Sous le Haut Patronage de SAS le Prince Albert II de Monaco MONACO WELCOMES THE CAVENDISH VI

C I A V V E H N D I S 3 - 8 FEBRUARY 2019

DDailyaily BBulletinulletin Vincent Labbé, Coordinator, Editor www.cavendish.bridgemonaco.com Philippe Cronier, Editor www.facebook.com/cavendishmonaco/ Francesca Canali, Layout & Social Media Editor, Photographer @CavendishMonaco

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7th 2019 Issue No 5 ALL OF FAME

CONTENTS CLICKABLE ON WEB From the auction Results p. 2 65 pairs and a myriad of stars were in the starting blocks early in the(ir) morning, all of them eager to reach for the moon. The Grossack p. 3 The two Karim, Nabil and Salam, from Egypt, started like a rocket, taking the In the midst of the Battle p. 4 lead at the end of the first session. Ten boards later, strong contenders to the title replaced them on the top: the eternal Zia Mahmood and the well-named David It’s more fun to compete p. 5 Gold. But after three rounds, the Frenchmen Philippe Soulet and Hervé Vinciguerra, How to Bilde an p. 6 newest winners of the Teams event, were now leading the field, driven by a favourable wind. Overturning the odds p. 6 As the tournament is still in its early stages, it comes and goes. During the fouth session, the Norwegians Glenn Groetheim, winner of the Blind spots p. 7 in 2007, and Petter Tondel, led most of the time, before the last two deals overturned the ranking. Remember, our two Karim from the early morning… They ended up in a rush to accumulate an impressive total of 2123 SCHEDULE points. A pair of Dutchmen, Louk Verhees and Ricco van Prooijen, winners of the Bermuda Bowl at home (Veldhoven, 2011), surged from tenth to second place, 10.00 - 11.30 10 boards winning nearly a thousand points in ten boards! 11.45 - 13.15 10 boards In the fifht and last session of the day, the flying Dutchmen irresistibly took off BREAK with a total of 2710 points at mid-term of the qualification stage. At a certain 14.45 - 16.15 10 boards distance followed Levin-Roll and Soulet-Vinciguerra. th 16.30 - 18.00 10 boards Best mixed pair so far : May Sakr et Michel Eidi (10 ). 18.15 - 19.45 10 boards Cavendish VI Monaco, 3rd-8th February 2019

CAVENDISH PAIRS - RESULTS

Imps 1 2710 VAN PROOIJEN Ricco VERHEES Louk 2 2427 LEVIN Amir ROLL Josef 3 2055 SOULET Philippe VINCIGUERRA Herve 4 1872 NABIL Karim SALAMA Karim 5 1756 CARROLL John HANLON Tom 6 1692 BRUUN Mathias SCHAFFER Lauge 7 1662 GROETHEIM Glenn TONDEL Petter 8 1601 GOLD David MAHMOOD Zia 9 1452 BESSIS Thomas MECKSTROTH Jeff 10 1404 EIDI Michel SAKR May M 11 1310 GAWRYS Piotr KLUKOWSKI Michal 12 1082 KHOKHLOV Jouri MATUSHKO Georgy 13 1071 PALMA Antonio WRANG Frederic 14 1025 MULTON Franck ZIMMERMANN Pierre 15 1006 BERTHEAU Peter BLACK Andrew 16 954 LANTARON Luis PIEDRA Fernando 17 929 HOP Jacco WORTEL Meike M 18 550 OLANSKI Woycech VAINIKONIS Vytautas 19 540 DRIJVER Bob NAB Bart 20 521 DEMUY Vincent HURD John 21 443 GROSSACK Adam GROSSACK Zachary 22 419 BILDE Dennis MADALA Agustin 23 415 DE WIJS Simon MULLER Bauke 24 393 PSZCZOLA Jacek WIGODER Charles 25 382 HOFTANISKA Thor MALINOWSKI Artur 26 358 BOMPIS Marc D’OVIDIO Catherine M 27 338 BRENNER Diego VILLAS-BOAS Miguel 28 192 KHIUPPENEN Yury KHOLOMEEV Vadim 29 144 KING Phil MCINTOSH Andrew 30 131 DANAILOV Diyan STAMATOV Jerry 31 130 HALLBERG Gunnar PATTERSON Derek 32 87 BIRMAN Alon WINKLER Gabor 33 13 ABECASSIS Michel CRONIER Philippe 34 -36 MORARU Dan TEODORESCU Cornel 35 -59 LAUSS Wolfgang WERNLE Sascha 36 -67 DIKHNOVA Tatiana KRASNOSELSKIY Mikhail M 37 -92 MAUBERQUEZ Erik OURSEL Christophe 38 -99 DELLE CAVE Giuseppe GOLFARELLI Vittorio 39 -182 APTEKER Alon GOWER Craig 40 -207 D’AVOSSA Mario DI BELLO Stelio 41 -209 FILIPOWICZ Dominic MARTENS Krzysztof 42 -281 ZATORSKI Piotr ZMUDA Justyna M 43 -313 RIMSTEDT Mikael RIMSTEDT Ola 44 -338 BELLICAUD Luc LE LEZ Victor 45 -451 NARKIEWICZ Gregorz TUCZYNSKI Piotr 46 -575 ORLOV Sergey RUDAKOV Evgeni 47 -611 LAURIA Lorenzo VERSACE Alfredo 48 -736 ARLOVICH Andrey VAINIKONIS Erikas 49 -742 MENDES De SPRINKHUIZEN Thibo 50 -841 GROMOV Andrey GULEVICH Anna M 51 -870 EKENBERG Simon HULT Simon 52 -920 SAPORTA Pierre SAPORTA Renata M 53 -974 ANDERSSON Gunnar HEBERT Noomi M 54 -999 BROGELAND Boye GILLIS Simon 55 -1073 KILJAN Veri TIJSSEN Luc 56 -1218 CAPUCHO Manuel LARA Joao M 57 -1298 BARONI Irene DELIMPALTADAKIS Nikos M 58 -1555 LORENZINI Cedric VENTIN Juan-carlos 59 -1572 BENOIT Alain GAVIARD Daniele M 60 -1642 BAKHSHI David SELIGMAN Martin 61 -1772 ANDRESEN Martin HELNESS Fredrik 62 -2032 LUPU Smaranda LUPU M M 63 -2212 EDGTTON Nabil LUND Madsen M 64 -2218 MAAMARBACHI Clement VROUSTIS Vassilis 65 -2374 FRONTAURA Frankie MADALA Adolfo

2 Monaco, 3rd-8th February 2019 Cavendish VI

THE GROSSACK: WARRIORS BROS by Vincent Labbé

Adam and Zachary Grossack are part of the new You are champions and bridge teachers. Can you generation of American top bridge players. In a team have both careers at the same time? Which one called “War of roses”, they won the junior title at the would you prefer? World Bridge Youth Championships in Atlanta (Aug A: The question is super relevant now more than ever 2013). Adam is 27 (his birthday was duly celebrated because we just got a cycle deal and the team configuration during the Pairs auction!) and Zach is 21. They live is still to be determined. Of course everyone who could in the Boston be one would prefer to be a champion, that’s where all area. The two the glory is. I love the game of bridge and have several brothers are students whom I am passionate about teaching. I taught known to create Zach everything he knows, after all. In all seriousness, I do a lot of action at think that I will be able to balance both careers. Mentoring the table. students who have undeveloped skills can be very rewarding To kibitz them when you see them getting better. is a constant Z: I think it is certainly viable to do both. The great part entertainment, about being a bridge professional is that allows you a lot but cardiac more significant gaps in time between tournaments than a should refrain. traditional job. I particularly like teaching larger groups - I did a good amount of that in 2018. Your mother Something I want to do in the future is work with Jori, your first teachers and propose a shift from the somewhat rigid teacher and fan, way bridge players are taught nowadays. I prefer a more call you “mind conceptual route; for example, the students I teach at my athletes”. club at University learn concepts of declarer play before any What is your bidding at all. The beauty about using robots to help teach approach of the is that they explain what all their bids mean already! game? Adam (A): I work The competition to integrate the big teams into hard at the table and the Nationals is very fierce. How are things going Adam blows out the candles try to keep an open for you so far? mind. I try not to A: We have been quite fortunate so far to meet our be a robot. We really do play the game like a sport and can current sponsor, Larry Lebowitz. Larry is a talented bridge be very creative and flexible in our bidding techniques. Zach player already and rapidly improving. He is a successful especially is super creative at the table and I always work money manager and former CEO. I enjoy working with him hard to make sure I am not spoiling his creativity. It’s hard to sharpen his skills. We have a team for the “2019 cycle” work since he often doesn’t have what I expect! I try to be which includes the 3 nationals. The team consists of Larry, a good partner and move on from mistakes. Zach, me, Michael Rosenberg, Johan Upmark and Fredrik Zachary (Z): We like to be dynamic. Rigidity really is not Nystrom. my thing. Adam has his spots too ;) Z: Cannot complain!

Adam, you once said that your main bridge Are you involved in ACBL’s actions to recruit accomplishment is “weathering the Zach Grossack young bridge players? Tell us a little more about storm”. You play the role of the lightning rod? youth group sponsorship in the United States.... A: Anyone who plays with or against Zach knows A: I would love to continue my efforts to get involved. that he is a special player. We can’t build him up too Zach and I are eager to increase our digital presence maybe much because we don’t want him getting an ego, but… with a youtube page to reach younger people. We both he’s pretty darn good. I have my spots sometimes too founded bridge teams at our respective Universities… and have learned so much from his creative techniques, Adam @ Brandeis University and Zach at Tufts University. especially at matchpoints. I try to be an excellent partner The teams have competed in some of the editions of and compliment his skillset with practical, thoughtful the collegiate bridge championships during the Summer bidding and excellent card play. The emotional side can NABC. We are also members of the New England Youth be challenging when we have mistakes but we’re working Bridge organization and have taught bridge in schools. on that… Z: The ACBL is working hard to get bridge back into colleges by developing the collegiate bridge bowl as well

3 Cavendish VI Monaco, 3rd-8th February 2019 as an online daily tournament in which kids at different universities can compete against each other. I can tell you from experience that college kids – well - let’s just say they choose how to spend their time. Young adults spend hours and hours playing certain video games that hinder sociality and don’t expand your mind in any way. Bridge could certainly make its way into this space consumed by Fortnite and the likes. The key lies in making bridge more accessible - easier to learn - no easy task.

Who are your heroes, and those who helped you grow up? A: I really value my parents. They are the type of parents who give up everything for their kids. My dad isn’t a bridge player, but he made sure that I had a balanced upbringing by Zachary & Adam encouraging me to get involved with sports and hang out with What are your favorites conventions? kids my own age in school. I have a great group of friends A: The “Rosenberg Redouble,” basically when you from school and I owe a lot to my parents for helping me redouble a negative, it shows two-card support for partner’s have a balanced upbringing. suit and a competitive hand. It helps the overcaller know Z: I would not say I have many personal heroes, but more whether to compete. I also like trap pass doubles. that I look up to certain types of people. I look up to the Z: I love the mini notrump, though for some reason renegades, the pioneers, the “different” people. Adam and I do not currently play it. It has been an ongoing And of course my mother. She likes to say she lives by discussion. her own code, and no one else’s. Perhaps she painted my perspective on the type of people I look up to! And your most memorable memory at a bridge table? Do you have a bridge mentor? A: The freshest one in my mind right now is winning A: Michael Rosenberg has spent hours as our partnership a two sessions Pairs Event in NYC with my mom right coach as part of the USBF Junior program. at the end of 2018. I love playing bridge with my mom. Z: Rosenberg served as our primary mentor for the bulk She’s a great competitor and a live wire at the table. It was of the last five years. especially special Z: I have to say it was winning our first National event together. Total whirlwind. We could do no wrong that day. The 2015 fast pairs in Vegas. You just don’t forgot those moments.

From the auction

4 Monaco, 3rd-8th February 2019 Cavendish VI

IN THE MIDST OF THE BATTLE by Vincent Labbé

Pairs somewhat resembles a battle rap or a heads-up poker. It’s face to face. You must sometimes improvise and have to know the style of your opponents. But the IMP cotation considerably modifies the approach: Pairs becomes quite similar to a teams event.

Nonetheless, you must protect your part scores. The first of the event confirms it : 32 tables and 9 different contracts. 20 points in each line. A 4-4 major fit in each line. If you let play 2 Spades, you are nowhere. 3 Hearts equally goes one down or wins.The fight is raging.

Whatever the formula, agressiveness, opportunism, Michal Klukowski constance, focus, mind reading and luck are the main keys to success. Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul. [ A 9 6 4 3 65 pairs are on the starting line. Let’s see how the ] 9 Polish stars Gawrys-Klukowski have started in this struggle { 10 7 3 for life. } Q 10 6 2 [ 8 5 2 [ 7 Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul. ] A Q 8 6 5 3 ] J 10 2 [ A 10 8 3 2 { 9 8 { K Q J 6 ] A J 10 5 4 3 } 9 5 } A K J 8 7 { - [ K Q J 10 } 6 5 ] K 7 4 [ 7 4 [ K Q 6 5 { A 5 4 2 ] Q 8 6 2 ] K 7 } 4 3 { A K Q 6 { 9 4 } J 9 3 } A Q 10 8 4 West Nord Est South [ J 9 Kiljan Gawrys Tijssen Klukowski ] 9 — — — 1} { J 10 8 7 5 3 2 1] Double 2} 2[ } K 7 2 Pass Pass 4] Pass Pass 4[ Pass Pass West Nord Est South Double All pass Verhees Gawrys van Prooijen Klukowski — — 1NT Pass The spades are always right! Kiljan-Tilssen reach an 2} 2] Double All pass unbeatable 4 Hearts. But Gawrys, not vulnerable, will not allow them to “rest in peace”. 4 Spades doubled means As North-South are vulnerable, Verhees – Van Prooijen only 100 for East-West. 5 Hearts is in the cards but needs dream of a magic 200 or of 500 against 400 or of whatever. dangerous action after two rounds of spades. On the lead of the King of spades, Gawrys manages to wrap up eight tricks. The dream has gone the other way: -670. So, Gawrys-Klukowski enjoy a good start. And against Abécassis-Cronier, they keep the same pace. The Frenchmen reach a slam just over 50% (one down, but see Horton’s report), then the Polish compete to 5 Diamonds (non vulnerable against vulnerable), one down (-50, but -620 if they let play 4 Spades). Facing Andresen-Helness Jr, Klukowski performs an endplay to finish only one down at 3 No-. Reward guaranteed. At the end of the first mini session of 10 deals, the Polish accumulate 985 points and contemplate an ephemere third place. So goes the Pairs… 5 Cavendish VI Monaco, 3rd-8th February 2019

IT’S MORE FUN TO COMPETE by Vincent Labbé

What applied to the old pinball machines applies particularly to modern Pairs. West Nord Est South Let’s have a look on a classical climbing at high altitude Wernle van Prooijen Lauss Verhees between Dutchmen (Lou Verhees – Ricco van Prooijen) — — Pass Pass and Austrians (Sascha Wernle – Wolfgang Lauss). 1[ Double 4] 4SA Double 5{ Pass Pass Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul. 5[ All pass [ 4 3 ] A Q 5 4 Everyone has done their job. So the score of 450 worths { Q J 9 3 4 points. No damage, a nearly average. } A 8 6 At the Bilde-Madala table, the auction went 2[-Double- [ A K J 8 5 [ Q 9 7 6 2 4[-Double-All Pass, which meant +178 for the lucky ] J 9 8 7 3 ] 2 Pszczola and Wigoder (and five other pairs). Danièle Gaviard { A { 8 7 5 and Alain Benoit got the extra ball when their opponents } Q 3 } K 5 4 2 Birman-Winkler let them play 5 Diamonds undoubled, one [ 10 down : +275. Tilt! ] K 10 6 { K 10 6 4 2 } J 10 9 7

HOW TO BILDE AN ENDPLAY by Philippe Cronier

[ J 3 spade to the Ace. Horror! East discards a diamond, the ] K 10 8 5 safety was safe… How do you continue after this shock? { A J 6 If you play spades, the 9 of spade will be promoted. } Q 9 7 3 Watch Bilde : he presents the King of club. West takes with the Ace and the defence plays two rounds of diamond. He ruffs with the 10 and West discards a heart, for example. Bilde now begins an elimination play: club to the Queen, club , Ace-King of heart and the last club ruff. Three [ A K 10 8 7 5 2 cards remain in his hand:K87 of spade. He exits with a ] A 2 spade. West, endplayed, must take with the Queen and { 7 4 play back into the tenace K8. Brilliant! } K 2 Yes, of course, you have noticed that West could have escaped this endplay by refusing to take the King of club: Take the place of the Danish player Dennis Bilde and try then a is missing to achieve the trump reduction. to play 4 Spades. Well, nobody’s perfect. During the auction, East passed as dealer and then mentioned his diamonds. The full deal: West leads the Queen of diamond, taken by the Ace. [ J 3 What is your plan? ] K 10 8 5 { A J 6 Your only problem is to avoid conceding two trump tricks. } Q 9 7 3 Do you see a in spades? Yes, you can go back to [ Q 9 6 4 [ - your hand and play a little spade toward the Jack, preventing ] 9 7 6 ] Q J 4 3 any in case West has Q9xx. Bravo. But { Q 8 { K 10 9 5 3 2 wait. This careful handling has a hidden defect. You can } A J 6 5 } 10 8 4 ridiculously go down if East has Queen of spade doubleton [ A K 10 8 7 5 2 and a singleton club. So, safety could finally turn unsafe! ] A 2 As Dennis Bilde, Jeff Meckstroth or Lorenzo Lauria, { 7 4 after some (long) thought, you decide to play the 3 of } K 2

6 Monaco, 3rd-8th February 2019 Cavendish VI

OVERTURNING THE ODDS by Mark Horton

In the first session of the day, a number of pairs reached jack. He was about to take the heart when a a poor slam on this deal: memory stirred. Why had North made such a passive lead against a slam? Board 5. Dealer North. NS Vul. His mind made up, declarer continued with all his [ 8 5 2 remaining trumps to reach this position: ] K 10 6 4 { Q J 6 [ — } A 10 7 ] K 10 [ A K Q 9 7 4 [ J 10 3 { — ] A 2 ] Q J 9 3 } A 10 { A 10 9 7 { K 4 [ — [ — } K } J 8 3 2 ] A 2 ] Q J [ 6 { 10 { — ] 8 7 5 } K } J 8 { 8 5 3 2 [ — } Q 9 6 5 4 ] 8 { — Open Room } Q 9 5 West North East South — Pass Pass Pass When he cashed the {10 North was forced to match 2}* Pass 2{* Pass it with the }10 and when declarer exited with the }K 2[ Pass 3[ Pass North had to lead into the split tenace. 4}* Pass 4{* Pass 4]* Pass 4[ Pass At several tables North cashed the }A, giving declarer 6[ All Pass no chance, but on three occasions North led a trump. Alas, no-one could resist the heart finesse. Going down North led the [5 and declarer won in hand, played a in 6[ cost 274 IMPs. Making it would have resulted in diamond to the king, a diamond to the ace and ruffed a somewhat larger number! diamond, pleased to see North produce the queen and

BLIND SPOTS by Mark Horton

This was the last deal of the second session - and the last West North East South board is always a dangerous moment as the players are Pass Pass 1NT Pass often anxious to finish and get their scores. 2}* Dbl 2[ Pass 4[ All Pass Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul. [ J 10 7 South led the }4 and declarer won with dummy’s ace, ] Q 7 6 played a spade to the king, a spade to the ace and a heart { J 3 2 to the king. When that lost to the ace, the defenders were } K Q 10 7 sure to take four tricks. [ A 8 3 2 [ K Q 9 6 5 Did declarer miss those handsome heart spots? ] 9 5 ] K 10 8 At trick two he can advance the ]9, running it to South’s { 10 9 4 { A K 8 jack, ruff the third round of clubs, draw trumps ending in } A 9 3 2 } J 8 dummy and play a heart to the ten. A diamond will go on [ 4 the ]K and a diamond ruff will be the tenth trick. ] A J 4 3 2 The 16 pairs who made 4[ scored 171 IMPs, while the { Q 7 6 5 10 who failed lost 236. The lucky result on the deal went } 6 5 4 to the pair who played in 3NT, South’s heart lead handing over the ninth trick and 154 IMPs.

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R N WINTER GAMES 2020 A O T I RD O M 3 EuropeanEuropean TTransnationalransnational OOpenpen TTeamseams N E BRID G

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