2015 (First edition)
Govert Westerveld
Baba Sy, the World Champion of 1963-1964 of 10x10 Draughts
Volume I
Govert Westerveld
Baba Sy, the World Champion of 1963-1964 of 10x10 Draughts
Volume I
PREFACE
This book should
be considered a historical book, as it is the draughts career of Baba Sy, a
prominent Senegalese player. He was able to be the best
in the world without reading any books.
He had a natural talent and was a self-made man thanks to the game of checkers.
I have witnessed the achievements of the great Baba Sy and I have been in the early stage of
great players such as Harm Wiersma and Ton Sijbrands, and predicted in 1964 that they would be future world champions. So I know the mentality that
one must have to succeed in this
mind sport. Those who want to go into deep analysis of the games of Baba Sy
need to buy the book of Ton Sijbrands (Baba Sy, le Grand Livre de
Baba Sy, 1989).
Both draughts (checkers)
and chess help develop confidence in our abilities. The strategies we learn in the game of draughts can
be applied to business to ensure
success. I taught draughts to the son of my previous
Dutch boss in his early years. Now, after 40 years, he confessed that this game has helped him a lot in his business. He
migrated to United States when he
was young and his flower business
is today among the best in the country.
The
game of draughts teaches us to anticipate and predict our future business visions.
We learn the pros and cons of a play, just as in business life where we also
have to make decisions. We learn to apply our judgement and not the criteria of
the people around us. The vast majority of people are influenced by the visions
of others. So much so that the decision to favor the group is often the wrong
one. This is done because of fear of failure, feeling ridiculed, or being the
dissenting member of the group. In the game of draughts no one will help you with
your next move, you have to do it yourself and you are solely responsible for
your actions.
Draughts teach us to fight,
every point counts. Sometimes a game lasts over six hours. In this way you
learn patience and to draw or win games that seemed to be completely lost. This
eagerness to fight and patience come very handy in business where we have to
prepare a commercial contract with our clients and be patient.
The
mentality we acquire from draughts is nothing less than the creation of a
competitive spirit and the desire to achieve goals. Competitive people can make
more sales than their peers, work longer hours, stimulate creative ideas, and
develop products and quality services. In other words the game of checkers
gives you a competitive spirit and the desire to always improve and be better
than others. You never have enough, you need to be better and you will never
surrender to achieve it. With this attitude one undoubtedly makes small
businesses be leading companies in the sector.
My 40-year stay in Spain and my research
on the Moors permits me to know more about the Islamic custom. And so
I am now in a much better position than 40 years ago to comment properly on the
life of Baba Sy.
Acknowledgements and thanks
My thanks to Mr. Ndongo
Fall of Senegal. He supplied me with interesting data about Baba Sy and his
family. In this sense I cannot forget the long correspondence I had with Mr.
Jean Marc Ndjofang and Malick Niang. My thanks to Hanco Elenbaas, Fred Ivens,
Jan de Ruiter, and many others. To Ed Holstvoogd who despite his serious
illness found the strength to send text and photos in the past. I owe a lot to
Dr. Diego Rodriguez of France, since he provided me with lots of photographs of
Baba Sy’s championships in France. We talked a lot on the phone about Baba Sy
whom he met personally with Michael Hisard. I hope not to forget anyone so
THANK YOU all. "
Govert Westerveld
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