Most of the active players on Lidraughts are Dutch, and I've found that Holland has many world-class players also. Is the game very popular out there? Do people play it in parks or coffeehouses? Do you have it in school curriculum? Questions like that.

Yes, the game is very popular in Holland, where the best competition in the world is played. Today, 29-9-18, the second round of the national competition is played. Most international players from all over the world play here in the competition.

You can find the results (and other things like games) here: toernooibase.kndb.nl/opvraag/standen.php?taal=1&kl=35&Id=6970&jr=19&afko=&r=2

I think chess in Holland is actually more popular than draughts.

Both chess and draughts are sometimes taught in primary schools. Just to get the children familiar, but so far I only have seen people playing chess in public. (Coffee houses / Universities) I have not seen draughts played anywhere in public.

I think one of the reasons that is more important, is that Holland does not have a very popular own variant of draughts. (Yes, a small part plays the Frisian variant, but that is just a very small part of Holland.) Other countries in the world have all kinds of variants, often checkers, so the international game is not popular there, and there is less a real drive to become international master in your national game, or start playing the international game most players are not familiar with.

So, in Holland there is an active draughts community and culture, but I would not call it very popular. You can also see chess is and has been taking over.

This change is not so recent, but playing board often have two sides. Old playing boards have 10x10 and "Nine men's morris". (I think we are talking about really old actually, but you sometimes see them.) Modern playing boards come now with 10x10 and 8x8 (to play chess).

And more recently, I heard a large news paper has stopped publishing about draughts and only features chess now.

I totally agree @Rive12345. I had to make the connotation that in Holland draughts is very popular relatively to the rest of the world. Other games are way more popular in Holland nowadays. And the actual amount of players is decreasing for decades. Clubs disappear and less youth is playing.

Hopefully this website can blow a fresh air in the sport and turn things around.

Thank you!

I don't think this website is the solution for this problem BumperBalloon ;) Maybe together with the national federation you can HELP solve this. Did you reach out to them? Maybe working together is a smart idea?

@Pietjepuk : The website alone indeed probably won't solve this problem. Though, we believe draughts still was lacking a website, where all useful features are at one place. Therefore it's a very important aspect to help the sport grow internationally and in general.

But cooperation is definitely key for succes. We started this with the two of us, but we need all of you (to get more players, to create better and more learning material etc.). We have contacts with the KNDB, FMJD and the World Frisian draughts foundation (and others).

We are willing to cooperate with all of m (and yet are coöperating with some of them, for example the owner of Scan). Everyone can and may help, with anything, with little or more.
Atm, on the to-do list, contacting again and responding to the KNDB is a high priority. Both parties are willing to think about how we can help each other. Unfortunately, this hobby takes a lot of time, so sometimes we can't do eveything at the same time.

Also i'm looking at events where I can promote the website, to show our face, to increase exposure, to decrease 'distance' and open the possibility for communication and cooperation more easily.

To be continued!