The tournament even drew a world champion to play here at the Hub of the Universe.
MARION - Few if any people passing through Illinois Centre Mall this weekend probably realized they were walking by a world champion at work on his craft.
There is little surprise: The world of checkers is much a mystery to the uninitiated, said Gary Ellison, president of the Illinois Checkers Association.
"It's not a spectator sport so a lot of people don't know that much about it," Ellison said.
Alex Moiseyev, the world champion of three-move checkers, participated in the Illinois State Checker Association's state tournament along with 32 other competitive checkers players who were eager to practice their skills against their peers.
Moiseyev says checkers is a wildly popular game at all levels.
Check out the rest of Ashley's story in today's Southern Illinoisan.
