The story of an international junior bridge event • 1993 - 2017

By Kees Tammens and many others The story of an international junior bridge event • 1993 - 2017

By Kees Tammens and many others

2 A Telephone Call 7 First Win is the Sweetest 46

Dutch Diaries 8 All That Glitters is Not Gold 46

First International Youth Bridge Festival ‘s-Hertogenbosch 19 Expert Analysis 49

Rob and His Girls 20 Tiebreakers All Around 50

Pepsi Cola 23 White House Junior Internationals 2008 -2009 54

From Junior to 24 Bid Gentle and Smooth 55

Meet the Russians 26 The Importance of Small Cards 57

An Illustruous Duo 28 Agnes and Wubbo 58

Juniors Conquer the Globe 30 First Lustrum White House Juniors 60

From Fun to Skill 32 Spectacle 61

An Abundance of Imps 34 To the Top of the World 64

Gutta Cavat Lapidem Non Vi Sed Saepe Cadendo 36 The One Percent Club 66

The Best Chef in Town 38 Daily Bulletin 66

Terrific Girls 39 ‘De Limburger’ 69

Het Witte Huis 40 The 24-th Event 70

The Perfect Couple 42 The Final Of 2016 70

The Kid 44 Winners 72

4 How to spend a million

October 1992, late afternoon, the tele- We agreed to start January 1993 with an International Youth Bridge Festival would phone rang in the ‘Instituut’, nickname of international junior team event in ‘s-Her- grow on to become an important factor the Table Tennis Centre in Amsterdam. togenbosch, the birth- and hometown of in the junior bridge scene. After the move From 1967-2001 that was the place to be Jan. The big parking ticket that after- in 2005 to Amsterdam we celebrate in if you liked to play Joker, Mah Jong, Rus- noon under his windshield was peanuts 2017 alltogether in Het Witte Huis during sian Poker, Acquire, Go, Chess, Checkers, regarding to the immense amount of cash White House Junior Internationals the Pool, Snooker and even Bridge. Rumours he would spend on junior bridge. The 25-th edition. go you could even play table tennis. The bartender announced loudly: “Kees, a call for you, a guy called Jan Rijnaarts”. Since I never heard that name before, I somewhat reluctantly stepped out of the joker game and picked up the phone. An unfamiliar voice with an amazing announcement: “Hallo Kees, I am Jan, we don’t know each other, but I am sure you are going to listen to me and my partner Fons (van Bokhoven) have a bag full of money, take it or leave it a million guilders. You are the coach of the Dutch junior bridge and I am told you know how to spend that!”. I could not believe my ears and was certainly capable of spending money. Little did I realise what was in store for the Dutch juniors as well as for juniors from all parts of the world. Two days later, Jan, a giant of a man, entered the Instituut. It took no more than minutes to get acquainted and an intense and steady Jan Rijnaarts friendship was born.

7 Since the ‘I and me’-person in ’25 years’ and produced lots of dear memories and tries all over the world, that it would take refers often to yours truly, I will start with fabulous stories. With only 24 hours in a thousands of pages to mention everybody. an introduction of myself with a survey of day, twelve months in a year, time was a Don’t worry: I like and love all these en- my own bridge career as well as my activ- limiting factor. My son Bas aptly provided thusiast juniors and friends I have made ities in and for junior bridge. This will be me with a resourceful solution. At Sinter- during these magical 25 years. A lot of completed with contributions by juniors, klaas (a yearly Dutch childrens happen- history and remarkable events will remain often with remarkable stories. The nice ing, December 5) he ofered ‘Keesuary’, a untold, and certainly this could become photographs of WHJI are made by Paul te 13th month! a new project for a future extension. Stroete. For the realisation of this pamflet The language on many occasions can be I thank Joop Schepers for his always in- Juniors, junior bridge and me go way back referred to as BBE: ‘Bad Broken English’. I teresting, and certainly lengthy, linguistic till December 1975. My partner Eddy will start with an introduction of myself. tips. Anneke Simons and James Gerritsen and me were leading the trials for the corrected the text. Rafaella Wang made Dutch Junior team for Lund-1976. Then Curriculum vitae: 1950: born in Almelo. everything ready for printing and she it became painfully evident that in 1976 Learn and play checkers with Herman, my added illustrations. Of course I owe all I would become 26, passing the age-limit friend from kindergarten. 1960: move to juniors big time who made this to such for juniors. Another friend of mine, Leo, Delft with my father, mother and younger a fantastic and memorable period, with stepped in and qualified with Eddy for brother Jos. Learn to play chess as well from 1993-2017 yearly an international the junor team. The went as many different card-games: hearts, 31 junior tournament in the Netherlands. strong on to win bronze in the European and jokeren. Playing was important but Last but no least I am grateful for the Championships. I was happy for them, winning took a firm grip. Sport at Stan- generous support of many sponsors. This but still regret never to have played in an islas-college and with my soccer team (I all resulting in the ’25 years’ celebration in international junior championship. was a fanatic defender) as well as playing White House Junior Internationals 2017. games at home with my parents and Jos. In this booklet, composed on the oc- 1968: first bridge-lesson by school-friends One day, a journalist (not a bridge player) casion of the 25th international junior during graduation at gymnasium. Move asked me “What is bridge to you?”. My event in the Netherlands, I will describe to Amsterdam for a study in Medicine. answer: learning, playing, competing, my impressions of all those happy years. Studying was important but learning and winning, earning a living ( There will be contributions of many practising mind sports and card-games was an essential part in that), writing, juniors, sometimes elaborated by me, who irrevocably took over. teaching, training, coaching, organis- have vistited Den Bosch and Amsterdam. ing. You will understand that almost 50 I encountered so many juniors, coaches, years in bridge gave me a fulltime job captains, sponsors and guests, from coun-

8 9 First Steps I showed my cards with the hearts plus DEVELOPING old timers from our club. They asked if we COMPETING ANNEKE create unexpected situations A. The comments were harsh: “That is beware of sneaky comments had played this already and what play every board as if first prize depends “maybe it is better that you do it in anoth- a strange 3NT opening bid!”. As I was the final contract was. After our proud on it er way, approved and firmly recommend- First bridge game at Stanislas-college, still ignorant, I wondered what I had done 1973: Pairs league, 20 tables, district ‘we bid and made 7 ’, they told us that ed by myself” Delft 1968 wrong. Fortunately, my partner with a Amsterdam would be just an average score because for 1971 First visit to ‘Hoenselaar’, with daily happy face wrote down + 400. We left our sure all the other pairs also would reach rubber bridge games. 1972: ‘De Oude In the early seventies Anneke was a South/EW 9 8 3 opponents behind who discussed loudly North/NS A Q J 9 2 this grand slam. When the session was Schouwburg’ closes its doors. 1973: Chess regular visitor in Het Instituut where I A 8 3 the possiblility of a vulnerable 4 . over we looked at the frequency sheet to pub ‘het hok’ opens, the bridgeclub ‘het was tending the bar. After a holiday in J 10 8 6 4 K 10 9 8 6 5 J 6 5 A find only one +2210. We were the only hok’ was already founded in 1972. Daily the south of France with a big group A J 7 6 5 N Q 10 4 7 6 N 8 4 3 pair to reach the grand. games 3x8 (three times eight boards with of friends, we started dating. In 1979 I 4 J 9 6 Q 10 6 5 4 K J 9 W E The wonderful 70-ies W E different partners), a great and produc- moved into her attic with roof terrace A 7 5 K Q playing as the best education J Q 4 3 2 tive way to learn the game. 1973: at the Haarlemmerdijk, in ‘De Jordaan’, Q 10 9 3 S K 8 7 4 2 Q 10 6 5 4 S K J 7 ERIK into ‘Het Instituut’. 1973: win in district Amsterdam’s oldest district, domicily for K 2 K 10 5 1968: first entry in chess pub ‘De Oude always go for the win teams with Eddy and splendid teammates students, artists, and cardplayers. For A K Q 10 7 5 2 8 7 3 2 9 3 2 Schouwburg’, at the Leidseplein in the A 7 ‘Koppie’&‘De Knoert’. 1974: The Neth- security reasons (love is a strange thing) A heart of Amsterdam. Learn to play ‘Go’ 9 8 3 2 From 1970 to 1990 I formed a partner- erlands loses Soccer World Cup final to I kept my appartment up the road at the (promoting in just over one year to Eddy ship with Erik Kirchhoff, a spectacular Germany (again in 1978 to Argentina and Brouwersgracht. 1982: we rented a house WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH shodan). In addition, I started playing WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH and driven player. Travelling with Erik in 2010 to Spain, three painfull losses). at the Bootstraat. During the early days of 3 NT ‘three handed’- bridge, because a fourth through all parts of Europe. Playing in 1974-1975: play for US, the Amsterdam our relationship we played a lot of bridge 1 (17+) pass 1 (3 controls) pass pass pass man was not always around. 1969: start Philip Morris Pairs tournaments and in student club with Dick, Nico, Louis and together, scoring some nice results: 1981 pass 2 pass 2 NT of ‘four handed’- bridge. My first ‘play for festivals especially in France. We cher- George. 1977-1978: first professional winner of M&S Mode (Max Abram as pass 3 pass 4 To understand the 3NT opening bid, you pay’ gig was a 10 cents a hundred-game ished our victories in tough tournaments bridge contract (pro month fl 250.= plus founder of this firm and host and organ- pass 4 NT pass 5 (1 ace) must know that my knowledge of bidding in a fraternity house called Vesta. 1970: in Budapest, Juan-les-Pins, Deauville (one travel expenses) with Studiecentrum iser of this fine event), the Mixed teams pass 5 NT* pass 6 ( K) was restricted to one lesson consisting of partnership with Eddy Roosnek. One day win in the Patton teams and three consec- (The Hague), entry in Meesterklasse (first Dutch championship. 1982 (Biarritz) and pass 7 pass pass only one sentence: “For 3NT you need at noon (sleeping was an important part utive first prizes in the ‘pairs messieurs’), national leaugue) and experiencing a 1986 (Miami): two top-ten finishes (6 pass nine tricks and for 4 or 4 you have of rainy days), Eddy walked into in my Oostende, London, Antwerp, Saint warm partnership with Piet Borst. Play and 10) in World Mixed Pairs. After that *Josephine to make ten tricks!”. I played some other room, throwing a book at my bed: ‘The Helier, Turnhout (Çarta Mundi’), Loiben, in rubber-bridge games in Belgium with it seemed better for the peace of mind to trick taking card games, so I counted my ’ by Leon Yallouze and Benito Düsseldorf and Duisburg in one very long Hans Kreijns. 1978: start writing for stop playing together. 1983: birth of son hand: seven tricks in , A and maybe Garozzo. He spoke with his usual honesty: Using the Blue Club 1 -strong opening weekend, Djakarta, Copenhagen, and of BRIDGE. 1978: fall in love with Anneke. Bas. Anneke, Bas and Kees and compete- K. Nine was in my view possible but I “Your bidding is terrible, learn this system bid, the sequence to 7 went smoothly. course we celebrated out victory in War- 1979: play in the first national league for tiveness are synonyms. During holidays could not count ten tricks so I decided to by heart”. So I did. We kept on playing Because of the system I became declarer sawa Grand Prix 1988. It was no need for ‘het hok’ with Erik in a foursome with we played games called three-person open with 3NT. Little did I know that you daily in ‘De Oude Schouwburg’. In 1973 as South with the short spades in my me to get my car licence. It was unthink- Gerrit (father of Wubbo) de Boer) and bridge, hearts or Russian Poker. All three also could open with something else than came the move to ‘het hok’, coffeehouse/ first grand slam ever. Making thirteen able that another driver then Erik sat Gerhard Beens. of us were eager to win. Anneke accused 3NT/4 or 4 . The play went quickly, bridge club and we started in the pairs tricks was no problem, drawing two times behind the wheel. His clincher: “I drive of me even in assisting Bas so at least she something I would always enjoy in later competition. trumps, and ruffing out the diamonds. course; we are in a hurry!”. would not win. “The boy is only eight years. A small spade for K in South and After this table, we played against a pair, years old, it is my duty to guide and assist

10 11 South/NS COMPETING in hearts. Of course, 1 doubled was in TROUW. 1986: 10th with Anneke following two decades I had in Hans Ver- create and grab chances passed out and we kept declarer to three In World Mixed Pairs Championship, goed and finally Pieter-Bas Wintermans Anneke tricks in spades for four down (+700 in Miami. 1987: the Netherlands win World two great partners till my last appearance WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Open pairs, Juan-les-Pins, 1981 those days) and 378 match points out of a Junior Teams Championships, Amster- in the Dutch National leaugue in 2008. 1 possible 388. After winning this five-day dam, with Erik (1952-2012) as trainer. 1992: coaching in first European junior 1 2 3 4 North/-- 6 pairs event we invited all our friends to 1988: win, with Carla Arnolds, in the teams Championship, Paliaseau (‘ten for 4 4 NT pass 5 (1 ace) A K 10 8 ‘Crystal’ (café, bar, petit restaurant) for Transnational World Teams, Venice. 1989: us and ten away’ resulting black Friday pass 5 pass pass A 7 5 champagne and beer. The Dutch know organise ‘Keizersgracht Bridge Festival’ ending at place 10). 1993: First Interna- 5 6 pass pass K 10 5 3 2 Q J 10 9 2 8 5 how to party and at one point Erik got a in the Instituut, six days of bridge and tional Youth Bridge Festival in ‘s-Herto- pass N J 9 7 6 4 3 2 little restless noticing all the empty bottles fun,some snooker and beer, celebrating genbosch. 1994: The ‘Boekmanschool’ W E K J 8 4 2 6 3 and instructed me to ask for the bill. First my birthday at June 25-the with a victory wins Dutch Championship . S 2 : gameforcing with support for hearts J Q 9 7 4 prize in the tournament was about 10.000 in the team event. 1995: Ajax beats AC Milan in final of the 4 : A, with interest in a heart slam. A K 7 4 3 in Dutch guilders so we had something Champions League. 1995: transfer of my Q 5 Anneke visiting ‘Bartje’ in Assen Anneke as North looked upon her hand Q 10 9 to spare for the no doubt enormous bill. weekly bridge-column from Trouw to De ( A 8 A J 9 3 K J 10 9 2 K 3), A 8 6 Much to our joy, Jean-Pierre, owner of the productive 90-ies Volkskrant (the second Dutch national him!”. Anneke went on strong and succes- concluded that probably west had K Crystal, with a big smile waved away my Newspaper). 1996: win (with Marijke van Erik full with her bridge-career, forming since and consistently bid the slam which was request. “The Dutch bridge players come 1991: succession of Erik as trainer/coach der Pas and -Antion Maas) in WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1977 a long-time partnership with Jet making of course. South: 7 Q 10 8 7 here every year and provide us always of Dutch juniors; we finish our partner- European Mixed teams, Barcelona. 1997: 1 pass 1 ! Pasman. She has a degree in Psychology 4 Q 7 A Q 10 8 2. She looked at the with huge profits, so this is an excellent ship but never lose our friendship. In the gold (in a splendid partnership with 1 dbl pass pass and developped a business career in the visible disturbed West and explained her moment I take all the costs myself”. pass academic hospital, a publishing firm and abilities as a poker player. Being a mul- at last a large media concern. With the tiple medal winner herself, the gold she Dutch Ladies team Anneke produced a won as captain of the Dutch Junior Girls The big pairs tournaments at the Med- the glorious 80-ies long list of prizes in international champi- team in the worldchampionships-2016 in iterranean Sea, in the South of France, onships, conquering the -2000 Salsomaggiore even had a more shining exercised an irresistible attraction to us, 1980&1981: second and first in Juan-les- (Bermuda) as the great highlight. Since glow. She will play on with Jet, guide young bridge guns. Sun, sea and espe- Pins. 1982: sixth with Anneke in World the move of the international junior the White House Junior Internationals cially juicy money-prizes. You created Mixed Pairs Championship, Biarritz. event to Het Witte Huis she is vital to its in safe waters, captain the Dutch Girls, always a smokescreen in the bidding: the 1983: Win (with Erik) ten consecutive organisation, composes the goodie bags, acts as a volunteer for the Foodbank and 1 -response was not artificial or some bidding challenges (not bad for guys organises BBO and also is the financial assists in the neighbourhood community form of system. It was a gambit to reach who can play but absolutely cannot bid!). expert: “Somebody has to take care that centre. She plays word-games with friends 3NT and gave away as a little as possible 1984: first win in Dutch National Team you don’t spend all your money at once!”. around the world (however, she gave up about the lead. And a possible 4-5 fit in Championships. 1985: win in Dutch Pairs on Pokemon) and keeps our household spades would never got lost anyway. In Championship. Play for the first time for I vividly remember a board from a mixed steady. Her critics maybe somewhat direct this board, this caused a big result when the Netherlands in the European Cham- teams tournament, playing against ‘expert’ and straightforward, you better take care West overcalled 1 and Erik doubled for pionships for teams (7th, Salsomaggio- José, head of the ‘Boekmanschool’ celebrates the opponents: you follow her advice. take-out, suggesting srongly a four-card re). 1985: 1986: weekly bridge column Minibridge Champions of 1994, Bram, David, Bas and Lennon

12 13 Frans Jeunen (Belgium) in European 3, 2, J and K. At A, the news The ideal and o so productive ‘rubber’ at 22.30) with the amazing number of 60 went from good to better. The amount of Common Market Open Pairs, Salsomag- about the 5-0 split in trumps. The solution situation: North-south not vulnerable, tables, some of them in the colorful gar- lires Bas collected at the prize-giving was giore. European Junior teams: 1994 (11, was found quickly. Speed plays sometimes with a part-score of + 40. East-west: den. Things went pretty well for us when enormous. The boy ever so kindly agreed Arnhem), 1996 (5, Cardiff) and 1998 (10, an important role. Without hesitation I vulnerable, no part score. The players at an eventfull board caused a lot of rumour to pay for the AS Roma tickets. We saw Vienna) was not where we are aiming at. played 6 to A and a club from dum- the table: West: a self-proclaimed expert amongst the emotional Italian players. Gabriel scoring a great goal. In the mean- I keep looking for ways to improve my my, East discarding a diamond! That was player. East: a reasonably good, but time Anneke, who was kibitzing, was juniors. all I needed. I crossed to K and played unlucky player. North: a cautious retired South/EW J 7 6 5 4 3 2 recognised as a World Champion (Venice a club leaving East without resources. manager with always something extra 10 9 Cup earlier that year). The club-organisers J 8 2 for his bidding. South: myself as young 3 were very honoured by her visit and gal- WINNING rubber-bridge gun. A K N Q 9 lantly and with great Italian charm waived no bridge player is clairvoyant RUBBER BRIDGE A 8 K J 7 3 2 away our question for the bill. W E take full advantage of guileless opponents WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH K 5 4 3 Q 7 A Q 10 4 2 S K 9 7 5 European Mixed Teams Championship, 1 10 8 1996, Barcelona From 1973-2002 I played almost daily pass 2 pass pass THE NEW MILLENIUM Q 6 5 4 in a rubber bridge game at ‘Hoenselaar’ dbl pass 2 dbl A 10 9 6 looking for solid solutions South/EW K Q J 8 a stately mansion at the border of the pass pass pass J 8 6 J 4 Vondelpark in the centre of Amsterdam. Before ruins in Florence (a classical 2000: silver for Dutch junior team in 6 2 Bas I make excursions to bridge-clubs in the education has effects). European Junior Team Championships, A 10 8 5 2 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Statenlaan (The Hague) and with Hans Passing 2 shook the table. West, who Antalya. 2000: Anneke wins Venice -- N 9 7 6 5 4 pass K 10 8 3 Q 9 7 Kreijns to Antwerp (against Li, a Belgium already looked in his hand before passing BAS Cup. 2001: ‘Het Instituut’ closes. 2002: W E 1 3 dbl pass A Q J 10 7 3 9 8 4 international) or my so beloved ‘’ the first time took the bait and came in at terroristi Ollandese ‘Hoenselaar’ closes and rubberbridge 9 7 3 S J 4 3 NT pass pass pass in Ostend (Belgium) Over the course of very dangerous vulnerability. As South, I almost vanishes. 2005: The International A 10 3 2 the years, you get to know your oppo- was eager to double the 2 bid and all the After an active career as minibridger, kid, Junior Event moves to ‘Twee Klaveren’. A 6 5 2 K 5 nents inside out. poor declarer could do was avoid going U-20 and junior, Bas now divides his time Bas came up with a small diamond, 2006: Bas&Bob finishing fifth in the K Q 6 down more than three: +800 for North- between Caroline (Connecticut, USA), declarer putting up Q for my A in World Junior Pairs in Piestany, where A 10 3 south. As usual the board caused a lot of the stock market, Ajax and enjoys some South. I returned 6 for K, North Marion-Vincent took the bronze. 2006: Marijke 6 4 discussion especially when we picked up bridge. jettisoned J. Declarer played A and start of White House Junior Internation- WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH K J 9 an easy 2 making five and 3NT making heart to J and Q so I could cash two als in ‘Het Witte Huis’. A very fine, and 1 NT A 10 8 4 3 Q J 8 2 7 6 5 eleven tricks for a nice gain in the rubber. On Spring holiday in 2000 Anneke, Bas diamonds. 3NT just making was 100% of successful, period followed as trainer pass 2 pass 2 N 3 2 K Q 9 5 The game in Hoenselaar went on for and I went to Rome, of course to visit the matchpoints for us. With a brusque and coach of the Dutch junior teams pass 3 NT pass 4 W E A 8 7 6 5 4 3 almost thirty years. It was a great way to the ancient monuments, fine food and gesture West took the cards of Bas and with the gold at European Junior Team pass pass K 9 5 S Q 7 6 play bridge, training yourself, learning to watch a AS Roma-game with Gabriel shouted out : “Terroristi Ollandese!”. Bas Championships, Jesolo. 2007: Gold for K 9 4 and profiting from the habits of bridge Batitusta. We arrived one evening in the calmly replied, pointing at his hand: “I Meike-Marion, Vincent-Jacco , Bob-Meri- A J 10 8 7 Completing a routine bidding sequence – Q 10 2 players and adding some pay-out for your Alpha Bridge Club at the border of the have SEVEN spades!”. The whole room jn in European Junior Teams in Jesolo. although the silence of West was incom- J 2 livelihood. A man has got to eat. famous Parc Borghese. Bas, 16 at the time, got informed about this frisky 3 (‘solo 2008: last participation for ‘HOK’ in prehensible – led us to 4 . The lead was and I registered for a pairs game (starting sette picche, terroristi’)-. Things Dutch Open Team Championships.

14 15 2008: gold for Merijn-Bob, Meike-Mar- Israel and the Netherlands, Israel was did not cover with J and declarer let cruise II. 2016: Anneke and her Dutch ion, Tim-Danny in World University leading 169.3-168. it run ending with two spades, four dia- Girls win gold at World Championships, Teams Championships, Lodz. 2009: gold monds and four clubs: 180. Nonetheless Salsomaggiore. February 2017: second for Marion-Tim in World Junior Pairs, Board 80, final Junior World teams, 2012, we sadly threw away our notebooks and Blues Cruise: Tampa to Costa Maya, Enjoy Istanbul. 2010: Travelling for the first- Taicang accepted sour we would finish with the Mexico. March 2017: 25-th international time Route 66 with Anneke. 2010: victory silver. junior team event (WHJI) in the Nether- yourself, with Bob Drijver in Antwerps Student West/EW A K 9 lands. 2017- as long as it lasts: whatever Berend Joris Championship (after this achievement A Q 8 the future will have in store. I will certain- have fun, J 7 5 4 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH I was officially established as an eternal ly promote junior bridge in every way I J 10 6 1 dbl redbl 1 student). 2011: gold for Arnout-Gerbrand J 10 7 6 Q 8 3 can, keep touch with junior bridge-play- play N pass pass 3 pass and Berend-Joris in the Open World Ju- K 5 4 7 2 the Bermuda Bowl in 1993) as chief and ers from all around the world and hope to W E nior Teams and gold for Berend van den A 10 8 K Q 3 2 pass pass Alpha Bridge (co-sponsor of White House welcome them every year in Amsterdam. bridge! S Bos-Joris van Lankveld at Open World A 9 5 K Q 3 2 Juniors) as the publishing company. 2016: So far so good, let’s get on with the real Junior Pairs Championships, Opatija. 5 4 2 The impossible became true. The Israeli Miami to Cozumel: Keep The Blues Alive work in the junior bridge world. J 10 9 6 3 2012: gold at World Junior Team Cham- 9 6 East-west pair had probably some form pionships, Tianjin. Erik calls two minutes 8 7 4 of system mixup about the strength of the after the final and decisive trick, deep in redouble followed by end ended in the the Dutch night: “At last you also have a The bidding as we witnessed on the -partial for nine tricks: +70 or + 2 imps world title!” Returning in Twee Klaveren, : for the Netherlands. With 197-196.3, the Erik welcomed me with champagne and incredible margin of 0.7 imps, the world hugged me firm as a gratulation for the Gerbrand Aarnout title. The enormous afterparty in disco world title. A couple of months later we WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1890 became wet and long and the floor suffered a terrible shock when Erik at 1 pass 2 pass really was floating. his holiday went for a swim and was hit 2 NT pass pass pass by a heart attack, not able to recover. My fabulous partner and beloved friend had After the skimpy 1 opening bid I was WRITING gone away. R.I.P Erik Kirchhoff ( Amster- sure that the Dutch pair would reach 3 dam, April 28, 1952- Saba, November 24, NT, not so good a contract but making 2014: silver at World Junior Team Cham- 2012). with the hearts of south without an entry. pionships, Istanbul. 2015: retire as trainer For some reason, at that moment fatal for Dutch Juniors but am allowed to attend our chances, East decided to pass 2NT, the central youth training. GOLD ending all our hopes for the title. North 2015/16/17 bridge ‘tear off’- calender: 365 the most remarkable 0.7 imps of a lifetime led A and continued K and a third problems, every day one. spade after which declarer only seemed ‘2018’ in preparation. Bridge Beter is After 79 boards of the World Junior to have nine tricks. After K and A a magazine with Berry Westra (world Teams Championship in 2012, between followed by 10, North rather sleepingly champion as a junior in 1987, winner of

16 17 January 1993. Cars and mini vans are parking in front of the house of Mia, Jan and Soof Rijnaarts in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, better known as Den Bosch. Juniors from Poland and Austria stepped into the house. Mia ran in a hurry to the bakery to get fresh bread and to the grocery store for many bottles of milk. The young bunch is hungry ánd thirsty after a long drive from their home country to the Netherlands. Many take a shower to wash of the travel dirt. It is a come and go on the steps. After twenty showers, the boiler ran out of hot water, which did not prevent the juniors to go on showering. Soof, the seven-year young daughter of the house, kept running around with sandwiches and refreshments. In the meantime, Jan called the hosts (in twelve years ‘Den Bosch’ many of these guest (uitsmijters). Jan, Fons and I inspected parents have hosted hundreds of juniors) restaurant ‘Metropole’, where the first to inform them that their young guests International Youth Bridge Festival Den had arrived. After a couple of hours, Bosch would start the next day. All of this when the youngsters left, the house was as result of that famous phone call that quiet again and Mia fell on the couch would rock the junior bridge world in the after cooking piles of eggs ‘sunny side up’ next twelve years.

19 By Rob van den Berg

On the boat from Vlissingen to Sheer- pointed only to make seven tricks but WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH always visualise carefully the lay-out in a ness. The disco on the ship is lots of fun. +160 still was an almost top. We finished 2 pass 2 critical suit Without one minute of sleep, we arrive on at a nice eighth place. In 1993, at the pass 2 pass 2 NT A K Q 4 3 pass 3 pass 3 NT Monday morning between the children European Junior Pairs in Oberreiffenberg, A J 9 3 on their way to school. How big a contrast we all went with a touring car driven by pass pass pass A K can you have to eventually play in the junior Mick Barendregt. I played with K 3 Channel Trophy (a tournament between Shelley Unger (Austria). We had a great J 10 8 7 N 9 5 2 K 10 7 Q 5 4 the youth teams of England, France, event although we took not so many You lead a small club. Declarer takes K, W E Q 7 10 8 6 3 2 Belgium and the Netherlands). On the matchpoints. In the Youth Bridge festival and East drops Q, cashes A and K A J 6 2 S Q 7 way back, Frans Borm (coach of the U-20 of 1993, I had the pleasure of playing with and plays three rounds of spades. A, 6 team) played ‘blind’ chess games against Gert Jan Dekkers. I don’t recall many K, Q and a fourth spade for J. South 8 6 2 three juniors; and he won all three match- boards but what I vividly remember is a following suit one time, discarding a club, J 9 5 4 10 9 8 5 4 es! Impressive. I had a great time as a ju- girl called Monika (Austria). As you will a heart and a diamond. You cash A and nior, especially at the European Common understand this chapter of junior bridge J, East discarding a diamond. Market Championships in Vouliagmeni also could be called ‘Rob and the girls’. It’s a pity: 1993 was the year I celebrated (Greece). With Jaap van der Neut- Marcel 4 my 25-th birthday so it was also the end Nooijen and Hans Kelder as my partner This type of defensive play I always liked: A J 9 of my wonderful period as a junior. we played and won a team tournament in North/All Mariënbad (Czech Republic). The crystal A K Q 4 3 N bowl is still on the dresser of my mother. A J 9 3 K 10 7 W E A K I remember vividly that in a 7 contract K 3 6 S with AJ9 versus K73 Hans played J 10 8 7 N J, Q, K and finessed 10 on the way K 10 7 W E back. In 1991, I played with Ylva Johans- Q 7 S son (Swed) in the first European Junior A J 6 2 Pairs Championship in Fiesch. The most bizar board was when I followed 1 after So your play? Of course, my dear Watson, a 1 opening bid with A J 9 8 7 6 plus elementary: play K and declarer will go A, A and A. Next hand doubled down. and there it stayed. I was a little dissap-

20 21 the ‘Pepsi’ generation under the spell of bridge

1994: Organisers Jan and Fons found North/All 4 Never give up a board until the last card a splendid new playing area: the HOC 9 5 is played K 3 (Heineken Ontmoetings Centrum), the K Q J 10 9 7 6 5 place where the beer brewery received Jaap Timo Q J 10 8 7 2 N A K 9 6 guests and business partners. Since A Q J 7 4 K 10 8 6 2 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH W E sponsors of alcoholic beverages are not -- J 9 6 5 4 dbl 5 A 4 S -- allowed in junior sports, the event got the 6 7 7 dbl 5 3 name Pepsi Cola. The bigger accommoda- redbl pass pass pass 3 tion allowed more teams to compete. Ten A Q 10 8 7 4 2 countries and two Dutch teams competed. 8 3 2 The participants were all welcomed and Jaap Brulleman and Timo van de Berg Mark Jean Paul hosted for the whole week by families in created a smoke after which South WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH and around the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch. thought to have a surprise trick with 4 pass 4 On the day before the international A. The declarer could take all 13 tricks dbl pass pass pass tournament, a matchpoint pairs game was without the blink of an eye and East-west played where many juniors paired up with chalked up +2940: a great way to beat one of their hosts. The hosts will have South took 4 by North as , +2900 of the other table. blinked their eyes in surprise seeing the solid eight card in , and North took 4 Denmark defeated Great Britain in the horror performance by some of the Dutch by South as a real suit. No one bothered final and on the day after the junior juniors, playing for this opening tourna- the double and the fine contract went internationals there was a big event in the ment in different and clearly unfamiliar down all ten tricks. The computer did not local theatre aimed at the Pepsi genera- partnerships. accept the score of +2900 so the board tion: 30 pairs in the pupils (kids) event was scored as +2600 for East-west who and over fifty pairs minibridgers (a form were sure of a 100% result. However even of bridge designed for boys and girls from with +2900 they would not have taken the 10 yeaurs of age) as well as a Swiss teams top on this board. tournament for U-21 and U-26 teams.

23 tournament I played with Bart Hoekstra. that day no lunch! Dear memories and I At first glance the contract depended on I had already passed the junior age limit do believe that an event like Den Bosch the K-. Simon showed great skill (Kees: that happens once in a while. Email was an important part of my education as and was a little disappointed that as well form Hungarian, Croation or Argentin- a bridge-player. K was right and clubs were divided ian junior: “Kees, I become 26 in april, three-three. After the -lead for can I still play in White House Juniors in South/All K Q 7 6 K in dummy, he played a diamond for March”?”. Of course!) but was allowed to Q 10 4 2 J and Q in west who returned another 5 play in Netherlands C. spade for 8 in South. A diamond ruffed, By Simon de Wijs A Q 9 3 The daily routine: we slept in Tilburg in to K in South and the last diamond 10 5 3 2 N -- the house of Bart. Same breakfast with 9 K 8 7 6 5 3 ruffed. To A and all the trumps. The W E I started to play bridge with Ricco (van four fried eggs and cheese. We drove to A K Q 8 7 10 6 3 2 contract was cold as long as clubs were 10 5 4 S Simon de Wijs, Prooijen) and we were taught a compli- the playing area, guessing songs on the ra- J 7 6 three-three of the player with four clubs Schelte Wijma A J 9 8 4 (also NPC of cated relay system by Frank van Dalen, a dio after a few notes. I lost painfully when had also K. Well played. juniors in 2000, A J 2002, 2004 and player from De Lombard. I shouted out ‘Rolling Stones’ while Bart J 9 4 2006) and Our first participation in ‘Den Bosch’ was called it ‘Bette Midler’ with the first lines K 8 2 Simon went on to win world titles in 2011 Friso Zwerver in 1994 where we straight away won the of “Beast of Burden”. I feel it still as a and 2016. collecting their Ricco Simon prizes for best closing pairs tournament. So we got an great injustice when it proved to be Bette declared and WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH defended hand in invitation for the junior squad. Midler. Bart even did not know that the 1 NT European Junior From Den Bosch-1994 I don’t remember original was by the Stones! We played free Championships, pass 3 (splinter) pass 3 Vienna (1998). much. I remember that we did not win and won in my memory the Butler for pass 4 (cue) pass 4 (cue) much but had the more fun. We went one pairs. Playing, eating, drinking and very, pass 4 NT pass 5 night after the event with our host-par- very, late to bed; for me now at age 43 this pass 6 pass pass ents to a café. Jan Rijnaarts parked his would be now an impossible rhythm. I car with the the flashlights on before the remember also that we (Vincent, Friso, pass café on the sidewalks. The police allowed Ricco and myself) went into town for a that; Jan was just too big for them. In ‘Het lunch and took 0-25 because there was Veulen’we sang loud, without knowing the precise words, the songs together with the Hackett-twins. In a later year Bas Drijver was my partner. he was still an U-20 play- er and his ethics were not up to the good standard. Fortunately when he grew older, Bas made big steps forward in that aspect and now is a respectable world champion. This was in the sporting way the best year for me in Den Bosch. The most special

24 25 Jan and Fons were very impressed by this South/All Q 7 BRIDGE CAPITAL South/NS A 9 4 3 second Bridge Festival that they an- J 6 4 2 A Q 8 6 3 7 4 nounced that the third one in 1995 would The 3rd International Youth Bridge Fes- Q 2 6 5 4 3 2 9 5 become bigger and better. tival made Den Bosch for seven days the J 4 3 N 10 8 6 5 K 10 7 N J 8 6 2 K 9 8 Q 10 7 3 bridge capital of the world. Carla Arnolds, K 10 9 4 2 5 W E W E On the afternoon of January 3, 1995, Q 10 9 3 8 6 5 who won the world championships pairs 5 10 9 4 S S more than 80 juniors, over 50 host parents A J 8 10 9 in 1994 (Albuquerque, with Bep Vriend), A K 7 2 Q 8 6 4 3 and some 30 representatives of the sponsor A K 9 2 gave workshops as well as Berry Westra. Q 5 A 5 J 7 Vrumona, a daughter of Heineken (since On the day after a Top-16 was played with A K J 2 A K J 8 7 6 3 youth and alcohol are not going hand K Q 7 the participation of many Dutch masters J 10 in hand) and NBB gathered in the HOC (of course Hans Kreijns); from abroad Jet Anneke (the meeting centre of Heineken) for the WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Sabine Zenkel-Daniela van Arnim, the WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH opening of the 3rd International Youth 2 quick rising German ladies-stars, Jens 1 Bridge Festival ‘s-Hertogenbosch. Mr pass 2 pass 2 NT Auken-Dennis Koch (Denmark), Zvi dbl 1 pass 2 DCB Burgers, Mayor of ’s-Hertogenbosch pass 3 pass 3 Engel-Guy Polet (Belgium) and Sebastian pass 2 pass 3 did the opening speech by building a pass 3 pass 3 NT Reim-Klaus Reps (Germany). The event pass 5 pass pass symbolic bridge between a junior and a pass pass pass was eventually won in great fashion by guest parent. Emmy van Strien, president Berry Westra-Jaap van der Neut (Nether- pass of the Dutch Youth Committee, presented lands). the ‘Touwtrekker’, a trophy for big contri- Anneke Simons (mother of Bas and wife butions for youth-bridge, to Jan Rijnaarts The first trick: 10, 4, 8 (If you have of Kees, and very much supportive in Together with Jet Pasman (the pair started 5 in south and 10 forced A. Declar- everybody turned up again on Sunday, in and Fons van Bokhoven. nothing to , show your distribution) organising White House Juniors), who their partnership in 1977 and are in 2017 er knew what to do: play all trumps and the Orangerie (a cathedral!), for a pairs and J. K held the trick and the second would win the Venice Cup in 2000, found still the strong heart of the Dutch Ladies catch West in a K with heart squeeze. game in which 40 junior pairs competed The morning of January 4th, a lady host- club was for J in west. South had shwon an elegant way to make a well judged 5 team) Anneke (’use every bit of infor- against 40 pairs name “the rest of the ing no less than six juniors from Russia, a with 23-24 HCP. -contract: mation from the bidding by opponents’) The 3rd Festival ended in a victory world’’. Johansson-Agnarsson of Iceland brought the players by car to the playing AKJ, KQ were known: with AK found out about the weakness in clubs for Norway, who with Boye Broge- won first prize in the junior category and area: “I don’t know much about bridge but as well as AQ that would make 26 so and ended up in 5 . West led A (a land-Oivind Saur, Thomas Charlsen-Es- Kreijns-Tammens were the winners in these are MY RUSSIANS!”. 16 teams from East was known to have either K or good idea against contracts of 5 and pen Erichsen, fielded a team of juniors the rest of the world, receiving a painting 15 different nationalities participated. A Q. Vincent Ramondt made the fine play higher to use the Ace for an attitude sig- who would develop to international of Anton Heyboer, a well-known Dutch full round robin with the first four classi- of the K and after A he played 9 to nal and the King for a distribution signal) stars. They defeated Belgium 60-42 in painter. After being completely forgotton fied teams qualifying for the semi-finals. defeat 3NT. and receiving a positive signal played a a 24 board match filled with suspense. this painting served as a birthday present small club to Q in East. A small spade, After the closing party on Saturday, more than a decade later!

26 27 FRIENDS Reinaldo (Port) Nuno (Port) WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1996: Joao Pasarinho came many years as 1 (16+HCP) captain of the Portugese junior team and pass 1 (<8HCP) pass 2 (2 or 3 suiter) The pub-drive Den Bosch was where it ways of transport. One year Jan rented an countries) to welcome all participants in always enjoyed his stay in Den Bosch very pass 2 pass 3 (max, 3 suited, x all started. In 1987, Jan Rijnaarts and elephant so one brave pair participating a Patton team tournament. No less than much. Joao was a member of the Portug- pass 5 pass 5 ( ) Fons van Bokhoven, friends since their in the pubdrive moved from session to 60 teams showed up: Hosts, sponsors ese Open team that won the Common pass 6 pass pass childhood, decided to follow an idea session on this animal’s huge back. Did and lots of – some very tired - juniors. Market Championship in 1997. Joao is pass developed by students from Groningen: a the elephant learned bridge in the course Of course, Jan also likes to play himself. an enthusiastic supporter of Sporting bridge-drive where you move every round of that day? “Kees, I have forgotten something. You Lissabon and I am fan of Benfica. When I Declarer went on with K and a third ceeding the café drive they had to make to another place: hotels, restaurants, have to help me”. What was the problem? visited Joao in Lissabon he presented me club for West who returned a diamond 4000 of these ‘Bols’). Jan also was infected coffeeshops or café’s. This formula proved Jan hadn’t arrange any prizes for the clos- with a scarf of Sporting but also arranged for K, South discarding a spade. The by the bridge virus and very enthusiastic to be extremely successful in the centre THE UILENBURG PATTON ing event of the Festival. How could I fix tickets to visit Stadio da Luz for a Benfi- moment of truth: K or Q finesse? grabbed his opportunity to become a of ‘s-Hertogenbosch which is full of these that at a Sunday morning with all shops ca-Porto cupmatch. Nuno took the right view in finessing for sponsor of the youth event. nice little ‘Horeca’ places. In the next 1995: One Sunday morning, after a very closed? “You pay visits to the all café’s that Portugese juniors Nuno Sousa and Q and disposing a spade from dummy years, the event grew into a mega event late party with a leading role for ‘De take part in today’s Patton and you tell Reinaldo Timoteo made with a scientific on the fourth heart and twelve tricks. 1998: At the Sunday after the junior event, with in 1998 over 2000 pairs competing; meiden’ (the band playing pop-songs the owner to present dinner coupons as bidding sequence their captain a very This proved to be especially nice when at I got the pleasure of playing in the closing 1996 as the 100% matchpoint score . The from the sixties and seventies), I packed prizes for this day. Reluctantly, I agreed to happy man. the other table South opened a natural Patton with all of the Norwegian juniors: organisers formed a foundation which my bags, tired as hell and looking forward fulfil this assignment. In the first bar, Ilse, 1 , seeing all of a sudden three juniors Espen, Boye, Oivind, and Thomas. After needed a goal to put the profits in. Jan to go home. My last duty was, sitting the bartending girl, without any questions South/NS 7 4 straightaway choose an uncharacteristic four of the seven matches, we were lead- and Fons very wisely chose youth and in front of ‘Het Veulen’(the café is well asked, wrote coupons for two dinners. 10 7 3 and nonjunior attitude by passing 1 out. ing the field. Big Jan then asked me for K J 10 junior bridge. That caused the notorious known to junior bridgeplayers of all En passant she asked me if I liked to taste A nice moment for Portugal when they other business and the Norwegians had to 10 8 6 3 2 phone call in 1992 to the Dutch a glass of wine. I agreed, compared results: “170 for them, oh we go to the airport. We found four replace- K 8 6 2 N J 10 3 junior coach. not wishing to insult her. 9 6 4 Q 5 2 have +1370”. ments and my team named Oslo dropped W E During any visit to a new A 8 7 Q 9 6 5 4 3 2 to third place and I was still allowed to S A pair from Amsterdam par- place I was offered another Q J 5 -- collect some good wine as prize. I really ticipating in the café drive was drink and being the polite A Q 9 5 BEST BALLS OF DEN BOSCH liked that: “Thank you Norway”. A K J 8 driven all day by Muk, a famous person I am, it became a -- girl from the inner circle in long, tough and wet walk. A K 9 7 4 1997: With Indonesia, USA and Canada Den Bosch, in a Fiat Cabrio. After that day, the closing participating, the International Youth In this funny way they visited tournament of the Interna- Joao was sitting behind west and to his Bridge Festival ‘s-Hertogenbosch got a eleven pubs (gossip says for tional Youth bridge Festival dismay saw QJ5, A and K in the global touch. Here, I should not forget the same number of beers) and on this bridge week last hand behind South. When West led to mention Jan de Groot, famous baker they found their way to a re- day became known as the A and declarer ruffed, Joao looked of the ‘Bossche Bollen’ who treated all markable victory. In Den Bosch ‘Kees-games’, still going on somewhat happier. At A, the terrible participants of the pubdrive with a free we have seen more spectacular in 2017. distribution of the trumps became clear. delicious ‘Bossche Bol’ (the night pre-

28 29 Many juniors have surprised me with Vincent great bids, leads, defences and declarer WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH plays. Vincent Ramondt- Dejan Markovic pass 2 dbl Tableau de la troupe during 10th were in 1991 the first pair I selected for pass pass 2 pass anniversary of Modalfa in 2000. Counting in 2017 the impressive the Dutch team in the European Junior pass dbl pass 2 NT total of 23 world titles as player Championships. One year after their ju- pass 3 NT pass pass or coach. nior period expired, they were victorious pass in the Dutch Pairs Championship. In 2000 Vincent won the prestigious IBPA-hand of the year award. Playing in the Politik- It would have been easier to defend 2 en-tournament (Copenhagen) against doubled but we wouldn’t have had this East/NS 8 7 6 4 Some junior bidding science: 2 as a Duboin-Bocchi, formidable Italians. super story. West led J and declarer A K 7 2 transfer to hearts, 2 as an acceptance Q took A and K. A small spade from 10 9 8 7 with three-card -support. The diamond North/NS 10 9 3 2 dummy for K in West who also took A 10 5 N K J 9 2 lead for Q in dummy while Maarten K 10 9 7 A and played 10 for Q in South. Q 9 6 3 5 4 looked at the encouraging 5 in East. In W E A K Declarer cashed A and threw West in Vincent Ramondt, with glasses, in full 10 7 6 4 J 8 5 trick two he played a small spade from J 10 2 concentration playing against Gerbrand Hop, K 2 S J 5 4 3 with a diamond. West also took the fifth junior world champion in 2011 and 2012. dummy to Q in his hand. West contin- A K N Q J 8 4 Q 3 6 Q J 8 4 3 2 diamond and played a small club for J ued diamonds, J for A in South. W E J 10 8 J 10 9 7 4 3 in dummy. Vincent now played A and A K 9 3 2 J, Q and A followed by a small club S Q 9 8 5 3 7 6 K squeezing East in spades and hearts 2000 was also the year where the Dutch A Q 6 to Q. West took K and finally fell in 7 6 5 for the ninth trick. It did not help West to juniors scored their first medal (after the trap set by declarer by playing another A 5 Marcel Maarten refuse in taking the fifth diamond trick. bronze in 1976 and the gold in 1986) with diamond for 9 in South who had nine Q 8 6 5 2 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH A K 4 If he plays a club right away, declarer me as trainer/coach and Schelte Wijma tricks. pass 1 NT wins J, crosses to A and plays the fifth als captain. Maarten Schollaardt found a pass 2 pass 2 diamond himself. On the forced -return neat swindle to bring home an impossible Maarten: pass 3 NT pass pass 2000 silver with Dutch juniors in Antalya, East is squeezed as well. game: pass 2004 silver with Dutch open team in Olympiad Istanbul 2008-now many international medals, including gold in EC Tromsø-2015 as coach of Netherlands-U20.

30 31 In 2001 and 2002 the ‘s-Hertogenbosch West/NS 10 6 3 North/All K 9 8 7 6 4 3 2 The Dutch North-south got all the time to Vax (Isr) Schollaardt Amit (Isr) Lagas as a silver medal: “Look Bas, the silver International Youth Bridge Festival got 4 3 2 10 investigate for aces. WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH is for you and I will keep the gold”. The 10 9 8 K a new sponsor called ‘Hero’. For the ‘for- 1 dbl 3 pair indeed broke up for some years, A 9 5 4 K 8 7 eigners’ it seemed that all the juniors got North/NS A Q 9 6 5 3 pass 5 pass played in different partnerships together Q 8 5 2 N A K J 4 5 N A 4 -- a status as heroes. In fact ‘Hero’ is a firm 7 9 K Q J 8 4 2 9 7 6 5 pass dbl pass pass in the Olympiad-2004 in Istanbul where W E W E A 8 4 A 5 2 J 7 6 4 3 9 8 3 Q J 10 6 5 4 that produces soups and soft-drinks. With pass they lost the final to Italy. In 2005 all was S S K 10 7 2 the World Championships-2001 in sight K J 6 3 2 10 8 7 9 4 2 6 5 K J 4 N 8 forgotten and forgiven and Bas&Sjoert 9 7 Q J 10 the Netherlands played the festival-2001 Q 3 A 10 6 Also A as the lead, followed by a small paired up again. In 2011 (Bermuda Bowl) A K Q J 10 8 6 5 A 3 W E Q J 9 7 6 K 5 3 2 in a six nations match against Norway, K Q A 7 2 trump for Q. Declarer should have fi- and 2016 (World Open teams), winning 9 8 4 S A Q J 6 3 USA, Denmark, England and Israel. A Q A Q J 10 3 nessed for K at once but instead played two world titles, we have seen what they 10 7 2 special formula: all matches were played a second trump for A in North who are capable of. Brink Gjaldbaek Drijver Houmoller Brink Gjaldbaek Drijver Houmoller K J 9 8 7 5 4 2 with three pairs against three pairs; each (Den) (Den) (Den) (Den) 10 returned the last trump for J. Declar- 5 session one pair of each team sat down WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH er now was an entry short for two club at the so called ‘expensive’ table, because and ended up down one and +12 pass pass 1 4 1 2 2 NT Brink Roll Drijver Schneider there results were compared with their imps for the Dutch juniors. During the 4 pass pass pass 3 4 5 5 NT (Isr) (Isr) compatriots at two ‘cheap’ tables, these following World Junior Championships pass 6 pass 6 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH results counting only once. Bas Drijver in Mangaratiba the Dutch Junior Machine pass 7 dbl all pass 1 dbl 2 & Sjoert Brink were still U-20 when they The 1 -opening propelled West into an 3 4 5 dbl faltered and the semi-finals were missed. started their junior career and already easy 4 . After A and the Q switch, Juniors many times show disrespect to pass pass pass It would take until 2012 when the revenge showed a big impact as junior. A and this went down one. Aces. The full-blooded preemptive actions came, and so sweet that would be. Bas got a huge result when North-South and Sjoert played in the pre-olympic Schaltz Schollaardt Marquard- Lagas overreached to just that grand slem, that North led A and switched to a small tournament in Salt Lake City (2002). (Den) sen (Den) which without trump Ace, absolutely club. West, Sjoert Brink, saw no other When the last board came to an end Bas WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH never makes. possibility than to finesse. he played a spoke historic words: “Look at this card 1 pass 1 4 trump to Q and A and north played Sjoert, it will be the last board we have pass pass pass pass Schaltz Schollaardt Marquard- Lagas another club, and a second finesse. played together”. The Dutch/Danish team (Den) sen (Den) Declarer drew the trumps and played however had reached the final versus Maybe West was a little afraid after the WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH A and ruffed a club so the thirteenth the USA which ended in an exact draw. feather light 1 -opening and did not go 1 3 4 club became a parking place for the losing No tiebreaker and the medals silver and on to 4 . 4 was an easy make and +11 pass 4 pass 4 NT heart and +550 for the Netherlands. gold were shared between the two teams. imps for the Dutch on their way to the pass 5 pass 6 Sjoert: “North forced me to find the Sjoert had the last word at the prize-giv- final victory in the 2001 event. pass pass pass winning line”. ing when they were handed a gold as well

32 33 By Merijn Groenenboom

I learned bridge when I was 15 during a through Australia and stopped playing I opened 2 strong and the oldest Eide answered: “In that case North also wants winter-sport holiday with my parents and bridge. Upon returning to the Nether- (I believe Harald) overcalled 2 and was to play that contract”. their bridge-friends when they played lands I was immediately summoned by raised to 3 . I really did not know what This last thing proved to be rather costly. every evening. When we returned home Kees to visit the junior training week- to do and decided for double. 4 by East made all thirteen tricks! Indeed, I got fascinated by the game and read the ends in Twee Klaveren. I was matched to Andor did not make the situation easier. the imps flew abundantly in those junior books ‘Van start tot Finish’(the impressive Andor van Munnen and Kees pushed us I threw in RKC and heard 6 , void in days. After nice European performances work by Cees Sint, captain of the Dutch to come more often. So Andor (who had hearts. Not wishing to create more trouble in 2004 (Prague, Andor, 7th) , 2006(Ricci- junior team that won the world title in to come in from Maastricht) came during I passed and got instantly a savage and one, Danny, 9th) there came that fabulous 1987). I dealt four hands and played in the week to Amsterdam. We talked a lot angry reaction from my partner: “You victory in 2007 (Jesolo, Bob). I started my own. The next step was playing at about bridge, went to play rubber-bridge, believe they are both psyching!”. Well, to work fulltime for an options trading BCO, the bridge-club of my grandpa, talked more about bridge during the certainly west who with three small hearts company Optiver so my bridge activities father and mother. My first contacts with pizza, visited to play in a club in the had bid 2 ; the good thing however was are not so frequent anymore. With much the youth-training, by Frans Borm, was as evening and stayed the night in the house that hearts were 3-3 and 6 duly made. pleasure I fill in now and then an open an U-20 and I formed a pair with Arnold of Anneke and Kees. We went to tourna- I recollect that is was me as South who place in a team from Het Witte Huis, even Jansen, with ‘tonic’ as nickname because ments in Antwerps and participated in declared the hand. Lots of crazy stuff in partnership with Max Abram. So I just that was the only drink he took. I played the Carrousel Cup in Den Bosch. happened against Poland in the Carrousel state ‘Keep bridge alive’. up to 1000 hands a week at OKBridge. I I picked up a powerhouse: 8 A K Q 7 Cup-2004. believe there I got much needed experi- 4 3 2 5 A K Q 5, red against green of ence although my school-performance course, like always cause for heavy inter- Polish J1 Andor Polish J2 Merijn suffered from always playing bridge. In vention (‘never give vulnerable opponents WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH the summer of 2001 Arnold and I were an easy run’) . 2 (multi) dbl selected to play in the world u-20 pairs redouble pass pass pass in Stargard. We went by Bus. Arnold had Eide Andor Lindquist Merijn never been outside of the Netherlands (Nor) (Nor) Merijn as South: Q J K 7 2 K 8 2 and as it turned out did not have a pass- WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH K Q 7 3 2 ?? port. So he had to stay in Berlin to get an 2 ID. Fortunate the whole France delegation 2 pass 3 dbl PolishJ2 to me: “What does the pass by also was delayed so the tournament start- pass 4 pass 4 NT North mean?”. I reply: “What does the ed one day later. Including Arnold and pass 6 pass pass redouble signify?”. PolishJ2 again: “West me. After finishing my school I travelled pass wants to play 2 -redoubled. ”To which I

34 35 to start playing hearts. With A(10)xx Post Mortem 2) J 8 in West, he will have to play a black suit, -- 10 10 doubleton could fall and 9 could “Cannot go down” I remarked with a 10 8 become an entry to North, for the Q happy smile. “Maybe not but discarding Q 10 9 N finesse. And West could make a mistake a club was a blunder”. I wanted the last W E opening up clubs! word: “There always is an ”: K 9 4 S Q 7 6 2 By Tim Heeres (junior from 2003-2008) You play K which makes the trick. More 1) clues: West has A and West does not J 8 -- have A-doubleton because he would 10 Often the editor of this book states ‘you will Solo enough points for a game. er cerebral junior-hood you may be able have taken the trick to prevent an early 10 8 A K J 5 3 stay junior forever’. My interpretation of to overcome that with intelligent declarer endplay (West does not know AK are Q 10 9 N this that you not always stay young but the WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH play. bare). West has A-third or fourth. W E West does not take Q but plays 4. K acquired knowledge in your junior period pass pass 2 A new assumption: West has A(10)xx. You guess to play 8 and Q is for A. 9 4 S Q 7 6 2 helps you forever. One of the subjects that 2 pass 3 3 NT Deduction and Information You have 2 in South so you can use that Cross to 10 and play 10 to East with trouble U-20 players- jumpy as they are – to throw West in. You go on with only clubs left. Bid like an U-20, played in which juniors can show their improved The first interpretation: East could not Well noticed that East cannot have K Q Q, West ducks again. Priority time to like an U-25? I am glad to have combined maturity is the theme called ‘hurry’. open but bids nonetheless 3 . x x x x, he would have opened in second cash in a hurry A and K to prevent A K J 5 3 both in one board! Keep that in mind. West leads J against position. Okay, K Q x x x was more West from throwing you in to play clubs A correct balance between instant re- your 3NT. likely. In that case East will have some to Q in East. You lead J and West If West plays Q, in dummy J is high. action and patiently waiting for devel- spade tolerance: East should have K Q takes A while East disposes of a dia- East has to dispose of K to keep V- opments leaving the first move to an J 8 6 3 x x x and x x. After one card played mond. The distribution becomes crystal fourth. West has to bring you in dummy 9 6 5 opponent, has as goal collecting informa- you already have more than 50% of East clear: 5 -4 -2 -2 in West and 2 - with either J and 10 and you have the 10 4 3 2 tion from bidding or play. Waiting and 10 8 filled in. You J, the next diamond 2 -5 -4 in East. West takes 10 and Q finesse to fulfill 3NT. deducing, a useful lesson form my junior DUMMY for A in South. You have no more than East throws a club. West continues clubs days, proved to be of the upmost impor- W E five tricks, where do the other four come and you make the rest of the tricks with ‘a tance: from? How do the honours have to be little help from your friend East’. S divided? A K J 8 6 3 North/NS K Q J 2 9 6 5 against young, enterprising opponents A 7 Assumption and Technique 10 4 3 2 A K J 5 3 10 8 SOUTH You are not in a hurry playing clubs. If Q 10 9 5 3 N 7 4 A 10 7 4 8 3 A K Well, a double at 3 would have gained West has all other / / honours there W E J 6 K Q 9 8 5 K Q J 2 your side a big profit. In 3NT there is big is no problem and if East has A you 9 4 S Q 7 6 2 A 7 danger after this by East communicated have no chance at all. You play on the A K A K J 5 3 lethal lead. You look in your bidding assumption of Q in East and A in K Q J 2 U-20 but after a metamorphose to a high- West. Clubs have to wait. You are forced A 7 A K J 5 3

36 37 2002 was the last year the junior event ible and adventurous junior team events for some games of chess. Later on, he ran Beware of hidden dangers boys, they showed no inhibitions and dangerous water he was fishing, played was played in the beautiful atrium of came to an end, the pot with money de- a very fine Italian restaurant and finally dressed up pretty, in short miniskirts (we another trump. Declarer took K, crossed Hogeschool ‘s-Hertogenbosch. In 2003 scribed in 1993 finally got empty. Big Jan opened bridge and chess café ‘Twee Kla- The silver medal of the Dutch Juniors in did everything to reach our goal) which to J in dummy and finessed for J and and 2004 we moved the playing area in was planning other activities and we only veren’(2 ) in 1980. When I entered one Antalya was followed with 8/7/7/9 finish- caused many – understandable - nervous twelve tricks: +650. Comparing results is the Azijnfabriek, with the pro-am in disco could be very thankful to him. However, morning somewhat depressed he asked es in the European Team Championships; moments for many of the boys and maybe always exciting. Marion announced 650. Carrousel and dinners in restaurant the for junior bridge it was a severe setback. me what was wrong. I told him the inter- usually we dropped in the rankings after drew their attention away. Bob answered calmly: “Push” and we Dirigent. With USA, Poland, Norway, national junior team event had gone up mediocre performances in the last two wrote down the zero result. But it didn’t Denmark, Israel, England and two Dutch in smoke. Some days later he called me: days. and Marion Michiel- North/EW K 9 4 take long for us to realise matters were teams, that’s what it takes to have an in- GIOVANNI “Why not organise it in Twee Klaveren? I sen played an impressive part in the 10 7 180 degrees different. The Dutch boys in J 9 7 4 3 2 teresting international junior tournament. can be your cook and prepare dinner for Junior Girls Championship in Riccione great style also scored + 650 in East-west 8 2 The USA winning in 2003 with players 2004: I bicycled to ‘Twee Klaveren’, the the juniors!”. An offer you can’t refuse. (2005) where the Dutch Girls won gold. for 4 +1. A 7 6 3 N J 10 5 2 like Kent Mignocchi, , mind sports and card games café of my So in March 2005, eight nations started As responsible juniortrainer, I got the idea A Q J 6 3 K 9 8 5 2 W E Joe Grue,and John Kranyak that would friend Giovanni Falavigna, born in Sicily. for the 13th edition of the international of putting these two talented girls in the 8 6 5 Q S become strong competitors in real bridge I first met Giovanni in chess-pub ‘De youth event. Poland turned out to be junior team for Jesolo (2007). As it hap- A Q J 9 life. The victory in 2004 of the Nether- oude schouwburg’ at Leidseplein in 1968. great winners. That was the first time that pened, this plan required some additional Q 8 4 lands U-20 team (Bob Drijver-Marion Giovanni drove an ice cream car through Marek Markowski, the Polish captain, skills for myself as the coach. Late in the A K 10 Michielsen, Tim Verbeek-Danny Mole- Amsterdam to sell his merchandise. came to Amsterdam, never again missed evening, almost at night at 23.00 both K 10 7 6 5 4 3 naar, Jacco Hop-Vincent de Pagter) was a However, no sooner had he made money a year and developed a big preference and girls putted on some make-up, dressed up Meike Marion sign that the Dutch posessed some prom- then he would drive directly to the café appetite for stroopwafels. nicely and went out in the town. I saw this WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH ising young bridge players. What would and had to take the appropriate step for 2 pass 2 the future have in store for them? the first match that began every morning 2 pass 4 5 after at 11.00. Meike and Marion were dbl pass pass pass never in the starting line-up and enjoyed MOVE FROM ‘s-HERTOGEN- their beauty sleep. The girls came every BOSCH TO AMSTERDAM day to the playing area, very relaxed and 2 : various strong hands or a weak two prepared for the second match at 14.00. in diamonds. The trip by train from Den Bosch to Am- Jacco Hop-Vincent de Pagter and Merijn sterdam only takes one hour. This time, Groenenboom-Bob Drijver usually did West decided to lead a trump for Q and in January 2004, it seemed to last much their duty to put up loads of vips at the A. Marion played 8, west ducked, for longer. A day earlier, the last International scoreboard. We profited fully from our K in dummy to lead 2. East blocked Marion and Meike with one of their many prizes (in Norway of course smoked salmon) Youth Bridge Festival ‘s-Hertogenbosch new ‘girls’-weapon. Especially when with Q and South ducked for the bare for winning the Open Women European had been played. Twelve years of incred- Meike-Marion were opposed by shy A in West. West, not realising in what Teams in Tromsø (2015).

38 39 with Herman Drenkelford (‘directeur d’un as: “Would you also have bid like me?”. In sic bridge club (in 1990 terribly destroyed groupe immobilier’, UMW) Max bought the final of the Forbo Tournament in 2000 by fire). We played rather quick and we Het Witte Huis and transformed in a fine Max had an interesting problem against finished early. Max was playing rubber bridge club. Herman Drenkelford is best the Italians Ferraro-De Falco: bridge: “Who wants to play against Erik many more to come, the WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH described as a gentleman who will be and Kees, I back them for every stake”!” White House Junior Inter- 2 pass 2 pass pleased to see juniors go well dressed too. East/NS A Q 9 6 5 2 Nobody reacted. Max: “Then I play with nationals Amsterdam take pass 3 pass pass Herman feels that defense is the most Q J 2 Erik!”. The stake was settled at 35 cents a 8 5 place in Het Witte Huis. pass intriguing part of the game. Married to point, in those days very expensive. Max: 10 8 I as well as all juniors are Sandra and fond of bridge, soccer (Ajax, “Kees do you want to buy a share in me?”. J 8 N 7 very grateful for this great Marco van Basten is a school-friend, 10 9 7 3 8 6 4 Ok, I took 5 cents and went on to play Sjoert Herman W E location and the support of with Didier Drogba as one of his fa- J 10 3 Q 7 6 in the ginrummy game. Late that night WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH S these two great juniorsup- vorites) and golf. He is usual very busy J 9 4 2 A K Q 7 5 3 Max came to me and threw a bundle of 2 3 pass 3 NT porters with their founda- but always finds time to visit the White K 10 4 3 banknotes at my table: “You earned some pass pass pass A K 5 tion ‘Het Witte Huis’. House Juniors and to participate in the A K 9 4 2 nice dinners in exquisite restaurants for pro-am. Max and Herman also organised 6 Anneke and you!”. Max and Erik beated Herman had a great time in The direct 3 overcall by Sjoert worked an international Top-16, an invitational everybody heavily and collected the enor- Max Herman Drenkelford and Max Abram the Slava Cup (Moscow) of better than the waiting game by North team tournament with the participation mous amount of 75 rubberbridge points. WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 2014 when he was switching at the other table. When 3 was an easy of the great players of contemporary One opponents did not have enough cash 1 (prec) 1 NT In 1972 I first met Max who in 1990 in partnerships with Sjoert Brink or Bas make for 130 the board depended wheth- bridge. They became the sponsors of the on him. The smile of Max became bigger: pass 2 3 4 formed a partnership with Erik Kirchhoff. Drijver. They teamed up with three times er or not Herman would bring his 3NT Dutch national top circuit. In 2005 they “No problem, you can bring the money in pass 4 pass 5 Herman and I got acquainted around junior world champions Berend van den safe at home. The defenders started with came to me and offered Het Witte Huis my office today”. the days when he started to play bridge Bos-Joris van Lankveld and the Dutch three rounds of spades (a heart switch in as the home for the international junior pass 5 pass 6 himself in 2000. Max and Herman bought ‘Het Witte Huis’- team beated many trick two or three would have been better team tournament. It was an offer you pass pass pass and converted Het Witte Huis to a very strong Russian particpants. for EW) after which it was comfortably can’t refuse. We are all very happy that suitable playing area for many clubs from sailing for Herman who pushed out WHJI takes place in that very suitable and Max: “4 is a retransfer I believe”. We, Amsterdam . When Max saw in 2004 West/NS 8 2 A for ten tricks: +630 for a gain of elev- enjoyable atmosphere there. So in 2017 young boys in those days, shook our the international junior teams playing in A J 4 en imps on the way to the well earned and juniors from all around the world will heads murmuring something like ‘cuebid’ K Q 8 7 4 3 Twee Klaveren, he immediately came up much cheered victory in this elite event. travel to Het Witte Huis for the White and ‘’. Max with a big smile: “I K Q with an excellent solution: “Why don’t House Junior Internationals. Max and hear you but we scored +1430 and the K 10 9 7 6 5 N A 3 you come next year to Het Witte Huis!”. Q 9 6 K 10 7 5 In the 80-ies, Max Abram hosted the Herman play in the Dutch league in the Italians only +680!” with a look on his W E ‘You don’t say that to deaf ears’, as the 6 A 9 2 Dutch Mixed Teams Championship in third team of Het Witte Huis. Needless face of the the man with the last word. S Dutch proverb prescribes. Accordingly 5 3 2 10 9 8 7 the office of MS Mode (a chain of ladies’ to say that Max as well as Herman, like Max and Herman also very supportive Q J 4 fashion stores in the Benelux). Max also myself, are strong and fierce supporters A nice anecdote about Max: in 1987 I 8 3 2 took their wallets and provided the neces- J 10 5 formed a partnership with Erik Kirchhoff of Ajax. Max is well-known for a some- played with Erik and Vergoed-Kreijns in sary funds to make WHJI possible. From A J 6 4 and founded a bridge-club called Modalfa what nervous looking, restless way of the Dutch national team. We had a train- 2005 until this very year, and hopefully that won seven Dutch titles. Together playing and always asks questions such ing match in the Continental Club, a clas-

40 41 Keep on counting question. After A he played A and a spade for K in west. Declarer ruffed South/all Q 6 the diamond return to play a third spade K J 7 5 from South. Maas: “If West did not follow A 9 8 6 4 The entry in 2006 in Het Witte Huis was East/EW 6 5 2 Bep already regretted not to have doubled suit in spades for the third time I knew 5 3 a sort of homecoming for me, having be- 8 7 6 2 4 , ‘seeing’ for sure the -void in East hearts were two-two and I would play for 6 2 N come, since my move in 1968 a real ‘Am- elected for the vulnerable 4 or maybe the drop of Q. Well, West did follow suit 9 8 6 3 W E sterdammer’. I reckon many strong bridge 6 . But 5 became really too much and and I knew hearts were three-one with A K 7 N Q 10 9 8 4 S players amongst my best friends. Many K J 4 3 Q with a happy ‘thank you’ Bep&Anton the three-card in East’. W E of them help me in organising the White J 9 5 A 10 4 collected +1400 for as can be expected all A 10 8 7 5 3 The solution was clear. Maas ruffed thee A J 10 S K Q 7 2 A 10 9 8 4 House Junior Internationals in making the match-points. -- third spade with K and went on with J 3 this the greatest junior tournament in 9 8 J and finesse for Q in South to land A 10 9 5 the world. Bep Vriend and Anton Maas, Anton Maas coming close to his world successfully his 4 contract. K Q 8 7 3 Max multi medal-winners in mixed events. 5 4 title as a player with silver (with Max WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Bep a two-time world-champion with the Rebattu) in World Pairs (in 1982, Biarritz, South/all Q 6 Bep Anton pass (1) K J 7 5 women in 1994 (Albuquerque) and 2000 after being first for half an hour, the result WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1 (2) pass 1 (3) 1 A 9 8 6 4 (Bermuda). Bep diligently performed changed after a scoring error) and bronze 5 3 1 pass dbl (4) pass 1 NT (5) 2 her duties as non-playing captain of the (with Erik Kirchhoff) in the World Pairs Maas analysed: “The fate of 4 depended K J 9 N 4 2 2 2 !! 3 4 pass 4 pass pass 6 Q 3 2 Dutch juniors in the Europeans of 1994, of 1994 (Albuquerque). Anton, with a on finding Q. What could I tell about W E 4 pass pass 5 1996 and 1998. Nowadays she still is very keen eye for technique, invites frequently pass the distribution? West announced at least J 7 5 2 K Q 10 3 dbl pass pass pass A K 7 6 4 S Q J 10 2 valuable to the junior tournament as the junior pairs for training sessions of Team eight/nine cards in and . With six A 10 8 7 5 3 treasurer of Het Witte Huis and assisting Orange. As coach and captain of the 1: Maas is no fan of opening distribution- cards or West would have bid his A 10 9 8 4 in organising WHJI. There Dutch teams that won the Bermuda Bowl al hands with eight HCP’s. 2: East-west suit after 1 so had at least four-four in -- is a significant anecdote (2011) and the Open World Team Cham- play a with priority the minors. This left room for eight or 9 8 about Bep: ‘You bid or play pionships (2016) he always keeps both for fourcard majors, so 1 in fact denied nine cards in clubs or diamonds for east. well when the result is all eyes wide open for young, new talent. a four, or more, card or . 3: 1 was Since East did not give suit preference, he The aftermath. Maas: “My way of playing right. However, if you score a sort of relay. 4: dbl showed extra (less had three-three of four-four in + . So was right and would only lose to the bare a bad result, your bid, lead Umpteen times bridge players all around than 16 HCP’s , so distributional) values. West had 5 +4 or 6 +5 ; the latter is Q in West. But in that horror scenario or play were wrong’. the world will be faced with this import- 5: Strange looking. Uncertain meaning, not likely because west would have made I still would have a very nice story about ant issue. ‘With nine never, with eight but probably no preference for and . a bid instead of doubling after 1 . With 5 how well I played the hand!”. In their golden race in ever’. In the Dutch team championship +4 (I included also 4 -5 ) in West, the European Mixed Pairs Anton, blessed with great analytical skill, The lead against 4 was A, East threw this left room for four cards in + . 2-2 of 2003 (Menton) Bep succeeded in making ten tricks in a 4 Q, and West played a club for J in or 3-1 (4-0 was impossible because West and Anton were more contract while the other eleven declarers East who played K for A in dummy. would have opened 1 or 1 ). How than happy to accept this only took nine. Before reading on, try to solve declarer’s could I guess Q correctly?” present: Bep and Anton after winning one of their mixed titles problem. Maas found a neat answer to this

42 43 Going and playing abroad means much to ed when spades are yours”. The prudent start of the event Bob made the strate- me. Now as a member of the Dutch Open approach prohibited North-south to reach gy absolutely clear for our teammates team (winning gold in Wroclaw during an impossible 4 and gave Bob a perfect Jacco-Aarnout: “If you two just follow suit by Bob Drijver the World Teams Championships) the view of the East-west hands. properly , Kees and I will take care of the team spirit proved to be decisive. With After a heart for A he played a spade points “. So we did, scoring an all time my partner Bart Nab, and brother Bas to A followed by 2, 7, 9 and A. high 84% for a nice victory. During the A special kid, that’s what he is (famous In 2000 Bob and I met for the first time; The Carrousel Cup is the reminiscence with Sjoert Brink and Simon de Wijs-Bauke East took Q and played a diamond for Junior World Championships 2012 in Ta- words about Dik Trom, a hero for many he was thirteen and playing with my son of those days. The tournaments in Den Muller we have a great harmony. Every- K in West who returned a diamond in icang Bob was present in the Dutch team Dutch schoolkids) Bas in the Remu bridge record, a bridge- Bosch were a great adventure. Later Bas body is supportive when things are not the AJ of South. J followed and the as the ‘non-playing player’. Qualified in drive in the Arena with no less than 1543 and I were hired as bartenders during going well. That helps you get back on finesse for Q. Club to K and a club for 2011, he had passed the junior age limit pairs competing in the same Carnaval. We stayed in the house of Jan t o p”. Q in West for a nice endplay making in 2012. Now he was a valuable assistent ‘room’, all tables on the play- and Mia Rijnaarts and every morning nine tricks for +140 and a maximum and helped the Netherlands on their way ing field of Ajax. Bob and Sophie boiled us eggs for breakfast. It was South/All K 10 7 2 result. Note the mountain of tricks East- to gold. bridge went hand in hand. a tough job. The very long days went from A 9 west have in a -contract. Q 9 4 He quickly moved through 11.00-04.00 and especially the Brasil- K 9 4 3 the ranking of several Dutch ian nights are fresh in my memory. In Q 6 4 3 N 5 leagues, arriving at the young Amsterdam-2005 and 2006 I played with K 10 7 2 Q 8 6 4 3 Kees: Bob gives always W E age of sixteen at the top Bas and we had a good result in the Wold K 7 10 8 5 3 2 gives great support. During S national level. Junior Pairs of Piestany where we finished Q 10 7 A 5 championships, when I a respectable 5-th. Next junior partner A J 9 8 usually am by far the ear- J 5 Bob tells with much enthusi- was came Merijn (Groenenboom) in A J 6 liest at the breakfast table, asm about his experiences in 2007 with a huge success in winning gold J 8 6 2 you don’t needed to ask for Den Bosch and Amsterdam: during the European Junior teams in Jeso- an espresso. Bob, without Merijn Bob “ I played for the first time lo. In 2008/2009/2009/2010/2011 I played asking, already brought it WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH in 2003 and in 2004 I was a with different partners in White House to you. In the Antwerps pass!!! member of the Dutch U-20 Juniors and my final junior tournament Student Pairs Champion- pass 1 pass 1 team that defeated the U-25 was as a (non)playing with a Uru/Arg/ ships (2008) he made me pass pass (ok) dbl 2 team of the Netherlands Nor combination. I played as a substitute a student champion for and all other international when one of the Argentinian players was pass pass pass the first time in my life. juniors. We played together uphold because his airplane had a delay. And I was also fortunate to in the Carrousel and the ’Our’ team won that event, nice! I always In this board from a European Junior partner him in the Patton Bob enjoys every minute Azijnfabriek. I remember enjoyed my days as a junior. I learned the Pairs Championships (2008) Bob – as well in 2011, a famous game in very well we had to carry the tables game from my father who also teached as Merijn - used a tactic often promoted restaurants, coffeeshops upstairs to store them because at 22.00 my brothers Tom and Bas (the world by Erik Kirchhoff: “The spades are the and café’s in ‘De Jordaan’, the Carrousel (a discotheque) opened champion from 2011 and 2016). I believe most important suit. Never open too the oldest neighbourhood the doors for dancing and partying. having fun in playing is most important. light with spades and don’t get over excit- of Amsterdam. Before the

44 45 in playing some days with Meike, Laura, Kees: Marion did also very well with the I live in Stockholm (with former junior Vincent, Bob and Jacco. In later years I juniors in winning the World Univeristy John Upmark) so I have to try it in Swe- always went to het Witte Huis to kibitz Teams in Lodz(2008) with Meike and the den; the Dutch top players regard me as the new juniors. My junior period was the World Junior Pairs in Istanbul (2009) with ‘our talented little sister’. In Sweden they basis for what I now am as a bridge player. Tim Verbeek. see me more as their equal. The practice of playing in long champi- I cherish my memories in junior bridge. onships, coping with the psychological It is not easy to explain how I developed With Vincent in Piestany (World Junior The Europan Junior Championships worked as a boost for our confidence. The Dutch juniors (including Meike-Marion pressure, also the experience of being a through the years but I believe I became Pairs); things were really going awful. (2007) in Jesolo, Italy. A medal would be Italian juniors however had a big lead and playing in their only morning match) member of a team, it all paved the way somewhat more relaxed and calm. A slam with two aces missing (after super, the title a dream and qualification seemed to go on comfortably to the title. held their heads clear and the 14-16 was to become a bridge player. The training The fact that I have established myself in Blackwood!), a doubled partscore making for the World Championships (first four In round 20 things changed dramatically enough to become the European Junior sessions at ‘t Onstein in 2006 and 2007, is also a factor that can- which should be at least two off, not being teams) was an important goal. After 15 of when the impossible become reality. Italy Champions of 2007. Meike-Marion ( also bidding and system tests with Kees. New not be neglected. The ‘must’ is no longer able to cash AK543 against J987, first trick 21 matches this was almost secured when bowed their head to Estland (3-25) and gold in World University teams in Lodz, and usefull were the sessions with a sports prominent. I get angry anymore not for Qx in declarers hand and later block- the Netherlands took a 17 vips lead over we won bog against Austria and took a 2008) already made their debut in the psychologist: focussing on bridge and at my partner nor at opponents. I have a ing the suit. I did not sleep for weeks. And the team at 5th place. Prudent as we are commanding lead (401-385 vips) on our Dutch Women team in 2006 and devel- not on the result was a valuable lesson. desire to get in the Open team; but now we finished third with only one top after we nonetheless looked with much desire Italian rivals. In the last round, the Dutch oped to be amongst the strongest women When I entered the U-20 squad I was the winners. It still makes me sad. (and to a place at the podium. After 17 matches played Norway, traditionally one of the pairs in the world with an enormous pretty fresh; Bob, Vincent, Jacco, Tim what about the 6 in Istanbul in the 3-3 this became a real objective with an 21 strongest junior countries. While Italy amount of international successes. and Danny already played some time. I fit going down losing 17 imps and being vips advance at the team at fourth place. It scored a quick maximum of 25 vips, the formed a partnership with Bob and things eliminated by one imp in the semifinal progressed quickly for me. When I started of the World Junior teams?!?). Before the the first European Championship for girls last session it looked very bad for us and was organised. I played with Meike and we went out on the town because we had we did not really had played and dis- the impression that even a medal was too cussed much about the system. I used to far away. Tournament director Marc (van play for the ladies with Martine but we are Beijsterveld) motivated us to give our best both very emotinal, quarelled a lot, and I and we scored 67% and moved up to third must admit I was not very diplomatical in place. But I best remember the tops and our relationship. I felt the urge to prove bottoms, it was a rollercoaster tourna- by myself. That was in fact very necessary to ment for us. maintain my position amongs juniors, all Of course 2007 was a special year for me. very prominent and you had to yell loud We arrived in form after lengthy training My first participation in Den Bosch was defeated all juniors – also the USA juniors important to me. I remember very well to be heard. The partnership with Meike sessions and the team spirit was excellent. in 2003, as a training for the World Junior who the world title - and won the event. I our visits to the Carrousel. During the improved very quickly and we won the The round before last the impossible be- Pairs in Tata. It went not so good as we went to play bridge but the social factor, years I played in almost all junior events; Girls Championship in Riccione(2006) Marion scored great successes with the came reality when Italy lost big to Estland U-20, Girls, Junior and Women teams of finished in the bottom of the field. The the after bridge at the bar with juniors sometimes it was difficult to make myself and later the European Juniors in Jeso- the Netherlands. Is she going on to play and we came on top. And against Norway next year, with the Dutch U-20 team, we from all around the world, was even more free from exams but I always succeeded lo(2007). in the Open Swedish Team? we secured the gold.

46 47 The weather was great, the team stayed wait for us. Marion, on high-heeled white The J lead was for A and Marion much together, an incredible experience. boots, stood tall between some hundred played a club. East took A to return Meike and I flew straight away to Nash- Chinese much shorter men and wom- K for A. Declarer cashed K, ruffed ville for our first National. We had played en. When the doors opened she pushed a spade. Diamond for 9 and K. K almost all our matches in Jesolo on BBO forward, throwing some people aside, and and Q cashed and a second spade ruff. Bas Drijver picked up a freak hand in West with AJ, gambling a little (or The Netherlands went on strong, elimi- so it looked we were the leading pair. Of five minutes later she came back outside Club ruffed for a three-card ending. the semi-final of the worldchampion- much?) I decided to take my chances in nated Italy and defeated USA in the final course Jacco-Vincent and Bob-Merijn were waving with what looked like official ships-2011 against great rivals Italy: defending 3NT”. for the world title of 2011. outstanding there. Still I was flattered documents. Marion was always one of A J 8 5 2 -- Q J 10 9 8 4 2 2. when Meckstroth came to me to congrat- my favourite juniors but at that moment First position, no one vulnerable. Bas: WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH A 10 7 ulate us and tell us we played fantastic. I really could kiss her. One hour later we “Only eight HCP’s but lots of playing 1 pass 1 were on our way home. The plane was not J N strength, I open”. 1 NT 2 3 NT dbl 10 9 Kees: In 2006, after the World Univer- very full and Marion took four seats in W E pass pass pass sity Teams in Tianjin, we spent with the the middle and stretched out. Eight hours Q J 3 Versace Drijver Lauria Brink S Dutch team some days in Beijing. Marion later I woke her and told we had arrived WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH North/-- A J 8 5 2 6 4 1 pass 1 -- lost her wallet with passport, airplane in Amsterdam. Q J 10 9 8 4 2 ticket. Her father Paul (1948-2017 was 8 1 NT ?? 2 always a steady supporter of Marion South/EW 2 Q 7 3 N 10 4 A and also sponsor of WHJI) told me once Bas informed as to the meaning of the A 9 5 3 Q 7 6 2 A 10 7 5 4 2 W E ironically that it is fortunate that the bud The sweet endgame: 8 ducked to East, 1NT. “15-17, the old fashioned way!”. K 7 A 3 10 9 7 4 2 A K 10 5 S Q 9 8 7 3 of Marion stays attached to her body J 10 8 5 K Q 3 for eleven tricks and a lovely +800 for the He refused to be shut out of the bidding. N K 9 6 because otherwise she would lose that as J 10 9 7 5 3 8 6 2 Dutch U-20 team. Steven den Donder “I opened because of my distribution, W E K J 10 8 4 -- Q J 9 3 well. So the team went home and Marion (Belgium junior, according to many of I had to carry on describing my hand”. 6 5 8 6 5 S A Q J and I had four extra days which we spent us chasing Marion in those days) had J 6 4 visiting all the touristic sites and had great A 9 7 6 4 watched the match at our table. His WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH K Q 4 1 pass 1 dinners. It just felt like extra holiday. Of K 8 6 teammates stated that the winning line In 3NT declarer never could make more course we had to take care of a new ‘laiss- K 3 was impossible to find at the table. Steven 1 NT 2 3 NT dbl than eight tricks. Bas in great honesty: er passer’ and tickets for another flight. laughed and told his compatriots that a pass ?? “After the board I was by far not satisfied Bob Marion This was not easy. A nasty dilemma: to young girl in the Dutch U-20 team made with my bidding. Give East an extra club WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH buy tickets we needed an official passport 5 in just over sixty seconds. After 2 and 3NT by East, Sjoert doubled and there are nine tricks for the taking and to get a passport we needed tickets. 1 NT as South. Bas: “That was to be expected and we still would have made a lot of At the day of our departure we still had pass 4 (5 +5 ) pass 5 with many more than 40 pints in the tricks ourselves in 4 or even 4 (which to pick up our travel documents. The im- pass pass dbl pass deck”. He analysed further: “Of course just goes down on repeated club plays), so migration building, in old style, opened pass redbl pass pass I wanted to play myself but I also didn’t bidding on after the double was certainly at 8.30 and our flight was scheduled at pass want to contradict Sjoert (although I very the best thing I could have done. I was 9.30. We took a taxi and instructed – in much enjoy doing that) “. “Since I had an lucky losing only 1 imp when the other sign language – the Chinese driver to excellent lead in Q and sitting behind table played 4 just making.”

48 49 South/EW K J 9 7 6 TOP FOUR TO SEMI-FINAL 8 Denmark 367 15,96 A 7 4 Back to the struggle for the four spots in 9 Czech Republic 363 15,78 J 10 9 6 5 the semi-final. The other Netherlands ju- Red 5 N 10 8 4 3 White House Junior Internationals 9-16 sigh a deep breath of relief and cheer the Argelazi Birman 9 2 Q J 7 5 nior team ‘Blue’ concluded an impressive W E March 2008, the ‘Witte Huis’ in Amster- entry in the knock-out. (Isr) (Isr) A K Q 10 8 6 3 2 9 performance by winning the round robin. 10 Italy 358 15,57 S dam. Thursday-evening march 13: the WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 4 2 K Q 7 3 The Polish U-20 team like last year was last board of match 23, the final session 1 A Q 2 performing very strong and qualified easy. 11 Sweden 356 15,48 K 10 8 6 4 3 pass 1 pass 2 of the round robin at the end of four IMPRESSIONS FROM THE ROUND J 5 Still one spot to win. France had already days of strenuous bridge in the White ROBIN pass 3 pass 4 A 8 finished and waited for Israel that needed 12 Germany 354 15,39 House Junior Internationals 2008. Dutch science as the base for expert slam bidding pass 4 pass 5 NT (Josephine) a big win. The session finished and a loud Marion Meike declarer Meike Wortel gets in big trouble pass 6 ( Q) pass 7 ‘Shriek’ sounded from the Israeli corner. 13 Russia 342 14,87 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH when she and partner Marion Michielsen Four days, 23 matches, producing many pass pass pass Every bridge-player knows what this 1 reach an overoptimistic 5 . The double stories (at www.jeugdbridge.nl webmaster means: it is the shout of victory. It result- 14 Croatia 330 14,35 4 dbl pass 4 by an English U-20 player with youthful Rosaline Barendregt collected results, Marion Michielsen and Meike Wortel bid ed in six very disappointed French juniors pass pass pass enthousiasm means that the qualification photographs and hands). There were the grand slam the hard way: and npc Christophe Oursel, who com- 15 England U25 327 14,22 for the semi-final of the Netherlands many fascinating adventures with also a forted his team but also told them that in Meike Marion Red is in danger. Kibitzers at the BBO lot of good bridge. Israeli juniors Alon It is interesting what 4 would mean this way ‘ boys become men’ (garçons et 16 Iceland 325 14,13 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH vugraph (every session of the round robin Birman and Eliran Argelazi had a smooth after the 4 bid. North thought it was hommes). 1 is watched by several thousand viewers) run to a fine grand slam. too dangerous and passed 4 hoping for 17 Netherlands U20 324 14,09 2 pass 4 dbl see that a spade lead will sink the contract the best. West lead was A. If West con- pass 5 pass 5 even three vulnerable doubled tricks. The South/All Q 4 tinues with K there would have been no Final ranking Round Robin 18 Norway 322 14,00 pass 5 NT(extra’s) pass 7 contract at the other table is 3NT down 9 5 4 3 story. West switched to the singleton . Q 10 7 6 5 pass pass pass one and the Dutch seem to lose a lot of Declarer took A played a heart to the 1 Netherlands Blue 401 17,43 19 Austria 322 14,00 Q 3 imps which would result in a big loss. ace and a small club from dummy, east J 10 N 8 6 5 3 2 Fortunately for the Dutch declarer, she K J 10 8 7 6 A Q 2 After the severe intervention, the Dutch splitted the honours so A won the trick. 2 Poland U20 400 17,39 20 England U20 315 13,70 W E gets a heart lead which blows away one J 9 3 -- girls really did very well to bid 7 . Their Then K and not seeing a 3-3 division in S trick for the defence. But even with -500 6 2 J 10 8 7 5 sequence definitely being a nominee for declarer red the position perfect and 3 Israel 398 17,30 21 Czech Republic 293 12,74 the qualification for the semi-finals is A K 9 7 best bid hand of 2008. played Q and spade to K. East had to White -- very doubtful. The members of the French A K 8 4 2 follow suit also on J so ten tricks were 4 Netherlands Red 396 17,22 team, who won their last match, look A K 9 4 On the same day, Meike impressed the assured for a good 420 with the Nether- 22 Netherlands Girls 270 11,74 happy because these events mean they kibitzers with a nice line of play: lands East-west in the other room were 5 France 394 17,13 & Boys will overcome the Dutch juniors. In the left to play in 4 for down one. end game Meike succeeds in stealing an- 6 Spain 388 16,87 23 Hungary 232 10,09 other trick and escapes for down one after which the Dutch players and supporters 7 Poland U25 386 16,78 24 Romania 226 9,83

50 51 SEMI-FINAL boom, after the 1 -response. It will not TIEBREAKER Jacco Hop and Vincent de Pagter played every imp counts have been easy to do only one slemtry and an important rol in the gold at the Junior the pass at 4 was very disciplined. Ana- The first board was flat. The second would Europeans in Jesolo and bid the game The play-offs started with the brother lysts at BBO joked about it and predicted be decisive: without intervention. So it was West who fight of Netherlands Blue and Red, with that making 4 would become very had to lead. Spade: Blue in the final or Israel and the Polish U-20 team battling difficult. Declarer Bob Drijver proved East/-- A 10 4 diamond: Red to the final. It all turned it out in the other semi-final. At halftime them to be wrong. He took the lead of 4 A 7 4 out to become a battle for the Carrousel J 9 6 5 4 (the match consisted of two halves of (second/fourth) with A and immediate- Cup-2008 between Israel and the Nether- Q 2 twelve boards) the Israeli juniors had a ly played Q. East took K and played lands Red. K 8 5 3 N Q J 7 6 comfortable lead whilst the difference back a second diamond ruffed in dummy. 6 5 K 10 9 8 3 W E between the Dutch teams was a mere 4 Declarer crossed to Q and took a suc- A Q 8 7 2 S imps. Every imp could bring the decision. cessful finesse for K. A (spade from 10 7 6 9 5 3 FINAL Bob Drijver from Red did very well in a south) and a club ruffed, K in west. 9 2 Q J 2 touchy 4 to win one, what turned out to A second diamond ruff followed. With a K 10 2 In this match the Dutch juniors took a be extremely valuable, imp. perfect insight for the whole distribution A K J 8 4 substantial lead (45-17) with some five and guided by the lead declarer decid- boards to play. The unimaginable happed. Bob Merijn North/- A K 10 5 ed spades to be 3-2 divided with three Israel came back and after 24 boards is WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH A 10 4 2 in west, who also seemed to have three was 52-52. A second tiebreaker was Q 2 ( + ) pass diamonds and three clubs. This gave west necessary! In a really thrilling and sport- A Q J 5 3 pass pass pass a fourcard hearts. So declarer took one ive atmosphere the players returned to the 9 4 2 N 8 7 J 9 6 5 K round of trumps with A, cashed table for two more boards. It was Israel W E A 10 5 K J 9 3 2 K, ruffed a spade with Q and played When South did not overcall East-west that prevailed and could lift in a well de- S K 6 3 10 9 7 4 2 a diamond to score 10 en passant for were sure to win the bidding. After the served victory the Carrousel Cup. Poland Q J 6 3 +450. lead of Q declarer lost in total six tricks and the Netherlands Blue were tired but Q 8 7 3 8 7 6 4 for -100. But this was however absolutely played each other in the play-off for third 8 The semi’s ended with Israel beating no guarantee for a win and a place in the place with the Polish U-20 winning. Poland. And how did things proceed with final. North south would after a pass by Merijn Bob the both Dutch teams, Blue versus Red. East certainly bid 3NT which fate would mingle during this week. This win went WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH After 24 boards nothing was settled: 55- depend on the lead. CONSOLATION to the Austrian junior team. The White 1 pass 1 55. This draw which required two extra House Junior Internationals was closed pass 4 pass 4 boards (the rules stated if needed two Vincent Jacco Friday when the finalists battled out their on Saturday with a (pro-am like) pairs pass pass pass times a tiebreaker of two boards and then WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH fight for victory all the other teams played tournament where all juniors (a bunch of – of course nobody likes it but you cannot pass 1 NT a Swiss teams tournament. That is to say : them not showing up but taking the op- At the other table north opened 2NT to go on forever– the throw of the dice). pass 3 NT pass pass many transnational teams were formed, a portunity to visit Amsterdam, an ok idea) end in 4 which made in comfort. pass good tradition in this (and other) events, coaches, sponsors and guests seemed to A big hand for North, Merijn Groenen- juniors meet, get to know each other and have a very nice time.

52 53 After the fantastic period in ’s-Hertogen- Poland was stronger than Sweden. In the van Bokhoven who got things started in bosch (1993-2004), an intermediate year final Israel took a lead in the first couple 1993. Koos Nobel gave me my first laptop (2005) in bridge- and chess pub ‘Twee of boards to hold on and win the event in 1992 (‘easier for recording mistakes by Philip Alder in the New York Times Klaveren’ in Amsterdam, the junior for the second time in a row. The Israeli by your juniors when you are working as event now known as White House Junior juniors already predicted that after a their coach in a championship’) and sup- Internationals for the fourth consecutive consecutive third win, the hattrick, the ported junior bridge for many years, Max The White House Junior Championship East/- 9 7 2 on which declarer false carded with 10. year took place from march 8-15 (2009) Carrousel Cup will become theirs. So be it Abram and Herman Drenkelford (‘Het took place in Amsterdam from March 10- A J 8 7 2 After winning dummy’s Ace declarer ran in ‘Het Witte Huis’. (the Cup already got lost a couple of times Witte Huis’), Peter Sisselaar (‘you cannot A 9 15. 24 teams from 18 countries competed 10 for K in West. Now West had to 24 teams from 17 European countries and had to be replaced). The Swiss won double a Sissselaar’), Jos Jansen, the city 10 7 3 in a 10-board round robin to qualify four shift to a heart but instead hoped partner participated, A full round robin where by Trondheim and the closing Patton by of Amsterdam, the NBB, Alpha Bridge, J 4 3 N A 8 6 5 teams for the 24-board semi-finals. In Q 6 5 3 K 9 4 had 7 and he led J. Declarer won all teams met the others in matches of Wroclaw. and many friends with warm hearts for W E those Israel beated Poland U-20 easily and J 6 5 4 Q 8 3 his King cashed his four tricks in clubs ten boards. The top-4 to the semi-final A big hand of applause to the sponsors, junior bridge . S the Netherlands Red defeated Blue, but K 6 J 5 4 and played K. When East ducked that (2x12 boards) where Israel beat Italy and spearheded by Jan Rijnaarts and Fons only after overtime. The 24-board final K Q 10 South cashed 7 with A for nine tricks. 10 was between Israel’s Eliran Argelazi, Alon K 10 7 2 Minus 130 and +400 gave Israel 7 imps Birman, Gilad Ofir, Ron Segev, Dana Tal A Q 9 8 2 and the title. and Bar Tarnovski and the Netherlands WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Red’s Bob Drijver, Merijn Groenenboom, pass 1 Jacco Hop, Marion Michielsen, Vincent pass 1 pass 2 de Pagter and Meike Wortel. The Dutch pass 3 pass pass/3 NT by Marjo Chorus led most of the way but gave back 15 imps over the last four boards, resulting in an exact draw (52-52). There was a two- The Dutch North South pair rested in 3 The reporter of BRIDGE (magazine of he really passed that hand?”. They go to South/NS -- board overtime to decide the title. One whilst Bar Tarnovski for Israel tried 3NT. NBB, ) during Gerbrand and Jacco, older brother of Ger- K Q 9 3 J 8 5 4 3 board was flat and the match was settled West led 4, the fourth highest diamond. WHJI-2009 asked junior Aarnout Hel- brand, inteverenes in the discussion: “This A Q J 5 in the deal in the next diagram: To make his contract for sure declarer mich about a specific hand. Aarnout: hand is a perfect opening. Good shape, A Q J 10 8 N K 9 7 5 3 6 5 4 J needed mirrors: take the first trick with ”Well, Gerbrand, my partner, passed in excellent suits, singleton and vulnerable W E A, play a spade to K and guess the first position”. Marjo: “I beg your pardon. against not you will take action as soon as K 9 6 7 10 7 S K 9 6 4 3 2 club layout. Not being blessed with X-ray He passed; we are talking about the same possible”. Gerbrand, always likes to have 6 4 2 vision Bar allowed East to win the first board?”. Aarnout: “Certainly, I sat at the the last word. “Listen what happened!”. A 10 8 7 2 trick with Q. East returned 8, the table and I saw a green pass-card. When A Q 10 2 higher of his remaining cards in that suit, I look now it seems a strange bid. Did 8

54 55 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH the value of solid suits 1 1 North/All A 10 2 Radu Nistor of Rumania ended up in 4 1 2 3 5 2 and got the lead of the 8 which ran to J 7 3 1 2 4 pass Dennis Stuurman (former junior who 4 4 NT J. Three rounds of hearts for west who A Q 8 5 4 pass 5 5 pass know is the trainer of the Dutch ‘kids’) 5 5 also took Q and played a club. Declarer Q 9 8 4 N 6 5 pass dbl pass pass registered fine bidding. He made a 6 6 NT Q 9 4 3 J 7 rightfully placed K in East and took W E pass shortlist of two entries. Both are nice and -- A Q 10 9 6 4 2 A, and ruffed a club felling the K. A S deserve a prize, which will be handed in Cedric Lorenzini would develop quick 10 9 7 3 2 K 6 spade to 10, A, Q and a diamond to South probably got worried that he had the European Junior Championships in and strong to win with France the Euro- K J 7 3 K gave declarer ten tricks. A K 10 8 6 opened the 10-count and was reluctantly Brasov (Rumania). Mateusz Mrockowski pean Open title in 2016, Budapest. K 8 5 to bid over 5 . This went -300 but Ger- and Adam Smieszkol of the Polish U-20 J brand at the other table proved his point. team had a very nice sequence to the top A tough bidding problem narrated by spot and rightfully deserved their first Tim Heeres (well known in Groningen, Aarnout Gerbrand prize. Many pairs could not cope with this the Northern part of Netherlands, as the WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH hand and went down in 5 . champion of Oosterwolde after winning pass the 24-hour marathon in partnership with Adam (Pol) Mateusz (Pol) 1 dbl 3 4 the former junior coach). by Meike Wortel WEST NORTH 4 5 pass 6 A J 7 6 3 10 9 8 4 pass pass pass North/All A Q 9 6 5 3 K 7 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH South/-- J 10 8 5 Meike describes what she saw on BBO: club and East overtook 8 with 9 and 10 K 3 A Q 3 2 pass 3 dbl declarer started well by winning the cashed two diamonds. Notice the crucial A 9 2 The initial pass by South did wonders. 9 A K Q J 3 10 with A and drawing three rounds importance of 10!! If declarer gets out pass ?? 4 3 He got a perfect view of the North hand, of trumps. A, K and a spade for Q with this card it is West who has to win Q 7 6 4 3 2 N -- could count the void in spades, and last 1 2 J 4 10 8 6 in west who returned a small club for J and give a club ruff as the entry for the W E but not least persuaded East-west not to 2 2 There you sit as North with: A 1 0 2 10 K Q J 8 5 4 and A in South. Declarer returned a small spade trick. K Q 8 7 S J 9 5 2 save in 6 . The ‘Hop’-brothers are one of 3 4 5 2 J 7 3 A Q 8 5 4 A K 9 many sets of brothers (Brink, Drijver) in 4 4 NT K 9 7 5 Dutch junior bridge (we also much en- 5 6 NT (I have seen these I suggest the following possibilities: 7 6 3 joyed of the presence of the Spangenberg type of hands before) pass/3NT/5 /something else? A 10 6 sisters, even twins!), and did very well: Meike (transnational Jacco was a member of the golden Euro- A consolation prize went to: 3NT by the French Girls was a winner WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH world champion pean (2007, Jesolo) team and Gerbrand (pass would have hit the jackpot) whilst in 2012) playing 1 NT against Bas Cedric (Fr) Christophe (Fr) outgunned his brother by winning the 5 , the choice by the Dutch North, was a pass 2 2 2 Drijver and A J 7 6 3 10 9 8 4 Sjoert Brink Junior World Title (2012, Taicang). sour contract that duly went down oppo- pass 4 pass pass A Q 9 6 5 3 K 7 site South with K J 7 3 A K 10 8 6 pass 10 K 3 K 8 5 J. What did you decide? 9 A K Q J 3 The same board with a different scenario:

56 57 and works very motivating”. They support White House Junior Internationals to the fullest: “The nicest junior event in the world. Very special and a jewel for junior Agnes Snellers learned to play bridge in of the Dutch Juniors. Their first assign- the organising. During championships bridge. The atmosphere and solidarity is 1985 during her time as a student at the ment was the Channel Trophy in 2009 the trio had a perfect time, Agnes always great, regardless of nationality”. A gigantic age of 25. Wubbo won as a junior the (Oostende) where they made acquain- is the kibitzer, Kees for the review of the success for Agnes and Wubbo, assisted by World Championship in 1987 (Amster- tance with the junior bridge world. From systems of opponents and Wubbo as a Berend&Joris, when they won in February dam) and the Bermuda Bowl in 1993 the first moment they liked it especially centipede taking care of everything. Ag- 2015 the Cavendish Teams. (Santiago de Chili). In 1994 Agnes and because the ‘Channel’ is known for its nes and Wubbo travel a lot, and especially Wubbo met and in 1996 they wed in good and pleasant atmosphere. The train- when there is somewhere a bridge tourna- West/All 4 2 Jamaica. They also started to play as a ing for the juniors needed a new impulse ment. For the first time they took juniors A Q 10 9 3 A Q bridge partnership and soon they reached and Agnes and Wubbo created the ‘first Berend-Joris with them to the National K 10 3 2 the first level in the Dutch League, where Sunday of the month’, a training where in Atlanta. Agnes and Wubbo really liked J 9 6 N 3 they still are competing as members of the every member of the junior squad was this experience even though the partici- 5 4 2 K 8 7 6 W E BCO (club from Utrecht). In 2006 they supposed to be present. In this structure pation in the Cup ended in one K J 3 2 9 8 6 5 4 S provide the funds for a trip of the Dutch everybody (juniors and staff) knew ex- of the first rounds. Agnes and Wubbo love 9 8 6 A 7 4 Junior team to Brighton for the yearly actly what to do. This way a platform for every day of their connection to junior A K Q 10 8 7 5 J festival. This training proved the be very structured training was created. Especial- bridge: “We still enjoy every moment. Of 10 7 productive: the Netherlands won the Eu- ly for the trainer the years between 2009 course Taicang(2012) was very special, Q J 5 ropean Championships in Jesolo (2007). and 2015 were a great delight because he winning the world title at the last board. In 2009 both put their fulltime jobs at a only had to take care of technical – bridge Team-spirit was the decisive factor. A Agnes Duboin Wubbo Madala lower level and became the captains-pair – issues while Agnes and Wubbo did all great surprise in China was the excellent WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH performance of Aarnout Helmich and pass 1 Gerbrand Hop, who had a difficult time pass 2 pass 2 in the years before. The momentum pass 2 NT pass 3 in Taicang was there and winning was pass 3 NT pass 4 great.’ The picture of Wubbo holding pass 6 pass pass the cup has as significant title: 1987 and pass 2012: world champion as a junior and as a junior captain. Agnes and Wubbo see It was the moment for Agnes to shine and good perspective for the future: “ We have she laid down 3 as lead (a card worth career playing as a junior for Italy and played J, overtaken with Q in North a talented, nice group of juniors and the €30.000). Madala (we met August for the went on as a member of the famous La- and two down. Some result against +680 in-flow of youngsters is going smoothly. first time in 2001 during the World Junior vazza team) was at once at the crossroads. from the other table. How about North All the players value our work and accept Teams in Mangaratiba; he was then only Would West lead from K? He did not correcting 6 to 6NT? The astonishing winning team in the Cavendish - 2016 our authority. This provides a strong basis 14 years of age, and later made a great believe that. Took A, drew trumps and

58 59 by our flying reporter Tim Heeres

10 5 3 South/EW SEMI FINAL after 9 for A and another the K J 7 4 2 March 21-26, 2010. Het Witte Huis, Amsterdam, the Netherlands led to one down and Q 6 So it became Israel (holders of the Car- +11 imps for Italy that stopped in 5 at J 6 3 rousel Cup in 2008 and 2009) who went the other table. 7 N K Q J 9 4 9 8 5 10 SIGHTSEEING IN AMSTERDAM OPENING AND PATTON ROUND ROBIN for the hattrick against Italy whilst the W E K 4 3 A 10 9 8 7 two French teams battled each other for East/NS A Q 9 7 5 A K Q 9 4 2 S 10 7 2 Wednesday morning, March 18, 9.45 am, Sunday, March 21, the official opening Monday, March 22, the Round Robin (23 a place in the final. These KO play-offs A 8 6 2 Q J 7 5 Australian juniors Justin and Michael call of the event was performed elegantly by matches of ten boards) kicked off. Thurs- consisted of two times twelve boards. A Q 6 3 J 7 6 me that they have arrived in Stayokay Herman Drenkelford, followed by a Pat- day night, the top four teams qualified for J 5 2 10 6 3 2 N 8 4 8 5 Zeeburg in Amsterdam. During the next ton team tournament. The Dutch juniors the semi-finals in the knock out. Israel North/-- 9 8 A 4 3 W E couple of days, almost 150 juniors from had been assigned – as real Pro’s- to form won this round robin, France, the Euro- 10 6 4 6 4 A K 9 8 3 Not an easy hand for EW to bid: 5 by 10 7 S 19 countries arrive for the 5-th White partnerships with sponsors, officials and pean champions of 2008, came in second K Q 10 9 4 2 A 8 3 Italy was a precious eleventh trick more K Q J 10 9 5 4 House Junior Internationals. And some guests as the Am’s. This event proved and Italy qualified the third team. France K J than 5 by Israel, and again 12 imps to 6 N K Q J 3 2 K Q J 10 9 7 6 5 even make visits to Vincent van Gogh to be both interesting (because of the overcame Australia that was in the top- A K J 9 7 3 Q 5 the Italian juniors, after this spectacular W E 10 5 museum and other cultural attractions. format), full of tension but friendly. Of three for the greater part of the qualifica- A J 8 5 4 K 9 3 5 start leading by the huge sum of 35 imps! S An exciting character of this junior event, course everybody was aiming for victory. tion. A hard and pityful moment for the 3 A 8 6 that started in 1993 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch The German juniors snatched away first guys from Down Under, since they made A 10 8 7 5 4 The Israeli juniors as EW lost 500 in 5 The whole week brought a lot of good, 8 2 and moved in 2005 to Amsterdam, is that prize away. a really good impression and worked so Q 6 2 -doubled in the board above, so it became exciting – sometimes hilarious - bridge. a global touch was restored with the par- hard to qualify. For the home supporters, 7 2 necessary that the Israeli NS pair in the An enthusiastic 6 in the semi-final, bid ticipation of teams from it was a disappointment that other room made 620 in 4 . After un- and made by three of four east-west’s. Birman Manno Argelazi di Franco the USA and Australia. the Dutch juniors did not (Isr) (It) (Isr) (It) sporting defence, East took four top tricks East/All Hiroaki Miura and qualify; they started well so another 12 imps to Italy. K 10 7 6 5 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 4 Noriaki Koike (Japan) but only 80 vips (out of 25 Did Israel strike back at board three? 3 3 NT pass Q J 8 7 teamed up with Milan in those days, a draw being A 5 4 4 (= ) pass 4 pass Macura and Michal Ko- 15-15) from 6 matches on 4 3 N A Q J 9 6 pass pass pass K J 10 7 6 A 9 3 2 pecki (Czech Republic). the third day was too thin to W E K 6 3 2 A 10 9 5 Together they won the reach the play-offs. K Q S 6 1-st Junior World Team The sequence by west was reasonable as 8 2 Championships, 2009, can be but did not lead to the winning Q 8 5 Istanbul. denomination, since 6 is cold. In 6 4 J 10 9 8 7 3 2

60 61 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Montanari Robert Franch Lhuissier With one board to play, it was Israel 42 transnational pairings). This game 1 pass (It) (Fr) (It) (Fr) and France 30. But here came a chance – always played in a nice atmosphere - 1 1 3 pass WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH when the French north-south pair con- became a prey of the Netherlands, only a

3 NT(serious) pass 4 pass pass ceded -800 in 5 -doubled which gave small revenge for missing the semi-final 4 pass 4 pass pass 4 pass pass France a chance to tie the match if they of the main event. After the Israeli juniors 4 NT pass 5 pass dbl pass pass pass found a way to 6 and +1430, good for paid a visit to Ajax-Groningen on Sunday 6 pass pass pass +12 imps. afternoon in the Amsterdam Arena, Volcker di Franco Bessis Manno on Sunday night, March 28, everything After A and a spade, declarer finessed WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Volcker di Franco Bessis Manno became quiet again in Amsterdam. If the (Fr) (It) (Fr) (It) J. A and heart for another finesse. pass omen is right, the 6-th White House Ju- K to collect Q. Another spade finesse pass 5 dbl pass WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH nior Internationals in 2011 will be a new and A to discard a diamond. Heart to 6 pass 6 pass 2 chance for glory for junior bridge players 10 followed by the last heart and Q, 6 pass 6 pass 2 4 5 pass from all parts of the world. squeezing north in the process. Juniors pass pass 5 pass pass pass show us: bridge is an easy game. The finesse for Q was very clever. Declarer This board enlightens the approach of You may believe or wonder why west FAREWELL SPEECH knew North had to have at least three doubles at high level opening bidst after could not believe the void in hearts; oth- diamonds besides five spades and rated to atypical passes in first and second hand erwise going on to 6 with controls in Specialising in short speeches, a feature have three (four) clubs as well. Montanari at both tables. Juniors always seem to and seemed a reasonable option. much admired by all juniors, I thanked (It), Lhuissier(Fr) and Birman(Isr) all bid have the right hand for a bid, surpris- the sponsors and the chef with his staff and made the contract: the fourth table ingly, green versus red, first position and in the kitchen (juniors like to eat) of Het stayed (reasonably) in 5 . enormous distribution in second position, ITALY WINS CARROUSEL CUP Witte Huis. All volunteers at BBO did a not on this occasion. Anyway, with +800 great job. Tim Heeres wrote many great and +100 Italy wrote down +14 imps in Italy (Matteo Montanari-Arrigo Franchi, and took care that everything, results and FINAL the we-column. Massimiliano di Franco-Andrea Manno, butlerscores was published on the inter- Simon Fellus-Giuseppe della Cave with net, on www.jeugdbridge.nl. Last but not South/EW 4 West/All Q 10 npc Giagio Rinaldi) became the proud least a big hand for Bep Vriend and An- -- Q J 8 7 6 3 winner of the Carrousel Cup 2010 with neke Simons; they made it possible that J 9 7 4 3 8 6 3 A J 10 6 5 4 3 Q 4 Israel winning the match for place three. WHJI-2011 became such a big success. Q 10 9 8 6 5 N A 7 2 A J 7 4 2 N K 9 8 6 5 3 Have a safe trip back home, play a lot of A J 9 8 4 K 6 5 -- W E W E good bridge and hope to meet you again, 5 A K Q 6 A J 2 Q 10 9 HAVE A SAVE TRIP HOME AND somewhere on the globe or when you are K S Q 9 8 7 K 9 8 7 S A J 10 5 SEE YOU AGAIN IN 2011 still a junior next year in WHJI-2012 or K J 3 -- whenever, and anywere afterwards. Q 10 7 5 3 2 A K 10 9 4 2 10 8 2 K 7 5 4 The teams that did not qualify played 2 6 3 2 Friday a consolation Swiss (with many

62 63 Blue, Denmark, Ireland and Austria came Padon Gerbrand Meyuhas Aarnout At the prize-giving Jan Rijnaarts (who out these fierce battles as winners. (Isr) (Isr) organised the yearly international junior WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH events in ‘s-Hertogenbosch from 1993- 2012 The final (3x14 boards) between the Neth- 1 1 2004; many former juniors still active in erlands and Israel produced lots of great pass 2 (= ) dbl pass the international bridge scene will re- bridge. The two teams performing very pass 2 pass pass member ‘Big’ Jan very well) was happy to The spectators at BBO already knew that well at the end of a tiring week. Nether- 3 pass 4 pass hand the Carrousel Cup, a reminiscence the Bulgarian east-west pair saved in 4 lands took the lead whith a light overcall pass pass to the notorious, frequently visited by going down two for 500. They all could disrupting the Israeli bidding. juniors, discotheque in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, see that north-south had 660 in 3NT for To be honest. It is not easy to see – dou- to Aarnout Helmich-Gerbrand Hop and a gain of FOUR imps. Not easy however East/All 4 bling 2 for penalties is no big gain - how Joris van Lankveld-Berend van den Bos and the Bulgarian north-south pair did Q J 8 6 5 2 East-west can reach 3NT. However, with with Agnes Snellers and Wubbo the Boer J 9 8 6 5 pretty well reaching 4 . After a spade eight boards to play, all was square again as proud non playing captains. An exciting K moment when lead declarer took A, ruffed a spade and K Q J 6 3 2 5 (49-48). The momentum went and stayted the junior N played 10. West was helpless and only 3 A K 10 4 with the Netherlands that took the final of team of Turkey W E compares scores made three trump tricks: +620 and +3 Q 10 7 2 K 4 WHJI-2012 with 88-55. Was it an omen S imps tied the match (62-62). An overtrick J 8 A Q 10 7 6 4 for things happening later that year in could bring the decision for a place in the A 10 9 8 7 Taicang? 9 7 final. And in fact the Bulgarian declarer A 3 After a Pro-am opening tournament (the North/All 2 at the last board had a chance for +140 in 9 5 3 2 French junior team won this Patton team 10 7 4 2 , with the Netherlands scoring +100), A Q 10 9 7 6 4 Joris Gerstner Berend Fisher event) the junior teams played a three day but only made eight tricks for +110 and a A Q (Isr) (Isr) Round Robin (17 matches of ten boards), wash! What now? In 2009 and 2010 there You may be inclined to Q J 4 3 N K 10 9 8 6 5 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH believe that after five long the top four qualifying for the semifinals. A Q 9 3 2 were also some exactly tied (semi)finals W E 1 pass days of intense bridge, Resulting in 1: Netherlands 312 2: Sweden K J 8 which caused on a lot of hassle with the the juniors that were not S 1 2 2 pass in the final, would use the 307 3: Israel 298 4: Bulgaria 292 10 6 4 2 9 7 5 3 time schedule, BBO and so on. To avoid 3 pass 3 NT pass Friday as the opportunity A 7 that, the tournament directors decided to visit Amsterdam. K J 8 6 5 pass pass On the contrary. Never Both semifinals (3x14 boards) were very 5 3 2 to give the higher finishing team in the having enough of bridge, the ‘Witte Huis’ filled up close till the end. Israel getting the better K J 8 Round Robin the advantage of a half imp. with 28 tables for the of Sweden at the last boards only with a Applying that rule it turned out to be a A lead did not hurt declarer; with this closing pairs-game with Joris Vasilev(Bul) Berend Siderov(Bul) small margin (61-57). In the other match final Israel versus the Netherlands. lay out nine tricks are always possible. Paul Grünke-Michael WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Rausch (Germany) after between the Netherlands and Bulgaria, some emotional ‘hogh 1 1 dbl voltage’matchpointed the Dutch held a small lead (62-59) with At Thursday all – exept the finalists - bridge enterprises 2 NT 3 3 dbl two boards to play. teams played their ‘Consolation’ -finals. emerging as proud pass 4 pass pass winners. In groups of four, based on the ranking in pass the Round Robin. Croatia, Netherlands

64 65 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH North/All 6 3 pass 1 10 9 8 4 K 9 8 2 dbl pass 3 Q 8 5 3 pass 3 pass 4 Q 8 7 2 N J 10 9 5 Sometimes the budget runs out of gas (too many to name them all) we organise pass 4 pass pass Q 2 6 5 W E (euro’s). A new phenomenon was the a bridge-drive as fundraiser: first at home pass Q 10 6 4 3 A J 5 2 S crowdfunding in which dozens of bridge- than in Baambrugge, the battle of the sex- A 4 K 9 7 friends made their contributions for the es (won by the women) and these days the Some pairs ended up in 3NT, after 3 a A K 4 A K J 7 3 budget of White House Junior Interna- living room drive in Amsterdam ZUID. reasonable option for south. After the 7 tionals. This club was called the 1%-club We owe all the sponsors big thanks. With- 10 lead it was pretty difficult to put up J 10 6 2 in an – successful – attempt to fill the out them the organisation of WHJI would J for the double ( K and 10) finesse, O.Rimstedt Chodacki Säfsten Nowak empty holes. Also with the perfect assis- not be possible. Juniors show ‘big’ interest in the morning so 3NT was only made in three of eight A well-controlled bidding sequence by the (Swed) (Pol) (Swed) (Pol) tance of Ellibert Bart and many others newspapers occasions. Against 4 in the Moysian Polish North-South ended in the reason- fit West led A, followed by K and a WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH able 3 -part score +170 for Poland. third spade. J ruffed with 2 and over pass pass 1 ruffed with 3. Diamond to A and Q, pass 1 NT pass 2 Niajko Grönqvist Marks M.Rimstedt (Pol) (Swed) (Pol) (Swed) not covered. Then J, K, A. Q and pass 2 pass 2 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH a club ruffed with 6. J followed, again pass 3 pass pass pass pass 1 not covered. K and a diamond ruffed pass with A, killing Q. A high club in pass 3 pass 4 by Dennis Stuurman South; East could ruff but had to give the pass pass pass last trick (the tenth and game fulfilling) The 10th White House Junior Internation- Poland got the best of Turkey (157-93 in There was a lot of good bridge with some- to J in dummy. In the final between After the preemptive 3 , South, a junior als (March 29 till April 3, 2015 in ‘Het 42 boards) and Sweden surprised with an times funny tricks : Poland and Sweden it was a close game hates missing vulnerable games, bid one Witte Huis’) was played by twenty-four upset against Israel (93-63). In the final untill board 36 (of 42) when the Swedish more for the road, hoping for singleton teams from seventeen European coun- Poland, overwhelming up to that point, East/-- J 5 3 juniors took the lead. or another useful feature in North. tries. After a qualification in two groups took an early lead 22-6, Sweden fought Q J 6 West led a fourth best 4 against 4 and A K J 9 7 of twelve teams the top-6 from each group back in the second session of 14 boards declarer played K in dummy, aiming J 4 went on to quarterfinal A, with 1/2/3 (43-24) and took away victory with a at A and another diamond. But East A K 10 9 4 2 N 8 6 qualifying for the semi-finals. Poland, decisive final set for a total of 98-73 imps. 10 9 K 5 4 2 switched, luckily for Sweden not the very W E Israel and Turkey succeeded. Sweden, A deserved win for Ida Grönqvist-Mikael Q 5 3 10 6 4 2 hard to find small club but J: +620 for S somewhat pale in the first two days, did Rimstedt and Ola Rimstedt- Johan Säfts- 8 2 K 10 3 Sweden. very well in quarterfinal B (formed by the en, the core of the team that won in 2014 Q 7 A 8 7 3 teams finishing 7-12 in the qualification), the U-20 World Championships. 8 The final stayed full of high-tension, pro- winning by a large margin and earning A Q 9 7 6 5 Captain Agnes kibitzes junior Bas, in the duced exciting bridge till the end. The last themselves a place in the semi-final. meantime studying travel plans and decisive blow came at board 41.

66 67 North/EW 8 2 showed 10-16 with six diamonds and and a closing pairs tournament, with K J 10 no fourcard major. South judged many transnational pairings on Friday, A K Q 9 3 2 10 4 3 excellent by ‘saving’ against 4 for +550, won by Brigitta Fisher (Hungary) and A Q 10 6 5 N K J 4 winning 12 imps when Poland Sam Bahbout (Belgium). Max Abram april 2015, by Wiel Gielkens 8 3 2 7 6 after some mix up went on and Herman Drenkelford, the main spon- W E 8 5 7 4 to 6 down one. That brought the sors, remain ever so enthusiastic J 9 8 S A K Q 6 5 2 margin to 91-73 with only one board to about junior bridge that the young par- The fortunate times that The Netherlands Mark Chris Leen Ricardo North/EW 8 4 9 7 3 2 play and assuring Sweden of ticipants said goodbye and expressed knew many tournaments with inter- WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH K 10 9 8 4 A Q 9 5 4 J 9 8 the Carrousel Cup (the heritage of those their expectation to return in 2016 to national participation is far behind us. pass 1 pass J 10 6 J 6 5 7 beautiful junior years in Amsterdam for the 24th-event. For the international bridge youth The pass dbl redbl 2 Q 7 6 N J 5 ‘s-Hertogenbosch). It were six days of Nederlands still is a Mekka. The 23-the pass pass 2 3 3 J 6 2 Chodacki O.Rimstedt Nowak Säfsten W E K Q 10 6 4 A 5 3 2 (Pol) (Swed) (Pol) (Swed) exciting bridge, starting on Sunday edition of the international juniors took pass pass dbl pass 9 7 4 2 S A Q 10 3 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH with a Pro-am Patton (that intriguing place in Het Witte Huis, Amsterdam with pass pass combination of matchpoints and 24 teams from 17 different nationalities. A K 10 9 3 2 2 3 3 A Q 7 5 3 4 4 5 imps) where guests and officials as ‘Ams’ Sweden, world champion U-20 in 2014, The protective double by North can be 7 dbl pass pass pass paired up with juniors as ‘Pro’s’ won the event in impressive style. The five best described as hungry. Poor South K 8 Dutch teams (juniors, girls, youngsters) could not be blamed for bidding 3 could not mingle in the battle for victory. . A trump lead would be straight away Berend Greco Joris Hampson The Dutch ‘Aspiranten’ (u-21) booked a devasting but after Q, overtaken with (USA) (USA) nice win over their older compatriots. K, East returned K for A. Declarer WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH could ruff two spades in dummy but only pass 1 1 North/EW 9 made A and K for down three and pass pass dbl redbl J 3 2 500 for EW. 2 pass pass 2 10 9 6 5 This would however not have been costly 3 4 pass pass K Q 9 5 2 if East at the other table would have made pass Q 2 N A K J 10 5 4 9 8 K Q 10 6 4 . South led a trump and declarer had W E J 8 3 2 A Q to play a heart to 10 to catch South in Joris could not stand letting opponents J 10 7 4 3 S 6 an endplay ( 75 and K7). A couple of play in 1 , only finding out the harsh 8 7 6 3 months later Joris van Lankveld, junior way when North-south ended up swiftly A 7 5 4 K 7 4 world champion in 2011 and 2012, in 4 , making eleven tricks without even A 8 experienced the same scenario during the breathing. Vanderbilt in New Orleans. This confrontation between two brother

BBO table: Norway pairs (NS: Westerbeek and EW: Stougie) versus the Netherlands turned out to become a rather bloody spectacle.

68 69 Thibo Chodacki Guy Bojarski Bas van Engelen as South did not have the (Pol) (Pol) tool of 2 at his disposal so had to pass. WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH North, Thijs Verbeek, took brave action 2 ( + ) with 2NT. West took a deep vue, expect- Junior, ex-junior, fierce BBO commenta- dbl 4 dbl pass ing no heart values in East, and jumped tor (Uni-Dennis), writer for daily Bulletin 5 5 dbl pass to slam, after which South, at a witts end, WHJI, precise follower of U-20 and U-25 pass pass hoped next to A for a defensive trick in teams of the Netherlands, trainer of the North. North had that trick in the form of Dutch kids. Dennis Stuurman is active In their first tournament as junior Guy K but much to the dismay of the Dutch in many functions during WHJI, bulletin Mendes de León and Thibo Sprinkhuizen pair A was wasted. editor, writer of match reports, BBO-op- (U-20 European Champions in 2015) erator and commentator, captain of Dutch made a fine impression and produced a The Dutch equalised by bidding a slam, Dennis looks, as U-20 and junior teams. His excellent and BBO-operator, with big result in reaching the final. The 2 this time missed by the Polish juniors. a smile how Bob Polish Captain Marek Markowski, extensive report of the final of 2016, and ( + two-suiter) worked very well for satisfied after eating a good number Donkersloot selects North/EW J many other stories also of previous White a lead in the final the Polish North-south. Understandably of stroopwafels, looks confident at the end of 2016. A K 7 3 2 of the final-2016. After 14 boards House events, can be found at East (the double at 4 was for takeout) 10 8 7 6 4 the score was Poland 27-Netherlands 22. Poland went on strong in the next two K 3 www.jeudgbridge.nl. with KQ as useless values doubled 5 sessions and took the Carrousel Cup-2016. as a sign off. 10 9 8 7 6 2 N A K Q 5 4 3 Q 10 5 6 W E 5 2 Marks Thijs Majcher Bas 9 J 6 S find the -ruff for down four; it would (Pol) (Pol) Q 10 8 7 5 -- have been a world record: making a ruff WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH J 9 8 4 with the one outstanding trump. pass A K Q J 3 1 2 NT dbl 4 A 9 4 2 april 2015, by Dennis Stuurman Thibo Chodacki Guy Bojarski 6 pass pass pass (Pol) (Pol) Marks Thijs Majcher Bas (Pol) (Pol) WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH The final of the White House Junior fourhanded team against Netherlands South/EW 4 2 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 1 J 10 5 4 2 Internationals 2016 was a battle between Blue with three pairs: Pim Coppens-Bob 1 pass 1 4 dbl K 10 9 8 3 Poland (beating Norway in the semi’s) Donkersloot, Bas van Engelen-Thijs pass 5 pass pass Q pass 1 2 NT 4 and the Netherlands Blue (that eliminated Verbeek and Guy Mendes de León-Thibo pass A K Q N 9 7 5 pass 4 NT dbl 5 NT the strong Swedish team). In good tradi- Sprinkhuizen. -- K Q 3 W E pass 6 pass 6 Q 6 5 2 A J 7 tion the teams that do well at WHJI also pass pass pass The double by South maybe was not that S will perform strong in the coming World Two slams from the first session with A K 10 8 6 2 7 5 4 3 informative as can be understood and Junior Championships in Salsomaggiore. many interesting aspects: J 10 8 6 3 Did west take 2NT as something else? when West suppressed clever his spade A 9 8 7 6 Poland: Marcin Bojarski-Max Chodac- 4 This way we will never find out if – support, North – fearing spade values in ki and Alek Majcher-Rafal Marks, a J 9 Kibitzers following final-2016 on BBO against a save in 6 - North-south would South) signed off in game.

70 71 1997 ITALY White House Junior 2012 NETHERLANDS Runners up Norway Internationals, Amsterdam Runners up Israel

1998 NORWAY 2006 NORWAY 2013 ARGURUNORNETH Runners up Netherlands Runners up Poland Runners up Israel

1999 CANADA 2007 NORWAY 2014 NORWAY Runners up Norway Runners up Israel Runners up Germany

2000 AUSTRIA 2008 ISRAEL 2015 SWEDEN Runners up USA Runners up Netherlands Runners up POLAND

2001 NORWAY 2009 ISRAEL 2016 POLAND Runners up Canada Runners up Poland Runners up Netherlands

The Carrousel Cup is what it’s all about 2002 NETHERLANDS 2010 ITALY 2017 ???? Runners up USA Runners up France Runners up ????

International Youth Bridge 2003 USA 2011 ISRAEL Festival, ´s Hertogenbosch Runners up Norway Runners up France

1993 GERMANY 2004 NETHERLANDS Runners up England Runners up Denmark

1994 DENMARK Runners up England Twee Klaveren Junior Event, 1995 NORWAY Amsterdam Runners up Belgium 2005 POLAND 1996 RUSSIA Runners up England Runners up Netherlands Team Orange gathered around Max Abram

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