Kees Tammens and Many Others the Story of an International Junior Bridge Event • 1993 - 2017
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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 Bermuda Bowl 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 Netherlands 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 (rubber bridge 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 board 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: entry 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.