THE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE PRESS ASSOCIATION Editor: John Carruthers This Bulletin is published monthly and circulated to around 400 members of the International Bridge Press Association comprising the world’s leading journalists, authors and editors of news, books and articles about contract bridge, with an estimated readership of some 200 million people BULLETIN who enjoy the most widely played of all card games. www.ibpa.com Bulletin No. 582 July 13, 2013 President: PATRICK D JOURDAIN Editorial 8 Felin Wen, Rhiwbina Cardiff CF14 6NW, WALES, UK May-June has to be the favourite time of the year for fans of serious bridge. Trials (44) 29 2062 8839 are held in all eight WBF Zones to determine World Championship qualifiers. [email protected] Since the European qualification process takes place in even-numbered years Chairman: nowadays, this year we also had the European Open Championships, an event PER E JANNERSTEN modelled after the Rosenblum/World Open Pairs Championships and now copied Banergatan 15 SE-752 37 Uppsala, SWEDEN by many other Zones. Most of these events, with some of the more-interesting (46) 18 52 13 00 boards, are reported here. [email protected] Last month we were critical of the WBF‘s policy of denying a place in the Bermuda Executive Vice-President: JAN TOBIAS van CLEEFF Bowl or Venice Cup to NBOs not taking part in the Olympiad. The Jamaican Prinsegracht 28a women were the latest to run afoul of the regulation preventing participation 2512 GA The Hague, NETHERLANDS and we predicted it would not be long before this happened again. Little did we (31) 70 360 5902 realise that the prediction would come true within 24 hours. The Bahrain Open [email protected] Team staged a minor upset, defeating Bangladesh in the semifinals of the BFAME Organizational Vice-President & (WBF Zone 4 – Asia and the Middle East) Trials to qualify, with India, for the Bulletin Production Manager: DILIP GIDWANI Bermuda Bowl. Except … well, you know the story. 401 Mariden, 16th Road Bandra West Mumbai 400 050, INDIA Furthermore, we are reliably informed (by Ron Klinger) that several teams (French (91) 22 98205 47150 Fax: 22 26002241 Polynesia, New Caledonia and perhaps Vanuatu, although the latter is not a member [email protected] of the WBF anyway) did not participate in the Zone 7 (South Pacific) Trials solely Secretary: because they would be ineligible for Bali in the (admittedly unlikely) event that HERMAN DE WAEL they qualified (Australia and New Zealand being the powers of the Zone). Michel Willemslaan 40 B-2610 Wilrijk, BELGIUM The WBF could remedy this situation, but it would require drastic and immediate (32) 3 827 64 45 Fax: (32) 3 825 29 19 action. Here’s one solution: (i.) repeal the regulation retroactively and (ii.) allow [email protected] the Jamaican Women’s Team and the Bahraini Open Team to compete in Bali. Since Treasurer: that would produce an unwieldy 23 teams in each event, admit one more team in RICHARD SOLOMON 308 Kauri Road, RD2 each series from Europe. That would result in Israel, the seventh-place finisher Tuakau 2697, NEW ZEALAND from Dublin last year, playing in the Bermuda Bowl and Austria, the eighth-place (64) 9 232 8494 team in the Women’s, qualifying for the Venice Cup. Why the eighth-place team? [email protected] Sweden, the team that finished seventh is already going, courtesy of Israel’s Membership Secretary: withdrawal. The expansion to 24 teams would produce no grief for anyone, would JEREMY DHONDY build some goodwill and would make four teams very happy. It would require only Cedar Lodge, Knapps, Shillingstone Dorset DT11 0RA, ENGLAND a minor adjustment to scheduling that could be accomplished with four 16-board (44) 7967 475925 matches on two of the seven qualifying days - not too onerous a regimen. [email protected] There is a fly in the ointment, however. The reason for Israel’s withdrawal from Honorary General Counsel: WILLIAM J. PENCHARZ the Venice Cup seems to be purely political. Indonesia does not recognize Israel as Lacourarie, Barthelemy de Bussière a sovereign nation and had been delaying their approval to enter the country and 24360 Piegut Pluvier, FRANCE any discussion of security for their players. With pressure on Israel to declare its +33(0)5 53 60 30 60 [email protected] intentions, Israel felt that withdrawal was its only option. So, even if the WBF were to permit a seventh team from Europe in the Bermuda Bowl, it would Awards Secretary: BARRY J. RIGAL apparently not be Israel. European qualifiers for the Bermuda Bowl are Monaco, Apt 8E, 22 West 26th Street, Netherlands, Italy, England, Poland and Germany. If Israel did not accept an invitation New York NY 10010, USA to play, can you guess who’s next in line? Yes...Sweden. (1) 212 366 4799 [email protected] Address all IBPA Bulletin correspondence to: JOHN CARRUTHERS Presidents Emeritii: 1322 Patricia Blvd., Kingsville, Ontario, N9Y 2R4, CANADA TOMMY SANDSMARK (NORWAY) Tel: +1 519-733-9247 HENRY FRANCIS (USA) email: [email protected] 1 2. ARGENTINA: Elkin, Irene – Smalinsky, Analia – Previde, Cecilia – Rueda, María José – Espiasse, Matilde – Llauro, Maria Susana SENIORS 1. BRAZIL: Silva Neto, J. de Deus – Barcellos, Eduardo – D’Orsi, Ernesto – Marchioni, Antonio- Aranha, Sergio – Magalhaes, Amilcar 2. ARGENTINA: Madala, Adolfo – Alfonsin, Julio – Baldassarre, Monica – Alonso, Ana Maria – Orzabal, Alejandro – Cardoni, Ricardo It seems fitting that we should show a couple of deals featuring Leonardo Rizzo - 18 years ago, Rizzo travelled to Bali as part of the Argentine Youth team to take rd part in the 1995 World Youth Bridge Championship. 63 SOUTH AMERICANS However, because of being a few days past his 26th Angra dos Reis, Brazil, May 25-June 1, 2013 birthday, he was not allowed to participate and had to Fernando Lema & Ana Roth, return home without playing a single card. This year, as Buenos Aires part of the team that represented Argentina in the South American Bridge Championships, Rizzo not only This year, the first event of the South American won the title of South American Champion, but he Championships was the Gabino Cintra Cup - a pairs also won the right to represent South America in the event so-named in honour of one of the best-ever next World Bridge Championships in Bali. South American players. The winners were Mauricio Figueiredo and Marcos Toma of Brazil. Second place Here are a couple of the deals where Rizzo’s good went to Guilherme Junqueira-Renato Fernandes from decisions helped to score points for his team: Brazil and third were Pablo Lambardi-Nano Rizzo of Argentina v. Ecuador Argentina. Board 23. Dealer South. Both Vul. The Teams Championship to qualify for Bali began with [ K Q 9 3 a double round robin qualifying stage, the top four ] J 10 7 4 team playing a knockout. In the Open category, the { A Q 4 3 winner of the round robin was Argentina, which also }J won its semifinal versus Columbia. The other semi- [ 10 8 6 [ J 7 5 4 2 final was Brazil versus Chile. This 90-board match was ]— ]K 6 5 very close until the last set, when Brazil finally won { J 10 9 8 7 { — and achieved the first objective, qualification for the } A K Q 9 8 } 10 5 4 3 2 Bermuda Bowl. In the final, Argentina showed their best [A form and although the score remained close, they ] A Q 9 8 3 2 never trailed in the match, so after eight years of { K 6 5 2 waiting, Argentina is once again the South American }7 6 Open Team Champion. West North East South Lambardi Serrano R. Rizzo Serrano J. In the Ladies and Seniors, Argentina and Brazil met in ———1] the final, with Brazil winning in both categories. The 2NT 4} 5} 5] qualifiers were: Pass 6{ Double 6] OPEN Pass Pass Pass 1. ARGENTINA: Alujas, Gabino – Ravenna, Pablo – All four players were faced with close decisions in the Rizzo, Leonardo – Lambardi, Pablo – Camberos, Hector bidding. South’s opening bid seems clear-cut. West’s – Pellegrini, Carlos decision to employ the unusual notrump with three 2. BRAZIL Campos, João-Paulo – Villas Boas, Miguel – cards in spades instead of a takeout double need not Figueiredo, Mauricio – Toma, Marcos – Brenner, Diego have worked so well. North’s splinter bid was – Sabbag, Ricardo descriptive and East’s five clubs was aggressive, but WOMEN’S normal. With poor holdings in both minor suits, South 1. BRAZIL: Pain, Leda – Vargas, Isabella – David, Paula might have doubled five clubs or passed the decision – Nogueira, Heloisa – Mandelot, Agota – Figueira de to North, but with an extra heart, he took the Mello, Sylvia aggressive path. 2 North’s decision to cuebid six diamonds was probably would play a day-and-a-half round robin to determine too aggressive given that South had bid five hearts the final four knockout spots. The winner of that and had not himself cuebid. His six-diamond bid gave knockout would be USA1 in the Bermuda Bowl, Rizzo, East, the opportunity to double to suggest a lead. coming up in September in Bali. The lead was indeed a diamond, resulting in two down. Teams losing in the USA1 knockout would be Even if North had contented himself with six hearts, relegated to a second knockout bracket to determine a Lightner double by East would have meant the same the USA2 team for Bali with the losing USA1 finallist two off. In the other room Argentina played five hearts going directly to the final of the USA2 bracket. making. USA1 QF.