Donald finishes sixth in Scottish Open draughts event
Caithness draughts competitor Donald Oliphant had to settle for sixth place in the Scottish Open held in Aberdeenshire.
Donald (66) won the English Open earlier this year and had been targeting his first Scottish Open title 50 years after taking up the game.
However, victory went to Ron King, from Barbados, with 34 points from a possible 40. Jack Francis, also Barbados, tied with Ron on score points but lost on the tiebreaker system.
Donald, formerly of Lyth, said: "I came sixth after two players and myself tied on the same score points. The tiebreaker system pushed me down the pecking order."
Fourteen players took part in the event at Stonehaven's Legion Scotland club.
Third place went to Ireland's Shane McCosker with 30 points, while Joe Sloan of Dundee took fourth spot on 21 points. Donald also had 21 points, as did fifth-placed Kent Layne (Barbados).
Donald was a regular player in Halkirk Draughts Club from the age of 16. He left for Aberdeen in 1993, staying there for five years before moving to England. He lives in Warrington.
He has been secretary/treasurer of the Scottish Draughts Association since 1992.
