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Checkers Around the World

World Draughts/Checkers Federations

As the popularity of Checkers/Draughts increased worldwide over time, so did the need for regulations or a standard system of play that extended beyond the rules of the traditional game and each variant derived from the original version.

So it was that 1947 saw the creation of Fédération Mondiale du Jeu de Dames (FMJD) or also called, the World Draughts Federation. This organized body of sports federations was founded by France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland with a central mandate to regulate the competition on world championship tournaments.

Since 1897, world champions have been declared between France and the Netherlands and the federation has seen an increasing number of countries join the FMJD so that this desire for a more regular level of competition has eventually led to an international checkers/draughts organization.

From its early conception, the World Draughts Federation has grown to include at least fifty participating national federations from all over the world. These national sports bodies are conjoined to create regional confederations: European Draughts Confederation, Asian Draughts Confederation, African Draughts Confederation and the Pan American Draughts Confederation.

The federation’s website states the following: “FMJD (World Draughts Federation) is the international sport body uniting national draughts federations. FMJD is a member of GAISF and strives to the Olympic recognition. Our strength is in the unity of draughts.”

With reference to the GAISF, the FMJD also states that recently it “has become a member of the GAISF, the General Association of International Sport Federations, the umbrella organization for all internationally recognized sports, Olympic and ~ in the case of draughts ~ non-Olympic. As such, the FMJD membership…is part of a more general movement towards integration of mind sports in the regular sports arenas, a development that in the vision of the FMJD is to be lauded.”

For numerous decades, the world title competition has been part of the mind sports arena with a succession of world champions remaining unbroken since the early founding days. Where once there was a more bilateral struggle between the competitors of France and the Netherlands, 1956 saw two other nations emerge to produce champions from other corners of the world when Canada and the still existing Soviet Union joined the competition to form a multilateral championship struggle.

Then in 1963, a Senegalese checkers challenger, the late Baba Sy, joined the scene to bid for the world title, which he indeed did win. However, the Netherlands continued to challenge for the highest title of world champion and soon the contenders would come from the Netherlands and the Soviet Union during the following decades. Russia emerged to dominate the champion scene after the fall of the Soviet regime.

African Draughts Confederation:

  Federation Burkinabe du Jeu de Dames

Côte d'Ivoire Federation Ivoirienne du Jeu de Dames

  Cameroon  Federation Camerounaise de Jeu de Dames

  Congo Federation Congolaise du Jeu de Dames FNDA

  Gambia  Gambian Draughts Federation

  Guinee Federation Guinéenne du Jeu de Dames et des Echecs

  LebanonFederation  Libanaise du Jeu de Dames (expatriot)

  MaliFederation Malienne du Jeu de Dames

  Mauritania  Federation Mauritanienne du Jeu de Dames

  Senegal  Federation Senegalaise du Jeu de Dames

  Somali  Somali Draughts Sport Association

  South Africa  South African Wargames Union

  Uganda  Uganda Amateur Draughts Association

Asian Draughts Confederation:

  India  Draughts Federation of India

  Kazachstan  Draughts Federation of Kazachstan

  Mongolia  Mongolian Federation of Draughts

  Turkmenistan  Draughts Federation of Turkmenistan

  Uzbekistan  Uzbekistan Draughts Federation

European Draughts Confederation:

  Armenia  Armenian Draughts Federation

  Azerbaijan  Azerbaijan Draughts Federation

  Belarus  Belarus Draughts Federation

  Belgium  Koninklijke Belgische Dambond

  Croatia  Croatian Draughts Federation

  Czech Republic  Ceska Federace Damy

  Danmark  Danish Draughts Federation

  England  English Draughts Association

  EstoniaEstonian Draughts Federation

  France  Féd. francaise du jeu de dames

  Georgia  Georgian Draughts Federation

  Germany  Interessengemeinschaft Damespiel in Deutschland

  Israel  Israeli Draughts Federation

  Italy  Federazione Italiana Dama

  Latvia  Latvian Draughts Federation Union

  Lithuania  Lithuanian Draughts Federation

  Moldavia  Draughts Federation of Moldavia

  Netherlands  Koninklijke Nederlandse Dambond

  Poland  Polish Draughts Federation

  Russia  All-Russian Federation of Draughts

  Slovenia  Slovenian Draughts Federation

  Switzerland  Federation Suisse du Jeu de Dames

  Ukraine  Ukrainian Draughts Federation

  WalesCymdeithas Draffts Cymru

Pan-American Draughts Confederation:

  Barbados  Barbados Draughts Association

  Brazil  Confederacao Brasileira de Jogo de Damas

  Canada  Federation Canadienne du jeu de Dames

  Costa Rica  Asociacion Costarricense del Juego de Damas

  Curaçao  Curaçaose Dambond

  Dominican Republic  Federacion Dominicana de Juego de Damas

  Grenada  Grenada Draughts Association

  Haiti  Federation Haitienne du Jeu de Dames

 Jamaica  Jamaica Board Games Foundation

  Panama  Asociacion Panamena de Juego de Damas

  Suriname  Surinaamse Dambond

  Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago Draughts Association

  USA  American Checker Federation

  USA  American Pool Checkers Association

  USA  American International Checkers Society

Oceania Federation:

  Australia  Australian Draughts Federation

The World of Checkers/Draughts is not limited to the far reaching hand of the world wide confederations as numerous other federations and associations are part of this mind sport phenomenon.

Associated Federations:

  California Checker Association  CALCA

  Canadian Checker Association  CCA

  Czech Union Of Draughts  CUD

  Illinois State Checkers Association  ICA

  Lancashire Draughts Association  LDA

  Missouri Checker Association  MCA

  New Zealand Draughts Association  NZDA

  North Carolina Checker Association  NCCA

  Northwest Draughts Federation  NDF (Ireland)

  Portuguese Draughts Federation  FPD

  Quebec Checker Association  QCA

  Scottish Draughts Association  SDA

  Welsh Draughts Association  WDA

The membership within the mind sport games of Checkers/Draughts has grown by leaps and bounds, so much so that there exist an abundant number of clubs within flourishing cities and hometowns of the participating federation countries and associations around the world.

Within the US, the game of Pool Checkers has become exceedingly popular and the following list shows the associations and clubs across the country.

CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles Pool Checker Club

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Capital Pool Checker Association

FLORIDA
Lily Checkers Association

GEORGIA
Georgia Pool Checker Association

Augusta Pool Checker Club

Macon Pool Checkers Club

Savannah Checker Club

ILLINOIS
Chicago American Pool Checker Association

MICHIGAN

Detroit American Pool Checker Club

Flint Pool Checkers Club

MISSOURI

St. Louis Pool Checker Club

NEW YORK
Citadel Salvation Army Center

West Harlem Salvation Army Center

NORTH CAROLINA
Charlotte Pool Checker Club

Piedmont Pool Checkers Association

OHIO
Cloverleaf Checker Club

Midwest Ohio Pool Checker Association

Toledo Club 15 Checker Association

PENNSYLVANIA
Center Avenue Pool Checker Club

SOUTH CAROLINA
Columbia Pool Checker Club

TENNESSEE
Memphis Pool Checker Association

TEXAS
Houston Pool Checker Club

Yellow and black checkerboard

From the time the World Draughts (Checkers) Federation was founded, the priority was to ensure that championship checkers games followed a quality standard and rule set that guaranteed a high level of competition and challenge.

Over time, the federation widened its scope of activities so that the focus was not only on male champions and their world titles, but eventually, in 1973, championships for women were incorporated into the mandate of the sport body. This was followed by championships for juniors in 1977, cadets in 1988 and girls in 1989.

During the early years of the Federation, since 1965, the organizing committee arranged championship tournaments and these were based in continental Europe. In 1967, the FMJD began ‘Olympiads’, which were team championships for senior players and then these were followed in 1987 for junior players.

It quickly became apparent that Checkers/Draughts games and master players were not confined to Europe and gradually the game activities in other parts of the world were recognized by the World Draughts (Checkers) Federation as they, too, were given greater importance in this mind sport. As a result, a more developed system of tournament play was created and continental tournaments were born. Today, these championships are held in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.

Tan and brown checkerboard.

From this new system of tournaments sprang the need for conjoined continental confederations that would carry the authority and the mandate to oversee all competitions at each individual continent level. Europe recently took the individual championships one step further for senior and youth game play by complementing the continental tournaments with international club competitions.

The world confederations that govern all checkers tournament play in today’s society are: the European Draughts Confederation, the Asian Confederation, the African Confederation and the Pan-American Confederation that covers North, South and Central America as well as the West Indies.

This does not mean that the FMJD or World Draughts (Checkers) Federation has lost its inherent power over the tournaments, but simply that it has now delegated this power amongst other sport federations. Different competitions still remain under the aegis of the Federation. Arbitration and problem solving through its own CPI Commission and special performances such as simultaneous games, exhibitions and blind simultaneous play fall under the Federation’s umbrella. It is still the head governing body for championship tournament play in Checkers and Draughts throughout the world.

As can be readily seen, the internet plays an extremely important part in relaying current tournament information, results of championships and even the general data written about all the federations and associations that exist. Many federations and associations have their own sites, written in native languages for the avid checkers/draughts fan.

Black and White checkerboard.

Information that is readily available centres around running events, past events and upcoming tournaments in a variety of championships that will be discussed later. To ensure that the quality of these activities follow the Federation’s mandate, the organizational structure of the FMJD has recently been renewed to incorporate three main sections that represent all facets of checkers/draughts play. International checkers/draughts on a 100 square checkerboard has the primary focus as this version is played in and by all participating federations. Then there are two older versions of the mind sport played on 64 square checkerboards: the Russian/Brazilian style is the folk variant played in most of the former Soviet countries and Brazil, while the checkers version is mainly played in North America, England and former English colonies throughout the world. These game styles are now governed by their own divisions within the Federation. The head office for the FMJD is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and successfully reigns over all Federation matters including three committees that guarantee the maximum quality in this sport: arbitration, problem solving and technical support.

Red and black checkerboard.

Through the development of world sport federations that govern the integrity of checkers and draughts, this mind sport has risen from a level of simplicity into the complex and challenging game that is inherent in every game play. However, despite the serious nature that has evolved within the more mature competitive levels, Checkers can still be viewed with a sense of humour that depicts how the popularity of the game has indeed grown within our society, as seen by the following cartoon.

I have a feeling that we are being used as pawns.

 

More From the Checkers Chest


International Checkers
Brazilian Checkers
or Draughts
English Draughts
(Great Britain)
Danish Draughts
(Checkers)
Frisian Checkers Canadian Checkers Russian Checkers
Italian Checkers Polish Checkers Spanish Pool Checkers
French Checkers German Checkers African Checkers
Turkish Checkers Lasca Checkers Alquerque Checkers
Thai Checkers Czech Checkers Sri-Lanka Checkers
Tiers Checkers Spanish Checkers Checkers Federations

 

 

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