Introduction

WCMs

Individual Records

Fact & Figures

• The total number of games played = 291

• There have been 66 wins (23%)

• Of the 66 wins, there have been 43 Black wins (65%)

• Of the 66 wins, there have been 23 White wins (35%)

• There have been 225 draws (77%)

• Overall, Black is thus favoured by 53% to White’s 47%

• Of the 291 games, the opening move has been 11-15 on 273 occasions (94%); 9-14 on 12 occasions (4%); 10-15 on 3 occasions (1%) and 11-16 on 3 occasions (1%)

• Of the 273 times Black has opened with 11-15, White has replied with 22-17 on 73 occasions (27%); 22-18 on 41 occasions (15%); 23-18 on 43 occasions (16%); 23-19 on 92 occasions (34%); 24-19 on 11 occasions (4%) and 24-20 on 13 occasions (5%).

• The Centre and Switcher openings have yet to make an appearance.

• The GAYP style has proved to be far from exhausted in two senses:
  1. Old pp losses are still being recorded. eg on Martins’ Rest, the main line of the Old 14th and an 1848 Whilter!
  2. New lines of play are still being evolved.

• Although one day in the near future computer programs will master the game of draughts/checkers (at least in the weakest sense), I predict that humans will continue to compete at the highest level for as long as there is a human race. (And no, for practical purposes, none of the styles will ever be ‘exhausted’!)