Walinga strikes back in Workum and narrows the gap in the World Match Frisian Draughts Championship
WORKUM – Reigning world champion Marten Walinga convincingly won the fifth game of the World Championship Match in Frisian draughts on Sunday. In Workum’s historic town hall, he capitalised on a combination that challenger Taeke Kooistra overlooked whilst under severe time pressure. With this victory, Walinga has narrowed the deficit to 3–2, meaning the battle for the world title is once again wide open.
Prior to the match, the ceremonial first move was made by Rients van der Wal, a board member of the Dutch Fierljep Association and a native of the nearby fierljep village of It Heidenskip. This once again highlighted the connection between two original Frisian sports: Frisian draughts and fierljeppen.
During the opening ceremony, Van der Wal spoke about the special bond between the two sports. His grandfather ran a pub in It Heidenskip where draughts was regularly played. That same grandfather was also the grandfather of world champion Marten Walinga. This brings together the rich draughts tradition of It Heidenskip and the current world title race in a special way.
At first, the game on the board seemed to be developing into a quiet affair. The central pieces were exchanged early on, suggesting that the decisive battle would only erupt in the endgame. However, that expectation proved to be misleading. Almost immediately after the opening, tactical threats arose on both sides that required precise calculation.
Gradually, one flank of the board became almost completely locked down, causing the battle to focus on the limited number of remaining possibilities. It turned into a positional battle in which every move was of great importance and in which the central question was which player would be the last to retain any room for manoeuvre.
Kooistra gradually came under pressure and had to invest a great deal of thinking time to hold his position together. Under this mounting time pressure, he ultimately overlooked a decisive combination. Walinga did not hesitate for a moment and, with a combination, forced a breakthrough to king. This immediately decided the game, and Kooistra conceded defeat.
Outside the playing hall, too, there was plenty of attention for Frisian draughts. On the Markt in Workum, Jouke Algra, a board member of the organising WFD Foundation, gave a simultaneous exhibition. Those interested were given the chance to take on the experienced draughts player, thereby gaining an accessible introduction to the rich tradition and tactical depth of Frisian draughts.
After five games, the tension in the World Championship Match is back in full force. With six games still to play, Taeke Kooistra’s lead stands at just one point. From Tuesday, the contest will continue in Harlingen’s historic town hall, where the final six games will decide who will be crowned the 2026 World Champion in Frisian draughts.
Photo 1: Rients van der Wal makes the first move, thereby opening the fifth match game
Photo 2: Jouke Algra playing a simultaneous exhibition
