Extracts from Sixth


Reprinted with the permission of the author,
3-Move World Champion Alex Moiseyev


Photo of Alex Moiseyev Cover of book Sixth

You can order Sixth through the American Checker Federation Online Store or directly from Alexander Moiseyev, 5676 Springburn Drive, Dublin, OH, 43017 USA. The cost of the book is US $48, or US $78 if you would like an inscribed, personalized copy.


Table of Contents

Prologue

Hello, dear reader! You took this book in your hands and are about ready to start reading it. We both are beginners of this process--- you are my first reader, and I am a new author for you. Probably the very first question which arises here is--- "Why was this book written?" What was the main goal and target--- financial profit, satisfaction of self ambitions, intention to say something to people and be listening, mark name in history?

The right answer to this important question is slightly different. While playing English style checkers for almost a decade, I found out an unfortunate fact--- that professionalism and the number of strong players have significantly dropped in the checkers fraternity over the past decades. People started to play checkers more and more for fun and enjoyment only, don't study publish play hard and intensively enough, and don't work seriously to improve crossboard skills, losing competition level.

It is my responsibility as a World Champion to promote the game, help players to improve their level, and raise an interest. Most of my giant predecessors, former 3-move World Champions (except great English grandmaster Derek Oldbury), didn't write books over their career, and here I am trying to fill out this gap. My book will teach you how to play checkers and improve. Everyone can do this, and all you need is--- love our old and gold game, study it intensively, and compete.

About a year ago I gave an interview to a Russian checkers Internet site, and one of the questions I had--- why did I start playing English style of checkers, and what does it mean for me ? My answer surprised many... I said that "Checkers is my second immigration!" In fact--- this is an absolutely true statement. With checkers I have new interest, new family, new life! This book is my small feedback to the checkers fraternity for everything I've received.

The next question we need to answer--- "Who is the reader of this book?" There is not an easy and simple answer to this question. I think this book can be helpful and useful for players at any reasonable level, and everyone can find something interesting here. This book includes high-level intensive analyses, new play, and myriad variations. Additionally, on any serious occasion I tried to answer the question--- not only ''WHAT" move is right, but also "WHY" this move is right.

My very first book about strategy was "Checkers, The Tinsley Way"! Some people may be confused--- how can this book, which is a big collection of non-annotated games, help you to learn strategy? Well, here's what I did, and you can do the same thing with my book. I didn't try to memorize a lot of variations, but I played all games several times, and when I saw - how in similar type of positions Dr. Tinsley handled and played--- this gave me an idea and answer to the questions "WHY" and "HOW."

Advanced readers, master or grandmaster, can find in the book many improvements and corrections of publish play, and deeper analyses. Amateur and beginner players can learn about depth of the game, how to organize the major process--- finding the best move, prioritization of things, how to build calculations into the right directions, and all after all--- what is most important in game of draughts, and how right strategy affects your play.

I know, my dear reader, you are rushing now with the question: "What is this book about?" On this particular question the answer is simple--- this book is about me. my concept and vision in checkers, my style. This book does not pretend to be an Encyclopedia. It includes and covers my games only in tournaments and matches. Every player, and I am no exception, has a unique style and character. Every champion brings something new to the game, and this book will help you to better understand my understanding of strategy and my way to play checkers. Previous 3-move World Champion, Ronald "Suki" King from Barbados, had a very aggressive, fighting style, putting much pressure on position and utilizing his tremendous crossboard skills. This style helped him to win the title and retain it for almost a decade. In contrast, my style is more universal, and better balances knowledge of publish play and crossboard skills. This book will help you to see this in my games.

How was this book written? Today, in computer era, any respectable author of checkers books can't stay away from utilizing a program's help. My book is not an exception. But on many occasions I didn't show all the play or the best play only. Often enough I just picked up the lines which grabbed my attention, or the ones I liked for some reason, and then covered them. Checkers is an ocean!, and no one, including programs without a 24-piece database, can say they master it. In this book I am trying to demonstrate to readers the beauties of the game, depth of the game, and enjoyment from the game. Sometimes I am doing deep analysis, other times I just give you a reference to other sources or other games played.

One of the most interesting and unique characters of this book--- a tremendous usage of diagrams. It is probably the first experience in checkers literature--- using diagrams in "non-problem" books at the highest degree. In this book I tried to follow two major rules: at least one diagram per page, and diagram must be located on the same page with reference to it. In my very strong opinion, when having very compressed text, 70%--80% of which consists of numbers and lines, diagrams is an excellent tool to make the process of reading book easy for visual acceptance. In addition, I am trying to use a "tree structure" in annotations--- paragraphs, sub-paragraphs, usage numbers and letters to separate lines.

A book should not be a Bible, it has to be a friendly guide ! You can open it at any time, on any page or any game, and immediately become involved in the process of reading. Diagrams and "tree structure" greatly help you to accept and process information.

And here is a last question, which reader may ask me: "When can I start to read this book?"

Answer - NOW!

World Championship Match 2003

Cookstown, Northern Ireland October 13-24
Alex MOISEYEV - Ronald KING: +8-2=25

At the closing ceremony in Cookstown, Northern Ireland, after the conclusion of our match, I remarked that usually each new World Champion brings something new to the game--- new style, new strategy concepts, new views. The 2003 World Championship Match with my predecessor, Ronald King from Barbados, the Fifth Three-move World Champion, wasn't any exception. In this match I was facing the most dangerous opponent in the World in his prime, fully armed with many checker weapons and ambitious plans to defend his title.

The way and style which Ron King played this match was similar to his previous matches without many differences: aggressive, solid style, attempts to move out of known published lines on any occasion, keeping unprecedented pressure on the board in each position and each move to the very end of each game ! However, it would be true to say, that his tremendous crossboard skills seriously exceeded his knowledge of published play, which we should rate as average.

In contrast, I think in this particular match and overall in my career--- my balancing of crossboard skills and knowledge of published play was more universal, which helped me feel comfortable during the entire course of the match. I think this correct balancing of skills and restoring respect to scientific checkers are my "two cents" which I am leaving in checker history.

Reading this chapter and analyzing the match games should help you to understand how correct balancing works in real games. Several of the match games required a solid knowledge of published play to keep a win or draw in hand. However, on many occasions, especially when Ron King used reasonable and sound innovations, crossboard skills were necessary for success.

World Championship Match 2002

Petal, Mississippi, USA March 11-16
Alex MOISEYEV-Elbert LOWDER: +12-0=17

Elbert Lowder--- a checker legend! One of the most active players in the ACF and perhaps around the world. The number of games and events he has played during his brilliant career accumulated for more than half a century (!) and still continues to grow. His name can be found in checker literature back to the end of the 40's. Another separate book can be written to include the full list of all his titles he owned--- State, National and World!

He won 2 GAYP National Tournaments, was 9 or 10 times second (!) in 3-move USA National Tournaments, owns 11-man Ballot World Champion title, and the number of State events he has won goes over one hundred! Prior to this match he played one 3-move and 3 GAYP WCM's.

In the beginning of the year 2002, Elbert Lowder was chosen by the American Checker Federation as my opponent in the World Championship Match in order to fill out a vacancy (see Appendix C about title controversy). This decision was based on results of the last 2000 USA 3-move National Tournament, where Elbert Lowder tied with me for the 1st-2nd place, but I had better honor points (Ron King finished 3rd in this event).

After World Championship Match with Elbert Lowder was over, which ended with a huge margin 12-0-17, many people criticized it, named it a "one-sided" match and it became an additional argument in very hot controversy. However, in 1979 Elbert Lowder lost another match to Marion Tinsley by 15-0-10!

Elbert Lowder is well known to the checker fraternity as a heavy crossboard player. He always tries on any occasion and at any price to take his opponents into the woods. This tactic works extremely well against average players, but doesn't work very successfully against top players. Our match proved this fact again.

When you look at the match games, you can see that in most cases Elbert Lowder was successful with his goal to get me in the woods. So what ? I didn't have many problems with this, and now when you start reading this chapter - you can see what happened!

Welcome to the woods!

Epilogue

The first pages of this book were written in Cookstown, Northern Ireland when the match was over, and I had a few extra days until my flight back to America. This was probably the first time when I tried seriously to analyze games, find most important and critical moments, references, and utilize programs. The process of writing this book, back to the fall of 2003, went smoothly in the beginning for the first several months, but later started going more and more slowly. I didn't even realize in the beginning--- what mountain I am trying to reach! Real life, necessity to raise three kids, job responsibility and an active checkers life significantly delayed the whole process. Even worse--- continuing to play in tournaments raised the number of games which were worthy to be included in the book in the "Selected Games" chapter. It took more than two years to finish this marathon! At one time I made a straight decision, cut off everything and say to myself: "Now or never!" and started to prepare this book for publishing.

Without having any good experience in writing books, I also didn't realize one simple thing well known to all author-- - the process of editing the content, cleaning the text, and final preparation, all of which takes the time comparable with the actual time of initially writing the whole book!

I want to thank my family, wife and kids, for having a great understanding and patience, and for giving me a chance to write this book, which took my attention away from family for hundred hours. Without their great moral support this book would never have materialized.

In addition, I want to especially thank everyone who was involved in the process of creating this book--- publisher, editors, reviewers.

As I said in the beginning of book--- this is my first book, but I don't know when the next book will be ready and what it will be about. I placed on front of book the words "Volume 1" which indicates my intention to continue this series about my performance and progress in checkers.

As with any other ambitious author, I am dreaming my book will get a long and successful life, and will help players to improve and promote the game.

Life continues! I have many various plans and activities on my agenda: I want to compete again someday for the GAYP World Title, I want my rating to hit 2800+ barrier, I want to raise interest in checkers Nationwide and Worldwide, help Federations to raise membership, find sponsors, etc. I want to write more books and defend my title.

I am relatively young, less than 50 years only, and hope some of my plans have a good chance to be materialized during my life!

Sample Page From Sixth

Sample Page from Sixth

Checkers 3-Move World Champions
First Asa Long, USA 1934-1948
Second Walter Hellman, USA 1948-1955 and 1962-1975
Third Marion Tinsley, USA 1955-1962 and 1979-1991
Fourth Derek Oldbury, England 1991-1994
Fifth Ronald King, Barbados 1994-2001
Sixth Alex Moiseyev, USA 2002-present (2007)