In accordance with the Competition Calendar for 2025, the International Draughts Federation (IDF) is holding international draughts-64 competitions in St. Petersburg (Russia) as part of the 2025 World Cup.
On December 8, 2025, the traditional “Memorial of USSR Champion V.A. Sokov” Russian Draughts Championship will be held in St. Petersburg at the Chess and Draughts School of Sports.
Get ready for exciting battles! The lists of participants in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) International Draughts Championship for men and women, dedicated to the memory of the outstanding USSR master of sports I.A. Nikiforov, have been announced. From December 2 to 4, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) will host the most anticipated event of the year in the world of draughts – the classic program of the International Draughts Championship!
There are only a few days left until Suriname’s Independence Day (celebrated on November 25). This year, the holiday will be led by the first woman in the country’s history to hold the office of president, Jennifer Gierlings-Simmons. Suriname is one of the most multilingual countries. In different parts of the country, which consists of 10 districts, 24 languages are spoken. The most interesting names of Surinamese languages are: the Wai Wai language and the almost extinct Acuirio language. And also…
The Israeli team championship in Russian draughts passed unnoticed. It was held according to a new interesting system and with unexpected team compositions. But first, let’s recall an old children’s song:
Dad can do anything, dad can do anything
Swim breaststroke, argue in a bass voice, chop wood
Tosha can be anything, Tosha can be anything
Except mom, except mom he can’t be
Except mom, except mom he can’t be
The gentle sea, cloudless sky, bright sun, white sand, rustling palm trees, and cries of seagulls… This is paradise on earth. This is Miami. But even here, there are sometimes checkers battles that are frightening in their uncompromising nature. That is why one of the most beautiful corners of the planet is home to an unrivaled team of professional draughts players. They are young, beautiful, and smart, but most importantly, they are better than anyone else at figuring out even the most complicated positions. Together, they seem to pull secret moves out of thin air and analyze them using the most modern methods. (Announcement of a well-known series about checkers in Miami)
Today marks the start of the Polish Men’s Championship. Among the 12 participants is the beautiful and charming world champion Natalia Sadowska. There are few cases in the world where women take part in the finals of men’s national championships. And there are even fewer cases where women have become winners… But…
Good traditions remain in our memory for a long time. Competitions in China, as in the Netherlands, are always held at a high level. And the high level of tournament organization is matched by the high level of players. True, with some reservations. For several years now, many of the strongest athletes from different countries, who have been subjected to idiotic sanctions, have not been coming. However, there are still a few more buts….
What did the previous administration of political idols at the FMJD do? It wrote complaints, pursued discriminatory policies, and began the process of fragmenting the sport of draughts, leaving European draughts to die along with proud and flawed federations.
What happened in the end? A new international draughts federation was formed, bringing together the world’s strongest draughts players from Russia and Asian countries, as well as new draughts federations. A new version of the World Championships and World Cup appeared. The following players are participating in the IDA World Championships: Alexander Georgiev, Alexander Getmansky, Ainur Shaybakov, Aigul Idrisova, Tamara Tansykkuzhina, Ilya Deriglazov, Stepan Shchetkine, and many, many other world-class draughts players!
We noticed one of the sure signs of modernity. The sign is simple: if any organization left the FMJD, it inevitably became successful. And the more the FMJD persecuted this organization, the stronger and better the new federation or organization became.
The IDF became an excellent example for others to ignore the FMJD. Competitions under the auspices of the IDF raised draughts to a new level of organization.
Now, in the new reality, a new structure is beginning its life: the IDA. Representatives from 14 countries gathered in Turkey.
Turkey is hosting the World Youth Draughts Championship for boys and girls. At the Čalimer Hotel, with its wonderful facilities, sunny weather, and fierce competition, it is difficult to predict the winner. But we think everyone is a winner: the draughts players, their parents, representatives of the federations, and many, many other people involved in these competitions.
Turkey 2025 International Competition. The World Cup is traditionally held in three disciplines. For the first time, reverse draughts tournaments were held with separate scoring for men and women. The World Cup usually attracts 60 or more participants.