Visit to Amsterdam 2015
There were seven players in the touring team this year. We played two Matches, the first against the West Amsterdam club, the second against De Uil at Hillegom. The base camp for this year’s trip was the Prinsen at 36-38 Vondelstraat, close to Vondel Park.
West Amsterdam (Thursday 19th Febuary)
The first match on Thursday evening was played at the West Amsterdam club located close to the famous Vondel Park in the west of the city. The venue was within walking distance of the hotel, but it meant venturing across the unlit Vondel Park. The match was a close fought contest, with the match finishing level at 3½ - 3½.
| Bd | West Amsterdam | ELO | Result | St Albans | ELO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remco Hillebrandt | 1968 | 0 - 1 | Ian Gooding | 2064 | |
| 2 | Paul Scheermeijer | 1926 | ½ - ½ | Jeremy Fraser-Mitchell | 1968 | |
| 3 | Rob Scheermeijer | 1925 | ½ - ½ | Ian Cross | 1784 | |
| 4 | Frits Veenstra | 1789 | 1 - 0 | Paul Lawrence | 1744 | |
| 5 | Marlo Coolen | 1708 | 0 - 1 | James Palmer | 1784 | |
| 6 | Rob Thijssing | 1550 | ½ - ½ | Ray Claret | 1480 | |
| 7 | Geert Renkema | 1430 | 1 - 0 | Peter Baker | 1360 | |
| 3½ - 3½ |
De Uil (Saturday 21st Feb)
The second match on Saturday afternoon was played against our friends at the De Uil club in Hillegom. This meant taking the train from Amsterdam to Den Hague centraal station, then changing platforms to catch the train to Hillegom. The match was a resounding win for St Albans by 5½-1½.
| Bd | De Uil | ELO | Result | St Albans | ELO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ad Reijneveld | 1993 | 0 - 1 | Ian Gooding | 2064 | |
| 2 | Marcel Bolhuis | 1750 | 0 - 1 | Jeremy Fraser-Mitchell | 1968 | |
| 3 | Henny van Eeuwijk | 1839 | ½ - ½ | Ian Cross | 1784 | |
| 4 | Richard Copier | 1781 | 1 - 0 | Paul Lawrence | 1744 | |
| 5 | Cok Ippel | 1658 | 0 - 1 | James Palmer | 1784 | |
| 6 | Jan Plomp | 1458 | 0 - 1 | Ray Claret | 1480 | |
| 7 | Peter Kaptein | 1351 | 0 - 1 | Peter Baker | 1360 | |
| 1½ - 5½ |