Pool checkers

Pool checkers, also called "American pool checkers", is a variant of draughts, mainly played in the southeastern United States.

Basic rules

The starting position of pool checkers, as well as English draughts

As in the related game English draughts (also known as American checkers or straight checkers), the game is played on an 8x8 board with the double corner (corner without a checker) to each player's right.^[1] The opponent playing the dark pieces will start the game by making the first move. One difference from the rules of English checkers is that a piece may capture both forward and backward. A player must capture an opponent's checker when possible (both forward and backward), but if two possibilities exist, the player may choose the sequence (even if one sequence has more jumps). The pieces are not removed until all jumps are completed and the player's hand is removed from his piece. A player may not capture an opponent more than one time. A player may not capture his own pieces. Another difference is that kings are flying kings. A king can jump any number of squares forward and backward. A king can make right turns after a jump and continue along another path after successfully taking an opponent. A king must also make all the possible jumps during a sequence. If the condition arises that one player has three kings and the other has just one king, the player who has the three kings must win within thirteen moves (even if the fourteenth move is a capture).

Past champions of the American Pool Checker Association

Names of champions in the several divisions are listed with the APCA club that they represent.^[2]

Championship Divisions
Year / Place	Top Master	Master	Junior Master	Gold Bar	Blue Ribbon
2013 Columbia, South Carolina	Calvin Monroe, Atlanta, Georgia Alfred Barnett, Atlanta, Georgia	Carlye Lasane, Columbia, South Carolina	Alexander McNair, Durham, North Carolina	Michael Tramaine Adkins, Alapaha, Georgia	Cornelius McCleod, South Carolina
2012 Atlanta, Georgia	Alfred Barnett, Atlanta, Georgia	Michael Weaver, Washington, DC	Alex Issac, Darlington, South Carolina	Derrick Williams, Memphis, Tennessee	Walter A. Adams, Atlanta, Georgia
2011 Columbus, Ohio	Calvin Monroe, Atlanta, Georgia	Fred D. Shurn, Chicago, Illinois	Michael Weaver, Washington, DC	Khemraj Rambarran, Washington, DC	Robert Firstlist, St. Louis, Missouri
2010 Durham, North Carolina	Alfred Barnett, Atlanta, Georgia	Tim Moore, Durham, North Carolina	Toney Simuel, Washington, DC	Michael Weaver, Washington, DC	William Wilkerson, Durham, NC
2009 Washington, DC	Calvin Monroe, Atlanta, Georgia	Kim Williams, Washington, DC	Thomas Fletcher, Washington, DC	Toney Simuel, Washington, DC	William Ham Apex, North Carolina
2008 Chicago, Illinois	Calvin Monroe, Atlanta, Georgia	Arthur McCarr, Tampa, Florida	Kim Williams, Washington, DC	General Owens, Chicago, Illinois	Joe Davis, Louisburg, NC
2007 Chicago	Al Lambert, Chicago, Illinois	Clinton Thang & David Jackson Macon, GA	Gregory Green, Macon, Georgia	Kim Williams, Virginia Beach, Va.	Derrick Williams, Memphis, Tennessee
2006 Columbus, Ohio	Calvin Monroe, Atlanta, Georgia	John Williams, Washington, DC	Larry Lindsay, Piedmont	Tommie Ferrell, Athens, Georgia	Keith Brown, St. Louis, Missouri
2005 Atlanta, Georgia	Al Barnett, Georgia Calvin Monroe, Atlanta, Georgia	Willie Robinson, Atlanta, Georgia	Hammond Clark, Atlanta, Georgia	Reggie King, Miami, Florida	Toney Simuel, Atlanta, Georgia
2004 Memphis, Tennessee	Calvin Monroe, Atlanta, Georgia	Edward Danzy, Detroit, Michigan	Jessie Sherfield, Memphis, TN	Freddie Lambert, Durham, NC	Robert Hunt, Miami, Florida
2003 Atlanta, Georgia	Al Barnett, Georgia	Homer King, Macon	Edward Danzy, Detroit	Alexander McNair, Piedmont	Alexander Eley, Atlanta
2002 Washington DC	Calvin Monroe Georgia Charlie Brown, Baltimore Alexander Katz, New York	Albert Harrison, North Carolina Joe Wilson, Memphis	John Williams, Washington, DC	Robert N. Johnson, Piedmont	Michael Weaver, Washington, DC
2000 Columbus, Ohio	Ion Dosca, Moldova	Clorius Lay, Gary	Arthur McCarr, Tampa	Keith Goodman, Atlanta	Lynwood Tharrington, Piedmont
1999 Memphis, Tennessee	Al Barnett, Georgia	Frank Cox, Bahamas	Donald Jackson, Macon	Emmett Smith, Georgia	James Lanier, Piedmont
1998 Atlanta, Georgia	Al Barnett, Georgia	Louis Rufus, St. Louis	David Jackson, Macon	Timothy Moore, Piedmont	Vilner Philippe, Bahamas Emanuel Rogers, St. Louis
1997 Flint, Michigan	Al Barnett, Georgia	Alex Golodets, Memphis	Joseph Wilson, Memphis	Willie Robinson, Midwest Ohio	Elliott Eley, St. Louis
1996 Houston, Texas	Al Barnett, Georgia	Anatoliy Grupin, Los Angeles Anthony Simmons, Georgia	Servin Hanna, Bahamas	Chauncey Smith, St. Louis	Timothy Moore, Piedmont
1995 Augusta, Georgia	Al Barnett, Georgia Elton Williams, Flint	Vincent 'Dino' Dean, Bahamas	Freddie Welcher, Augusta	Gary Watson, Florida	Eugene Davis, Georgia
1994 Winston-Salem, North Carolina	Calvin Monroe, Georgia	Timothy Irving, Houston	Fred Shurn, Chicago	Rodger Knowles, Bahamas	William Byrant, Piedmont
1993 Petal, Mississippi	Elton Williams, Flint	Orlando Williams, Chicago	Anatoliy Grupin, Los Angeles	Wayne Lockheart, Toledo, Ohio	Clinton Murphy, Georgia
1992 Nassau, Bahamas	Carl Smith, Chicago Andrew Frazier, Bahamas	Charles Hudson, Detroit American	Michael Williams, Bahamas	Leonard Bains, Bahamas	General Owens, Chicago
1991 Los Angeles, California	Carl Smith, Chicago	Melvin Martin, NA	Frank Cox, Bahamas	Therman Earnest, Chicago	Joe Bailey, LA
1990 Atlanta, Georgia	Iser Kuperman, Midwest Ohio	Simon Levine, NA	Willie Robinson, Georgia	Obie Rufus, Memphis	Leonard Bain, Bahamas
1989 Columbus, Ohio	Iser Kuperman, NA	Valentine Cox, Bahamas	Nelson Moore, St. Louis	Clifford Johnson, Chicago	Crover Kennedy, LA Christopher Stinson, LA
1988 Detroit, Michigan	Iser Kuperman, NA	Sylvester Wilson, NA Al Lambert, Chicago	Orlando Williams, Chicago	Fred Shurn, Chicago	Joseph Capers, Detroit American
1987 Memphis, Tennessee	Iser Kuperman, Bahamas	Henry Stokes, Memphis	Albert Harrison, Winston-Salem	Jessie Sheffield, Memphis	Fred Shurn, Chicago
1986 St. Louis, Missouri	Iser Kuperman, Bahamas	Henry Miller, Georgia Andrew Frazier, Bahamas	Valentine Cox, Bahamas	Frank Cox, Bahamas	Garland Kilpatrick, LA
1985 Dayton, Ohio	Iser Kuperman, Bahamas	James Garrett, Winston-Salem	Andrew Frazier, Bahamas	Robert Butler, Bahamas	Eddie Smith, Chicago
1984 Nassau, Bahamas	Iser Kuperman, Bahamas	Neil Wright, NA	James Chambers, Bahamas	Andrew Frazier, Bahamas	Roger Knowles, NA
1983 Chicago, Illinois	Carl Smith, Chicago	George Briscoe, Berston/Flint	Al Lambert, Chicago	Louis Rufus, St. Louis	Wayne Lockheart, Toledo, Ohio
1982 Akron, Ohio	Carl Smith, Chicago	James Shell, Georgia	Eugene Hampton, Berston/Flint	Valentine Cox, Bahamas	Sylvester Wilson, Berston/Flint
1981 Memphis, Tennessee	Momodou Fall, Georgia	James Stone, Georgia	Homer King, Georgia	McBee Smith, Cleveland	Robert Johnson, Chicago
1980 Washington DC	Momodou Faal, Georgia	Rembert Ford, Detroit Parmalee McClammey, Brooklyn	Bobby Hodo, Chicago	Dan Flowers, Detroit American	Prince Garland, Washington
1979 Winston-Salem, North Carolina	Momodou Faal, Georgia Vladimir Kaplan, N.Y. Dream Elton Williams, Berston/Flint	Larry Stepter, Memphis	Parmalee McClammey, Brooklyn	Bobby Hodo, Chicago	Emory Myrick, Brooklyn
1978 Detroit, Michigan	Vladimir Kaplan, N.Y. Dream	Jesse Hurst, Memphis	Charles Hudson, Det. Amer	Ben Rice Det., Amer.	Johnny Jamerson, Piedmont
1977 Atlanta, Georgia	Vladimir Kaplan, N.Y. Dream	Joel Marshall, Georgia	C.P. Rudy, N.Y. Dream	Parmalee McClammey, Brooklyn	Bobby Hodo, Detroit American
1976 Memphis, Tennessee	Carl Smith, Chicago	Raleigh Taylor, Brooklyn	James Sharp, Chicago	Luther Murray, Detroit American	Jesse Sheffield, Memphis
1975 Chicago, Illinois	Carl Smith, Chicago	Ohio Mitchell, Chicago	Larry Stepter, Memphis	Stephen Trader, Harlem Pk.	S. Saneigeyman, Cleveland
1974 St. Louis, Missouri	Carl Smith, Chicago	Charles McDuffie, St. Louis	Alex Femandez, Brooklyn	Jesse Galloway, N.Y. Dream	Leroy Thomas, Chicago
1973 New York, New York	Carl Smith, Chicago	Elton Williams, Berston/Flint	Jasper Grayson, NA	Alex Femandez, Brooklyn	Stephen Trader, Harlem Pk.
1972 Detroit, Michigan	Carl Smith, Chicago	See Top Masters	Elton Williams, Berston/Flint	Charles Florene, Chicago	Ray Lawrence, N.Y. Dream
1971 Flint, Michigan	Victor Krafft, Chicago Ollie Howard, N.Y. Dream	See Top Masters	Joel Marshall, Georgia	Elton Williams, Berston/Flint	Eddie Reynolds, Cleveland
1970 Cleveland, Ohio	Carl Smith, Chicago	Carl Smith, Chicago	Wood Williamson, Det. Amer	Rudy Slade, N.Y. Dream	Elton Williams, Berston/Flint
1969 Atlanta, Georgia	William Langley, Detroit American	Carl Smith, Chicago	Frank Mitchell, Georgia	James Turner, Detroit American	Archie Hinton, Georgia
1968 Detroit, Michigan	Charlie Carter, Georgia	Carl Smith, Chicago	Ben White, Detroit American	Pierce Towns, Georgia	Walter Hall, Berston/Flint
1967 Detroit, Michigan	Carl Smith, Chicago	George Lyons, Cleveland	James Shell, Georgia	Howard Jackson, Georgia	Michael Jordan, Georgia
1966 Detroit, Michigan	George Sykes, Detroit American	George Sykes, Detroit American	Rembert Ford, Detroit American	Howard Jackson, Georgia	Michael Jordan, Georgia

References

1. The APCA Playing Rules, compiled and published by the American Pool Checkers Association
2. This list of winners is taken from http://www.americanpoolcheckers.us/americanpoolcheckers/index.php/history/division-champion/74-division-champions-1966-2011, compiled and published by the American Pool Checkers Association.

External links

• American Pool Checkers Association (APCA)
• The World of Pool Checkers (including library)
• (Carl 'Buster' Smith)
• (Pool Checkers Library)