LDF tournaments

A little historical background: We danced in the garden on the playground, in front of the terrace, Sherochka and Masha, and it was a lot of fun. N. Kovalevskaya, “Memories of an old institute.”

Before the revolution, girls from good society always tried to speak French, even among themselves. The fascination with French fashions in everything – in clothes, behavior, and even in language – began in Russia sometime in the middle of the 18th century. However, Russia was no different from the rest of Europe. “And she could hardly speak her native language,” A.S. Pushkin wrote about Tatiana Larina in his poem “Eugene Onegin.” From childhood, learning a foreign language, noble children used their native language mostly in conversations with servants. That is, to order something to be done: hand it over, bring it, get out.

What is the world champion and one of the strongest players on the planet doing at the championship of a proud and useless federation? We find it difficult to answer. Who needs it and why? The level shown by local draughts players is rapidly declining. All the potential of draughts in the championships of the proud federation has been turned into an ugly parody, where even in the finals they cannot find 10 draughts players who are more or less average. Watching these horrors (game fragments) is sometimes simply unbearable.

We haven’t paid much attention to draughts players from the Baltic region for a long time. Or, more precisely, the Baltic states. And in the new year of 2026, nothing has changed for the better in one proud federation. Draughts players also gather behind closed doors without broadcasts or audience access. It’s as if they are committing some kind of crime or attending a sect that is forbidden to talk about. In general, they are satisfying themselves in the old-fashioned way.

Young draughts players from Latvia are looking to the future with hope. They get together and play in the Young Hope Cup. The same cannot be said for fans of the traditional game of draughts on a small board, especially in tournaments based on the Brazilian version.

Get up and walk! Throw away the crutches and free yourself from the shackles that bind you! This is what is said in many heart-wrenching seminars on developing motivation and the ability to live life to the fullest. However, for many people, these seminars are useless. They will still find a way to lock their souls away in a private room, hidden from the eyes of others. And they will continue to…

I wish I could swim there someday.
Somewhere far away, somewhere far away,
The mushroom rains are falling.
Right by the river, in a small garden,
The cherries have ripened, bending down to the ground.
Somewhere far away, in my memory,
Now, as in childhood, it is warm,
Even though the memory is covered
By such heavy snows.

Now it’s practically official. The Domātprieks club has reappeared on the draughts scene. Will it be for long? We will soon see whether those who abandoned the club will return to it. And we will soon understand what goals and objectives are being set at the moment. In any case, we congratulate the most ambitious club, Domātprieks, on its unexpected return.

Phoenix
Like a phoenix, reborn time and time again,
Returning to the same old valley,
Winking at everyone with your “purple eye,”
You come back again, overcoming the pain.

And gathering your memory bit by bit,
Trying to grasp a dozen topics at once,
You try to convince all the dullards
That the old one is no longer relevant.

The Soviet era gave rise to many “freeloaders” and ‘unemployed’ in the world of draughts. For many people, the Soviet era created the illusion that thanks to draughts, it was possible to live in a capitalist society and enjoy social “benefits” throughout their adult lives in the post-Soviet space.

And many “Leninists” of Soviet draughts and ‘pioneers’ of draughts remained faithful to the principles of state “freebies.” Throughout their adult lives, they remained dependent swamps in making independent decisions, never making a simple effort to just go to work.
And they drag others into their swamp, children who have fallen into checkers and their parents….

This weekend, the Baltic states are hosting national team championships in various types of draughts. It is noteworthy that Lithuania, unlike Estonia and Latvia, is holding a national championship in Russian draughts. One of the teams includes a legend making his return to big-time sport – Kybartas, Andrius.

Draughts is supported by a large number of enthusiasts who have fallen in love with this wonderful game. It is these enthusiasts who strive to promote checkers and support it, putting in incredible effort. It is people like this who create something new or try to somehow “revive” the swamp that sometimes tries to swallow them up. If it weren’t for them… If only…

Before travelling to a two-star hostel 3.5 km from the beach, many small and proud federations hold their national championships in Rapid and Blitz programmes. All these proud federations can offer the winners is no compensation, not even for air travel, a national championship and a hostel with disgusting food. But every pauper dreams of being in charge of something. The truth is frightening…

Explanation of the meaning: The proverb “Big fish don’t live in swamps” suggests that it is impossible to achieve great success or high achievements in unfavorable or limited conditions. Big fish require a clean and deep lake, while swamps with their mud and shallow waters are not suitable for large fish.