3-moves WCM 2009

[Jay H]

The heartiest of congratulations to both of the contestants
Two of the best in the world, head to head......I, also,am looking forward to seeing the games !!!
Also good to see the match came off...period !!


to all invoved

Jay H

[S_McCosker]

My Congratulations go out to Alex and Ron for a close match that went down to the final game.
I look forward to viewing the games to this most historic event.

Congratulations Alex,

Respectfuly

Shane McCosker

[Palomino]

Congratulations Alex,

A close contest, I'm more than a little happy you retained your title, yep, very happy! I think you were wearing your lucky shirt, yes? I had on my blue and white pinstriped shirt yesterday and changed it just before entering the Inn. I told Cindy that you might be wearing your's and sure enough you were. I wish I could have stayed and been there today.

I guess Suki can return home with his head held high, he held your feet to the fire. He has me studying Nine Men Morris today (What I call "Cowboy Checkers"), been a while since I've played it.

I didn't tell you that the reason we arrived so late was we came by way of Greenville, Ohio where I visited the graves of sharpshooters Annie Oakley and her husband Frank Butler and after leaving there we drove to Toledo and visited the graves of Asa & Isabel Long. Missed out on visiting Marion Tinsley's grave. (too much for one day) I'll plan another day for that and include you, we can go together.

I'll add my pictures in a sec.

"Pal"

Here is a picture of myself with Lloyd Auker who was visiting from Lancaster, PA (I think Jay knows this guy)

[tommyc]

Congrtas to Alex and Ron for such a titanic struggle and also to Steve Holliday for 2weeks of solid concentration ,i believe Ron is coming to Ireland after this for the Irish Open.........someones in for a back-lash.!!!

Interesting trip Pal had on the way visiting another gun-slinger but it look s like Alex was shooting from the hip too.........fantastic match after 2 weeks and 40 games i dont think the odd slack move from either of these giants will be judged harshly im sure.!! Well done again 4-4 as the score suggests was precariously balanced on a knife edge to the final flag fell.Wonderful event, no doubt Ron will be disappointed but the victor takes all.

[Jay H]

Here is a picture of myself with Lloyd Auker who was visiting from Lancaster, PA (I think Jay knows this guy)

HAHAHA !!!!
Yes, Lloyd is a local legend in Lancaster County, PA......Lloyd is a great (!!!!) guy, glad you had the chance to meet him.

Nice pics Pal !!!

Regards

Jay H

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Couple photos from last day.





Alex and Ron fight for title (black humor).

[john reade]

Congrats Alex! I bet you enjoyed your bottle of vodka after the match. No chance of a Bronx Express this time though. John.

[john_sliced2]

Congrat's Alex, and tks for the updates

[Ingo_Zachos]

Congratulations to Alex Moiseyev for coming from behind and defending the title again.

And congratulations to Ron King who made us forget that he lost two matches to Alex and who was undefeated.
I still don't know why this is regarded as a virtue for the title holder but as a handicap for the challenger.

In my mind a tie breaker with rapid games or to declare the title vacant and play it out at the next QT, which then would be promoted to a WC would be better alternatives.

Greetinx from rainy Dortmund,

Ingo Zachos

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Ingo, tie virtue privelegy is traditional historical heritage. Noone can touch it !

In the past players had to play 10 extra games. They stopped doing it later (don't know details)

As far as I remember, after 40 games we had ties in 5 matches (out of 24):

1. W. Hellman vs A. Long, 1948. After 40 games score was 1-1-38. They played additional 10 games and W. Hellman won one more game and got title.

2. W. Hellman vs W. Ryan, 1949. After 40 games score was 4-4-32. They played 10 extra games but no more wins were produced and W. Hellman kept his title.

3. W. Hellman vs A. Long, 1962. After 40 games score was 2-2-36. They supposed to play 10 more games, but A. Long left - due to work commitment and W. Hellman retained the title.

4. R. King vs D. Lafferty, 1995. After 40 games score was 5-5-30 and Ron King retained the title.

5. A. Moiseyev vs R. King, 2009. After 40 games score was 4-4-32 and I retained the title.

Tie virtue privelegy stay here from the past, when title started in 1934, to current. This is Champion privelegy which cannot be taken away. Why we need to look for alternatives - anything wrong with system which works 75 years ?

... Hmmm ... I just realize ...

In 2009 3-moves title celebrates 75 years !!!

Regards,

Alex

[Alan Millhone]

Hello Everyone:

I left the match last night around 8:30 PM for the drive to my home in Belpre and got to bed about midnight. Game # 39 made my two trips to the match worthwhile not because it lasted four hours ---- But the ending play of both players was worth a small fortune in learning. The careful positioning of Kings by both players, the way Mr. Alex held two of Suki's singles from advancing,etc. At one point Suki offered a draw and Mr. Alex replied, " Maybe in another match " ! This game finally ended in a draw, but it was hard fought by both World Champions.

During my two trips to the match Suki showed little facial emotion and stayed focused at the board for the most part. At the King-Kondlo Match I kept both players in Ohio Apple Cider and both really enjoyed this for the first time. This match I kept Suki in apple cider which he really enjoyed.Mr. Alex likes to eat at Waffle House down the road from Roadway Inn. One waitress there knows what he likes for breakfast to a tee ! Suki eats fish and veggies,etc. and no meat. Yesterday I got Suki a banana and some fruit cups and he asked me to go to his room and get his 1/2 gallon of cider. Mr. Alex had a special Starbucks blended drink he enjoyed during the match. I got him one last night and one for myself and it was really tasty .



Mr. Alex shows more emotion by tapping his feet on occasion and moving his legs in and out in a pattern. Both men get up on occasion and pace the floor back and forth. Perhaps a form of 'posturing' when one has the othere in a bad position ? Suki used far less time on the clock than Mr. Alex for all the games I witnessed. Also noticed that Mr. Alex on occasion (after asking) would adjust a piece here and there on the board that was not positioned on a square properly. Suki never adjusted any pieces during the games I witnessed being played.


At the conclusion of match Suki stated that he needed to better study some of the openings. One fellow was there from Pa. and he made the comment that you needed to know the first 15 moves of an opening. I told him you better know the first 5 to get off on the right foot . PP is critical and ending play and knowledge of the standard endings and beyond is critical to improve one's game.

I learned volumes by just watching these two World Champions ply their trade. I tried to look ahead and see where each would move next and why ? I did my best to understand attacks and how to defend when attacked.

I congratulate Mr. Alex for retaining his title and commend Suki for a hard fought match. I admire both men and consider both my friend.

If any of you can ever make it to a match, then please go and watch and learn. It was a real pleasure to be around both Mr. Alex and Suki .

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation
" Journeyman Checker Player "

[tommyc]

In 2009 3-moves title celebrates 75 years !!! .............................

IF ITS NOT BROKEN DONT FIX IT.!!!

[william]

Congrats to my old friend Alex on what must surely have been a hard fought and very tense psychological match.

Congrats also to Ron , who showed us that he still has the ability to become world champ!! (maybe next time my friend ).

The whole checker fraternity are now looking forward to seeing these highly instructive games , and I offer Alex and Ron my assistance if they need it in compiling analysis...

There is no need to change the system Ingo , as Tommy says " if it's not broken then don't fix it".

It is up to the challenger to aggresively disarm the holder of the title , otherwise you will get stale matches ... I think that is the reason for the onus of winning to be on that side of the fence.

Once Oldbury played Lowder in 1979 for GAYP title , in the contract it stated In the event of a level score then the last win decides the victory... this is a reasonable choice for ensuring aggressive GAYP matches , but obviously would not work in 3 move.

Well fought guys , and thanks for the suspense, now lets look ahead

WILLIAM

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Once Oldbury played Lowder in 1979 for GAYP title , in the contract it stated In the event of a level score then the last win decides the victory... this is a reasonable choice for ensuring aggressive GAYP matches , but obviously would not work in 3 move.

In 2003 WCM we had written in contract something about tiebreak procedure ... "until someone win". But the reason of such statement was simple and obvious - noone holds title due to controversy.

In contract in Cookstown match both players were named "Challenger"

Ron King had drawn matches in GAYP with Oldbury and myself, 3-moves - with D. Lafferty and myself. I had drawn 11-match ballot match with Elbert Lowder. In all cases champion retained title.

In my 11-man ballot match last year (2008) with Tim Laverty both players were challengers and I agreed that in case of tie title should go to Tim, because he was a winner of USA 11 man ballot National.

So ... yes ... it seems nothing needs to be fixed.

AM

[Alex_Moiseyev]

The whole checker fraternity are now looking forward to seeing these highly instructive games

Dr. Richard Beckwith already processed first 24 games of match and got 'em on his computer. Rest match games will be processed in the next few days, hopefully over the weekend and he will pass them probably to Jason and all match games will be loaded into annimator as previous couple matches, and you can view and play them.

Everyone is welcome to annotate whatever they wanted. I personally plan to leave this match behind my head and do not annotate anything at all ... NEVER EVER.

Ron missed 2 wins, I missed 6 wins ... grrr

It was one of the hardest, horrible and most strange events in my entire Anglo-American checkers career. We just proved once again that noone is perfect and everyone is a human. We all need wakeup sometimes.

We didn't play scientific checkers this time and mostly it was some sort of psychological battle.

I am thinking now about my next match and am eager to play it to recover my image and confidence.

Respectfully,

AM