This game (
dammen in Dutch) is primarily popular, and played at
professional level, in
Russia and the surrounding republics, in the
Netherlands,
Belgium and
France, and in Western Africa (
Senegal,
Mali).
On March 13, 2001, the Russian Alexei Chizhov won the world championship for the 9th time in his career, by winning the championship tournament, held in Moscow; the decision only fell in the last round.