Kubb champion says mental strength matters more than beer

Swiss broadcaster SRF reports that Aargau has become a stronghold of Kubb, with nine of 10 medals at this year’s European Championships going to the Swiss canton. The game, also known as Viking chess, is especially popular around Zurzach, where several clubs and competitions have been established.

One of the largest tournaments is taking place this weekend in Leuggern, with more than 100 teams from around the world. Marc Binder, the reigning European champion, is among the competitors.

Kubb can be played almost anywhere, Binder said, although a flat pitch is ideal. A standard playing field measures eight by five metres. Two teams or individual players take turns throwing wooden sticks to knock down all of their opponents’ wooden blocks, known as kubbs, before toppling the king in the middle.

At a high level, Kubb is a mental challenge, Binder said. After winning Switzerland’s largest individual tournament in 2012, he began to see it as more than a social game. The Leuggern tournament brings serious competitors together with recreational teams whose names include Konterbier and Zielwässerli.

Binder said competitive play and the atmosphere of a recreational tournament were not contradictory. National and European championships were more serious, he said, adding that this was appropriate.

The 43 year old has played Kubb for 20 years. He usually trains once a week and practises up to three times a week before major tournaments. His usual training spot is a barbecue area in Baldingen, Aargau.

Staying calm is important because hitting the wooden blocks from eight metres is more difficult than it sounds, Binder said. Ideally, he thinks about very little and lets his subconscious carry out a throw he has practised many times. When nerves appear, he imagines himself back at his training spot and pictures a situation in which nothing is at stake.

Binder missed out on the individual title three times before winning it this year. He said luck was also needed, but he returned from the European Championships in Linz with three gold medals, winning in the individual event as well as in three and six person teams.

Every tournament includes a beginners’ category focused mainly on enjoyment. Binder said recreational teams were motivated when they played well, and that some returned each year and eventually competed near the top while drinking less.

Alcohol can affect precision, Binder said. One beer was fine, but after two or three he played less accurately. He welcomed alcohol free play during championship matches, while saying that festivals and celebrations remained part of Kubb’s appeal.