Full of zest into the New Year 2005

(Photo report by Michael Negele)
- Meeting in Wijk aan Zee / Corus Tournament / Board Meeting in Wuppertal

Two further meetings of the "German-Dutch-Alliance" this winter gave the opportunity for intensive discussions and first concrete arrangements on the general meeting at Amsterdam and especially on the further board work of the Ken Whyld Association in the years to come.

My companion (and top photographer) Hans-Walter Höhl shot many pictures of the tournament, you will find them in our gallery (link at the bottom of next page).
My companion (and top photographer) Hans-Walter Höhl shot many pictures of the tournament, you will find them in our gallery (link at the bottom of next page).

In the middle of January we felt again the lure of Wijk aan Zee as this year’s Corus tournament once more promised to be a chess gem.

Therefore the idea of arranging a regional meeting with the Dutch members of the KWA seemed to suggest itself: they met quite spontaneously on Saturday, 22nd of January, 2005 on the fringe of the tournament for a coffee or a tea - Geurt Gijssen, René van der Heijden, Pierre Voss and Hans Engberts soon got into lively conversation with each other.
Jupp Jacobs, a friend of Hans joined the obligatory group photo in front of the tournament room:

  • from left: René van der Heijden, Michael Negele, Pierre Voss, Geurt Gijssen, Hans Engberts and Jupp Jacobs
  • Geurt Gijssen, René van der Heijden and Pierre Voss
  • Apart from the KWA meeting there was also a meeting with other chess friends such as the CC world champion and enthusiastic collector Gert Jan Timmerman.

Then in the evening a fantastic Thai dinner (not too hot!) in Utrecht, just after the "pillage" of Engbert's antiquarian bookshop on the Oude Gracht. Naturally Jurgen Stigter had to be present at that event in which he was more active as a "supplier" and as a "valuer".

  • Hans Engbert in his Utrecht antiquarian bookshop together with Jurgen Stigter.
  • Hans Engberts, René van der Heijden, Hans-Walter Höhl and Jurgen Stigter in the Thai restaurant.

Also on Sunday, 23rd of January the programme was closely packed but very interesting:
Paying a short visit to Bert Corneth in Leidschendam allowed us to look at his marvellous collection of exquisite books, and the joint trip to Wijk aan Zee gave sufficient chance to talk about the near future.

Bert Corneth in front of his "treasures".
Bert Corneth in front of his "treasures".

Corus Chess Tournament 2005

  • The tournament room
  • Commentators on Saturday: Lex Jongsma and Vlastimil Hort.
  • It was Genna Sosonko's turn on Sunday.
  • Bert Corneth and Michael Negele
  • Michael Negele, Bert Corneth and Hans Engberts

Picture gallery of the tournament (incl. 25 photos by Hans-Walter Höhl).

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