he Dutch field of participants in the Hoogeveen Open will be led by a quartet of active grandmasters: Erwin l’Ami, Benjamin Bok, Sipke Ernst en Jan Werle. Two-time Dutch Open champion Erwin l’Ami won the Univé Open in 2012 and is a contender in any tournament, as we saw earlier this year in Reykjavik, where he won a very strong open. Our faithful participant Ernst, the fighter from Frisia who plays in Hoogeveen every year, always stands a chance in tournaments like this as well.
Benjamin Bok | Photo: New in Chess
Multiple Dutch youth champion Benjamin Bok is, although still only 20 years old, already a seasoned grandmaster, who is playing in the Hoogeveen Open again for the first time since 2007. With his club HMC Den Bosch, the boy from Brabant is the current Dutch football-chess champion. The Frisian Jan Werle has always been a talented grandmaster, but he is also working on a career as a lawyer. This year he has been devoting more time to playing chess again, and the first result was an excellent third place in the Vlissingen Open with 7 out of 9.
