50 years of draughts in Poland.
Draughts has always been played in Poland, but the first real tournament commenced exactly 50 years ago, on 8 June 1974.
It was the final of the ‘Crystal Stone’ tournament (Turniej o „Kryształowy Kamień”), which is still played today. To advance to the final twelve, participants had to solve tasks published in the weekly magazines ‘Wiadomości Sportowe’ and ‘Chłopska Droga’. Both of these periodicals were aimed at readers from villages and small towns.
The inaugural champion of the tournament was Marian Misiaszek from the small town of Świebodzin, 80 km east of Kraków.
Participants of the inaugural official draughts tournament in Poland (8-9 June 1974, Białobrzegi near Warsaw).
A year later, city of Elk hosted the first Polish Team Championships, culminating in the triumph of the team from Warsaw called “10x10”. It wasn't until 1977 that the First Polish Championships took place. The first Polish Champions were: Andrzej Martko and Genowefa Zaglaniczna. Both of them went on to replicate this success in the future.
G. Zaglaniczna and A. Martko. Polish Champions 1977
Maria and Romuald Frej played a huge role in promoting draughts. They were greatly assisted by Włodzimierz Agafonow. Every year, they travelled around Poland advocating for the game and playing simultaneous exhibitions.
Włodzimierz Agafonow in Poland.
The level of play in Poland has been gradually improving. Poland also became an important member of the FMJD. In 1983, the Women's World Championship was held in Poland. In subsequent years, high-profile events took place in Poland on multiple occasions. During the transition from the 80s to the 90s, youth competitions in Poland experienced substantial growth, beginning with the youngest age groups. It's not surprising that the idea of establishing the EDC and youth competitions in four age categories originated from Poland.
The World Championship title won for the first time in 2016 by Natalia Sadowska perfectly highlights the progress draughts has made in Poland since 1974. The successes of Polish draughts players no longer surprise anyone today.
