The Czech Draughts Federation brings together players, clubs and fans of draughts in the Czech Republic.

Darina Svobodová

Head of the Youth Section and the driving force behind organization.
She originally came to draughts simply as an escort to her son at tournaments… and somehow ended up coordinating half of the team’s trips. In her professional life, she works as an academic in the field of tourism and hospitality management, which makes national team travel planning, logistics, and on-site crisis management truly her area of expertise.

Hana Schmidová

Another originally “family reinforcement” of one of our players and an energetic supporter of everything happening around youth draughts.
Her enthusiasm for board games helps create a welcoming atmosphere at tournaments – especially during long matches, when she effortlessly draws in not only the children but often the majority of parents as well. In her professional life, she is a lower secondary school mathematics teacher and enjoys bringing international draughts into the school environment, enriching both her teaching and her students’ extracurricular activities.

Petr Svoboda

An indispensable pillar of technical and moral support.
He takes care of everything related to the website, technology, digital infrastructure, and logistics, ensuring that everything runs exactly as it should. In his professional life, he works in the IT sector, so technical challenges are simply part of his everyday routine.

Michal Vítek

Six-time Junior National Champion and 8th and 9th place finisher at the World Junior Championships.
He began coaching three years ago, with the goal of passing on his experience to young players and continuing to promote the game he loves. He first discovered draughts as a very restless child – and it was largely thanks to the game that he gradually learned to calm down and focus. With his extensive international experience, he has become the Head Coach of the Czech Youth National Team. He is currently studying at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.

Sofia Iljinskaja

She has been playing draughts since the age of six and has competed in numerous international tournaments abroad.
She is a multiple Czech National Champion and an experienced national team representative. In addition to international draughts, she also plays the Czech and Frisian variants. She actively participates in training sessions for both the Academy and beginner players and specializes in games with longer time controls. She is currently a student at Na Vítězné pláni Grammar School.

Jana Schmidová

She has been dedicated to draughts since early childhood, is a multiple Czech National Champion, and ranks among the most experienced youth national team representatives.
She studies at Mensa Grammar School and has long been actively involved in developing players of various levels.
She approaches each individual personally and is always ready to help, advise, and offer support. In her free time, she enjoys a variety of logic-based games, from which she has developed strategic thinking, patience, and a strong sense of fair play — values she strives to pass on to others. Thanks to her experience in competitive debating, she is highly communicative and aims to create an environment where everyone feels confident expressing their opinion. Her goal is to help players improve, find joy in the game, and, above all, not be afraid to make mistakes.