Some excerpts from the long opinion yesterday by Judge Beth Bloom (S.D. Fla.) in Rudnitsky v. Int'l Checkers Ass'n of N. Am. Inc.:
Between 2002 and 2024, [Alexander] Rudnitsky became United States National Champion five times and World Veterans Champion twice in the game of checkers. During that time, Rudnitsky was one of the most active members of [defendant] ICAONA. Indeed, between 2022 and 2025, Rudnitsky served as Vice President of ICAONA. Between 2002 and 2024, ICAONA functioned de facto as the sole organization of its type in the United States.
In 2005, ICAONA became a member of the World Draughts Federation ("FMJD") and obtained the right to conduct U.S. qualifying championships for FMJD international tournaments. As a result, all players from the United States had to go through ICAONA to access FMJD national and international competitions. That also meant that ICAONA established conditions for admission to competitions and rules governing participant conduct, including mandatory membership and financial contribution requirements. One such rule prohibited any mention or promotion of alternative organizations during tournaments.
In 2024, Rudnitsky and his colleagues created an alternative nonprofit organization—the National Draughts Federation of the USA ("NDF"). The primary goal of NDF was to develop international draughts in Florida and the United States through (1) creating and developing an annual international tournament, the MIAMI OPEN, (2) the creation of new social projects in draughts, (3) the development of youth and junior programs, and (4) the popularization of the game at the local community level in Florida. After its creation, NDF announced and began preparing for the 2025 MIAMI OPEN, which was to be held in Florida. The tournament was included in the FMJD calendar.
On November 13, 2024, Lyublyana Turiy ("Turiy"), ICAONA's Executive Director, sent a letter to FMJD demanding that the MIAMI OPEN be removed from the FMJD 2025 calendar. In that letter—which was public—Turiy stated the that the signature of ICAONA President R. Azimullah was "likely forged," the event was falsified, and they likely lied about player accommodation and the availability of prize funds. The 2025 MIAMI OPEN was thereafter excluded from the FMJD calendar for over a month. ICAONA understood that by addressing the highest level of the FMJD with the public letter, it was causing serious damage to the reputations of NDF and Rudnitsky.
In January 2025, the 2025 MIAMI OPEN was re-included in the FMJD 2025 calendar. Also in January 2025, Rudnitsky became aware of communications between Turiy and other individuals, in which the possibility of his disqualification was directly discussed—the goal was to prevent his participation in the 2025 World Championship, stop the development of the "illegitimate" NDF, and organize individuals to disseminate information discrediting NDF. The communications referred to Rudnitsky as corrupt. Around that time, ICAONA discussed possible measures of influence and sanctions against players and ICAONA members for recognizing, supporting, or participating in NDF tournaments. Turiy and others contacted players from the United States and other countries, proposing that they not attend the 2025 MIAMI OPEN tournament and that they continue supporting ICAONA against NDF….
