With permission

The Checker Maven had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Alan Millhone, President of the American Checker Federation (ACF), via email. Mr. Millhone was kind enough to give us many insights into his own life, his checker career, and his aspirations as ACF President.

Checker Maven: Tell us a little about your background.

Alan: I am married to Victoria Lee Millhone and have a grown daughter, Joclaire, and her husband Thomas and our three grandsons, Forest, Solomon and David. I was born in Parkersburg, W.Va. in 1948 and have lived all my life in Belpre, Ohio. I graduated from Belpre High School in 1966. My 9th and 10th grades were spent at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. I attended 4 years at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio and earned a B.S. in Business Administration. After college I was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1970, and spent time in the US and in Korea. (I was) Honorably Discharged in 1972. My father was a building contractor in Belpre since 1955 and I helped him in my school years, summers and while I was in college. After the Army I began full time work as a builder/remodeler and do that to this day in the Belpre,Ohio area. Aside from being ACF President I am also the local Board President for Habitat for Humanity.

Checker Maven: When and how did you become interested in checkers?

Alan: I used to play my father when I was little and he would get me into little 2x1 shots, etc. That must have been the early beginning to learn more about the game. In high school I was tutored by the late Walter Kaneff of Constitution, Ohio. While attending college in Columbus, Ohio I met and was mentored by the late Mr. B.T. Shafer. He loved problems and would always have one set up for me to solve when I visited his home in New Albany, Ohio. He taught me early on to never 'touch' the pieces and always try to 'sight solve' and visualize solutions to board problems.

Checker Maven: What made you interested in a leadership role in checkers, and how did it come about that you became ACF president?

Alan: In 1970 I left checkers when I entered the Army and forgot about the game till around 1999. That Christmas I was visiting our daughter in Charlotte,N.C. and her husband Tom had a computer and indicated he knew I played checkers years back. he told me I could play on line which fascianted me as to date I had never touched a computer. He set me up with a nickname and got me onto MSN gaming zone. I played the afternoon and was 'hooked' once more. At the Pennsylvania Open I met Mr. Alexander Moiseyev and we chatted in my room one evening. Later on I met him again at the Ohio Tournament and he told me he liked what he saw in me and offered to be my campaign manager if I would run for ACF President. I ran as an unknown after my 30 year absence and won over Mr. Charles Walker by a mere 7 votes!

Checker Maven: How would you characterize the state of "organized" checkers today? How does that compare with the past and what are the hopes and prospects for the future? How do you think the ACF will do in years to come?

Alan: Checkers and the ACF has been on the decline since the advent of television in the early 60s. For the game to survive and for the ACF to remain we have to attract and keep young players. The ACF needs a corporate sponsor to help our youth. My goal is to find that sponsor and have them join ranks with the ACF to promote one of the finest mind sports ever conceived by man. The ACF cannot continue to do 'business as usual' or we will perish in time. It is time for different thinking and for the infusion of new ideas if we are to survive in today's video oriented world.

Checker Maven: What do you think the effects of computers have been on the game of checkers? Do you think checkers will ever be solved, and what difference do you think that might make, if any?

Alan: Computer programs have been a blessing to analysts and those who want to 'hammer' out new lines of play. Checkers may be solved one day, but that will not make me another Tinsely when it does become solved. The computer/internet lets players from all over the globe interact and chat while playing on a variety of playing sites. Even the mail players are using the internet now to play mail games where it used to take months via snail mail. Many contend that computer programs have killed mail play.

Personally I love going to different tournaments and meeting and playing a variety of players from all over the USA and abroad. I consider checker players as my second family.

Checker Maven: What about the effect of computers on correspondence play?

Alan: I have never played any correspondence checkers, but realize that many new lines of play come from the mail players and the lines they have 'hammered' out from those games. Checkers used to be a game of mental analysis. My good friend Mr. Karl D. Albrecht will be noted in checker history as one of the greatest analyists who ever played the game. However today one can program in the moves you want and go to bed and let the computer program do the rest. Programs to me have taken the human element out of the game to some degree.

Checker Maven: What would you say to those who think that checkers is boring, or just a kid's game?

Alan: Most people play 'skittle' checkers and never scratch the surface of the game nor ever learn to appreciate its deep beauty . I have had many tell me checkers is a game of luck; well, luck comes to those who are well prepared. The late and great football coach, Mr. Vince Lombardi once remarked , "Luck is the residue of preparation" . The great William F. Ryan once remarked that one should avoid those who do not appreciate the deep intricacies of checkers. Yes, checkers is a game you can learn to play in a few minutes (how pieces move, taking jumps, movement of King,etc.) but then spend the rest of your life attempting to master.

Checker Maven: You often call yourself an "average" player but your tournament results are quite outstanding. Do you have any ambitions such as winning titles or being a grandmaster level player?

Alan: My goal is to improve my play over time and to see my rating inch up a little now and then. I know just enough about checkers to now realize how little I actually know about the game. I fear no player and love to play the best at any opportunity. To play better you have to play the better players.

Checker Maven: What moments in checkers are you personally most proud of?

Alan: In the late 60s while in college I organized two simultaneous exhibitions for Mr. Tommie Wiswell and Mr. Newell W. Banks. Both men also stayed at my home years ago. The great Marion Tinsley was a house guest years ago on several occasions. Most recently getting to play on the USA International Team vs. GB, Ireland and Scotland was a highlight in my life. I went to observe the match and ended up playing 7 rounds. A fine book commemorating this match will be published soon.

Checker Maven: What advice would you give to the young or up-and-coming player, or to the plain-old ambitious checkerist?

Alan: As Dr. Gerry Lopez likes to admonish, " Knowledge is Power." You can't beat the player who is well 'booked' on published play and has crossboard ability as well. Attend and enter tournaments as you can, get yourself a good program to play against on your computer, and build yourself a good checker library of reference books. I like Mr. Fortman's Basic Checkers, Dr. Shuffett's and Tommie Wiswell's America's Best Checkers , and Mr. Alex Moiseyev's new book Sixth .

Checker Maven: Anything else?

Alan: The American Checker Federation is always looking for new members and we publish six bulletins a year full of checker news, games, etc. Visit our web site at www.usacheckers.com for more information.

Our thanks to Mr. Millhone for granting us this information-filled interview.

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While we're a bit behind schedule, we still plan to release our electronic edition of Richard Pask's book Key Endings by the end of 2006. And, we've previously noted that in 2007 we'll be starting on the very ambitious project of a full electronic reissue of Mr. Pask's Solid Checkers.

However, we've chosen the next book to appear after Key Endings. We're very pleased to announce that you can expect a newly-typeset, electronic edition of Ken Grover and Tom Wiswell's enduring classic, Let's Play Checkers, some time in the first half of 2007 (we're estimating a June 1 release date).

Let's Play Checkers is one of the best selling checker books of all time. Long out of print, this 1940 book still commands respect over 65 years later. It's one of the first of very few checker books to ever present the "repertoire" concept, well-known to chess players, of playing a selected set of opening moves which have been carefully studied.

The "repertoire" concept of course applies only to freestyle or "go as you please" checkers, but as this is what is played by many an average checker fan, Let's Play Checkers is of great value and interest. Rounded out with formation or "landing" studies, endgame studies, and a great collection of problems, it isn't hard to see why this book became a classic best-seller.

Of course, as is the case with all of our electronic reissues, it will be available absolutely free of charge. We only ask that you too support and play our great game of checkers!

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We've been busy working on ideas for Checker Maven columns, and we'd like to share with you a few of the things that will be happening here in times to come.

• A new feature called Uncle Ben's Porch will begin shortly. It will feature problems and positions published by one of the greatest checker authors of all time, Ben Boland, with a long-term view toward electronic republication of his classic works. We think you'll like our story line, too.
• Our regular features, such as Checker School and the speed and stroke problems will continue, as these have proved to be quite popular with our readers.
• While not a Checker Maven column per se, look for an electronic edition of Richard Pask's Key Endings before the close of 2006.
• Of course, our iconic hero, Marvin J. Mavin, will put in an appearance once in a while.
• Here's one that's been top secret up until now: we're working on a new feature with the working title, Play It Yourself, a highly interactive, web-based means for you to take either or both sides in classic games from the past. Match wits with the best, and let the computer tell you how you're doing. It's technically complex, and we'll be looking for volunteers to help with testing some time this fall.
• Finally, due to the need to work on these new ideas and the press of events, we will likely make permanent what we now call our "summer" schedule, and promise one article per week instead of two, though we'll publish two when time allows. For us, The Checker Maven is a long-term proposition--- we hope to publish for many years to come--- and we want to keep the operation viable. That means managing our commitments so we can deliver a consistent and timely product.

As always, your comments and suggestions are our guide, and we'd love to hear from you at webmaster@checkermaven.com.

With permission

Recently Mac Banks, the postal play World Champion, defended his title against Canada's Bill Carter. As reported here earlier, the match was played not with traditional postcards and stamps, but on the Internet at the turn-based Wyllie site.

Mr. Carter proved a most formidable opponent, and the match ended in a deadlock, with all 24 games being played to a draw. Mr. Banks retained his title by virtue of this undecided match.

But Mac is no ordinary champion, much as he is no ordinary player. Mr. Banks took the unprecedented step of offering Mr. Carter an immediate rematch. The return engagement will be played in September, also on the Wyllie site.

And Mac didn't stop there. As he stated in a note on the Wyllie site, "I have decided to be a playing champion and not just wait the two years that I am allotted to do." So, even before Mac has his rematch with Bill Carter, he will play a match with Irish challenger Tommy Canning. Tommy finished second in the world qualifiers and is a winner of the British mail title, and is a tough competitor by any measure. Mac adds, "If I still am champ I will play Bill Carter on or about 15 September." The match with Tommy will start on July 31.

That's three, count them, three title defenses in as many months!

It takes a real champion and a man of courage and character to step up and take on all comers without hesitation, fear, or delay. We can't help but recognize that Mac plays the game for its own sake, believes strongly that the best player should be the champ, and backs up his beliefs with action.

In doing this, Mac Banks proves himself to be a true sportsman and a champion for the ages. We applaud and admire him.

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Brian Hinkle's ferocious bear remains on the loose (click on the link to see the problem again) with the large reward as yet unclaimed. And so, Brian is increasing the bounty one last time, to a whopping $100, to which The Checker Maven will add a free copy of the WCC Platinum computer programs, delivered to your door on 13 CDs (a $25 value).

This is your final opportunity to trap the bear and win the reward! If you have the solution, send it to Brian at once. By the first weekend of September, if there is no winner, the reward will go unclaimed. Don't let that happen! Solve the problem and trap the bear right away!

The prize will be awarded at the sole judgment and discretion of Brian Hinkle, whose decision will be final and not subject to appeal. The Checker Maven does not offer or guarantee the cash portion of this prize. Offer void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Staff and relatives of staff of any of the Mr. Fred Investments group of companies are not eligible to participate.

"There are various excuses made by checker players as to why they were beaten. It may have been the arrival of a new baby; the unexpected arrival of his mother-in-law; it might have been the toothache the previous night; the baby may have kept him awake all night on account of its having the colic; the weather may have changed suddenly and brought on a twinge of rheumatism; he may not have had the kind of board to play on to which he is accustomed; a spectator may have smiled at a time when smiles were out of order; some one may have opened a window causing a draught; he may have used a line of play given in the book as sound and it turned out otherwise. The foregoing and many others may all be good and valid excuses, but the finest one of all is, the other fellow was a better player."

Printed more than eighty years ago as The Art of Alibi in the Seattle Times, and still relevant today.

The Checker Maven has two items of interesting news about on-line checker game sites.

First, the upcoming World Mailplay Championship match, between defending champion Mac Banks and challenger Bill Carter, will be played via the internet, on the Wyllie Online Draughts Club site. Members of the site will be able to follow the games as they take place, and a fantastic competition is to be expected. In the qualifying rounds, Challenger Carter didn't lose a single game, so Champion Banks, a competitor with great skill and knowledge, will have to play at the top of his game.

Second, and this is a Checker Maven exclusive, we've learned that the GoldToken turn-based game site is in the process of implementing three-move restriction play, and we understand that they plan to do it right, setting up games in pairs and using the 156 opening "hard" deck. We're told by their site manager that this new option could be available as soon as late summer of this year. We're always glad and appreciative when online game sites take checkers seriously and present our game in an accurate and professional manner.

A concerned Checker Maven reader pointed out to us that, using his Internet Explorer web browser, text selection didn't work properly. When he tried to cut and paste game moves from The Checker Maven into his favorite checker program, he was unable to pick out just the moves, ending up with most of the page instead!

In our editorial offices we almost exclusively use free and open-source software, and we verify new articles with the Firefox web browser; Firefox, of course, didn't have any problem with text selection. So we dug deeper and learned of an Internet Explorer bug triggered by certain style sheet elements. Not wanting to inconvenience any of our readers, we made a few style sheet changes and now text selection works properly with Internet Explorer. The appearance of The Checker Maven has changed very slightly, but it's so little we bet you didn't notice.

We certainly appreciate it when our loyal readers help out by alerting us to problems and errors. Thank you one and all!

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We'd like to remind our readers that from now through the first weekend in September, The Checker Maven is on its summer schedule, which means we generally publish one article per week instead of two.

Editor's Note: As of 2026, the WODC has unfortunately been off the air for some little while.

Make no mistake about it. The Wyllie Online Draughts Club, or WODC for short, is all about checkers (or draughts, if you will). It is seriously, determinedly, and single-mindedly about checkers and nothing but checkers. It is a home for the real devotee, the genuine enthusiast, the real maven. It is not a place for casuals, drop-ins, or dabblers. Not at all.

We've been playing there ourselves for a little while now and we're rather impressed.

There are game sites and there are games sites out there on the Net, and we've reviewed dozens of them on our review page. It is safe to say that there is none quite like Wyllie.

Wyllie is a "turn based" or correspondence style site. You make your move, and at some point your opponent moves (whether within minutes or days), and then you move again. You have a ten-day time allotment, plus one day per move, allowing you to schedule your play time and still keep the game moving. Wyllie also offers a "live play" or "head to head" option (limited to Windows computers). For live play, you would likely pre-arrange a meeting in the live play area and then play as you would over the board.

OK, you're saying, this is all well and good, but there are lots of turn-based and head-to-head sites out there, many of them free of charge, a few of them with hundreds and hundreds of players on-line at any given time. So what's so great about Wyllie?

We suggest you read our full review to get all the details, but the difference is that Wyllie is about checkers and checkers only, and some very strong players make it their on-line checker home. Wyllie's on-line tournaments, held more or less monthly, are likely the toughest "mail-play" style tournaments to be found anywhere.

Wyllie offers the things you want if you are really serious about your checkers: the full range of 3-move openings; 11-man ballot play for the daring; complete game records which are protected from random public view; and perhaps best of all, a strict "real name" policy which eliminates 99.99% of the potential pests and undesirables, making the site a pleasure rather than something to be tolerated.

Is WODC for you? It depends. If you like to play a casual game at a summer picnic while enjoying a few tall cool ones, perhaps not. If you're a regular Checker Maven reader and try to solve the problems each week, very likely so; likewise, if you're an enthusiastic competitor from the lower intermediate level and up, you will benefit and enjoy. Membership is not free, but neither is it expensive. You might wish to check it out and decide for yourself.

But enough commentary; as we said above, you can read the full review if you'd like all the details. Let's illustrate the caliber of play at the Wyllie site with a pair of sample tournament games, played between Welsh grandmaster Lindus Edwards and world mail-play champion Mac Banks. (We told you that there are elite players here!) Notes are by Lindus Edwards.

Black: Lindus Edwards
White: Mac Banks

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W32,31,30,29,28,26,25,21,20:B12,11,10,8,7,5,4,3,2.

Drawn.

A---A favourite line of Dr Marion Tinsley.

B---5-9 is published to draw. 11-16 looks a far easier route to me.

Black: Lindus Edwards
White: Mac Banks

WHITE

BLACK
Black to Play and Draw

B:W29,28,27,26,23,22,18,14:B16,13,12,9,7,5,4,2.

Drawn.

A---A saving move!

B---The draw is now simple as follows: 16-20 24-19 11-16 29-25 9-14 18-9 5-14 25-21 13-17 Drawn.