While there is little left to win or lose for Hijken DTC after a 10-10 draw in Westerhaar, Hoogeveen is fighting for survival. In Arnhem, the Drenthe players recorded a crucial victory, after Maarten Wichgers and Wouter Sosef opened the bag of tricks wide.
Hoogeveen desperately needed the points, but after an early blunder by mainstay Klaas Leijenaar, they walked on eggshells all afternoon. After Martijn Vissers oversaw a nice forcing, the draw was trumps and with the score 8-6, little could be achieved in the remaining three games according to the computer.
However, because the players have to make do with their own imaginations, it came down to tactical ingenuity and stress resistance in the final phase. In that area, two Drenthes with a well-stocked bag of tricks made themselves heard.
Time pressure
President Maarten Wichgers managed to create opportunities against sub-topper Erik van de Weerdhof in a disadvantageous, but complex position. “Under time pressure, Erik thought he could force a stage win, but he realized too late that it was a strong sacrifice on my part.”
The sudden switch to a bad endgame was too much for the Arnhemmer and Wichgers skilfully pushed the game to victory.
The pressure was now entirely on Arnhemmer Rik Twilhaar and Wouter Sosef on behalf of Hoogeveen. The 19-year-old number three of the Youth World Cup looked for complications from the first move, but used plenty of time and ended up in a drawn endgame after exciting complications.
Pure frustration
“Out of pure frustration I continued to play, hoping that he would make another mistake. I still saw tactical opportunities and I managed to weave a treacherous finesse into the score.” That decisive moment can be seen in the photo with this article. Sosef sits motionless behind the board and as the seconds tick away, Twilhaar actually falls into the trap.
Sosef could hardly believe his eyes. “My heart pounded in my throat when he kicked in and pushed his king to the edge to make a draw. I forcefully withdrew my own king, sacrificing two checkers. He still had a choice of tricks, but then I would give him a second king and win immediately. Rik looked up in surprise and in the corner of my eye I saw other Arnhem players walking away shaking their heads and I also walked away from my board for a moment. Rik then stopped the clock and shook my hand when I came back. An incredible ending.”
A crucial 11-9 win for Hoogeveen, which means that with the matches against DIOS Achterhoek and last-place Dammers from East still ahead, a fresh ticket for the premier class is within reach.
Results and standings
Arnhem – Hoogeveen 9-11: 1. Linssen – Z. Palmans 1-1, 2. Twilhaar – Sosef 0-2, 3. Kort – Waterink 1-1, 4. Hin Wong – Vissers 1-1, 5. Van de Weerdhof – Wichgers 0-2, 6. Aliar – Grotenhuis 1-1, 7. Gerritsen – Stempher 1-1, 8. Terwel – Leijenaar 2-0, 7. Andriessen – M. Palmans 1-1, 10. Smeitink – Hakvoort 1-1.
Westerhaar – Hijken DTC 10-10: 1. Van den Broek – De Vries 1-1, 2. Barkel – Domchev 1-1, 3. Slump – Scholma 1-1, 4. Jen Wong Jansen – 1-1, 5. Aalberts – Kalk 1-1, 6 Hessing – Boxum 1-1, 7. De Leeuw – Dolfing 1-1, 8. Van Dijk – Kreeft 2-0, 9. Salomé – Okken 1-1, 10. Hilberink – Sipma 0-2.
Position: 1. Huissen 9-18 (111), 2. Schiedam 9-14 (120), 3. Wageningen 9-12 (97), 4. Gouda 9-11 (98), 5. Hijken DTC 9-10 (89) , 6. Drafts combination Fryslân 9-10 (88), 7. DIOS Achterhoek 9-9 (92), 8. Westerhaar 9-8 (90), 9. Hoogeveen 9-8 (85), 10. Arnhem 9-6 ( 88), 11. Draftsmen from East 9-2 (69), 12. Schiedam II 9-0 (53).