Three points behind the unapproachable Ukrainian Darya Tkachenko, but three points ahead of the rest of the field, Lisa Scholtens from Slagharen came in second place in the Basalt NK draughts for women.
In the final round, Scholtens recorded her fifth victory at the expense of Marijke Koers, by coming back from a slippery lost position, just like before against Tanya Marie Cnossen.
,,My goal was to finish at least third, just like last year, so I am very satisfied with the second place well ahead of the competition. My best match was the first against Yulia Bintsarovska, then everything worked out. After that, with some luck, I could compete for the title for a long time. It is a pity that things went wrong against Tkachenko, but that is no shame against a four-time world champion.”
‘New experience for me’
Tkachenko, in turn, said she had a great time in Hoogeveen. “It was a new experience for me and I’m glad I got the chance to participate. I was received very hospitably and through the organization DreamDamsters was spot on. The tournament itself was very interesting from day one, with a great result.”
Tkachenko did have an explanation for her superiority. ,,I approached this tournament like any other. I take everyone seriously and try to take advantage with sharp but responsible play. Young people in particular play checkers very enthusiastically and enterprisingly, but they lack the experience you need to recognize the limits of what is playable.”
It is no coincidence that debutantes Elise Schouten (16) and Yulia Bintsarovska (14) lasted the longest thanks to tough defense. The other four teenagers all overplayed their hand and were expertly put to the sword by Tkachenko.
Tkachenko full of praise
That fate also befell Scholtens, although Tkachenko was full of praise for her. ,,Lisa is a great talent, she calculates deeply and wants to beat everyone. But there is also a risk in that.” The Ukrainian made some wise advice for Scholtens, who she will meet again later this year at the World Cup in Curaçao. ,,Maybe Lisa should play a bit more realistically. World top players such as her clubmate Natalja Sadowska at Hoogeveen punish va-banque immediately. It’s a shame to put your computing power in bad positions. If Lisa finds the right balance in this, she can go far.”
Final standings
1. Darya Tkachenko 9-16, 2. Lisa Scholtens 9-13, 3 to 6: Vitalia Doumesh, Yulia Bintsarovska, Luise Gabbert and Fleur Kruysmulder 9-10, 7. Tanya-Marie Cnossen 9-7, 8. Jacqueline Schouten 9-6, 9. Marijke Koers-van Genderen 9-5, 10. Elise Schouten 9-3.
Promotion group: 1. Daniëlla de Vos 6-10, 2. Barbara Graas 6-8, 3/4. Majory Fyt and Iepie Poepjes-Koopman 6-7, 5. Nicole Schouten 6-5, 6. Anna Bakker 6-3, 7. Charell Schuller 6-2