Initiated by a classic bishop sacrifice on h7, Jorden van Foreest crushed Loek van Wely in the second final game of the 2025 Dutch Chess Championship, securing his second national title (his first was in 2016). On the other board in the playing hall of the Ald Weishoes in Venlo, his sister Machteld van Foreest defeated Robin Duson in the tiebreak, also claiming her second championship title (her first was in 2022).
The 2025 Dutch Championships (Open and Women’s) were played in a knockout format, with 16 and 12 players respectively. The four highest-rated women received byes in Round 1 and entered the competition in Round 2. The tournaments were held in Venlo, the Netherlands, from July 5 to 12.
“Glad it’s over,” were the first words of Jorden van Foreest (26) as he exited the playing hall. He had seemed to cut through Loek’s defenses like a knife through butter.
“It was also partly due to my preparation,” said Jorden. “It was good.”
When did he start calculating 18.Bxh7? “Quite a while ago. And I recalculated it a hundred times.”
Does this national title bring Jorden happiness, or did he feel obligated to win, given his high rating?
“A little bit of both,” he answered, as thoughtful as ever.
With a 2700+ rating, the new champion is clearly in form. Does he dream of challenging for the world title someday? The ever-modest Jorden avoids bold claims: “I just want to be better than I am now.”
Loek van Wely, runner-up and eight-time Dutch champion, came close to a ninth title but fell short in the final.
“I think I wanted to win the tournament more than anyone,” he said.
Yet there was also realism in his words. “It could have gone wrong against Arthur de Winter. He’s a very strong player. Just like Jorden, of course. You can want it, but sometimes that’s not enough.”
At 52, does he still have the drive to compete again next year?
“I take it year by year. But my kids are a major motivator. They’re 6 and 9, and they always ask how Dad is doing.”
The Women’s final between Machteld van Foreest and Robin Duson was a tense, closely fought battle. After a draw in the first classical game, Machteld miraculously escaped defeat in the second, forcing a tiebreak. By then, Robin’s resistance had faded, and after Machteld won both rapid games, the Van Foreest siblings were crowned joint Dutch champions.
This article is based on report written by Ron Puyn.
Photos: NZ9_1789 and Frans Peeters
Official website: https://nk.schaken.nl/