The Draughts World Championship is the world championship in international draughts and is held every two years. In the even year following the tournament, the World Title match takes place. The championship began in 1885 in France and since 1948 has been organised by the World Draughts Federation (FMJD). The championship has had winners from the Netherlands, Canada, the Soviet Union, Senegal, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine.

The current champion is Jan Groenendijk.

Since 1998, there has been a Draughts World Championship held with a blitz time control (5 minutes plus an increment of 5 seconds per move). Since 2014 there has also been a Draughts World Championship held with a rapid time control (15 min + 5 sec per move).

World title match

The championship is held every two years, in the odd years. The world title match takes place in the even year following the world championship tournament. The former champion and the new champion qualify for the world title match. If the former champion retains his title in the World Championship tournament, the runner-up earns the right to challenge him.

Unofficial champions (which are not listed here) were awarded retroactively; the first champion being Anatole Dussaut in 1885. A full list of winners can be found here.

Classic

YearHostGoldSilverBronzeformat
1948NetherlandsNetherlands Piet RoozenburgNetherlands Reinier Cornelis KellerFrance Pierre Ghestemtournament
1951NetherlandsNetherlands Piet Roozenburgmatch with Reinier Cornelis Keller (+2-1=15)
1952NetherlandsNetherlands Piet RoozenburgCanada Raoul DagenaisNetherlands Reinier Cornelis Kellertournament
1954NetherlandsNetherlands Piet Roozenburgmatch with Wim Huisman (+4=8-0)
1956NetherlandsCanada Marcel DeslauriersNetherlands Reinier Cornelis KellerNetherlands Jan Bom Netherlands Piet Roozenburgtournament
1958Soviet UnionSoviet Union Iser Kupermanmatch with Marcel Deslauriers (+4=14- 2)
1959Soviet UnionSoviet Union Iser Kupermanmatch with Geert van Dijk (+7=13-0)
1960NetherlandsSoviet Union Vyacheslav ShchyogolevSenegal Baba SySoviet Union Iser Kupermantournament
1961Soviet UnionSoviet Union Iser Kupermanmatch with Vyacheslav Shchyogolev (+2=18-0)
1963—Soviet Union Iser Kuperman Senegal Baba Symatch not played, title awarded in 1986
1964ItalySoviet Union Vyacheslav ShchyogolevSoviet Union Iser KupermanSenegal Baba Sytournament
1965Soviet UnionSoviet Union Iser Kupermanmatch with Vyacheslav Shchyogolev (+7=12-1)
1967Soviet UnionSoviet Union Iser Kupermanmatch with Andris Andreiko (+2=18-0)
1968Italy BolzanoSoviet Union Andris AndreikoSoviet Union Iser KupermanSoviet Union Vyacheslav Shchyogolevtournament
1969Soviet UnionSoviet Union Andris Andreikomatch with Iser Kuperman (+3=17-0)
1971Soviet UnionSoviet Union Andris Andreikomatch with Iser Kuperman (+0=20-0)
1972NetherlandsNetherlands Ton SijbrandsNetherlands Harm WiersmaSoviet Union Andris Andreikotournament
1973NetherlandsNetherlands Ton Sijbrandsmatch with Andris Andreiko (+2=18-0)
1974Soviet Union Iser Kupermanmatch with Ton Sijbrands, not played
1976NetherlandsNetherlands Harm WiersmaSoviet Union Vyacheslav ShchyogolevNetherlands Rob Clerctournament
1978Italy ArcoSoviet Union Anatoli GantvargNetherlands Harm WiersmaSoviet Union Vyacheslav Shchyogolevtournament plus match with Harm Wiersma (+1=5-0)
1979NetherlandsNetherlands Harm Wiersmamatch with Anatoli Gantvarg (+4=14-2)
1980Mali BamakoSoviet Union Anatoli GantvargNetherlands Harm WiersmaSoviet Union Nicolai Mistchanskitournament
1981NetherlandsNetherlands Harm Wiersmamatch with Anatoli Gantvarg (+2=18-0)
1982Brazil São PauloNetherlands Jannes van der WalNetherlands Rob ClercNetherlands Harm Wiersmatournament (without sportsmen from Soviet Union, because of the military coup in Brazil, they have not received visas)
1983NetherlandsNetherlands Harm WiersmaSoviet Union Vadim VirnyNetherlands Rob Clerctournament (organized after protest Draughts Federation of the USSR)
1983NetherlandsNetherlands Harm Wiersmamatch with Jannes van der Wal (+1=19-0) (It is not recognized by Draughts Federation of the USSR)
1984Netherlands Soviet UnionNetherlands Harm Wiersmamatch with Vadim Virny (+1=18-1)
1984Senegal DakarSoviet Union Anatoli GantvargNetherlands Rob ClercSoviet Union Michail Korenievskitournament
1985NetherlandsSoviet Union Anatoli Gantvargmatch with Rob Clerc (+2=17-1)
1986NetherlandsSoviet Union Alexander DybmanSoviet Union Alexander BaljakinSoviet Union Michail Korenievskitournament
1987Soviet UnionSoviet Union Alexander Dybmanmatch with Anatoli Gantvarg (+0=20-0)
1988Suriname ParamariboSoviet Union Alexei ChizhovNetherlands Ton SijbrandsSoviet Union Anatoli Gantvargtournament
1989NetherlandsSoviet Union Alexei Chizhovmatch with Ton Sijbrands (+1=18-1)
1990NetherlandsSoviet Union Alexei ChizhovSoviet Union Guntis ValnerisNetherlands Ton Sijbrandstournament
1991EstoniaSoviet Union Alexei Chizhovmatch with Guntis Valneris (+6= 10-0)
1992France ToulonRussia Alexei ChizhovNetherlands Harm WiersmaBelarus Alexander Baljakintournament
1993Russia Estonia NetherlandsRussia Alexei Chizhovmatch with Harm Wiersma (+2=18-0)
1994NetherlandsLatvia Guntis ValnerisNetherlands Harm WiersmaBelarus Alexander Baljakin Senegal Macodou NDiayetournament
1995RussiaRussia Alexei Chizhovmatch with Guntis Valneris (+3 sets, −2 set)
1996/97Ivory Coast AbidjanRussia Alexei ChizhovNetherlands Rob ClercRussia Alexander Schwartzmantournament plus match with Rob Clerc (+1=10-0)
1998RussiaRussia Alexander Schwartzmanmatch with Alexei Chizhov (+2 sets, −1 set)
2001Russia MoscowRussia Alexei ChizhovLatvia Guntis ValnerisNetherlands Johan Krajenbrinktournament
2003RussiaRussia Alexander Georgievmatch with Alexei Chizhov (+4 sets, –1 set)
2003NetherlandsRussia Alexander GeorgievRussia Alexei ChizhovLatvia Guntis Valneristournament
2004RussiaRussia Alexander Georgievmatch with Alexei Chizhov (3-1 :15 games + tie-break))
2005NetherlandsRussia Alexei ChizhovLatvia Guntis ValnerisNetherlands Alexander Baljakintournament
2006Russia Alexander Georgievmatch with Alexei Chizhov not played
2007NetherlandsRussia Alexander SchwartzmanGermany Mark PodolskiRussia Alexander Georgievtournament
2009NetherlandsRussia Alexander Schwartzmanmatch with Alexander Georgiev
2011Netherlands Emmeloord / UrkRussia Alexander GeorgievRussia Murodoullo AmrillaevCameroon Jean Marc Ndjofangtournament
2013Estonia TallinnRussia Alexander Georgievmatch with Alexander Schwartzman
2013Russia UfaRussia Alexander GeorgievCameroon Jean Marc NdjofangNetherlands Roel Boomstratournament
2015Turkey İzmirRussia Alexander Georgievmatch with Jean Marc Ndjofang
2015Netherlands EmmenRussia Alexander GeorgievNetherlands Jan GroenendijkNetherlands Roel Boomstratournament
2016NetherlandsNetherlands Roel Boomstramatch with Netherlands Jan Groenendijk (+4=8-0)
2017Estonia TallinnRussia Alexander SchwartzmanRussia Alexei ChizhovLatvia Guntis Valneristournament
2018NetherlandsNetherlands Roel Boomstramatch with Russia Alexander Schwartzman
2019Ivory Coast YamoussoukroRussia Alexander GeorgievChina Pan YimingLatvia Guntis Valneristournament
2021Estonia TallinnRussia Alexander SchwartzmanRussia Alexander GetmanskiNetherlands Roel Boomstratournament
2022Netherlands EindhovenNetherlands Roel Boomstramatch with Russia Alexander Schwartzman
2023Curaçao WillemstadUkraine Yuri AnikeevNetherlands Jan GroenendijkNetherlands Martijn van IJzendoorntournament
2024Netherlands WageningenNetherlands Jan Groenendijkmatch with Ukraine Yuri Anikeev
2025Cameroon YaoundéNetherlands Jan GroenendijkNetherlands Jitse SlumpLatvia Guntis Valneristournament

Rapid

YearHostGoldSilverBronze
1999Netherlands EindhovenRussia Alexander GeorgievRussia Alexander ShvartsmanNetherlands Alexander Baljakin
2012France LilleNetherlands Roel BoomstraRussia Alexei ChizhovRussia Ainur Shaibakov
2014Turkey İzmirRussia Ainur ShaibakovRussia Murodoullo AmrillaevRussia Alexander Schwartzman
2015Turkey İzmirNetherlands Alexander BaljakinRussia Alexander SchwartzmanNetherlands Jasper Lemmen
2016Turkey İzmirUkraine Yuri AnikeevRussia Alexander SchwartzmanUkraine Artem Ivanov
2017Turkey İzmirUkraine Artem IvanovRussia Alexander GetmanskiRussia Alexander Georgiev
2018Italy BergamoNetherlands Alexander BaljakinRussia Alexander SchwartzmanRussia Alexei Chizhov
2019Netherlands BeilenNetherlands Roel BoomstraRussia Alexander GeorgievNetherlands Wouter Sipma
2020Turkey AntalyaUkraine Yuri AnikeevRussia Nicolay GermogenovRussia Sergey Belosheev
2021Poland JulinekRussia Alexander GetmanskiUkraine Yuri AnikeevRussia Alexander Schwartzman
2022Poland JulinekNetherlands Jitse SlumpNetherlands Jan GroenendijkNetherlands Martijn van IJzendoorn
2023Poland JulinekNetherlands Jan GroenendijkNetherlands Martijn van IJzendoornUkraine Artem Ivanov

Blitz

YearHostGoldSilverBronze
1998Netherlands The HagueRussia Alexander SchwartzmanNetherlands Erno ProsmanGermany Vadim Virny Israel Vladimir Traitelovich
1999United Kingdom LondonLatvia Guntis ValnerisNetherlands Erno ProsmanRussia Alexander Georgiev
2000Israel Tel AvivRussia Alexander SchwartzmanLatvia Guntis ValnerisUkraine Igor Kirzner
2007Israel NazarethLatvia Guntis ValnerisRussia Alexander SchwartzmanIsrael Ygal Koyfman
2009Germany BerlinRussia Alexander SchwartzmanLatvia Guntis ValnerisRussia Alexander Georgiev
2011Russia UfaRussia Alexander SchwartzmanRussia Alexander GeorgievRussia Gavril Kolesov
2012France LilleRussia Alexander SchwartzmanRussia Alexander GetmanskiNetherlands Roel Boomstra
2013Netherlands Den HelderRussia Alexander SchwartzmanRussia Alexander GeorgievLatvia Guntis Valneris
2014Netherlands HilversumRussia Alexander GeorgievNetherlands Alexander BaljakinRussia Alexander Schwartzman
2015Turkey İzmirRussia Alexander SchwartzmanCameroon Jean Marc NdjofangUkraine Yuri Anikeev
2016Turkey İzmirRussia Murodoullo AmrillaevSenegal N'Diaga SambRussia Alexander Getmanski
2017Turkey İzmirCameroon Jean Marc NdjofangUkraine Yuri AnikeevRussia Alexei Chizhov
2018Italy BergamoRussia Alexander SchwartzmanRussia Alexei ChizhovRussia Alexander Georgiev
2019Latvia RigaRussia Alexander SchwartzmanNetherlands Jan GroenendijkRussia Ainur Shaibakov
2020Turkey AntalyaRussia Ainur ShaibakovRussia Alexander GeorgievUkraine Yuri Anikeev
2021Poland JulinekRussia Alexander SchwartzmanNetherlands Martijn van IJzendoornUkraine Artem Ivanov
2022Latvia RigaLithuania Aleksej DomchevNetherlands Martijn van IJzendoornUkraine Artem Ivanov
2023Israel Nof HaGalilUkraine Artem IvanovIsrael Alexander SchwartzmanLithuania Aleksej Domchev
2024China LishuiIsrael Alexander SchwartzmanUkraine Yuri AnikeevNetherlands Martijn van IJzendoorn
2025Latvia RigaLatvia Guntis ValnerisIsrael Alexander SchwartzmanUkraine Yuri Anikeev

See also

External links