Antoinette-Marie Williams

They thought that I was a mere dilettante in the game.

But I was going there to prove that I was a winner, that I could beat them.

Day one, Pierre walked in, tall, dark, mustache, and handsome.

Fine by my definition.

He sat down to play.

Pierre had no chance.

I rolled like Wanda Possessed and beat him 13-0.

He walked away graciously, but disheveled.

I strutted to the scorekeeper's desk to claim my win.

Throughout the rest of the week, I played all-male competitors, and I beat them all.

Undefeated, undefeated, I won the intermediate division of the Monte Carlo World Backgammon Tournament.

I won a trip to Spain to use a car at the timeshare, a $1,200 German backgammon set, and a trophy, and the recognition of my peers at this tournament.

I had made it.

After playing some more tournaments, winning and losing, there was this tournament in San Antonio.

In 2017, I was the only black female and the first woman to ever be in the finals of this tournament.

But not only was I the first woman, there was another woman.

She and I were in the finals, both from the Big Apple.

We sat down to play.

and Layla was beating me eight to five in an 11 point match.

I took a break from the defeat.