Alex Moiseyev

Alex Moiseyev, August 2009.

Alex Moiseyev, b. February 19, 1959, is an American checkers player, and is the current (2009) 3-Move World Champion. He holds a master or grandmaster rating in checkers, Russian draughts, and 10x10 draughts, and has been playing competitively since age 7. Alex currently resides in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, where he is the defending Ohio State Champion.

Biographical Timeline

Alex was kind enough to supply the following timeline about his life and early experience in checkers & draughts.

Part 1: Russian & International Draughts

• 1959: born in Malahovka, a small suburb about 20 miles from Moscow.
• 1963: first learns to play Russian Checkers (8x8) from his father, at age four.
• 1966: starts school in Russia, and joins the Youth Checkers Club at the Moscow Pioneer Palace.
• 1967-1971: achieves various honors in Russian checkers-- two youth category norms at ages 8 and 9, two adult category norms at ages 10 and 11, and finally a Candidate Master title at age 12.
• 1966-1970: holds title of Moscow Boys Champion in Russian checkers.
• 1972: joins the "Lokomotiv" checkers club, remaining a member until 1991 when he left the USSR.
• 1975: achieves Master Sport norm in Russian checkers.
• 1971-1976: holds title of Moscow Youth Champion in Russian checkers.
• 1976: finishes 3rd in the National USSR Youth Championship in Russian checkers, and leaves for Moscow Railroad University, where he majored in Computer Science and minored in Math.
• 1977: finishes 3rd in Moscow Russian Checkers Championship.
• late 1970s: quits Russian checkers and transitions to 10x10 International Draughts.
• 1979-1991: plays in various International Draughts (10x10) events, including the Quarter Finals of USSR Championship. At the time he left the Soviet Union, he was ranked #17 out of 2000 players.
• 1982: wins Moscow International Draughts Championship on his first try. Also graduates with a Master's Degree in Computer Science and begins his professional career as a computer programmer, with the All-State Transportation Company.
• 1982: marries wife Galina, who he met in college.
• 1983: oldest son Michael born
• 1987-1991: competes in International Draughts composition contests, finishing 2nd in the 1991 USSR Composition National Championship, Miniatures-100 section.
• 1989: visits the United States for two weeks on vacation.
• 1990: repeats victory in the Moscow International Draughts Championship.
• 1991: immigrates to the United States, first living in New York with his wife and son.
• 1992: relocates to Pittsburgh, where he and his wife start working as computer programmers.
• 1992-1998: works with various software development companies as a consultant.
• 1994-1995: starts playing occasional email games with Dutch players.
• 1994: buys first house.
• 1995: second son, Paul, born.
• 1996: wins USA International Draughts Championship and earns Pan-American Association grandmaster title.

Part 2: Anglo-American Checkers

• 1996: takes up Anglo-American style of checkers, playing in the OH State Checkers tournament in Massillon and the USA National 3-Move Tournament in Danville, VA.
• 1997: starts playing online on a regular basis.
• 1997: wins the state championship title in PA, which he would retain until moving to Ohio in 2002.
• 1998: finishes 2nd in the 3-move USA National Tournament.
• 1998: is hired by PNC Bank, a Pittsburgh-based company.
• 1999: daughter Clara born.
• 1999: wins the USA GAYP National in Niagara Falls, NY, earning the right to challenge World Champion Ron King.
• 1999: son Michael finishes school and goes to Carnegie Mellon University, majoring in math.
• 2000: wins first 3-move National in Toledo, OH.
• 2000: ties GAYP World Championship Match (WCM) with Ron King: 3-3-18 (King retains the title).
• 2001: wins 3-moves Eliminator match over William Docherty in Morecambe, England (5-4-11), thereby getting the right to challenge Ron King for the 3-move World Championship.
• 2000-2001: in two years he and his wife lost 3 out of 4 parents, with only his wife's mother surviving.
• 2001: plays in the International Match (USA vs UK & Ireland) in Morecambe, England, scoring 11-0-9.
• 2001: 3-move WCM is canceled and Ron King is stripped off his title by the ACF.
• 2002: plays a 3-move WCM with Elbert Lowder, sanctioned by ACF, and wins 12-0-17. Recognized as World Champion by ACF but not by other National Federations.
• 2002: ties (6-6-8) 11-man ballot World Championship with Elbert Lowder.
• 2002: relocates with family to Columbus, OH, where his wife Galina started a new job; bought a new house and sold the one in Pennsylvania.
• 2002-2009: plays in more than 60 assorted Anglo-American Checkers tournaments and matches: International, National, and State. Of these, finishes in first place all but five times.
• 2003: as a permanent OH resident wins the OH State Champion title, and retains it until the present day.
• 2003: plays 3-Move WCM with Ron King in Cookstown, Nothern Ireland, winning 8-2-25. Finally recognized as World Champion by all National Federations and the new World Federation (WCDF) which had been created the same year.
• 2003: Michael graduates from CMU and starts his master's program at Pitt University.
• 2004: Michael gets married and moves to Philadelphia.
• 2004-2009: restarts old hobby of composing Intenational Draughts problems & endings, composing more than 1000 problems and publishing them online.
• 2005: Michael gets divorced after less than 1 year of marriage
• 2005: defends 3-move World Title against Ron King in Anderson, SC, winning 8-3-25.
• 2006:Michael relocates to New York and starts his Master degree in NYCU, majoring in Public Affairs.
• 2006: writes book Sixth, of which more than 350 copies have been sold.
• 2007: Michael gets his first professional job in the New York City Education Budget Department.
• 2008: finishes 2nd in the FMJD Composition World Championship, miniatures-100 section. Achieves FMJD Master norm (in composition).
• 2008: wins World Mind Sport Games in Beijing.
• 2009: wins 3-move WCM vs Ron King.