Due to the fact that national draughts federations are very concerned about the situation in the world’s draughts-64, the IDF leadership sent a letter to the national federations explaining the situation and IDF position. Obviously, two organizations should not hold competitions in the same sport. This conflict of interest can have the most serious consequences for draughts around the world. IDF, specially created to develop draughts-64 in the world and to protect their interests, will continue to actively promote and develop draughts-64 and will not stop or curtail its activities. Efforts of IDF with the support of its member-countries and all interested parties will lead to the prosperity of draughts-64 on all continents! The letter of IDF and letters of the national federations on this issue can be found below.
21-03-2018 The IDF receives letters from the national federations that develop draughts-64:
Letter from Lithuanian Draughts Federation
Letter from Belarussian Draughts Federation
Letter from Israeli Draughts Federation
Letter from Draughts Federation of Uzbekistan
We invite you to participate in the discussion of the situation and send your suggestions.
10-03-2018 Due to the fact that national draughts federations are very concerned about the situation in the world’s draughts-64, the IDF leadership sent a letter to the national federations explaining the situation and IDF position.
As for the recently opened on the initiative of the FMJD section of Russian draughts:
The head of the section was not elected by anyone and was not approved at the general assembly of the FMJD.
There are no governing bodies of the section.
There are no rules of the game and competitions, titles, ratings and other normative documents.
All this for draughts-64 is available and belongs to IDF.
Thus, at present the FMJD section of Russian draughts is actually incapacitated, and its activities are illegal.
At the same time, IDF is a strong, stable, independent international organization with all its attributes, recognized worldwide as the flagship of the development of draughts-64. IDF was created not from scratch, not by someone’s backstage solution, but by the decision of the countries – developing draughts-64. Of course, the future in draughts-64 is for IDF, which is specially created to promote and develop draughts-64 in the world.
Letter from IDF to national draughts federations
Letter from the IDF President Vladimir Langin to the national draughts federations
Dear colleagues!
In response to a letter from the Lithuanian Draughts federation from March 1, 2018, I inform you:
A bit of history. FMJD initiated a conflict within the organization in 2011, when it decided to return to its origins, make FMJD a draughts-100 organization, change the charter; additionally to create separate sections for other types of draughts; to divide the section-64 (Russian/Brazilian) into Russian and Brazilian; to withdraw all sections beyond the FMJD; to make them associate members without any obligations to them from FMJD. At the same time FMJD did not even guarantee the acceptance of already existing sections in the composition of associate members. Thus, draughts-64 after the general assembly FMJD in Lille (France) in 2012 could be in one day without international status. Although the countries at the General Assembly of the FMJD in Lille (France) refused to consider this charter, these events served as a catalyst for the creation of the International Draughts Federation (IDF) for the development of the world’s draughts-64 and the protection of their interests.
The International Draughts Federation (IDF) was founded in 2012 and officially registered in Bulgaria in 2013. For successful work and financial support of the new federation a Fund to promote the development of draughts sport “Russian Draughts” was specifically created in 2013, in Russia.
Until October 2015, IDF by decision of the General Assembly of Section-64 FMJD represented the section-64 (Russian/Brazilian) in FMJD. After the adoption by the FMJD General Assembly in October 2015 the new charter, in which draughts-100 were fixed by the world’s leading international game and the other types of draughts were split into sections without real rights, FMJD Section-64 withdrew from the FMJD and began to work independently under the IDF brand.
At present IDF is a strong, stable and independent organization, recognized worldwide as the flagship of the development of draughts-64. Members of IDF are 65 national federations representing 5 continents; active work is also being conducted with other countries.
IDF has a large stable calendar of events, clear competition rules, support of countries and good prospects for further development. Our entire calendar will be fully implemented, the competitions will be held better and better. Financial, organizational and informational support of the IDF is constantly provided by the Fund to promote the development of draughts sport “Russian Draughts”. IDF works with other sponsors also.
For 5 years of active work, IDF has overtaken FMJD in many indicators, showing the world that professionalism and enthusiasm, rather than intrigues and discrimination, are the key to success. Of course, FMJD does not like our achievements. In connection with the submission of documents for the recognition of the IOC, the FMJD Board was to show that the FMJD covers all the draughts in the world, what because of the destructive FMJD policy is clearly not true. Instead of civilized negotiate with IDF, the FMJD Board continued to follow its aggressive course and decided to create a weak and under-controlled section of Russian draughts inside itself, and at the same time to split the draughts-64, to discard their development many years ago and eliminate the external competitor.
Some representatives of the FMJD Board (Y.Chertok and J.Pawlicki) found weak links in the leadership of the Draughts Federation of Russia (the president A.Nikitin and the vice-president A.Shonin) who placed their personal interests above the interests of the sport as a whole (draughts-64/Russian draughts) and actually put him under attack, both at the Russian and the world level.
In accordance with regulatory documents, the FMJD’s activities are aimed at the promotion of the draughts-100. Obviously, non-viable sections for different types of draughts are needed only nominally.
In practice:
The section of Turkish draughts does not work – there is no calendar for 2018, the place of the head is vacant.
Section Brazilian draughts – after its creation has not been operated, in the calendar for 2018 are 2 championships in Turkey only, the level of which, if held, will be very far from the level of the competitions for Brazilian draughts held by the IDF.
The newly created section of Russian draughts – presented a calendar for 2018 does not stand up to criticism, it seems that the main task of this calendar – to harm the IDF. In return, nothing worthy is offered. Obviously, there is nothing behind the section of Russian draughts – neither support of countries, nor finance, nor a distinct calendar.
So why does the FMJD Board conduct this many-year war first with its section-64 and now with draughts-64? After all, there can be no winners in any war. Even as a FMJD section-64 (Russian-Brazilian), we repeatedly offered FMJD Board different options for interaction, but FMJD Board always chose war.
IDF remains ready for cooperation, but on an equal basis.
After the election in October 2017 of the new FMJD Board, we the first have made step forward, inviting to the opening ceremony of the world championship in St. Petersburg, the new FMJD president Janek Mäggi. We exchanged with him views on the interaction between the federations and proposed a roadmap for this from 4 points:
- FMJD and IDF need to sign a Memorandum stating that FMJD and IDF confirm the absence of competition or conflict between them. Both federations develop different types of draughts.
- In the future FMJD and IDF bring the charters in order (they remove the legal opportunity to develop games of another federation).
Thus, both organizations at this stage will be able to represent different sports in international sports organizations: FMJD – the sport of Draughts-100, IDF – the sport of Draughts-64.
- It is possible to organize and hold joint events.
- In the future, it is possible to create an alliance/ umbrella organization for the joint development and promotion of all types of draughts within the same organization.
However, the FMJD Board in response to our suggestions again started the conflict, having opened the work of the Russian section.
Obviously, 2 organizations should not hold competitions in the same sport. This is a serious conflict of interest. Nevertheless, this is the choice of FMJD Board, the question of its image to the entire world sports community, as well as its responsibility to its countries and world draughts movement.
IDF, for its part, will continue its active work to promote and develop draughts-64 in the world and will not stop or curtail its activities. IDF efforts with the support of its member-countries and all interested parties will lead to the prosperity of draughts-64 on all continents.
We do not interfere in FMJD activities. We are always open to dialogue. Our proposals remain in force. We are waiting for the same response from the FMJD leadership.
I am sure that time will put everything in its place and the mind will triumph.
President of the International Draughts Federation (IDF) Vladimir Langin
