Kees Kaiser

Kees Kaiser

Personal information
Nationality	Dutch
Born	1926 (1926)
Died	March 11, 2024 (aged 97)
Sport
Sport	contract bridge
Medal record Contract bridge Representing  Netherlands World Team Championship 1994 Albuquerque Team World Pairs Championship 1990 Geneva Pair European Team Championship 1966 Warsaw Team

Kees Kaiser (1926 — 11 March 2024) was a Dutch contract bridge player. He represented the Netherlands at European championships from 1954 and his first main achievement was the second place at the 1966 European Team Championship. He became world champion at the World Senior Teams Championship in 1994 and became second at the 1990 World Senior Pairs Championship with partner Jaap Kokkes.^[1][2]

Biography

Bridge career

Kaiser started playing bridge in 1937 together with his brother Bob Kaiser [pl]. During World War II they went into hiding and played a lot of bridge. He and his brother became a member of the national team from the 1950s. Together they played the 1954 European Championships in Montreux. The Dutch team finished in eight place.^[1]

In 1956 he moved to Monte Carlo, lived in a cheap hotel and had his income from playing bridge. After 1.5 year he moved back to the Netherlands and started working as an education inspector.^[1]

With partner Jaap Kokkens and team members Bob Slavenburg and Hans Kreijns he finished in second place at the 1966 European Team Championship. At the 1990 World Senior Pairs Championship he finished second with partner Jaap Kokkes. In 1994 he became world champion at the World Senior Teams Championship together with his brother, in a team consisting of Dutch, Austrian and Israeli players.^[1]

During his career he played for several bride clubs including BC Oog in Al, BC Star and BC Vianen. After he moved to Nieuwegein he played with the local BCIJ. He retired from playing bridge in November 2023.^[1]

Personal life

Kaiser was born in 1923.^[1] In the 1960 he met Ado via a mutual friend and married her within a year in Oud Beijerland on 19 November 1963. They started living in Utrecht and they had two sons. In November 2023 they were married for 60 year and were visited by mayor of IJsselstein Patrick van Domburg [nl]. Kaiser died on 11 March 2024 at the age of 97.^[3]

Crazy diamond

Kaiser was co-designer of the beginning method “Crazy Diamond”. It was published in "Bieden voor Gevorderden" by G.J.R. Forch.^[4] Nowadays it is officially a 'highly unusual method' and therefore usually not allowed.^[2]

References

1. "Kees Kaiser (1926-2024), robberaar in hart en nieren". Utrechtse Sportkrant (in Dutch). 8 (3): 33. 19 April 2024.
2. "In memoriam Kees Kaiser". IMP (in Dutch).
3. "Diamanten paar Kees en Ado Kaiser: 'Elkaar ook vrij laten'". Het Kontakt (in Dutch). 21 November 2023.
4. "Crazy Diamond Openingen". Pecona (in Dutch).