When did you start playing checkers?
“When I was six at school. I once took part in a simultaneous match at the school checkers club. A week later I went back to the club, where I was taught by Jan de Koning. He saw that I picked it up quickly and asked me to come and train on Wednesday afternoons. I liked it because I saw I was making progress. I also found the strategy you choose to play an opponent very interesting. “
What makes a good checkers player?
“You need certain insights. I always analyse my opponents’ matches and try to figure out their weaknesses, what annoys them. After that I come up with a plan. I always find one. I am a versatile player. I often feel like my opponents are afraid of me and are therefore cautious. I can then take risks. I want to get my opponent thinking by not making any easy moves. I also try to avoid theory book moves. The adversary knows those theories too, so I usually try to avoid them.”
How much time do you spend on checkers?
“Previously, at least ten hours a week. And I focused completely on the World Cup for a while. Now that I am studying that has changed. I have to catch up on the accumulated backlog. I do play league matches with my club, Velo. After the second exam week in February, I will focus on checkers again. I really want to win the NK (Dutch Championship) again. The European Championship will follow in the autumn.”
You were disappointed by your ninth place at the World Cup. The expectations were high. Did you suffer from pressure?
“No, I was only concerned with myself. I knew I was ready, but on the first day of the final pool I immediately had two outs. Maybe it was because of fatigue. I played very slowly and felt the effects of it immediately.”
What fascinates you about checkers?
“Surprising your opponent with a certain idea. In my last World Cup match against Aleksandr Schwarzman I quickly made a risky move. He was very nervous because he wanted to become world champion. “What is this?” he exclaimed in Russian. I like that kind of thing. I lost that match by the way. “
What are your longer term ambitions?
“I want to keep developing so I will become world champion in two years. After that, we will see.”
Jimmy Tigges / Redacteur Sport
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