YORKTON - The World Crokinole Championships being held in Tavistock, Ont., will be a gathering of players from around the world.
Árpád Lonsták from Hungary is one of those travelling from afar.
“I bumped into Crokinole at a Hungarian Board Gaming Convention (in Nov 2019), a local manufacturer showed it to me and I got an immediate vibe/interest in it,” he explained via email. “When he told me, that Canadians invented it, I replied ‘... now, we are talking’."
Of course it was a rather easy sell too given Lonsták is a gamer.
“I do play many games, many different types. Strategic/tactical games (WH40K), abstract (Backgammon), traditional and modern card games, cooperative ones (Atlantis Rising 2nd ed.),” he said. “I am also a board game tester and developer, so I have an affinity in gaming. I would say, that I mostly left the video (PC) games behind.”
So what draws Lonsták to Crokinole?
“It is hard to specify only one thing, but it is a very simple and clean, still a very technically and tactically deep game, thus it represents and means challenge and the drive for excellence to me,” he said. “ ... It is the best dexterity game that I am aware of, and perfectly fits my style/interest. But, to be able to play Crokinole - during COVID - I had to invest into my board, and I just love playing on it -- even if 99.9 per cent is solo.”
But is the game widely played in Hungary?
“I am following the Hungarian Crokinole Association, who organizes the local tours, also there is a nice teacher couple who helps in organizing gaming events,” said Lonsták. “I am also teaching, showing the game, and my custom board from the first met manufacturer, to my friends and colleagues, but it is really not known in Hungary.”
Lonsták does hope to raise the local profile of the game.
But first is the trip to the championship.
“I have not been to Canada before, but as I am also loving and playing ice-hockey (as goal-keeper), it was on my shortlist,” said Lonsták. “But my main aspiration is to compete in the WCC against the best Canadian players.”
What does Lonsták expect in terms of the level of play at the championship?
“If you mean what do I expect from myself as performance in the championship, I aim to qualify into the Top16 in the competitive singles, and after that we will see,” he said. “As for the recreational doubles, I would like to have fun and play as much as possible with my nice partner (Doug Young), who I will meet for the first time the Thursday before the WCC event.”
And Lonsták did prepare for the big event.
“I do have and follow a practice plan -- absolutely solo -- that I prepared and personalized for myself, influenced by YouTube videos of well respected Crokinole players (Justin Slater, Jeremy Tracey) and I also follow Crokinole Centre,” he said.
“As the game is rather niche or unknown in Hungary (also due to COVID), it was/is really hard to find high-level Crokinole players to play against outside of tournaments.”
