Africa has a new champion: 27-year-old Tardorel Itoua. The Congolese player from Brazzaville learned draughts on the streets. Since 2016, he has traveled across West and Central Africa, challenging local draughts players. Itoua plays with strength and speed, and his vibrant personality has earned him a loyal group of supporters. The African champion makes no secret of his plans to thoroughly prepare for the upcoming World Championship.
Originally scheduled from November 21 to December 7, 2024, the 20th edition of the African Men’s Individual Championship was held from December 1 to 16, 2024, in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, due to some administrative and official state reasons. The tournament took place at Hotel Pacific, located in the heart of the city.
On December 10, the 4th edition of the African Individual Men’s Blitz Championship was held. On this day, the General Assembly of the African Draughts Federation (CAJD) convened to elect a new executive committee, led by the new CAJD President, Dr. Oumar Thiero (formerly the General Secretary in the outgoing board).
Despite the critical security situation in the rural areas of the country, the CAJD, in collaboration with the Burkina Faso Draughts Federation (FBJD), managed to ensure an adequate organization of the event with optimal facilities for all participating players.
The official opening ceremony took place on December 9, 2024, presided over by the Minister of Sports, Youth, and Employment of Burkina Faso, Anûuyirtole Somda Roland. He was assisted by the President of the CAJD, Ibrahim Douah Sissoko, and FMJD players' representative Jean Marc Ndjofang.
Thirty-two players from thirteen countries (Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and Togo) competed at a high level in the tournament. Among them were five International Grandmasters (GMI) (Jean Marc Ndjofang, Joël N’cho Atse, Bassirou Ba, Ndiaga Samb, and Abdoulaye Der), one International Master (IM) (Camara Moussa), and two Federation Masters (FM) (Clavin Landry NGA and Jacques Kpangni Aka).
Notably, this was a new record for the number of participating countries in an African Championship since the first edition in 1980 in Bamako, Mali (won by Bassirou Ba). 1980 was also the founding year of the CAJD.
Sportively and emotionally, it was a successful and rich event based on the final results. It was one of the strongest African championships ever, with four former African champions present: reigning champion Joël N'cho Atse, Bassirou Ba, Jean Marc Ndjofang, and Ndiaga Samb.
Africa is the continent where draughts is more popular than anywhere else in the world. Draughts is the most important mind sport in Africa, both in terms of widespread practice and the performance of African players who have been competing at a high level for decades. Moreover, I often say: draughts in Africa is a powerful motto of socialization. It brings people from different cultures and social classes together around a board.
In most countries south of the Sahara, draughts is played everywhere: in cities, in rural areas, and in neighborhoods. The 64-square draughts game is especially popular in eastern and southern Africa, while the 100-square version is more common in western and central Africa. This is due to the easy availability and low cost of boards and other materials.
In Africa, people gather after work around a board to play but also to talk about various everyday topics. In cities like Abidjan, Dakar, Yaoundé, Brazzaville, and Kinshasa, there are at least ten to fifteen draughts clubs per city. These clubs are often located in places called “Grand Place,” “Maquis,” “Dojo,” or simply “Club.” Play is continuous throughout the day.
There are many talented players who do not participate in tournaments or official competitions. They don't even know how to record a game or use a clock, but their playing level is above average. The biggest problem in Africa is the lack of a strong organization to ensure regular and well-organized tournaments. As a result, draughts is often played as a passion in informal settings rather than as a fully recognized sport with all the required rules and conditions.
The African Championship is held every two years, and for many African players, this is their only international competition. This means that many young and talented people do not receive enough support to develop their skills. Everyone still tries to play in their own creative way.
The thirty-two players registered for the event were divided into four groups of eight players, based on their ratings and playing strength. The top three players from each group advanced to the final, a Round Robin tournament with twelve players. The results of the group stage were carried over into the final.
After eleven rounds of Round Robin, we had a new African champion! The revelation and sensation of the tournament: TARDOREL ITOUA, African Champion 2024, who automatically earned the GMI title. A fantastic achievement. His compatriot César Mouanda (Republic of Congo) finished second thanks to a crucial victory in the final round against Samb. He also earned the GMI title.
The 27-year-old Itoua hails from the Republic of Congo, with Brazzaville as the capital of the country (located in the Central Africa subregion). Since his teenage years, he has been a passionate draughts player, learning the game on the streets of his homeland – like most draughts players in African countries. His distinction is that he is a true draughts fanatic. Since 2016, he has traveled across West and Central Africa, from country to country, playing against stronger players and learning draughts in different cultures and styles. His first appearance was during the 18th edition of the African Individual Championship in 2018 in Thiès (Senegal), where he finished in fifth place.
Itoua has a strong character, marked by his courage, confidence, and exuberance as a player. This unique character has earned him many fans and supporters in Africa.
The new African champion now says to the entire draughts community that he is preparing very well to win the upcoming World Championship! This championship, with 48 participants divided into four groups, is likely to be held in June 2025 in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. The final decision by the government is still awaited. Hopefully, this will be confirmed soon in the interest of the global draughts community and, especially, African players, who always face visa and administrative issues when World Championships are held in Europe or elsewhere.
Itoua's technical style is simple but strong and efficient. He plays quickly and is highly creative in the classical system. He demonstrated his strength and clear ambition to perform well during the 2024 African Championship from his first game in Group C, consisting of:
Tardoral Itoua (Republic of Congo)
Bassirou Ba (Senegal)
Francis Victor Seka (Ivory Coast)
Daouda RCO Sawadogo (Burkina Faso)
Maxime Johnson (Benin)
Ngoma Pélerin Kiaku (Congo DRC)
Telmoudane Ahmed (Mauritania)
Selom Cleva Mensah-Etsi (Togo)
Itoua won his group with a total of 12 points: five victories and three draws. He impressed everyone by defeating both second-placed Ba and third-placed Seka in his group. Taking the maximum score of 4 points into the final was already a significant sign of his eventual victory.
I will choose to analyze Itoua’s first game in this tournament against three-time (1980, 1996, 2003) African Champion Ba, who was the big favorite in Group C.
