Frisian Sports and eleven cities - What do a fierljep champion, the chairman of the PC, the chairman of the Fietselfstedentocht, an SKS (Skûtsjesilen) board member and two draughts grandmasters have in common?
This summer, Fryslân will host a world championship that goes far beyond sport alone. From 28 July to 9 August, icons from various Frisian sports will come together during the 2026 World Match Frisian Draughts Championship. Not as competitors, but as ambassadors for a shared Frisian sporting culture. In this way, the battle for the world title will also serve as a tribute to the sports that have defined the character of Fryslân for generations.
Eleven matches, spread across Leeuwarden, Workum and Harlingen, will form the backdrop to the encounter between reigning world champion Marten Walinga and challenger Taeke Kooistra. Two grandmasters who have known each other for decades and who will now, in a match spanning eleven games, determine who will be crowned world champion of Frisian draughts for the coming years.
But the organisers have deliberately chosen to convey a broader message.
At virtually every match, the ceremonial first move is made by a prominent representative from another Frisian sport. Among others, Provincial Executive Member Abel Kooistra, Rients van der Wal on behalf of the Royal Dutch Fierljep Association, Ids Hellinga of the Royal PC Franeker, Stephan Rekker, chairman of the Elfsteden Rijwieltocht, and Durk Talsma, secretary of the SKS will open one of the World Championship games.
In doing so, the WFD Foundation demonstrates that Frisian draughts does not stand alone, but forms part of the same cultural heritage as kaatsen, fierljeppen and skûtsjesilen. All of these have their roots in the same community spirit, the same history and the same pride in the province.
The format of the championship also embodies the spirit of Fryslân. Each match is named after one of the Frisian Eleven Cities. The opening match will be played in the historic Statenzaal of the Provincial House in Leeuwarden. The competition then moves to the historic town hall in Workum, and the world title decider will take place in the historic town hall in Harlingen. In this way, not only does the competition travel through the province, but so does the story of Fryslân.
In sporting terms, it promises to be a contest of an exceptional standard. Marten Walinga is defending his world title against Taeke Kooistra, who, with 21 Frisian titles to his name, is one of the most successful draughts players Fryslân has ever produced. Walinga’s creative playing style is pitted against Kooistra’s phenomenal preparation and strategic depth. After a maximum of eleven games, it will be clear who can call themselves world champion of Frisian draughts.
In addition to the matches, the Stifting WFD is organising a lecture, a simultaneous exhibition, tournaments (online and over the board) and live analyses. All games can be followed live worldwide via livestreams with expert commentary, giving Frisian draughts an international platform.
The 2026 World Championships Match therefore aims to be more than just a battle for the title. It demonstrates that Frisian draughts is a vibrant elite sport, rooted in Frisian culture and linked to other sports that form the DNA of Fryslân. When a fierljepper, a skûtsjesiler, a kaatser, an Elfsteden organiser and two draughts grandmasters come together, something rare is created: a world championship that celebrates not just a sport, but an entire province.
Note to editors
2026 World Match Frisian Draughts Championship
Dates: 28 July to 9 August 2026
Venues:
• 28 July – Fryslân Provincial Government Building, Leeuwarden
• 30 July to 2 August – Workum Town Hall
• 4 to 9 August – Harlingen Town Hall
Further information, programme and live streams:
www.frisiandraughts.com
Press contact (and for the mandatory registration required when visiting the Provincial Government Building)
Chantal van Sluys – Stifting WFD
Email: cavansluys@hotmail.com
Telephone: +31 (0)6 2267 5488
