Christian Freeling, a Dutch game designer and mathematician, died on May 19, 2026, in Enschede, Netherlands, at the age of 79.
Born in Enschede on February 1, 1947, he was a retired mathematics teacher known for inventing abstract strategy games including Dameo, Grand Chess, Havannah and Hexdame. His designs ranged across different game types, and he also adapted rules for orthogonal board games to the hexagonal grid, creating new versions with altered properties.
Freeling considered Dameo, Emergo, Grand Chess, Storisende, Sygo and Symple among his most important games, with Emergo his personal favorite.
Christian Freeling, 79, Dutch game designer and mathematician.