Meet the Stars

USA Men

David Berkowitz - Lives in Old Tappan, New Jersey, and works in the stock market. One of the top players in the USA for decades. Has won numerous North American championships with regular partner Larry Cohen. The two excel at pairs games but are among the perennial contenders in team events also. Wife Lisa is a former world champion. Has co-authored a book on Precision (to be published this year). Often called upon to join vugraph panels.

Larry Cohen - Formerly of New Jersey but now one of the many bridge experts who have migrated to Florida, where he spends much of his free time on the golf course. His credentials as a player are well known, and he has participated in many prestigious invitational tournaments, including the Cap Gemini and the Cavendish. Cohen is also well known as an author, in particular for his influential best-seller, To Bid or Not to Bid: The Law of Total Tricks.

Richard Freeman - Lives in Atlanta and is vice president of an investment company. Former Quiz Kid on radio and a college graduate as a teenager. Owner of many North American championships and two world titles - the Bermuda Bowl in 1995 and 2000. For one stretch in the Nineties, was a member of the squad which won six of seven Spingold Knockout Teams.

Bob Hamman - One of the all-time great players in the world and No. 1 player in WBF rankings since 1985. Owner of 10 world titles. Lives in Dallas and runs a prize promotion business - SCA Promotions. Won most world championships with Bobby Wolff but has won a host of other titles with a variety of partners. Wife Petra is a former world champion.

Nick Nickell - Captain and sponsor of arguably the USA's most successful bridge team of the past decade. Particularly dominant in the Spingold Knockout and Reisinger Board-a-Match Teams. Winners of the Bermuda Bowl in 1995 and 2000. President of Kelso & Co., a New York merchant banking business. Longtime partner of Freeman.

Ron Smith - Bridge professional who lives in San Francisco. Winner of numerous North American championships and a regular in all high-level bridge contests in the USA. An accomplished pianist. One of the most well-liked players at major tournaments in North America.

The Netherlands

The Netherlands is mad about Bridge, having one of the biggest Federations in the World.

Bep Vriend, a bridge teacher from Amstelveen learned bridge in 1965. Since 1994 she has partnered Marijke van der Pas. Bep Vriend is a honorary member of the Dutch Bridge Federation and in April, 1998 received a Royal decoration in recognition of her great contribution to bridge. Bep has played in six Olympiads, thirteen European Championships and five Venice Cups (silver in Perth 1989 and gold in Bermuda 2000).

Marijke van der Pas from Utrecht, has been playing bridge since 1967. Marijke is a bridge journalist and works for the Dutch Bridge Magazine. Since 1994 she has partnered Bep Vriend. Marijke has played in six Olympiads, twelve European Championships and five Venice Cups (silver in Perth 1989 and gold in Bermuda 2000).

Jet Pasman comes from Broek in Waterland, a small village north of Amsterdam. She started playing bridge in 1974. Since 1979 she has been partnering Anneke Simons. Jet is a sports teacher and is married to the coach of the Ladies team Chris Niemeijer, a former player in the Dutch Open team. Apart from bridge, golf is her great hobby. Jet has played in three Olympiads, six European Championships and three Venice Cups (gold in Bermuda 2000).

Anneke Simons, a personnel manager, lives in Amsterdam together with Kees Tammens a bridge journalist and their son Bas aged 18. She learned bridge at the age of 20 and since 1979 she has been playing with Jet Pasman. Anneke played in three Olympiads, six European Championships and three Venice Cups (gold in Bermuda 2000)

Ed Franken, lives in Haarlem (west of Amsterdam). He has been the Team Manager and Captain of the Dutch Ladies Team since early 1995. He captained the team during two Olympiads, four European Championships and three Venice Cups. Under his leadership the Dutch ladies won the Venice Cup in Bermuda, 2000.

Chris Niemeijer has been the coach of the Dutch Ladies Team since 1987. He is married to Jet Pasman and is a former player in the Dutch Open team. Chris was coach during seven European Championships, five Olympiads and four Venice Cups (gold in Bermuda 2000)

On the Junior front...

Bas Drijver is 21 years old and a law student in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. His parents taught him how to play bridge at the age of 12. Next to bridge he enjoys tennis and swimming. With his partner Sjoert Brink he was runner up in the European Junior Team Championships in Antalya, 2000 as well as in the World Junior Pairs Championships in Stargard, Poland 2001. Everybody says he is not a junior any more because he bids like an old man.

Sjoert Brink is 20 years old and lives in Rotterdam (and partly in London). He learned bridge at the age of 12 from his father. Sjoert used to study economics but now is aiming at a professional bridge career. He also works as a freelance journalist for a Dutch bridge magazine. His hobbies are running and nightlife. With his partner Bas Drijver he won silver in the European Junior Team Championships in Antalya, 2000 and also silver in the World Junior Pairs Championships in Stargard, Poland 2001.