Kooistra wins third World Championship match and takes a significant lead
Workum – Taeke Kooistra has won the third game of the World Championship match in Frisian draughts against Marten Walinga. In a strategically superb game, Kooistra came out on top by gradually gaining more and more control over the left flank of the board.
That positional pressure paid off in the endgame. In a six-against-six position, one of Walinga’s pieces ended up idle against the edge of the board, further limiting his options. Only one sharp continuation remained from a combination that offered the possibility of a draw-like endgame. However, after lengthy calculation, Walinga opted for a different move, after which Kooistra flawlessly steered the complex endgame to victory.
With his precise endgame technique, Kooistra once again underlined his exceptional class. At a crucial moment in the world title match, he appears to have found his top form and is taking a significant step towards securing the world title.
There was also plenty of activity away from the board. Running concurrently with the World Championship match, the WFD Foundation organised online tournaments on Lidraughts. This allowed draughts enthusiasts from home and abroad to get in on the action themselves, whilst closely following developments in the world title contest. This gave the international promotion of Frisian draughts a further boost.
The fourth game of the World Championship match will be played on Saturday afternoon in Workum. Walinga will then have the chance to even the score a little, whilst Kooistra can further extend his lead.
Photo 1: Marten Walinga (left) versus Taeke Kooistra
