Players check in for draughts competition

A PASTIME favourite from childhood is being pursued with international earnest by adults in Limerick this week.

Fifty of the world’s top draughts players, including the men’s and women’s world champions, are taking part in the Irish Draughts Championships at the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel.

The biggest battle of the five-day tournament involves the women’s world champion, Patricia Breen from Carlow, and challenger Jan Mortimer.

Jan has travelled from New Zealand to try and wrest the title from Patricia.

Jan had to win a tournament in Barbados recently to earn a crack at the world title.

This is her third attempt at try to topple world champion Patricia.

The world men’s draughts champion, Ronald King, a full-time professional, has travelled from Barbados to try to add the Irish Masters Title to his world crown at the tournament, which continues until tomorrow.

One of the tournament organisers, Sean Phillips said: “Aside from the women’s world title, we have 50 players playing in the three categories: masters, senior and intermediate. Each player plays 10 opponents over five days with two games per opponent.”

The country’s best known draughts player, 90-year-old PJ Furey from Carlow, is competing.

Sean Phillips, himself an Irish international player explained: “The rules make it necessary for a player to make 28 moves in an hour and a game can take up to 90 minutes. This tournament has been taking place in this country since 1977. The game of draughts has a long history and texts books going back to the middle of the 18th century are still valid for the game today. A player can win by eliminating his opponents’ pieces or by preventing an opponent to make a move.”

Sean said the internet has opened the game to a much wider audience. “You can go on the internet and there are thousands of games going on at any one time,” he said.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the tournament.