Brazilian wins the Panamerican Othello Championship.

Texto: Ana Lucia Pintro 

Tradução: Paulo Cherem

   Brazil-Argentina rivalry is known by their fans. Few people know that is mindsports athletes in these coutries who chalange for title in boardgames. They faced each other at the 4th Panamerican Othello Championship, held in Florianopolis in july 20th and 21 th.  The event held in the Hotel Jurere Beach Village had the supoort of the federations and was organized by Palacio da Memoria.

   The previous three tournaments were won by the argentinians Daniel Olivares (2010 and 2017) and Maximiliano Pellizari (2018). “For the first time the Champion is brazilian. Lucas Cherem was the winner. Although the financial difficulties and the lacking support, we will do our best to represent our country in the next World Othello Championship. Our wish is to indicate the five players allowed to us” said Moises Correia Junior, presidente of the Brazilian Othello Federation, founded in 2006.

   A minute to learn and a lifetime to master is the motto´s game. The eyes of the 26 competitors stayed focus on eight-row and eight column green board. The brazilians Lucas Cherem de Camargo Rodrigues and Moises Correia Junior and the argenitinans Daniel Olivares and Marcelo Lisnovsky got to the finals after seven rounds. Lucas Cherem, from São Paulo, was the player who got the most discs, black in one side and White in the other.

   Cherem started to play in 2004 anda has attended of the World Othello Championship on Iceland (2005), Rome (2010) and New York (2011). In this year, he will represen Brazil in Hong Kong. “I played in a tournament organized by the company that marketed the game. I was attracted to the simple rules, but with very complex strategies that we gradually discover and never end.”, said the athlete.

   Poliana de Camargo Rodrigues, eight years old, is the champion’s daughter. Holding the doll Laura in her left arm, she thinks in the strategies to beat Helena Krambeck, six years old. She won four of her seven matches and got the 12^th place. “I play with my dad. He tries to let me win, but not ever with success”, explained the little competetor.

   Since 1977, the World Othello Championship is held every year, with no interruption. In 2010, the first panamerican tournament was organized in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Daniel Olivares, 56 years old, is professor of maths and physics in Argentina’s capital. He started to play Othello at 15. Since a child, he trains his brain with his friend. One of them bought magazines in the United States and they discovered Othello. He helped to organize the first tournament held in his country 36 years ago. According to him, there are tournaments every week with 200 to 300 players in Japan. He lammented the ausence of good brazilian players. “Brazil is too big, but I think it´s difficult because de lacking sponsors. There are no many players in this modality. The children of nowadays learn in the internet and the young people like to play on line. We study rules and strategies. We don´t have too many opportunities like this, that´s why we come from so far”, explained Olivares.

   The tournament also had Chrstian Avgoustopoulos on the refeering team. “I´m sure this modality will get a huge growing in the next years, because of the high strategic value in a game with so simple rules”, said the referee.