Important events and anniversaries always allow us to pause the rushing time for a moment and look back. Today, Grandmaster Jean Marc Ndjofang from Cameroon celebrates a milestone anniversary – his 50th birthday. I must devote a few words to such an exceptional person.
I’ll start with Cameroon. My affection for this country began with… football. Those who are slightly older will remember the 1982 World Cup. Today it is the norm, but back then, the world experienced a shock. Until that point, African, Asian, or Caribbean teams usually suffered heavy losses against European sides. In Spain, that changed. From today’s perspective, it sounds like a madman’s tale, but Poland was one of the favorites of that World Cup. After a draw in the opening match against Italy, a draw with Cameroon followed in the second round. We already had one foot out of the tournament.
Fourteen years later, I attended my first FMJD (World Draughts Federation) congress. A delegate from Cameroon was sitting next to me (it was at that General Assembly in Abidjan that they became an FMJD member). We talked a lot; he showed me newspapers from his country which featured truly extensive articles about draughts. The congress took place before the start of the World Championship, and I didn’t take it too seriously at first. However, my new friend from Cameroon regretted that their best players couldn’t make it to the World Championship, yet he still expected the two who did come to advance from the groups to the finals. As it turned out, he wasn’t far off! Both were eliminated only after tie-breaks for the two promotion spots. A few years later, the World Championship came to Moscow. And there HE appeared – Mister Africa, today’s birthday celebrant.
Why do I call him that? Throughout my many years of working for the FMJD, whenever an issue related to Africa arose, HE was always there! He always helped, checked, and put pressure on those who could do something but hadn’t. Many people don’t understand this. Sitting comfortably in Europe, traveling is easy, but in Africa, not everything is so simple. Obtaining a visa is sometimes an almost Herculean task. Jean Marc always helped. We were always in touch, and we both knew that draughts is the WORLD, not just Europe. His contribution to the fact that the World Championship took place in Cameroon is truly significant. It all started with a small, essentially casual conversation. And now we have the result in the form of the World Cup in Cameroon!
I wondered where Jean Marc got such character traits. I understood when, during a tournament, he once asked me for help on where he could send money to Africa. It was a truly small amount (from a European perspective) – 20 euros. But that amount solved a major life problem for one of his sisters. Jean Marc has 6 sisters and 5 brothers (two have already passed away)! He is the eldest. More than once, I saw him calling and helping with some life decision. It’s no wonder he acts the same way in the world of draughts.
His sporting successes are well-known. Two-time African Champion. 2017 World Blitz Champion. He has won four World Cup tournaments and countless others. He has stood on the World Championship podium twice: third in 2011 (Emmeloord & Urk) and second in 2013 (Ufa). That result gave him the right to play in a title match. For only the second time in history, a draughts player from Africa earned the right to make history! Baba Sy could not play his match against Kuperman (that’s a story for another time), but Jean Marc, despite many problems surrounding the match (also a story worth telling separately), managed to fulfill his dream – he played for the title!
In October 2015, the Georgiev – Ndjofang match took place in Izmir. Jean Marc did not lose any of the seven classical games. The defeat was decided only by a loss in a rapid game.
We have also hosted Jean Marc in Poland! In 2012, he came to Świnoujście for the PCBEST Cup, where he took second place. He also played in the Polish Open: in Karpacz (2016), Szczyrk (2018), and Julinek (2022). I have very fond memories of Jean Marc’s visit to Janikowo for the Polish Team Championships, where he represented my club. Not only did he play, but we also found time to show him Toruń and Poznań.
All the best, my friend! I look forward to our future meetings in various places. Your smile and openness to people have always given me a great deal of energy.
I wish you endless cheerfulness, just as you showed recently in Trinidad! Who else would have thought of wiping the sweat from a tired artist’s brow!
