Ton Sijbrands, former world champion and legend, once said that since the age of seven he has been driven by an unbridled passion for international draughts—a passion that has governed his entire life. A similar ardor, perhaps just as intense, has led me on draughts journeys to African countries renowned for their exceptional players: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and not to forget Gabon.
In 2018 I found myself in Senegal, after earlier visits to Ivory Coast—I travelled, among other places, to Abidjan—where I became acquainted with local masters who mainly played for prize money. In Dakar I met several great figures of Senegalese draughts: the late grandmaster (GMI) Ndiaga Samb, grandmaster Abdoulaye Der, international master Modou Seck, and strong players such as Ibrahima Gaye and Maguette Niang. During games against Malian grandmasters—Mali, whose most famous draughts player is GMI Mamina Ndiaye, also has a strong draughts tradition—and against Ivorian players, I came into contact with the African Draughts Confederation (CAJD). At their invitation, I took part in the African Individual Championship (Open), with the aim of helping to raise the level of African draughts. In Ivory Coast I was warmly welcomed by the club K.J.K.S., led by its president Abalo Koffi.
After the 2018 championship in Thiès, some 70 kilometers from Dakar, I continued my journey to Central Africa—Cameroon, to be precise—with the same objective: to measure myself against the best players of each country. These travels and my contacts with the CAJD made it possible to put my country, Congo-Brazzaville, on the map. They allowed us to show that Congo has a strong group of draughts players, long unknown on the international stage but eager to demonstrate their strength.
Our first major test came in 2021, when Congo-Brazzaville was invited to take part in the Nations Cup in Cameroon. To everyone’s surprise, we finished in third place! It was as if events were somehow connected. Our team consisted of Itoua Tardorel, Mouanda César, Manzambi Bledy and Kanda Massamouna Gamael. Three years later came our crowning achievement: in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Congo-Brazzaville dominated the African Individual Championship. I won the tournament, and fellow Congolese César Mouanda became runner-up. Our country had thus firmly established itself among the great African draughts nations.
After winning the African title, and despite a disappointing performance at the World Championship in Yaoundé in 2025, I received a special invitation from promoter and patron Mamadou Tamsir Barry to take part in the first Ndiaga Samb Memorial. The tournament featured five grandmasters, one international master and one national master, alongside experienced players without an official title.
Senegal remains a leading country within Francophone African draughts, with strong players such as Ibrahima Gaye, Maguette Niang and Abdoul Khadre Monteiro. National master Demba Coly Thiam is an excellent theoretician, but sometimes plays too quickly and therefore makes mistakes.
The organization was exemplary, the food excellent and the accommodation outstanding—everything a player needs to rest and concentrate. Great credit is due to Mamadou Tamsir Barry and his team for their commitment. The tournament, held in memory of Samb, who passed away earlier this year, took place in his hometown of Rufisque, 24 kilometers from Dakar. The welcome was warm, fully in keeping with the spirit of the word “teranga”, Wolof (the language spoken in Senegal) for hospitality. Thanks go to the president of the FSJD, Mamadou Tamsir Barry, to my sponsor Kevin Gotene, and to my coach Souleymane Keita, whom I invariably call “Prof”.
After the disappointment of the 2025 World Championship—I was eliminated in the preliminary rounds—I was determined to take revenge. With that mindset I travelled once again to Senegal, with a single goal: to win gold and further strengthen my reputation in the international draughts world. I prepared myself down to the smallest detail: no magic formula, just hard work and discipline. Perhaps my preparation was a little too intense, especially compared with that of my fellow grandmasters.
My strategy was clear: not to lose a single game, not even against a grandmaster, and then to score as many points as possible against the Senegalese players. This approach paid off: six wins and two draws, including a fine classical victory over GMI Bassirou Ba. According to Ba, I used an idea with which grandmaster Anatoli Gantwarg defeated grandmaster Andris Andreiko at the Sugar Tournament in 1970—thus a victory rooted in more than half a century of international draughts history.
Before each game, a minute of silence was observed in memory of Samb, creating a special, almost solemn atmosphere. The tournament was imbued with emotion—sadness and joy intertwined—and everyone tried to show their affection for Samb by giving the very best of themselves on the board.
I would like to take you through some key games that led to my victory. The diagrams will tell the rest of the story.
Selection
Itoua – Niang Mame Saïd (Round 1)
Niang Maguette – Itoua (Round 5)
Ba – Itoua (Round 7) (below)