I remember...

I think many players could share their memories of things long gone, just like Charles "Pecan" Thompson did when I asked him to write on our then CheckersUsa website  Charles Thompson articles (forumotion.com).

My earliest encounter with Pool checkers was in Chicago, in 1980, Kaplan called and invited me to watch his match with Carl "Buster" Smith. Someone came over and brought me to the club that was located under the L-train then. There I met both Buster and Pecan. The club then moved to another location, and I went there often to teach.

Later I moved to LA, and for several years could not find any Pool players, but I found some Straight checkers players in MacArthur park, I learned that game and won the California championship twice.

Finally one of the black players, his name was Stirling Mason, took me to the barbershop on Central avenue, where they played Pool in the back room. I taught there for many years, later on we moved to a garage, and a couple years later to the Senior Citizen place.

For a couple of years I worked in Columbus, Ohio, and played there Dr. Smith regularly, and of course taught the game, always free of course. I met Dr. Smith the first time in St. Louis in 1986, and he never stopped reminding me of Garland KilPatrick who won the Blue Ribbon by 26 points, I told Dr. Smith upfront that "Kojak" was a Jr. Master, but he convinced the then APCA president to place him in the Blue Ribbon

In the late 1990s I started making websites for the 10x10 game, but later added the Pool section, which by 2004 became a powerful and robust forum on CheckersUSA.com. By that time I already introduced the Diagram Maker that revolutionized sharing of games and ideas.

In 2006 some African players contacted me asking for lessons, and for the next 15 years I put all my efforts into developing the game in Africa. My students come from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa, etc. In 2013 they organized the first Draughts federations in Zambia and Malawi, and that same year their champions participated in the world championship for the first time. Several of my students achieved international titles, including three GMI (international grandmasters). My best student 17-year old William Chinzewe is the current African champion and 5 times World Junior champion (under 20).

After my retirement I moved to Miami and taught in their club (another barbershop).
Now I live in North Carolina, wrote several Pool books and play in the nearby Maxton, many of the guys there are very enthusiastic to learn from me, and I am happy to share.

My friendship with the current APCA president Al Harrison dates back to 1986, over the years I visited him in Leland several times, and now he visits me back in Laurinburg. Per his request I've made the new APCA website, and he uses it quite often American Pool Checkers Association (forumotion.com) .

Well, this short story covered over 40 years of my involvement with APCA, hope other players will also share their stories.

Jake Kacher

Actually you summed up the story but it really touched me direct, I recall for the first time you contacted me was 25 February 2017 and gave me a puzzle to solve, by that time I could not solve it, I didn't know about draughts notations, never know about puzzles jake showed me notations how to record moves, gradually I changed my game after engaged in learning from him, I compete at international level and now I do teach draughts others. That is the day you opened my eyes, I will always remember you Sir Jake