KINGSTON, Jamaica — Falmouth Square in Trelawny came alive recently as the Jamaica Draughts Association (JDA) hosted its Link-Up Festival.

The event, done in partnership with the Trelawny Massive Draughts Club, brought together players, administrators, families, women, juniors/children and supporters.

The square was transformed into an open arena of strategy, friendly rivalry, mentorship and national pride.

Draughts/checkers have long occupied a special place in Jamaican communities, but there are several forms. The popular/familiar 8×8 differs in rules and playing styles but shares that common battlefield.

It is this connection between Jamaica’s traditional game and the wider international draughts family that the JDA has increasingly sought to develop.

Rather than abandoning the version Jamaicans have played for generations, the association is using that foundation to expose players to additional disciplines and create pathways from community competition to international participation.

The association is also continuing its expansion into 10×10 draughts, a discipline widely played internationally. Both the traditional Jamaican 8×8 game and the 10×10 were therefore featured at the Link-Up Festival, allowing spectators and players to see the evolution of the sport.

The event formed part of the JDA’s official programme of activities and received sponsorship support from Karnack Hardware of Runaway Bay, St Ann.

Importantly, however, the day belonged in large measure to the Trelawny Massive Draughts Club, whose members helped create an atmosphere in which established champions and draughts enthusiasts could sit across the board from developing players and competition blended naturally with fellowship.

That community-club partnership is becoming an important part of the JDA’s strategy for growing the sport islandwide.

Supporting the host club was a strong representation from the JDA administration, including President Jermaine Delattibudiere, First Vice President Mikoyan Robinson, Treasurer and Trelawny Massive Draughts Club President Oraine Thompson, Public Relations Officer Lennox Lewis, and Assistant Public Relations Officer Everette ‘Donavan’ Kavanaugh.

Their presence reflected an administration that has increasingly sought to take the association beyond simply organising championships, placing greater emphasis on community link-ups, youth development, international participation, institutional partnerships and wider public visibility for the sport.

The clearest indication of Jamaica’s growing standing is the country’s successful bid to host the 2028 PAMDCC Pan-American Draughts Championships — an undertaking that has the potential to bring leading players, tourists, officials and delegations from across the Americas to Jamaica.

The boards also attracted some of Jamaica’s most accomplished players. International Grandmaster Wayne ‘Shine’ Reid, Federation Master Jermaine Hutchinson and Top Master Worth ‘Black Panther’ Foster were among the established competitors who participated.

Their presence allowed younger and developing players not merely to watch elites, but to learn.

One of the day’s particularly meaningful encounters saw Foster engaging in mentorship games with 2025 JDA National Youth Champion Shavier Jaddo. It was a simple scene that captured an important part of the association’s wider mission: knowledge being transferred from one generation to another.

Several women, girls and junior players participated in the link-up, reflecting the JDA’s deliberate effort to broaden the traditional player base. Increasing the involvement of women and girls, while attracting more children and young people to draughts, is now among the association’s major developmental objectives.

One young player who gave a powerful indication of that future was 2025 JDA Youth Runner-up Justin Angus. Angus, who is a teenager/junior, produced one of the standout performances of the link-up when he defeated one of the top players, Adrian ‘Most Wanted’ Reid, 6-0 in their draughts match.

During the match, Angus dominated Reid. The result was particularly noteworthy given Reid’s years of experience and record as a Class Two silver medallist at the 2025 Jamaica Draughts-64 Community Outreach Championships before returning to capture gold in 2026.

For a junior player to record such a commanding result against an accomplished Class Two competitor immediately attracted attention.

Dennis Brown, president of the Negril Draughts Club, was among those who praised Angus’ performance, viewing it as an indication of the talent emerging through Jamaica’s youth ranks.

Institutional relationships were also strengthened in Falmouth. Trelawny Parish Manager for the Social Development Commission (SDC), Paula Barrett-Reid, attended and expressed an interest in developing a more formal working relationship between the SDC and JDA to facilitate additional activities within the parish.

The next link-up will be at Willow Gate Plaza in Mandeville, Manchester, on Sunday, starting at 9:00 am.