Some sad news: our longtime opening book author Jeroen Noomen is retiring from serious opening book preparation.
Jeroen was our main book author from the spring of 2006 until the spring of 2009. During these three years, his output was prodigious.
In the beginning of his Rybka tenure, Jeroen's main target was tournament victories. He went on to deliver thirteen clear first place finishes in international tournaments, including two ICGA world championships. In this time we benefitted from numerous book wins, including in the game which clinched our first world championship. Perhaps more impressively, we did not have one single bad opening position from among ~150 serious tournament games.
Over time, Jeroen turned his attention more to public book releases. His public book were deep and accurate, and with his Rybka 3 books he was the first to really present computer chess theory in all its gory depth and detail to a wider audience.
Jeroen took a break in 2009, to take a step back and recharge his batteries. He made his comeback in May of this year, for the 10th ICT. His performance there was excellent, following the recipe from late 2008 - hit hard with white, stabilize the situation and allow complex play with black. Preparing for this event seems to have reminded Jeroen of just how time-consuming and energy-consuming opening preparation really is, which brings us to today.
Jeroen has made it clear that he'll stick around and participate in various Rybka activities, perhaps as an advisor or spectator, or to play in Freestyle tournaments. Jiri Dufek now takes over the spot as our main book author.
Thanks, Jeroen, for your excellent work - it has been a pleasure and an honor to work with you!
Vas
Jeroen was our main book author from the spring of 2006 until the spring of 2009. During these three years, his output was prodigious.
In the beginning of his Rybka tenure, Jeroen's main target was tournament victories. He went on to deliver thirteen clear first place finishes in international tournaments, including two ICGA world championships. In this time we benefitted from numerous book wins, including in the game which clinched our first world championship. Perhaps more impressively, we did not have one single bad opening position from among ~150 serious tournament games.
Over time, Jeroen turned his attention more to public book releases. His public book were deep and accurate, and with his Rybka 3 books he was the first to really present computer chess theory in all its gory depth and detail to a wider audience.
Jeroen took a break in 2009, to take a step back and recharge his batteries. He made his comeback in May of this year, for the 10th ICT. His performance there was excellent, following the recipe from late 2008 - hit hard with white, stabilize the situation and allow complex play with black. Preparing for this event seems to have reminded Jeroen of just how time-consuming and energy-consuming opening preparation really is, which brings us to today.
Jeroen has made it clear that he'll stick around and participate in various Rybka activities, perhaps as an advisor or spectator, or to play in Freestyle tournaments. Jiri Dufek now takes over the spot as our main book author.
Thanks, Jeroen, for your excellent work - it has been a pleasure and an honor to work with you!
Vas
Best of luck to Jeroen in future endeavors, and thanks for not reposting that picture of you two together! 
Maybe Felix can crop the foot weak, that should fix 80% of the problems with 20% space reduction.
Vas
Vas
Sorry, no, that would not be sufficient! We'd still have to deal with Jeroen's bumble bee outfit and your communist wannabe attire. That picture would require serious photo shopping to attain acceptable status...
We'd still have to deal with Jeroen's bumble bee outfit and your communist wannabe attire. That picture would require serious photo shopping to attain acceptable status...
thanks for all your hard work Jeroen it was much appreciated by all forum members.hope to continue reading your lively posts on the Flip Side.
best Paul.
best Paul.
We all love Jeroen's work on openings, but there are undoubtedly more profitable endeavors available to him. All the best to him.
That's really sad news. It was always a pleasure to work with Jeroen.
Don't worry Lukas, I will still be there. And I am looking forward to Japan, I hope it will be as succesful and interesting as Pamplona last year, when you, Nick and I had a lot of fun! In Leiden I will also be present, it has been a great tournament over the years and I cannot miss it. And perhaps I can do some broadcasting, if the ICGA once again fails to make a proper live tournament broadcast.
So, CU around!
So, CU around!
Hello Jeroen !
I am very sad to hear about this news...
And i'd like to thank you for all your hard work over the years.
Opening Book Authors like you are rare and you will be missed.
I wish you all the best and i hope you will be back soon in book creation again.
Kind Regards,
Sedat
I am very sad to hear about this news...
And i'd like to thank you for all your hard work over the years.
Opening Book Authors like you are rare and you will be missed.
I wish you all the best and i hope you will be back soon in book creation again.
Kind Regards,
Sedat
Thanks, Sedat
But I don't think I will start making books again any time soon. After 20 years of book cooking it is really time to switch to something else and I will enjoy a more passive role in the Rybka team. Being a spectator, broadcasting games, attending to the Leiden tournament or other tournaments at the internet will be a lot of fun. At least I am looking forward to it!
Best wishes, Jeroen
But I don't think I will start making books again any time soon. After 20 years of book cooking it is really time to switch to something else and I will enjoy a more passive role in the Rybka team. Being a spectator, broadcasting games, attending to the Leiden tournament or other tournaments at the internet will be a lot of fun. At least I am looking forward to it!
Best wishes, Jeroen
looking forward to non-serious book preparation from him :)
may be Jeroen need Housewife now
Is that an offer? ;)
I thought the same
You are welcome in Holland, Aung
Good luck Jeroen.
I think a come back in 2012 or 2013 could be reasonable. Be away from computer chess gives much more free time, but also we feel like something is missing. We can hold on for one, two or three years. The next second we stick seriously to it, we fall again in deep love.
I think a come back in 2012 or 2013 could be reasonable. Be away from computer chess gives much more free time, but also we feel like something is missing. We can hold on for one, two or three years. The next second we stick seriously to it, we fall again in deep love.
Thanks for all your kind messages, that is good to read! But don't worry, I won't be gone. Basically I already took a long holiday since March 2009, when I delivered the Rybka 3 Aquarium book. In Leiden 2 months ago I wanted to experience if I'd like to make a comeback. But somehow the necessary willpower, eagerness and perfectionism was gone. So it was better to recognize this, tell Vas and let somebody else take over the job as Rybka book author.
Hi Vas,
Thanks a lot to you, too, it has been a very interesting period for me! Basically not much will change for me, as from March 2009 I was already on a break and not doing much analysis anymore. Jiri and Nick took over the book for the important tournaments, while I was having another sabatical, this time in book cooking BTW, thanks a lot Jiri and Nick, for taking over!
Does this mean I will be gone? Nope, not a chance! I will be around here at the forum, at Playchess, supporting Rybka & Hans in tournaments, do broadcasts if necessary, maybe I even like to be an operator in Leiden. So in fact I made a switch: from the stress of doing the Rybka book in tournaments to enjoy being on the sidelines, as most people here.
Of course I wish Jiri lots of success, I am looking forward to the next tournament with Rybka (and I already had some fun with the ACCA tournament that took place in the past weekend!).
So: see you around here!
Thanks a lot to you, too, it has been a very interesting period for me! Basically not much will change for me, as from March 2009 I was already on a break and not doing much analysis anymore. Jiri and Nick took over the book for the important tournaments, while I was having another sabatical, this time in book cooking
BTW, thanks a lot Jiri and Nick, for taking over!Does this mean I will be gone? Nope, not a chance! I will be around here at the forum, at Playchess, supporting Rybka & Hans in tournaments, do broadcasts if necessary, maybe I even like to be an operator in Leiden. So in fact I made a switch: from the stress of doing the Rybka book in tournaments to enjoy being on the sidelines, as most people here.
Of course I wish Jiri lots of success, I am looking forward to the next tournament with Rybka (and I already had some fun with the ACCA tournament that took place in the past weekend!).
So: see you around here!
This might not have happened if the Dutch had beaten the Spaniards in the World Cup. That loss broke Jeroen's heart. He just lost the will to live.
On the other hand, if there is a massive global economic collapse he'll be back in the game big time. That would really get his juices flowing again.
On the other hand, if there is a massive global economic collapse he'll be back in the game big time. That would really get his juices flowing again.
I seem to recall that the recession is right around the time when he left...
Wait what? Since the cup started he didn't have any hope of the Dutch winning, he had all his expectations on Spain, and they won the cup.
Of course you're right, but Jeroen is a Dutchman. You don't think in his heart he was rooting for his team? You don't think he thought, "I must not show any public optimism, but privately I still hope, because anything can happen"? I feel the same way about the San Francisco Giants. They kill me year after year after year. 52 seasons in San Francisco without a World Series win, working on 53 now. Being unable to even win the pennant while having six future Hall of Fame players on the roster simultaneously (1965: Mays, McCovey, Cepeda, Marichal, Perry, Spahn). Winning a team record 103 games in 1993 and not making it to the playoffs. Being five runs ahead with eight outs needed to clinch the 2002 Series...and blowing it. Trading away future MVPs (Cepeda, Foster) for essentially nothing. It's a lifetime of anguish. After all that, would I say they have a chance this year? No way. No chance. I am conditioned to accept defeat, as is Jeroen. Defeat vindicates us. It shows that we were wiser, more mature. Winners and winning represents riot, disorder and delirium taking charge. That can only end badly. Defeat is the default setting.
I was very realistic on the chances of México's chances of... going into semi finals (let's not even talk about winning the cup), and I didn't have any private hope of they doing better than they did. Argentina was my expected team to win the cup (not my favorite, that was Holland), so when we faced them, I didn't have the slight hope in my heart of beating them (leaving the "anything can happen" in quantum mechanics and its many-worlds interpretation jokes).
If Jeroen is anything like me then Spain [his favorite team] winning the cup would easily overcome the disappointment of the Dutch failing one step away from success. But the only thing Jeroen and me have in common is that we enjoy analyzing and finding novelties in chess opening positions, so you're probably right.
If Jeroen is anything like me then Spain [his favorite team] winning the cup would easily overcome the disappointment of the Dutch failing one step away from success. But the only thing Jeroen and me have in common is that we enjoy analyzing and finding novelties in chess opening positions, so you're probably right.
Basically agree :-)
You don't apply, Spain was:
Your national team.
Your favorite team.
The team you expected to win.
And it won.
So... all I can show towards you is envy
Your national team.
Your favorite team.
The team you expected to win.
And it won.
So... all I can show towards you is envy
That makes me a sad panda :(
As a testement, I'm still using his Rybka 3 book since I'm a poor man and can't afford Jiri's version :P
As a testement, I'm still using his Rybka 3 book since I'm a poor man and can't afford Jiri's version :P
That makes me a sad panda too!
im sure you'll still reigne in the unofficial tournaments :)
im sure you'll still reigne in the unofficial tournaments :)
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