International Warri Festival – 1998 by Glenda Trew
At the Warri festival I entered as a novice player and was representing The Oware Society for the first time. It was noted at the opening ceremony that I had made history, being the first woman ever to enter a Warri Championship in Antigua!
A good feeling, no doubt-until the games began. I had two years of playing skills in my precious hands and had to play the very best on the island-no handicaps, no junior league and no mercy for any woman, history or no history. Taking notes on players’ moves I realised I was in the wrong league, but this did not deter me. With my lyrical tongue, I spoke of many wins against male players in London. This did not go down very well. They were very polite in telling me that they would put me onto the right path back to London without winning any games! So the battle lines had been drawn, all I had to do was win one game.
Verbal intimidation and psychological banter was in vogue and I used this to the best of my ability – telling my opponent “this is your last game.” Tossing seeds at a very fast rate pausing for final moves, putting up my hand, telling the score master that I almost won a game, hoping that my scores would change from 3-0. One player kindly told that I had spent a lot of money to get here so I should try and learn to play instead of inventing my scores. My nightmare loses became even more real when my halfway scores were blared out on the radio the next day. “Oh no!”
At this point I pleaded with a player (I shall not revel his name) to give me a few lessons between games-he refused. Out of desperation I offered him marriage to no avail. He said, “just to play a few games?” He refused saying that I did not know what I was doing, “tossing the seeds haplessly around the board with no strategy in mind would ensure devastating loses and not even marriage would help” Watching the grandmasters calculate every move made my losses worthwhile. To watch and learn was just as bewildering as to lose these master players were in a league of their own.
Through advanced calculations, deep analysis and strategic thinking the master players know that each move is dynamic and the configuration of the board changes each time a move is made. Many permutations are analysed and each potential move had to be thought out before committing oneself. Most masters are able to analyse a game at least five moves in advance – a science I am yet to master.
| 
