Information from the Tournament Director: Due to the problems with the spreading of Corona virus World Cup in Cameroon, World Cup in Rotterdam and World Championship for Disabled are cancelled.  The final decision about Riga Open isn't taken yet. We will review the progress of the global situation in April

Dear colleagues, Because of the difficult epidemiological situation and inadmissibility of spread of the new coronavirus disease (2019-nCoV), we have to inform you about the postponement of the International competitions in draughts-64 in Armenia — the European Youth Championship and the stage of World Cup among men and women, which were scheduled to be held from April 25th, 2020. The new dates for these competitions will be communicated to all as soon as the situation stabilizes. The information can be found at the official website. Уважаемые коллеги! В связи с тяжёлой эпидемиологической обстановкой, недопустимостью распространения новой коронавирусной инфекции (2019-nCoV) вынуждены сообщить о переносе сроков Международных соревноаний по шашкам-64 в Армении - чемпионата Европы среди юношей и девушек и этапа кубка мира среди мужчин и женщин, которые были запланированы с 25 апреля 2020 года. Новые сроки проведения данных соревнований будут доведены до всех как только стабилизируется обстановка. Информация на официальном сайте.

https://www.fmjd.org/?p=fund

https://results.fmjd.org/tournaments/2020/f_174/

(Press release of Estonian Federation) Draughts world championships to be held in Tallinn once again in 2021 The Estonian Draughts Federation (EDF) has been awarded the right to organise the draughts world championships for the second time by the World Draughts Federation or Fédération Mondiale du Jeu de Dames (FMJD). The tournament will be held in Tallinn from 13-31 March 2021. The Estonian capital will be hosting the championships for both male and female players, with 40 men and 16 women from almost 30 countries taking part in the tournament. “The EDF has really made a name for itself internationally as a tournament organiser,” remarked Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart. “In the last 17 years at least one has been held in Tallinn almost every year – 15 European and world championships in total. The fact they’re bringing the most important tournament in the world of draughts back to Tallinn for the second time after just four years is a massive achievement. Thanks to the headquarters of the FMJD being based here, the city’s been the world draughts capital since 2017. The head office of the European Draughts Confederation (EDC) was also in Tallinn from 2007-2017. For us here in the city it’s very important that Tallinn and other places in Estonia play host to international championships that bring us a lot of renown not only as a tourism destination, but as an arena for world sports, and one that’s attractive to all fields of sport at that. Estonian draughts is setting a fine example.” FMJD president Janek Mäggi says that being awarded the right to organise the world championships shows how internationally competitive a national sub-federation is. “The EDF is without doubt one of the strongest tournament organisers in the world of draughts at the moment,” he said. “Over the years the knowledge, the skills and the desire to organise major championships have all grown here. To be awarded that right, your sub-federation needs to have won people’s trust, and it needs to have the backing of the host city and country. The City of Tallinn’s been a huge supporter of draughts and other mind sports for decades now, as has Estonia as a whole, and the Estonian Olympic Committee and lots of local sponsors as well. That’s all been achieved through cooperation involving lots of different parties.” EDF president Tarmo Tulva says the world’s leading draughts players consider Tallinn a first-class host city. “Last year the women’s world championships were held in Yakutsk in Russia and the men’s championships in Yamoussoukro in Côte d’Ivoire,” he explained. “Championships are held all over the world, on every continent, but Tallinn, and by extension Estonia as a whole, has definitely been one the top three host cities and countries in the last few decades. We come away from championships with medals and we have lots of talented younger players who have bright futures ahead of them in the sport. And today we’re at the forefront as organisers as well, which is no doubt helping a lot in promoting and popularising draughts.” Tulva also emphasises the significance of Tallinn being awarded the right to host both the men’s and women’s tournaments. “That gives quite a few players here in Estonia the chance to pit themselves against the world’s best and earn themselves as high a ranking as possible at what is without question the most important event in the world of draughts,” he said. “Tallinn’s also hosting the European Youth Championships in the sport, which are taking place this year from 1-9 August. We’re hoping for podium finishes and great results in a range of age classes. All in all, we have a busy and very exciting year of draughts ahead of us.” The European championships have been held in Tallinn twice before (in 2008 and 2014), while the city last played host to the world championships for both male and female players in 2017. A men’s title match was also held in the city in 2013, in which the reigning world champion Alexander Georgiev defeated 2009 champion Alexander Schwarzman. Title match games were also played in Tallinn as far back as 1972, when Latvia’s Andris Andreiko and Ukraine’s Iser Kuperman squared off over the draughts board, both representing the Soviet Union at the time. The draughts world championships are held every two years. Next year’s event in Tallinn is expected to attract players from almost 30 countries. The competition will take place according to the international rules of the game, played on boards with 100 squares, unlike the Russian form of the game which is widely known in this part of the world. The international rules feature only minor differences to those of the Russian version of the game. The title of world champion was first contested in draughts in the late 19th century. In recent decades the sport has been dominated by players from Russia and the Netherlands, who have won all but one of the championships since 1984 (with Latvia’s Guntis Valneris taking the title in 1994). The reigning world champions are Alexander Georgiev and Tamara Tansykkuzhina from Russia.