Diplomacy in Netherland

**Diplomacy in netherland** was a long story

## History

you can find here the translation of one article of **Gerrit Jan Hondelink**

### 1973-1974

* With a diplomacy game bought in London, the first game of the first Dutch Diplomacy Club is played on 3 March 1973. The '' Haagsche Diplomacy Club '' was born.
* In the first two years, dozens of face-to-face and four postal (via correspondence) games are played by a varying group of players: on average about 10.

### 1975-1976

* Accidental contacts with miniature wargamers lead to an introduction to the Swiss hobby magazine " Bumm "(1975) and through this magazine with the Ducosim association (1976). At the end of 1976 the "Haagsche Diplomacy Club" joins "Ducosim" and gets a representative in the national administration, who has the task of getting diplomacy off the ground on a national basis.
* There are now about 20 club players.

### 1977

* At the end of 1977 Paul Meerts publishes the first hobbyzine for diplomacy for the Hague Diplomacy club: "De Gazet van Itchanbul" (October 1977), later called "Conflictgazet". In the first issue a list of abbreviations is given and the first postal issue ('' ITCA '') is announced. The game starts in number two.

* One of the players is Roger van de Putte, with whom the club became acquainted through "Bumm". In this first game we also find Han Heidema, Kees van den Hoek and Nico Oosterbaan. Game leader is Paul Meerts.
* On December 17, 1977, the first Dutch championship is played in Utrecht on two boards of six players. Winner: **Paul Meerts,** with the most supply centers of both boards. Among the players we also find Han Heidema, Kees van den Hoek and Nico Oosterbaan.

### 1978

* We also find these players in the team that plays the 1978 final, supplemented by Roger van de Putte, Sjef van der List and Martijn Pleines. This final is the apotheosis of a competition year in which twelve registered matches were played by 23 people. The final will be fought in The Hague on December 10 and 16,
* National Kampioenshap Den Haag 1 **Kees van den Hoek**.
* A second postal game has now started in the "Conflictgazet".
* The number of diplomacy players in a club is estimated at 30.

### 1979

* The 1979 Championship is played by selecting six players from two preliminary rounds (9/15/1979 in Utrecht and 9/20/1979 in The Hague).
* Utrecht Voorronde 1 Han Heidema, 2 Nico Oosterbaan, 3 Paul Meerts,
* Den Haag Voorronde 1 Sjef van der List 2 Martijn Pleines 3 Paul Schuuman

* The Belgian representative, Roger van de Putte, .
* Roger van de Putte is absent in the final match and is replaced by Van Halteren.
* National Kampioenschap **Martijn Pleines**
* "Super Diplomat '' Martijn Pleines.
* In 1979 Roger publishes the second Dutch-language dippy magazine: "Skilt en Frint".

### 1980

* In 1980 the diplomacy group in and around "Ducosim" began to gain more structure and size: the number of people outside the Randstad increased. Names like those of Rob van der Burg and Henk Revet are starting to pop up, '' Groningen '' and '' Amsterdam '' are hesitantly rising above the horizon.
* As far as '' Groningen '' is concerned: this is mainly due to the activities of Sjef van der List and Paul Bloemen, member of the Groninger go-club, where future champions such as Teijo Doornkamp and Jan Feringa are introduced to the game.
* At the '' Ducosim convention "in Mickery (Amsterdam), the diplomacy players were the first to use the articles of association about Spelgroups that they themselves fought: on December 13, 1980, they registered the" Spelgroep Diplomacy "at the Ducosim board. This ends the informal situation in which the diplomacy players are held together by a coordinator (Paul Meerts until 1979, Roger van de Putte in 1979-1980). The former will be chairman of the Game Group Board and also coordinator. De Spelgroep officially has 17 members, including 3 Belgians, and is divided into six departments Groningen, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Amsterdam, The Hague and Antwerp.
* National Kampioenschap 1 **Sjef Van Der List** 2-3 Meerts, Morel 4-7 Peek, Heidema, Pleines, Cremers
* at place at the same Mickery convention: Peek, Heidema, Pleines, Cremers, Meerts, Morel and van der List have reached the finish line after a newly set competition system of registered matches. The latter three jointly finish in first place. Given that Sjef van der List is also the '' Super Diplomat 1980 '', the Spelgroep decides to designate him as Dutch champion.
* '' Super Diplomat 1980 ''**Sjef Van Der List**
* The number of diplomacy players in a club has now risen to over 40.

### 1981

* In 1981 the growth of diplomacy really begins , partly thanks to the existence of an organizational link in the form of the Spelgroep, and a third - albeit short-lived - dippy-zine will be published by Henk Revet's Amsterdam magazine '' De Diplomaat '. In addition, the "Oegstgeester group" of Jaap Jacobs "is" discovered "(through foreign magazines), which in the course of the year brings its magazine" Oxymoron "to the market (a keeper).
* The number of participants in the diplomacy competition is exploding, reaching 70 in mid-1981. The group of "new players" begins to displace the "old guard" - symbolic is the ending of the postal game "ITCA" in the summer of 1981 -,
* although **Sjef van der List** will once again succeed in becoming Champion At the Utrecht Convention of December 12, 1981, he beats the final group: Han Heidema, Frank Mulder, Guus Lobach, Rob van der Burg, Paul Meerts and Jaap Jacobs This group is the top of a competition list with 119 names, including that of next year's finalists: Jochem van Hal (10th), Ivo Bouwman (18th), Peter Dols (19th), Jan Feringa (26th), Martin van Hal (60th). These placements are strongly influenced by the time at which they entered the competition. During this Convention the coordinatorship of the Spelgroep passes to Jaap Jacobs and the chairmanship to Rob van der Burg, who is also 'Super Diplomat 1981 " is going to be.

### 1982

* In 1982 the growth continues. Also this year a new diplomacy magazine, '' Je Maintiendrai '' (The Hague). What happened, however, was the publication of the first Dutch-language edition of diplomacy and the publication of an article of a popular science youth magazine "Kijk" available at many schools at the time. About ten thousand copies are sold in a year. The Game Group is mentioned in the rules of the game and the old departments are supplemented with Rotterdam, Leiden and Eindhoven for the sake of contact addresses for Dutch diplomacy.

* The rules of the Game Group are changed: the three highest players from the competition go to the final: there a partial return to the preliminary round system takes place because the three other finalists have to come out of a preliminary tournament.
* This preliminary tournament will take place on October 30 and 31, 1982 in The Hague. On the first day, out of the fourteen participants, the two brothers Jochem and Martin "Pokerface" from Hal appear as winners on both boards. The following day, the seven best placed players (minus the winners of the previous day) play a game that is won by Ivo Bouwman.

* These three finalists are joined by the top three of the competition: Peter Dols, Jan Feringa and Han Heidema, plus Rob van der Burg (instead of former champion Sjef van der List who misses his turn).
* Total number of league players in 1982 is 160, of which 103 are new participants.
* On December 18, 1982 the finals were played in Utrecht: **Jan Feringa** became the 6th Dutch Champion and Peter Dols the 4th "Super Diplomat"

### 1983

In 1983 the competition system was completely thrown overboard.

* On February 5 and 6, 1983, the first preliminary rounds for the 1983 Dutch Championship are held in Groningen. A record number of 28 people take part. Teijo Doornkamp, ​​Rob van der Burg and Ivo Bouwman qualify for the final.
* The Groningen magazine "Brutus" joins the row of Dutch-language dippy magazines (now five) with its first issue. In that first song the start of one of the nicest and strongest postal parties of all time You Too? No fewer than 4 future Dutch champions participate in this match. GM is Teijo Doornkamp, ​​AUS Jan Feringa, ENG Han Heidema, FRA Jochem van Hal, GER Rob van der Burg, ITA Roger van der Putte, RUS Ivo Bouwman and TUR Paul Michel. De Brutus is founded by Rob van der Burg, Jan Feringa (reigning champion), Teijo "das Ungeheuer" Doornkamp and Guus Lobach. The editorial staff of the Brutus is a changing collective of very strong players, who will dominate the Dutch Championship in the coming years.
* The first diplomacy decade was concluded on March 19, 1983 with the first presentation of the '' Wisseltrophy Dutch Diplomacy Championship '' (presented to the Spelgroep by former chairman Paul Meerts) to the reigning Dutch Champion: Jan Feringa.
* In October in Leiden, newcomers Jan Maarten Cobben and Dennis Kooper will surprisingly qualify for the final alongside Frank Mulder. Paul Michel, Jaap Jacobs, Paul Meerts and the Hal brothers do not miss the prizes.
* Han Heidema says goodbye as an active diplomacy player with first place on the postal rating list. Roland Bakker takes over first place and over time improves on the highest rating of all time.

* On December 17th **Teijo Doornkamp** becomes Dutch Champion with Italy. According to many, he is the strongest player of his generation. On the ftf rating list he is first with a rating of 183.27.

## 1984

* From now on it is difficult to estimate how many people play diplomacy. The estimate is now around 200.
* The ties between Ducosim and the diplomacy game group led by chairman Jan Feringa are becoming less close. The diplomacy world mainly continues on its own and is organized around the dippy leaves. In 1984 the first United competitions appear in the diplomacy magazines. The first sprout of the diplomacy boom outside of the game itself.
* During the preliminary round in Groningen on 11 and 12 February, 37 people take part in the race to the final. The Calhamer points system, named after the inventor of diplomacy, is introduced and is very satisfying. Peter Aars, Brutus editor, wins and takes Ivo Bouwman (JM) and Rob van der Burg (Brutus) to the final. Frank Mulder (4), Jan Feringa (7), Paul Michel (8), Dennis Kooper (12) and many others do not make it. Peter Mulder (33) and Gerrit-Jan Hondelink (28) make their debut in the rear.
* Rob van der Burg quits diplomacy to write a book that no one else has ever heard about. Heino Koning replaces him in the final. The diplomacy world also has to do without the extremely talented Martin van Hal, who dies unexpectedly.
* In October, 35 players will be present during the preliminary round in Leiden. Again that darn Jan Maarten Cobben wins, now ahead of Roland Bakker and Paul Michel (both JM editors). Jan Feringa finished in 15th place.

* The final will be played on 8 and 9 December and **Paul Michel** will experience his finest diplomacy hour and become Dutch champion with France. Paul is the opposite of Teijo and also a very strong player. Paul also tops the ftf rating list with 209.94, the first with a rating of over 200.

## 1985

The Domino Principle is published (Alpen aan de Rijn / Delft) edited by a number of strong and weaker diplomacy players (Lex Pater (previously JM), Erik Joustra, Jeroen Dijk and Jos Krijnen) officially also publishes a diplomacy magazine, but United there quickly predominates. Lex then decides to do the TANSTAAFL with Dennis Kooper, until it also becomes a real United magazine. Hauke ​​Jansen and Roland Bakker stop the JM, but Paul Michel strengthens himself with John and Ruud Zonneveld, Arthur Faber and Dianne Kaho.

During the preliminary rounds in Groningen, 3 members of the old guard qualify for the final. JM member Ivo Bouwman wins and Brutus editorial members Teijo Doornkamp and Guus Lobach also qualify. Teijo and Guus then say goodbye to the Brutus and are replaced by Gerrit-Jan Hondelink, Peter Mulder and Redmer Alma. In Leiden, Gerrit-Jan and Peter immediately qualify for the final together with winner Dirk-Jan Out. Roland Bakker (4), Erno Eekelschot (6), John Zonneveld (14) and Lex Pater (40) just do not qualify. 42 players participate in the preliminary rounds in Leiden. Paul Meerts says goodbye as an active player with a 35th place.

The final is surprisingly won by Gerrit-Jan Hondelink with France ahead of Peter Mulder and Paul Michel. Roland Bakker tops the ftf rating list with 203.69.

The diplomacy world discovers the game group Enkhuizen, which produces many particularly colorful players, including Henry Jansen, Rob van Wijngaarden, Paul van Leijen, Jan de Groot, Erno Eekelschot, and last but not least, the Strijdkeet magazine.

## 1986

Apeldoorn is drawn on the diplomacy map. Apeldoorn will produce strong players such as Theo Jansma and Eltjo Verweij.

It's come-back time in Leiden. Lex Pater comes back from 40th place, wins the preliminary rounds and qualifies for the final together with Jaap Jacobs, who is making a name for himself as a player for the first time since 1981 and is taking a final place. Tomas Dokoupil is experiencing his finest hour as a diplomacy player and qualifies as well. Jan Maarten Cobben, two-time winner from Leiden, falls just outside the prizes and comes fourth. Further on Dirk-Jan Out (5), Roland Bakker (7), Erno Eekelschot (15), Paul Michel (17), John Zonneveld (17), Ivo Bouwman (20) and Peter Mulder (21). Ron Huising made his debut in the rear with a 38th place.

A Northern Netherlands diplomacy competition entitled the Gemeenste Boer matches starts in Groningen. First winner will be Hilde Niezen, the first female achievement in diplomacy land. Groningen almost also had the scoop of the first female finalist of the Dutch championship. Kathinka de Wolf is shared fourth with Paul Michel and Ron Huising. Brutus editors Nico Viet and Peter Mulder (winner) qualify for the final with John Zonneveld (Je Maintiendrai editor). Jan Feringa (7), Ivo Bouwman (9), Guus Lobach (16), Teijo Doornkamp (22) and Roland Bakker (24) are not involved.

The final will be played for the first time in The Hague and again won by Gerrit-Jan Hondelink, this time with Germany. This time he also leads the ftf rating list with 210.82.

The first European championships will be a clash between the very "sticky" central European / German style of play and the much harder Dutch "free for all" style. The Dutch make it very difficult for each other and therefore give the title away to the German Christoph Schunck. Yet the general opinion is that the Dutch and English are superior to the other Europeans in terms of playing strength due to the much tougher competition.

The first computer networks are becoming commonplace and of course diplomacy is also being played. The computer games also show that the playing strength in the Netherlands is much higher than in other parts of the world, such as the US.

## 1987

* Kathinka de Wolf will be chairman of the Spelgroep, but the contribution of that Spelgroep is still very small. Nico van Maarseveen will publish a new diplomacy magazine, Boromir, which will soon be defunct, as will the Tanstaafl.

* Roland Bakker wins the preliminary round in Leiden. The other finalists are Surprises, Marcel Vink and Albertus Koster, two players, who have been participating for years, but have never won anything spectacular.

* Peter Mulder wins the Gemeenste Boer competitions and also the Groningen preliminary round. Finally Erno Eekelschot is the first Enkhuizer to get through to the final, just like Theo Jansma on behalf of Apeldoorn.

* The final match in Utrecht will be a heroic fight between Peter Mulder and Gerrit-Jan Hondelink, but the third Groninger Albertus Koster eventually becomes champion with England. Albertus achieves a very high ftf rating of 212.38 but is surpassed by Jan Maarten Cobben with 227.79.

* Ivo Bouwman, who had finished fourth during the Leiden preliminary round, is unexpectedly killed. His death, the end of You Too, the influx of birth announcements and other fun games are a turning point in the diplomacy world. A whole generation is saying goodbye.

* The Amstrecht competition will start in Utrecht and Amsterdam under the inspiring leadership of Ron Huising. Due to these competitions, the number of diplomacy players will rise to a peak in the coming years. At one point Amstrecht has more than 120 players.

## 1988

Ron Huising becomes a member of the board of the Spelgroep and the preliminary round moves from Leiden to Amsterdam. That preliminary round is won by Gerrit-Jan Hondelink before his eternal rival Peter Mulder and JM editor John Zonneveld. Erno Eekelschot and Roland Bakker finish together in 13th place. Jaap Jacobs shares 17th place with debutant Kasper van Someren, Nico Oosterbaan makes an unsuccessful come-back and finishes 28th, the diplomacy world puts Assen on the map with Anton Konings (36).

In the Groningen preliminary round, Ron Huising immediately qualifies for the final. Paul Stouthard also breaks through and qualifies for the final. The preliminary round is won by the inimitable Albrecht Dekker, who thus starts an impressive advance as a diplomacy player. Nicky is now 9th. Kasper 14th.

Albertus Koster wins the "meanest farmer" competition, leads the ftf rating list this year with 198.62 and shows that he is a worthy champion, but in the final he loses out (3rd) against Gerrit-Jan Hondelink, who becomes champion for the third time, this time with France. An achievement never seen before. John Zonnveld comes in second in the final.

## 1989

* In 1989, three new players qualified for the final for the first time in their career in the preliminary rounds in Groningen. Willem Moene wins the preliminary round, followed by Hildo Krop and Paul Shah. Ronald Hoekstra makes his debut with a 12th place.

* Albrecht Dekker again shows that he is a great talent and wins another preliminary round, this time the Amsterdam player. Anton Konings also breaks through during this preliminary round and qualifies for the final. This year he will also be the Gemeenste Boer. Third, Boudewijn van Schalkwijk goes to the final, a player who has been playing for some time, but had never been noticed before.

* All these promising talents cannot survive in the final against Gerrit-Jan Hondelink, who wins the final with France for the fourth time and becomes Dutch champion.

* Most diplomacy players discover that there are games other than diplomacy. For the first time, the crème de la crème of the diplomacy world participates in the European board game championships during Spiel'89, diplomacy crack of yesteryear Han Heidema is referee, a new offshoot of the diplomacy boom, as are 999 games the Spellenspektakel once started with the playing of diplomacy by Michael Bruinsma.

## 1990

* The Amsterdammers are taking final control. Albrecht Dekker wins a preliminary round for the third time in a row and is accompanied by his fellow townspeople Hildo Krop and Kasper van Someren. Willem Moene (6), John Zonneveld (10) and Ron Huising (14) remain upright, but illustrious names such as Erno Eekelschot (22), Paul Michel (31), Tomas Dokoupil (32) and Jaap Jacobs (26) in the rear .

* In the Groninger preliminary round, Peter Mulder, Ron Huising and Bert Herkendaal, a relatively unknown player from the Amstrecht school, qualify.

* In the final **Kasper van Someren** won the prize and became Dutch Champion with Turkey.

## 1991

* The board of the Spelgroep, the Amstrecht competition and the editorial staff of the JM will pass into the hands of Rene de Groot and Willem Moene when Ron Huising and Erno Eekelschot leave for the US for a long time.
* The Amstrecht dies a silent death without the inspiring leadership of Ron and with that, heavy weather breaks for diplomacy-loving Netherlands. In the meantime,
* Nico Viet takes over the Brutus editing from Gerrit-Jan Hondelink.

* The new board of the Spelgroep decides to change the successful preliminary round formula and to organize 4 1-day preliminary rounds. That does not stop Nico Viet, Michel Vogelpoel, Andre Herkendaal, Paul Stouthard, Hugo Keijzer and Gerrit-Jan Hondelink from qualifying for the final.
* Ultimately, **Hugo Keijzer** became Dutch Champion with Italy in Utrecht.

## 1992-1999

The dark ages are dawning for the diplomacy world. The preliminary rounds have fewer and fewer participants and are put on the back burner and the diplomacy magazines switch to other games. All the leaves? No, not all papers, in the suburbs of Zoetermeer, the initiatives of Jules van Els create a group of fanatical diplomacy players, who eventually found the Dipship together with Rene de Groot, the diplomacy magazine. Even the competition for the Super Diplomat title is revived. Erno and Ron also return from the US and set up their own games store, the Joker, in Utrecht. That group organizes preliminary rounds and championships for a long time, until Erno and Ron stop the organization in 1997.

The champions of the Middle Ages:

* **1992: Erno Eekelschot.**

* **1993: Hugo Keijser**
* **1994: Bert Prinsen**
* **1995: Rene de Groot**
* **1996: Rene de Groot**
* **1997: Wouter Das**

## 2001-2002

The Renaissance. From 2000, Diplomacy is revived. It starts with the Dutch Diplomacy site, founded by Bart and Gijs van Lieshout, which plays electronically.

From 2001 Ronald Lokers makes efforts to revive diplomacy and establishes the successful Dutch Diplomacy Association. Not in the least because of the collaboration with Erno Eekelschot and Ron Huising. From January 2002, the Joker face-to-face diplomacy will be played monthly in their games store and a new rating list will be made. At the end of 2002 there are already about 125 players on the list.

And then in 2002, a NK diplomacy is again lost with a qualification through preliminary rounds. Ultimately, Wouter Das, Ronald Lokers, Rene de Groot, Erno Eekelschot, Rutger Fiesler, Marcel van Hoogstraten and Roelof van der Laan qualify for the final**. Erno Eekelschot** manages to win his second championship with Italy after 10 years.