Poland’s Bogdan Bankowski proved to be the strongest player in the 2nd World Amateur Championship. This means players who had a maximum rating of 2100 on January 1, 2025. The classic tournament was played over seven games in three days with a tempo of 1 hour with 30 seconds added per game.
After winning the first two rounds, he had to concede two draws, first against the Italian Moreno Manzana, who was joint leader with him, and in the next round against the Israeli Yuri Goldsteijn. The Dutchman Marco de Koning passed him, after three consecutive wins. In the first round the Dutchman got off to a good start, he had a losing position against his compatriot Jack van der Plas. However, the latter was unable to find the win that was in store for him.
In the fifth round Bankowski took over the lead from the King. In the mutual duel the Pole convincingly defeated the Dutchman in the attack. Now Bankowski took the lead and he did not relinquish that lead. In the sixth round he consolidated his lead. The Israeli Vitaly Shafir was unable to build up the draw position and flew into a simple king capture. Shafir was making an impressive advance after losing to Manzana in the first round by winning three games in a row.
In the final round the 25-year-old Bogdan did not take any risks by proposing a draw against the Estonian Anti Ingel from an advantageous position. The seven games that had to be played for this championship were played in three days. On the opening day two games were played, the day after three games and on the final day of the classical tournament two more games. This demanded a lot from the players, who did not always find the best game due to fatigue.
Players from six countries participated. There will be more players from more countries if this attractive tournament is possibly held again in the same place in 2027.
Amateur World Championship 2025 Loutraki:
The World Amateur Championship is held for the second time, this time in Loutraki, Greece.
The championship is part of the CSIT World Sports Games, a biennial event. Over 4,000 amateur athletes from all over the world participate. 14 amateur draughts players compete for the world title. The CSIT World Sports Games is a large-scale event, sports are played all over the city and the surrounding area, on fields, in swimming pools, in the convention center.
The opening was in the local stadium with an impressive flag parade. Many of the draughts players walked with the athletes of their own country in a cheerful procession across the athletics track of the stadium, cheered on by the public.
The mind sports, draughts and chess, have been housed in the congress centre, on the outskirts of Loutraki, rather isolated, so that the players have been able to see little of the rest of the Games. It is still taking some getting used to playing in a place where draughts is not yet played. The tournament director had to bring all the equipment himself, because there were no boards and pieces and the organisation of the CSIT World Sports Games could not really understand what is needed for a draughts tournament.
This is the eighth time that this biennial event is organised. In many countries the athletes and players have to qualify via a competition. For those countries, taking part is a reward.
Amateur draughts is of course not that of the top draughts players, but that is not necessary for an interesting competition, because there is no tactical play, there is no calculating play. The players are amateurs: lovers of the game and that shows. Every game is played for the win, even if that means that the player ultimately loses and drops on the ranking. The number of draws is therefore relatively low.
Nice to watch. It is therefore good that draughts has joined these Sport Games. It would be nice if more people would join in the future, so that they also become real World Games for draughts.