A Grandmaster turned writer
Hans Ree was born on September 15, 1944 in Amsterdam, and celebrates his 75th birthday today.
As a teenager in the mid-1960s, Ree was able to qualify several times for the European Youth Championships, which were much smaller and more select events than they are today. Ree was first Dutch National Champion in 1967 and was able to repeat this success in 1969, 1971 and again in 1982. Between 1965 and 1993 Ree took part in 21 Dutch Championships.
He was awarded the International Master title in 1968.
Between 1966 and 1984 he represented the Netherlands ten times in Chess Olympiads. In his first such outing in 1966, as the 1st reserve player he score 11 points from 15 games, making the third best reserve player result. In 1976, he won the silver medal with the team. Overall, he played 119 games in chess Olympiads and scored 61%.
Hans Ree (right) with Max Euwe | Photo: Dutch National Archive
Among his biggest personal tournament successes is the shared first place, together with then-World Champion Boris Spassky, at the Canadian Open Championships in Vancouver in 1971.
In 1980, FIDE awarded him the Grandmaster title. Until 2011, Hans Ree was active in team competition for in the Dutch Premier League, and he played an Open tournament in rapid chess as recently as this year.
At his peak, Ree beat some very strong players and had an excellent record especially against Antony Miles.
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5 4.Nc3 d6 5.e4 Be7 6.Be2 0-0 7.Nf3 Ne8 8.0-0 Nd7 9.Ne1 Bg5 10.Nd3 10.Bxg5± Qxg5 11.Qc1 10...g6 10...h6 11.Rb1N 11.f3± 11.Bxg5 Qxg5 12.Qc1 Qe7 13.f4 exf4 14.Qxf4 Ne5 15.Nxe5 dxe5 16.Qe3 Bd7 17.Rad1 b6 11...Ng7 11...Nb6= 12.b4 12.a3 12...cxb4 13.Rxb4 f5 14.exf5 14.Bxg5 Qxg5 15.Qc1 14...Bxc1= 15.Qxc1 15...gxf5 15...Nxf5= 16.f4 Nd4 16.f4 16.Nb5± 16...e4 17.Nf2 Nc5 18.Nb5 Bd7 18...Rf6= 19.Nd4 19.Nxd6 Qe7 20.Nxb7 19...Rc8 20.Qe3 Rc7 21.Kh1 Qh4 22.Rg1 Qf6 23.Rbb1 b6 23...Kh8= 24.Nh3 Qg6 25.Nf2 h5 26.Nh3 Kf7 26...Ne8= 27.Ng5+ Ke7 28.Qa3 28.Ra1± 28...Kd8 29.Nb3 Ne8 29...Na4 30.Rgd1 30.Nxc5± dxc5 31.Qb2 30...Na4 30...Kc8! 31.Rbc1 31.Rd2± 31...Nc5 31...Rg8= 32.Nxc5± dxc5 33.Ne6+ 33.Qh3± 33...Bxe6= 34.dxe6+ Ke7 35.Rd7+ Kxe6? 35...Rxd7= 36.exd7 Nc7 36.Rxc7+- Nxc7 37.Qxa7 Kd7? 37...Na8 38.Qb7 Rd8 38.Qb7 Rf6 39.Bd1! b5 40.cxb5 Rb6 41.Qa7 Qd6? 41...h4 42.Be2 42.Rxc5 Qd6= 42...h3 43.gxh3 e3 42.Be2 Qxf4 43.Rxc5 Qd6 44.Rxf5 Kc8 45.Rxh5 Qd4 46.h3 e3 47.Rg5 Qa1+ 48.Kh2 Qf6 49.Rg8+ Kd7 50.Bg4+ 1–0 - Start an analysis engine:
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| Ree,H | 2440 | Miles,A | 2565 | 1–0 | 1987 | A56 | Ter Apel | 1 |
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The Czech Benoni has never quite made it to the top of the charts as a reply to 1 d4. Perhaps it‘s the very nature of blocked central positions which put people off. Thus, after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 e5 the first impression is that the Black position could become rather passive. However, players of the calibre of Nisipeanu, and Ivan Sokolov revived the opening by using the Czech Benoni with success.
Ree with White in 2018 has just forked a pair of rooks | Photo: Frans Peeters
In addition to his career as a player, Hans Ree gained great popularity as a chess journalist, especially, but not only in his homeland. Starting in 1969 he authored a weekly chess column for the Haagse Post. Later, he also took over the chess column for the NRC Handelsblad, which continues to this day.
Over the years, Hans Ree has published the following books:
- In the first stoot pat, 1979
- Een man noticed nooit iets, 1985
- Wat een kracht! Wat een gratie !, 1986
- Een blind reus, 1989.
- Rode dagen en zwarte dagen, 1993. Verzamde columns uit NRC Handelsblad.
- Schaakstukjes, 1993
- Schitterend Schaak, 1997
- Holland loses, 1998
- The Human Comedy Of Chess. A Grandmaster's Chronicles, 2000. Essays, Willem Tissot
- God is not kneaded, 2002. Verzamde columns uit NRC Handelsblad
- Mijn Schaken, 2010
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