By Ava Kennedy
Members of the Scottish Draughts Association are hosting several international tournaments at Stonehaven Town Hall, having invited top-class federations and players of the board game from around the world to compete for the British Open Three-Move Championship and the Women’s and Youth World Championships.
Also up for grabs is a qualifier, with the winner having the opportunity to take on the current world champion.
Last week Crispin Odhiambo Ojwang, travelled from Kenya to take the title in the British Open Three-Move Championship with 25 points, beating South African player Lukhanyo Dyanibokwe, who finished with 22 points, and former British Open champion Shane McCosker, who finished with 21 points.
Nineteen players competed in total, with representatives from Scotland, England, Ireland, Germany, South Africa, the US, Barbados and Kenya.
The Three-Move variation differs from traditional draughts, with the opening three moves determined in advance by ballot. The format is widely played competitively and requires players to adapt their strategies from the very beginning of a match.
The winner of the Women’s World Championship will be announced tomorrow, Friday, after six players compete in a round-robin tournament throughout the week, including competitors from the Barbados Draughts Association, Ireland, Ukraine and Italy.
Graham Young, a Stonehaven-based member of the Scottish Draughts Association who competed in this year’s British Open, said: “It feels like a huge honour to be hosting these tournaments in Stonehaven, especially because it marks the 100th anniversary of the British Draughts Open and twenty years since it was last held in Stonehaven.”
He added he was proud to have Stonehaven serving as a meeting point for international competitors.
Meanwhile, Irish player Sean Phillips has been enjoying the Stonehaven scenery and local café The Red Red Robin. Over the tournament, staff at the popular food outlet have welcomed customers from Barbados, France, Orkney and Ireland, saying, “we’ve given a wee discount,” to players in celebration of the event.
Feature image – Stonehaven Town Hall is a great venue – though representatives of the Scottish Draughts Association say they found Aberdeenshire Council unhelpful and despite months of preparation. they only received written confirmation of the Town Hall booking on 9 September, the first day of the Championships,