Bruch (NY) 18-104
3. T. Kozenski (PA) 18-94
4. R. Beckwith (OH) 15
5. L. Cowie (OH) 14-93
6. S. Holliday (OH) 14-81
7. N. Wenberg (PA) 14-79
8. J. Acker (OH) 13-93
9. A. Millhone (OH) 13-89
10. J. LoConti (OH) 12
11. B. Amicarelli (OH) 5

Also, thanks to Steve (and Marilyn) Holliday for assisting me with referee duties

Did the referee duties take energy away from your playing, Dr. Beckwith?

[rich beckwith]

Good question "mday," as I'm not sure of the answer myself! In general, it's quite possible that referee duties do have some effect, as I've never been able to win Ohio state title (even before Alex's move to Ohio). I now appreciate the work of other referees when I travel far away to other tournaments, as it's nice to be able to focus on just "checkers" rather than switching back and forth between playing and handling administrative details.

In this particular event, I did blunder into two 2-for-2s, one against Alex and another against Louis (although I managed a pretty, narrow draw in the latter case). However, I was admittedly still fatigued from my work week, etc., which was probably a bigger factor than the referee duties.

[Alan Millhone]

Hello mday:

By the luck of the draw a few players garnered 3 points by defeating Mr. Bye....................... I think Dr. Beckwith will agree that the competition this past week-end was rather 'stiff'. If you want to play some World Class players you are missing the boat (anyone reading this posting) by not attending the Ohio or Pennsylvania tournaments, or any tourney for that matter. I play in both each year and by the end of each tourney feel like I have been put thru a 'buzz saw' ! My own game has improved a little and I feel it is directly attributed to playing in so many tournaments. In October I will play in the Marion, Illinois Tourney which is ably run by Mr. Gene Ellison and crew. The next week-end I travel to Richmond, Kentucky to play in the Kentucky Open, the next week-end I will travel to Hamilton/Ontario Canada for the Canadian Open.

Personal note: Dr. Beckwith and I drew 10-14,22-17,11-16 and I was red in the first game. After losing in the Pa. Ty. I at least learned the proper way to jump at move four in the Ohio Tourney. Anyway.......... In one of our games I was in time trouble and my flag was 'raised'.......... It gives you a real 'rush' in an actual game to be under time trouble and keeping the draw in sight. You can't get that feeling from playing a program,etc. Nothing beats actual play by sitting across from your opponent and feeling your blood pressure rise a little and little beads of cold sweat forming on your forearms when you are in a tight situation or when you have an ending win in hand and not 'blow' the win. I love stiff competition and I love the players I meet at tournaments. Next year pick out a few tournaments and plan on coming and entering. Invite someone to accompany you to also play. We all lose, but you will gradually understand some of the depths of our game. As a journeyman I now fully realize that I know just enough about Checkers to know that I really know little about it !

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation
" Journeyman Checker Player "
===============================================
CHECKERS------- " The Mind Sport Alternative To Video Games "
===============================================

[Alex_Moiseyev]

I'm not sure of the answer myself!

I'm sure ! Richard play wasn't impressive and fresh this time - I can prove this, and this opinion is based not only on our games. Referee duties, if you perform them accurately and professionally (as Richard always does) take alot of energy out ... And not only energy, but also it took away your attention and concentration. His final outcome in OH State ty this year is far behind from his abilities and potentials.

Richard putted too much laggage on his shoulders, but there is a limit for this I really wish next time (IL ?) he will stay away of doing this and gift us more with his fine play.

Alex

[mday]

His final outcome in OH State ty this year is far behind from his abilities and potentials.
Alex

This is what I thought too - I wasn't there, but his 2005/2006 results showed that he maybe "underachieved" in Ohio TY.

Maybe another factor to make checkers look more professional is to have the referee(s) be non-participants in the games. I know this may be a challenge since the people who know how to referee are mostly players (and they want to play!). Maybe a bigger selection of wifes that are known to showing up for a tournament with their husband particiapants can learn how to referee for a certain tournament.

[MFulkerson]

All this talk about Dr. Beckwith's performance noone seemed to acknowledge that even with added weight on his shoulders he still placed above Louis Cowie, something few people can do even with full focus.

[rich beckwith]

John & Mike, thanks for the kind words, and glad to have you in Ohio, John.

Mike, Yes, this was an unusually bad tournament for Louis Cowie, who didn't even play Alex. I think this was partly due to lack of any knowledge on the new openings - or "goofy openings," as Louis calls them.

He had at least two new openings this tournament. I won game from him on Wilderness, plus he lost a game to Alan on difficult 9-14, 23-18 opening (although not "new"), and nearly lost to Wenberg on Inferno. I suppose luck of the draw also plays a large part in one's success in a given tournament. Louis is much more comfortable with more balanced "two-move" type openings and usually seems to draw those openings from the deck, but not this week.

[tommyc]

I think its generally regarded as pretty much impossible at the higher level to compete and to referee at the same time,its certainly a "no-win"situ for Richard or any1 else. in fact its quite impossible to divide ones self.

In the present system using the new card ballot cards its odds on you will pull at least a few of the "new"openings or at the very best hard 3 movers such is the way the cards are laid out.

I have recently completed a fairly thorough Compilation of some 50 pages on the "new" openings,if anyone is interested. Chances are you will need to catch up on these soon as the new cards are designated so that they will appear more often now than with the old stick-bag system.

Tommy Canning .

[neilwenberg]

I agree with Alan, nothing beats face to face checkers against an opponent who is in your playing category. Not many players are in my category, so it is always a pleasure if I can "squeeze" out a win against my opponent. I guess I will have sign this "a below average checker player"

[JR Smith]

John Acker took some pictures of this tournament and captioned them which I only had to unzip and post them to website page. Here's the link:
http://www.nccheckers.org/NCCA/2006%20O ... e%20Ty.htm

[Alan Millhone]

Hello JR:

Excellent job, thanks. Also............... It would appear that since Neil won the 'B" Class he gets to move 'up' to the "A" Class next time:-) Congratulations Neil for winnign the "B" Group !!

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation
" Journeyman Checker Player"
===============================================
Checkers------- " The mind sport alternative to video games "
===============================================

[rich beckwith]

Yes, Nice work taking the pictures (and writing captions), John.
I wasn't even aware you had taken all those -- I guess it was probably because I had my "hands full" at the time.

[Mr. Checkers]

Richard were clocks used at this tournament? Only one is visible that I could see in the pictures that John took.