Draughts : Board Game Gaining International Fame

Draughts is a board game for two players, played on a draught board. Each player starts with twelve disc-shaped pieces in three rows along one side of the board, and moves them diagonally with the aim of capturing all the opponent's pieces. Draughts was introduced in Cameroon during the colonial period. The most widespread form in Cameroon is that which is played on a draught board with 100 cases with 20 black pieces.
The 2022 draughts season effectively has effectively kicked off in Cameroon recently. An open tournament to this effect was organised on July 2, 2022 in Yaounde. The competition saw the participation of some 66 draughts players competing in two formats. The rapid format organised in a Swiss system of seven rounds and with a play time of 15minutes plus five seconds/coup and the blitz format in seven rounds (five minutes plus two seconds/coup). At the end of the seven rounds in the rapid format, household name Grand Maitre International Jean Marc Ndjofang was tactful and technical enough to emerge first with 13 points. Gérard Ngankou and Landry Nga emerged second and third with 11 and 10 points respectively. Nga Landry rather took the lead in the blitz format emerging first with 12 points. He is closely followed by Grand Maitre International Léopold Kouogueu and Boris Kamdem, second and third with 11 points each.
In Cameroon draughts is practiced in eight regions in the country. Cameroon has about ten players who have obtained international grades. There are three players with the grade of Grand Maitre International (GMI) which is the highest grade designed by the World Draughts Federation. At the individual level Cameroon has won five African titles. GMI ...