Daily Bulletin Editor: Mark Horton / Co-Ordinator : Jean-Paul Meyer / Journalists: David Bird, John Carruthers, Jos Jacob,b, Fernando Lema, Brent Manley, Micke Melander, Barry Rigal, Ram Soffer, Ron Tacchi / Lay-out Editor : Francescacesc Canali Photographer : Arianna Testa TUESDAY, JUNE 13 2017 FANTASTIC FOUR ISSUESS No 4 CLICK TO NAVIGATE A view of the Bridge p. 2 Championship Diary p. 3 Helgeness vs Pszczola p. 4 Takk vs Blue Note p. 7 Fornaciari vs De Botton p. 9 Mixed Stories from Round 8 p. 12 Not Their Day p. 16 An Actual Biltcliffe Coup? p. 19 Michel Romieu, Michelle Isoard, EBL President Yves Aubry, Nicole Curetti, Jean Le Poder Rosenthal vs Pszczola p. 20 After a day which featured a number of comeback victories we know that The Silly Bidding Department p. 23 the semifinals of the Mixed Teams will see Mnepo, originally seeded 34 take on the number 1 seeds, Zimmermann, while Sakr who were seeded 14 face La Pagina Italiana p. 27 Rosenthal who were seeded 5. BAM Rosters p. 28 With so many World Champions on display today we should see some Results p. 30 sparkling bridge as they compete for the first major title to be decided. Bracket p. 31 All four teams have been in excellent form, so predicting a winner would be a taking a considerable risk. Zimmermann are the favourites, but they will have to be at their best. It should be a great day and you can see every deal on BBO. TODAY'S SCHEDULE Congratulations to team Isoard, Nicole Curetti, Michelle Isoard, Jean Le MIXED TEAMS KO Poder & Michel Romieu who won the Board-a-Match Teams. 10.30 - 12.30 SemiFinals 12.45 - 14.45 SemiFinals Tonightt's Prrize GGiviinngg ceerreemmoony wwiilll takke ppllacce aatt 20:300 at the 15.45 - 17.45 Finals stage bbeyounnd the ccaafeeteerria ((seee thee maap on ppaggee 2)). 18.00 - 20.00 Finals MIXED PAIRS 10.30 - 20.00 BBO SCHEDULE 20.30 Prize Giving 10.30 Semifinals Tortona (AL) - 0131.813636 8TH EUROPEAN OPEN BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Montecatini, Italy FIND THE PRIZE GIVING VENUE PRIZE GIVING RESTAURANT CAFETERIA A VIEW OF THE BRIDGE The EBL have appointed David Bird, Bill Jacobs, Larry Cohen, Graham Osborne, Mark Horton and Roland Wald to act as BBO commentators. They may be joined from time to time by Jon Cooke and Stephen Kennedy. These are the assignments for the second day of the Championships: Mixed Teams KO - Tuesday 13 June SF-1 BBO1 OR: Stephen Kennedy - Roland Wald SF-1 BBO2 OR: David Bird - Mark Horton SF-2 BBO1 OR: Stephen Kennedy - Roland Wald F-1 BBO1 OR: David Bird - Mark Horton F-2 BBO1 OR: Larry Cohen - Roland Wald 2 GOGOOT TOTOOP PAGE:PAPAGEGE:GE:E: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 122 13 1414 15 1616 17 1818 19 200 21 2222 23 2244 25 26 27 ROROSTSTEERRS RERESUSULTLTS BRBRACACKKEET 8TH EUROPEAN OPEN BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Montecatini, Italy CHAMPIONSHIP DIARY Mark Horton If you have a moment you might like to see exactly Suppose your side bids 1}-1{-3{. What do you who is competing at these Championships by going imagine is your partner's most likely shape? to the EBL website. For example you might like to see To discover the answer you will have to read Micke who will contest the Open Teams - just go to: Melander's report on Round 10. If you have any entries for the Ministry of Silly Bidding department http://db.eurobridge.org/repository/ don't hesitate to report them to Micke. competitions/17montecatini/Reg/ ParticipantsTeams.asp?qtournid=1401 This year the Press Room is located in the same where you will discover that there are currently 118 office as the Daily Bulletin. Journalists and anyone teams (with 545 players) from 39 countries. wishing to join the International Press Association are welcome to call upon the manager, Jan Swaan. The team events are seeded, but it is by no means an easy task to get right. Team Mnepo, convincing When Kiki Ward-Platt found her team trailing 18-52 winners of the Mixed Qualifying were seeded 34, to Ferm at half time in their round of 16 encounter runners up Wilson 16 and third placed Berksma 21. she returned to the Hotel fearing the worst. When, Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you cannot to her delight she saw her troops stage a magnificent possibly qualify if your original seeding is low - Puillet comeback on BBO in the second half she decided to were 58, Blue Note 38, Taak 26, Lara 24, Emmer 47 return immediately to congratulate them. She jumped and mirabile dictu, Semerci 90. into her car, but then realised she was not quite sure of how to reach the venue. She called a taxi, told him to If you are checking out the Championship Videos drive to the venue and making sure she did not loose watch out for a shadowy figure who sometimes makes an sight of him thereby added a new dimension to the appearance. A prize if you are the first to guess his identity. phrase 'follow that cab'! VIDEO CORNER THE END OF THE SWISS THE FINAL 8 facebook.com/europeanbridge instagram.com/ebl_pics twitter.com/EuropeanBridge LIVE BULLETIN youtube.com/channel/UCN6ZMmC9FxsgBVn9PermDuw championships.eurobridge.org/EOC2017 GO TO PAGE: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100 11 1122 13 144 15 1166 17 3 1188 19 2200 21 2222 23 2424 25 266 27 RROOSSTEERRS RRESSUULLTTS BBRRAACCKKEET 8TH EUROPEAN OPEN BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Montecatini, Italy ROUND 4 HELGENESS vs PSZCZOLA MIXED TEAMS Ram Soffer Two teams involving many well-known names met 19 balanced hand, and Welland evaluated his hand as in the fourth round at Table 3 for an entertaining, not good enough for any further move. An interesting high-scoring match. question would be whether Auken could bid a natural 3[ over 3]. Something looks amiss when spades are Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul. not mentioned at all, despite both partners holding five [ 9 cards. That was +490 and no swing. ] 6 3 Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul. { 7 6 5 4 2 [ J 9 3 } Q 1100 8 6 5 ] K Q 6 [ J 10 8 4 2 [ A K Q 5 3 { A Q 8 6 4 ] K J 10 ] 9 8 } Q 6 { A 8 { K Q 10 [ K 4 2 [ Q 8 7 6 } A 7 4 } K J 9 ] A 8 4 3 ] 10 9 2 [ 7 6 { 5 { 9 ] A Q 7 5 4 2 } 10 9 8 4 3 } A K 7 5 2 { J 9 3 [ A 10 5 } 3 2 ] J 7 5 { K J 10 7 3 2 West North East South } J Helgemo Pszczola Larsson S.-Molson Pass 1[ Pass West North East South 2NT Pass 3{ Pass Helgemo Pszczola Larsson S. -Molson 3NT Pass 4} Pass Pass 1{ 4[ All Pass Pass 2{ Pass 3{ Pass 3NT All Pass The East-West hands are essentially a 50% slam depending on a heart guess. Should South overcall in Seamon-Molson opened 1{ with a hand which hearts, the percentages go up significantly, but at this might be considered a weak-two by more conservative table Seamon-Molson, South for team Pszczola, kept standards. Later 3{ showed an absolute minimum, quiet. Larsson-Helgemo had a free run at a Jacoby- but her partner had no option but to bid on to what 2NT auction, and they stopped somewhat cautiously transpired to be a hopeless game. The defenders could at game after West failed to cuebid at his third turn. take the first six tricks. Even after the normal }2 lead South had both missing heart honours so this was gifted declarer with a cheap trick, he could not come always going to be +480. to nine tricks, North-South -100. West North East South West North East South Welland T. Helness Auken G. Helness Welland T. Helness Auken G. Helness Pass 1} 1] Pass Pass 3] Pass 4NT All Pass Pass 1NT 2} 3} 3NT Dble 4} 4{ Welland-Auken were the only pair playing an artificial All Pass system in this match. Their 1} opening includes all unbalanced club hands as well as all balanced hands in the South’s initial pass paid off when she was able to 11-13 and 17-19 ranges (other NT ranges are covered transfer to diamonds over the 2} DONT overcall by by their 1NT/2}/2NT openings). Those balanced East. Eventually she bought the contract at 4{ and hands may include 5-card majors and 5422 shapes. North did well not to raise despite the big fit, as the After South’s one-level intervention, the jump-cuebid, rest of his hand was poor. 4{ was just right (+130), according to their system demanded East bid (showing and team Helgeness jumped to a 6-0 lead, which was a stopper). Therefore Auken’s 4NT bid describes a 17- short-lived, due to the following bidding disaster. 4 GO TO PAGE: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100 11 1122 13 144 15 1166 17 1188 19 2200 21 2222 23 2424 25 266 27 RROOSSTEERRS RRESSUULLTTS BBRRAACCKKEET 8TH EUROPEAN OPEN BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Montecatini, Italy West North East South Welland T. Helness Auken G. Helness 1NT Pass 2{ Pass 2] Dbl Pass 3} 3{ Pass 3] 3NT Pass 4} All Pass Seamon-Molson opened an off-shape 1NT, and this time the takeout double of 2] was properly understood.