Introducing: Amsterdam Chess Cafe Laurierboom (video)
6 April 2009, 15.30 CET By Peter Doggers
If your visiting Amsterdam in the near future, don’t forget to drop by at Laurierstraat 76, in the Jordaan area, close to the Anne Frank House. It’s currently the best place to play a friendly game of chess, with excellent background music (mostly rock and jazz), a beer beside the board and, yes, it’s still possible there: to smoke a cigarette. A video report on the cafe, and the 64-player Knockout Tournament it’s hosting this spring.
By coincidence, both me (Peter Doggers) and co-editor Arne Moll will be playing our first round tonight at the Laurierboom. So if you happen to be in the neighbourhood, do come along!
Click here to see the video.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Does it have an open smoking policy?
“it’s still possible there: to smoke a cigarette”
You must be joking!
Amsterdam is the only place I know where you can smoke a fatty, drink a beer, and have a 16 year old escort on your lap while you play chess.
it’s still possible there: to smoke a cigarette indeed!
The owner of the bar had no choiche about the smoking. He did trie to keep the sigarets out of the bar. But chess players end card players stopt comming. He rather pays a fine then closing the bar because of no income. He had his first fine allready, but still people may smoke :-)It’s a stupid move from the government, lot of small bars will close there doors soon. I’m glad some bars do fight this new rule.
We took our ten year old son to play there while we were in Amsterdam and it was the highlight of our trip! The Dutch players were so welcoming and they were excited to see such a young player beat them!
I remember that you where in our cafe. I’ve a nice pictures of your son playing senior champion of the netherlands Nico Spijer. Your name was Wolff? If so I shall put the picture at the chess site from the laurierboom. Greet from Gerard
Hi Gerard! It was nice to see you again this summer! Tip wants to let you know that he finished the assignment you gave him. He completed reviewing all of the games in Bobby Fischer’s “My 60 Memorable Games”. It must have been a really great assignment because Tip keeps winning tournaments. His most recent win was a tie for 1st in the Amateur Section (U1900) of the Maryland Open. His performance rating was 2181 and his new USCF rating is 1840. Thanks for the assignment! And thanks for your support! Hopefully we will come to Amsterdam again in 2010 and see you and everybody else at Laurierboom!
Regards,
Britta Wolfe
Hi Britta, nice to hear from you, and also good to hear that he did watched the played the games from Bobby.
Also a nice victory in the tournement, well done. Hope to see Tip and you as well in 2010 🙂
Greetings from Chess bar the Laurierboom and me.