Looks Nice, but Who Will Polish the Cup Next Year?

No. 2, Friday, 12 November, 2010 images: Mehmet Nuri Unver

Looks nice, but who will polish the Cup next year?

Today’s program Contents

10.30 - RR match 3 (20 brds) page 2: Results & Rankings page 3: Triple Squeezed Stepping Stone by 13.20 - Lunch Geir Helgemo page 4: An interesting push 14.15 - RR match 4 (20 brds) Martin Rehder: one step further page 5: Turkish section 17.25 - RR match 5 (20 brds) page 6: Draw and Teams Roster page 2 - EC Cup Izmir - Bulletin No. 2

Results and rankings

Group A

RR 1 ITALY, Angelini v. TURKEY, Cerk. 70 - 40 21 - 9 NL, Onstein v. ICELAND 47 - 21 20 - 10 BULGARIA v. SWEDEN 30 - 22 16 - 14

RR 2 ICELAND v. ITALY, Angelini 28 - 35 14 - 16 TURKEY, Cerk. v. SWEDEN 28 - 29 15 - 15 NL, Onstein v. BULGARIA 51 - 19 22 - 8

1. NL, Onstein 42 2. ITALY, Angelini 37 3. SWEDEN 29 4. BULGARIA, ICELAND, TURKEY, Cerk. 24

Group B

RR 1 POLAND v. TURKEY, ·Izmir 35 - 19 18 - 12 ISRAEL v. ITALY, Villa Fabbriche 78 - 11 25 - 2 GERMANY v. RUSSIA 42 - 57 12 - 18

RR 2 POLAND v. ITALY, Villa Fabbriche 25 - 44 11 - 19 TURKEY, Izmir v. RUSSIA 31 - 25 16 - 14 ISRAEL v. GERMANY 24 - 28 14 - 16

1. ISRAEL 39 2. RUSSIA 32 3. POLAND 29 4. GERMANY, TURKEY, Izmir 28 6. ITALY, Villa Fabbriche 21

Poland v. Villa Fabbriche page 3 - EC Cup Izmir - Bulletin No. 2

TRIPLE SQUEEZED STEPPING STONE BY GEIR HELGEMO

This year for the first time there will be an Italian team with Geir Helgemo foreign players joining the European Bridge Champions’ Cup. Angelini has brought in the help of the Vikings. Geir Helgemo, Tor Helness and Boye Brogelund reinforced the team of Angelini after Lauria-Versace left the team.

Helgemo-Helness are considered as one of the best pairs in the world. At last weeks Copenhagen Bridge Invitational Helgemo proved why he is one of worlds’ best declarers.

E/None ♠ 6 2 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ K Q 9 7 ♣ J 9 6 4 ♠ Q J 8 5 ♠ A9 7 N ♥ Q 9 7 3 ♥ K 5 ♦ W E ♦ J 10 8 3 S 6 4 ♣ 5 ♣ K 10 8 7 3 2 ♠ K 10 4 3 ♥ A J 4 2 ♦ A5 2 ♣ AQ

West North East South Very well done, however Jack Finesse saw a legal line for Bjarnarson Helness Askgård Helgemo nine tricks even without finessing ♦J10: 2♣ Dbl Pass 2♦ Pass 2NT At trick two you play diamond to the king and continue with Pass 3NT All Pass heart to the jack and the queen. Now lets say west returnes the ♠Q to the king. Now declarer cashes the ♥A and notes 3NT is pretty high. Stil with 23 points nowadays nobody the drop of the king. likes to miss game. West led a club for declarers’ queen. ♠ 6 Of course the contract can be made when you finesse the ♥ 10 J10 of diamonds, but this is too much to be asked for. So ♦ Q 9 7 Helgemo started with ♦A, diamond to the king and heart to ♣ J 9 6 the jack and the queen. If West had returned a diamond ♠ J 8 5 ♠ A7 ♥ N ♥ communications would be very difficult for declarer. 9 7 W E - ♦ ♦ However west switched to a small spade for his partners J 10 8 S 6 ace. A spade came back: ten and jack and then came ♦J. ♣ - ♣ K 10 8 7 3 ♠ 10 4 3 ♠ - ♥ 4 2 ♥ 10 8 ♦ A5 ♦ 9 ♣ A ♣ J 9 6 ♠ Q 8 ♠ 7 If declarer now plays a spade from his hand East-West ♥ N ♥ 9 7 3 W E K have no chance to defeat the contract. If West wins and ♦ 10 S ♦ - plays a heart, declarer takes in dummy, plays a diamond, ♣ - ♣ K 10 8 7 ♣A and a spade. Now East has to give a club to dummy. ♠ K 4 ♥ A4 2 If East takes the ace and plays spades West got squeezed ♦ - in the red suits. Also it won’t help if East takes the ace and ♣ A plays a club, cause then West got squeezed in three suits.

At this point Helgemo played club to the ace and West was The interesting thing is that to play a spade at the critical caught in a triple stepping stone squeeze! West discarded moment isn't that strange. Nevertheless, what Helgemo a heart, and Helgemo contined with ♥A and ♥10 and then a produced at his table was still very nicely done. diamond. West had to play back a spade in the end, which led to nine rather spectacular tricks. page 4 - EC Cup Izmir - Bulletin No. 2

AN INTERESTING PUSH MARTIN REHDER: ONE STEP FURTHER

Round Robin 1 Round Robin 1 Angelini v. Cerkezkoy Belediye Spor Bamberger Reiter v. Matushko, Russia

W/None ♠ J Sometimes you are obliged - or at least you think you are - ♥ A J 9 5 2 to ruff a trick which belongs to your partner. To ruff a trick ♦ A3 which belongs to your self is one step further, especially ♣ Q J 8 3 2 when it is an ace. Martin Rheder from Bamberger Reiter ♠ A Q 10 9 8 6 5 ♠ 7 3 2 saw an opportunity to excersise this rare play: N ♥ 6 ♥ Q 8 7 3 ♦ W E ♦ ♠ 10 9 5 2 S K Q S/None 9 4 ♣ 6 ♣ 10 9 7 5 ♥ A Q 9 5 ♠ K 4 ♦ K 5 3 ♥ K 10 4 ♣ K 9 8 6 ♦ J 8 7 6 4 ♠ K 2 ♠ A 8 7 6 ♣ ♥ N ♥ AK 4 K J 10 8 7 4 3 W E 6 2 ♦ ♦ - S A Q 7 4 West North East South ♣ A Q 10 7 ♣ J 4 2 Yavuz Nunes Baskan Fantoni ♠ Q J 10 5 3 Helgemo Er Helness Ercan ♥ - 4♠ All Pass ♦ J 10 9 8 6 2 ♣ 5 3 Claudio Nunes led the ♣Q against Turan Yavuz's 4♠, and when that card held the trick, switched to the ♠J. Declarer West North East South won the queen and played a diamond. Nunes took the ace Rehder Khiuppenen Wladow Kholomeev and switched to a low heart: 3 and King (!). Of course 2♠ Fulvi Fantoni persisted in trumps, leaving declarer without 4♥ Dbl All Pass any chance. In the end Yavuz lost two diamonds, a club and a heart. Great defense, but was it necessary? The final contract appears to go down, as declarer is bound to lose ♣K and three heart losers. Warned by the double In the other room Bora Er kicked off with the ♣Q against Martin Rehder found a brilliant line. He took the spade lead the same contract of 4♠. The next trick North switched to in his hand and immediately advanced the ♣Q! North won the ♥A and continued to play the ♥J: seven, ten and ♠5. the king and returned a spade. Declarer won the ace, ruffed Helgemo played a diamond, North won the ace and retur- a diamond, cashed the ♣A, played a club to the jack, ruffed ned a club, again ruffed by declarer. Next came diamond another diamond, ruffed the fourth club in dummy and ruf- to the king, heart ruff and the third diamond. North ruffed fed the ♦A (!) in hand. With four cards Rehder had only with the jack and 4♠ was down one. trumps left: KJ108. This combination was enough for two tricks, enough to An interesting push though at his table Geir Helgemo had a make his contract. chance. After winning the second diamond, he could have finessed the ♠K and then ruff two diamonds in dummy. In At almost any fact there is a case of taking the spade finesse. First of all it other table west is the best chance of avoiding a trump loser (you have to, played 4♥ as well, otherwise you are down anyway). And secondly, North alre- though not dou- ady showed quite a few points and is not likely to have the bled. Without the ♠K as well. knowledge of the bad break in Coming back to the question if the great defense by Claudio trumps all decla- Nunes was really necessary. In view of what might have rers went down. happened at the other table the answer is: YES. And now we may understand better the observation by Fulvio Fantoni. In an interview with BridgeTopics.com the number one of the world stated that to his opinion his partner defi- nately is the better player of Fantunes!

Martin Rehder page 5 – EC Cup Izmir – Bulletin No. 2

AMPİYONA’YA YAVA BALADIK

Bu yıl Haziran ayında Belçika’nın Ostend kentinde Bu maçtaki diğer masada ise Nezih Kubaç – Bülent yapılan Avrupa ampiyonası’nda Türkiye’nin ilk 10 Aslan çifti güzel bir defansla oyunu batırıyor: takım arasına girmi olması dolayısı ile, ve ayrıca ev sahibi ülke olmamız sonucu, 2010 Avrupa ampiyon Bu masada ise 3NT’nin Kulüpler Kupası’na Türkiye 2 takımla katılıyor. deklaranı Kuzey. Doğuda oturan Bülent Aslan’ın kör İzmir Büyükehir Belediye Spor: Mehmet Günel vale atağını Nezih Kubaç (NPC), Bülent Aslan, Salvador Assael, Mert Bilgen, (soldaki resim), as ile alıp pik Hakan Göksu, Nezih Kubaç, Nafiz Zorlu: dönüyor. Deklaran bunu yere bırakınca, Bülent Aslan pik Çerkezköy Belediye Spor: Hasan Yirik (PC), Burak damını alıp pike devam Bakan, Bora Er, Erdal Olcay Ercan, Kudret Metin, ediyor. Turan Yavuz imdi deklaran karolar İlk Turda İzmir Büyükehir – Polonya takımları düzgün dağılırsa 8 lövede arasındaki maçtan bir el: olduğunu düünerek, 9. lövesini sağlamak amacı ile E/Kimse ♠ AK7 yere doğru trefl oynuyor. Brd 14 ♥ Q98 Yerin trefl valesini rua ile ♦ 1074 kazanan Nezih Kubaç, köre veya trefle devam kayıp ♣ 8765 olacağı için zorunlu olarak tek karosu ile çıkıyor. ♠ 42 ♠ Q9865 ♥ A1076432 ♥ J5 imdi durum öyle: ♦ 6 ♦ J932 E/Kimse ♠ A ♣ AK10 ♣ 94 Brd 14 ♥ Q9 ♠ J103 ♦ 1074 ♥ K ♣ 876 ♦ AKQ85 ♠ ♠ 986 ♣ QJ32 ♥ 1076432 ♥ 5 ♦ 6 ♦ J932 Nafiz Zorlu güneyden 1NT ile balıyor. Batı’daki rakip ♣ A10 ♣ 9 önce 2♥ sonra da 3♥ demesine rağmen Zorlu’nun ortağı ♠ J Salvador Assael 3NT deklare ediyor. ♥ ♦ AKQ85 Batı, rakibin kendine ♣ Q32 güvenli bir ekilde 3NT’ye ulatığını Deklaran imdi 5 tur karo görünce kör rengini çekebilse, belki Batı’yı körler atak etmekten ve trefller arasında vazgeçiyor, ve ♣A atak sıkıtırabilecek ve pik asa ediyor ve ortağı ♣4’lü geçtikten sonra kör dam çekip (udca) veriyor. Nafiz kör vererek, veya (trefl As sek Zorlu, rakibe zor bırakılırsa) elden yerden küçük durumda olduğunu trefl bolayarak oyunu izlenimini vermek için yapabilecek. Fakat karodaki elinden ♣J veriyor !!!. kötü dağılım yüzünden karo 9’lusuna empas yapmak için imdi Batı, Deklaran’ın arada pik asa geçme elinde ♣QJ sek zorunluluğu yüzünden elin yakalamı olmanın zamanlaması bozuluyor ve mutluluğu içinde trefl Polonyalı deklaran 1 batıyor. ruasını da çekince 10 IMP İzmir Büyükehir’e. Nafiz Zorlu oyunu rahatça yapıyor. Türk takımları ilk tur maçlarını 1812 ve 219 kaybettiler ama, eleme turlarının bitmesine daha 4 maç var. Ekiplerimize baarılar.

page 6 - EC Cup Izmir - Bulletin No. 2

DRAW AND TEAM ROSTERS

Group A Group B

1. ASD Angelini, Roma, Italy 1. AUGURI Warszawa, Poland Ercole BOVE (npc) Zdzislaw INGIELEWICZ Francesco ANGELINI Krzysztof BURAS Boye BROGELAND Bartosz CHMURSKI Geir HELGEMO Jacek KALITA Tor HELNESS Krzysztof KOTOROWICZ Fulvio FANTONI Grzegorz NARKIEWICZ Claudio NUNES Mariusz PUCZYNSKI Federico PRIMAVERA 2. Bareket, Israel 2. BC ‘t Onstein, The Netherlands Ilan BAREKET Sjoert BRINK Asaf LENGY Bauke MULLER Roll YOSSI Bas DRIJVER Eldad GINOSSAR Simon DE WIJS Ron PACHTMAN

3. Vito, Bulgaria 3. Bridgeclub Bamberger Reiter, Germany Toni RUSEV Michael GROMOELLER Kalin KARAIVANOV Helmut HAEUSLER Rumen TRENDAFILOV Josef PIEKAREK Stefan SKORCHEV Alexander SMIRNOV Borislav POPOV Martin REHDER Entscho WLADOW 4. Swedish National Champion Göran HAMMARSTRÖM 4. Matushko, Russia Mikael ARNBERG Georgi MATUSHKO Frederic WRANG Aleksei STERKIN Johan SYLVAN Alexander PETRUNIN Olle WADEMARK Vadim KHOLOMEEV Jan SELBERG Yury KHIUPPENEN Yury KHOKHLOV 5. Bridgeclub Grant Thornton, Iceland Sveinn Runar EIRIKSSON 5. Villa Fabbriche, Italy Omar OLGEIRSSON Filippo PALMA Julius SIGURJONSSON Dario ATTANASIO Throstur INGIMARSSON Giuseppe FAILLA Arrigo FRANCHI 6. Çerkezköy Belediye Spor, Turkey Matteo MONTANARI Hasan YiRiK Ruggero PULGA Turan YAVUZ Giampaolo RINALDI Bora ER Erdal Olcay ERCAN 6. Izmir Büyüksehir Belediye Spor, Turkey Mustafa TUNCER Mehmet GÜNEL (npc) Burak BASKAN Nafiz ZORLU Salvador ASSAEL Hakan GÖKSU Nezih KUBAÇ Bülent ASLAN Mert BiLGEN

Dear players,

This year´s competition looks promising. Your editors therefore expect excellent material. Don´t be modest and share your great / funny hands with us. Much obliged,

Jan & Tim