Don’t forget to create! Creativity inspires!
It is always a pleasure to watch the work of Harm Wiersma. His games are interesting, instructive, and full of diverse ideas. His sharp game serves as a guide for many players in this big world of draughts. We watched one of his last games.
The game played between Harm Wiersma and Ron Heusdens in the penultimate round of the Dutch Team Championship attracted our attention. R. Heusdens is a brilliant grandmaster with his own style of play. Ron can turn any position upside down, sometimes coming to victory after several defeats. It is rivals like Harm and Ron who create vivid and unforgettable masterpieces.
So, let’s look at the fragments of the party:
 |
Harm Wiersma – Ron Heusdens 2-0, Dutch Teamcompetition KNDB 2024/2025 Round 8
1. 34-29 17-22 2. 40-34 11-17 3. 45-40 6-11 4. 31-26 1-6 5. 50-45 16-21 6. 32-28 19-23 7. 28×19 14×23 8. 35-30 10-14 9. 30-24 5-10 10. 33-28 22×33 11. 39×19 14×23 An eternal classic and an “eternally” relevant version of Keller. It is discussed in detail once again in the joint book by A. Balyakin and A. Hetmansky “The Keller Variant”. This game scheme is called Herman van Westerloo. In early 2000 and a little earlier, deep work on this debut was carried out by X. Wirsma, A. Gantvarg and A. Balyakin. |
 |
Here you have to choose from the following sequels: 12.1. Defensive option 37-32 (?) looks very passive due to the temporary sacrifice of draughts. 12.2. 43-39 12.3. Aggressive 38-32 Harm chose the second option. |
 |
12. 43-39 21-27 13. 48-43 17-21 14. 26×17 11×22 15. 37-31 7-11 16. 41-37 11-17 17. 31-26 27-31 18. 36×27 22×31 19. 37-32 31-36 20. 32-27 17-22 21. 38-32 22×31 22. 26×37 20-25 23. 32-27 12-17 24. 40-35 9-14 25. 46-41 6-11 26. 37-31 14-20 27. 41-37 4-9 28. 31-26 11-16
Up to this “key” position, the opponents played without mistakes. It was this position that attracted the attention of analysts and fans on both sides. Two plans were viewed in this position for black: It is from this position that a bright combination game with a lot of ideas begins. It was in this position that it was necessary to choose and see the full range of dangers. We will show you several options. |
 |
Combination option 1: 29. … 08-12 30. 43-38 03-08 31. 37-32 17-21 32. 26×17 12×21 33. 39-33 21-26 34. 33-28 18-22 |
 |
35. 27×18 13×33 36. 29×18 20×29 37. 34×23 33-39 38. 44×33 25-30 39. 35×24 15-20 40. 24×13 08×48 with white winning. |
 |
Combination option 2: 29. … 08-12 30. 43-38 03-08 31. 37-32 17-21 32. 26×17 12×21 33. 39-33 21-26 34. 33-28 18-2235. 28×19 22×31 36. 32-27 31×22 37. 29-23 20×18 38. 42-37 13×24 39. 47-41 36×47 40. 38-33 47×29 41. 34×05 But..! |
 |
There is a counter-combination for black on white’s combination. 22-28 42. 05×32 16-21 43. 32×16 02-07 44. 16×30 25×45 45. 44-40 45×34 with a draw position. |
 |
The following option 3 also deserves attention.: 29. … 08-12 30. 43-38 03-08 31. 37-32 17-21 32. 26×17 12×21 33. 39-33 10-14 34. 35-30 |
 |
34. …. 18-22 35. 29×18 22×31 36. 49-43 13×22 37. 24-19 14×23 38. 32-27 21×32 39. 38×29 with an approximately equal position. |
 |
In the game, Ron chose the option of building a double bundle through the field of 22. And in an acute struggle, he got a losing position.
29. 45-40 17-22 30. 37-31 8-12 31. 42-37 3-8 32. 43-38 9-14 33. 35-30 14-19 34. 47-41 36×47 35. 37-32 47×33 36. 39×17 12×21 37. 26×17 |
 |
Then the game continued by inertia. The final position shows the uncompromising nature of the struggle between the two creative grandmasters.
37. … 10-14 38. 40-35 2-7 39. 17-11 7-12 40. 11-6 23-28 41. 32×23 19×28 42. 6-1 28-33 43. 29×38 20×40 44. 31-26 25×34 45. 27-22 18×27 46. 1×43 with white winning. Let’s say our favorite phrase: “Love draughts, and they will reciprocate your feelings!” |