Co-ordinator: Jean-Paul Meyer – Editor: Brent Manley – Assistant Editors: Mark Horton, Brian Senior & Franco Broccoli – Layout Editor: Akis Kanaris – Photographer: Ron Tacchi Issue No. 4 Tuesday, 13 June 2006 Yanks Sweep the Mixed Matthew Granovetter and Karen McCallum Bobby and Jill Levin Lew and JoAnna Stansby Karen McCallum and Matthew Granovetter, moving steadily upward in the standings from the beginning of the TODAY’S PROGRAMME Mixed Pairs final, completed their charge into first place in the third set, edging fellow Americans Jill and Bobby Levin to win a closely contested championship. ROSENBLUM CUP - McCONNELL CUP Third place in the Mixed Pairs went to another married couple - Americans JoAnna and Lew Stansby. 10.30 Round Robin Session 1 Granovetter and his wife, Pamela, are co-founders of 15.30 Round Robin Session 2 Bridge Today, now an online bridge magazine. McCallum, who lives in New England and operates a mystery book business, is no stranger to the winner's podium. Most re- cently, she and Debbie Rosenberg won the Women's Pairs WBF CONGRESS MEETING in Montreal in 2002. The WBF Congress Meeting will be held McCallum and Granovetter were never far out of the on Thursday, 15th June 2006 at 09:30 in lead, but they moved up to third place after the first final the Theatre Verdi at the VeroneFiere. session on Sunday and into second position after the first session on Monday. The Theatre is situated on the lower ground floor of the venue, near the Their score of 59.28% was just ahead of the 58.75% post- Registration Desks. ed by the Levins. The Stansbys made the biggest leap, starting the day on All countries represented in Verona are requested to Monday in 87th place overall with just 50.55%. They fin- send a delegate to this important meeting. ished with 58.47%. 12th WORLD BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Verona, Italy To Save Or Not To Save? The first final session of the Mixed Pairs featured a couple her ace and returned a spade, ruffed, and Ozdil played king of of bidding decisions for East/West – To save or not to save, clubs then ruffed a club, then led a diamond.Again Miszewska that was the question. went in with the ace and again she returned a spade. Ozdil ruffed, cashed the ace of hearts and ruffed a club, crossed to Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul. the {K and played his winning club. Kowalski could ruff but [ K 9 6 5 3 Ozdil had a trump at the end; down two for –300. ] K 10 4 Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul. { Q 10 8 } 10 3 [9 4 ] 7 6 5 2 [ AN [ 10 8 4 ] A 9 8 7 5 ] Q J 6 3 { A 9 7 6 3 W E { K 6 { 9 7 5 2 }J 9 } K J 9 6 5S } 4 2 [ J 10 6N [ Q 8 7 5 2 ]K Q ]4 [ Q J 7 2 W E ]2 { K 10 5 2 { J 8 4 S { A J 4 3 } A Q 10 8 } K 7 6 3 } A Q 8 7 [ A K 3 ] A J 10 9 8 3 West North East South {Q Ozdil Kowalski Zuhal Miszewska } 5 4 2 1] Pass 3] Dble 4] 4[ Pass Pass West North East South 5] Dble All Pass Cichocki T. Helness Hocheker G. Helness Pass 1] Melih Ozdil had a close decision when 4[ came around to him. In theory, he did the wrong thing when he went on to Dble 3] 3[ 4] 5], as a club lead beats 4[. However, in reality Apolinary Pass Pass 4[ Pass Kowalski was surely about to make 4[, as Ak Zuhal’s normal Pass Dble All Pass lead was the queen of hearts, after which there is no defence. Poles Miroslaw Cichocki and Danuta Hocheker had topped Kowalski led a spade against 5] doubled. Qzdil won the ace the qualifying standings and continued to do well early in the and led a low heart, which Kowalski ducked. Dummy’s jack final. Hocheker bid only 3[, what her hand was worth, over won and Ozdil played a club up. Ewa Miszewska went up with Tor Helness’s pre-emptive heart raise but, when Gunn Hel- ness went on to game, Hocheker judged correctly to bid again. In 4] there are just two clubs and a trump to be lost, so two down in 4[ doubled would be a good save. Gunn led her singleton queen of diamonds to the king and ace and Hocheker put in the eight on the low diamond return. Gunn ruffed, cashed the ace of hearts, then switched to a club, but there were just the top trumps to come; -300. Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul. [8 5 ]10 { J 10 9 8 7 4 3 2 }9 6 [ K Q JN [ A 9 4 3 ] A Q 8 7 6 4 3 ] 9 2 W E { A Q { K 6 } 3S } K Q 8 7 2 [ 10 7 6 2 ] K J 5 {5 Gunn Helness, Norway } A J 10 5 4 2 9 - 24 June 2006 12th WORLD BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS West North East South Pass 1}(i) 3{ Dble Pass 3] Pass 3[ Pass 4} Pass 4NT Pass 5[ All Pass Names have been concealed to protect the guilty on this deal.West intended 4} as a cuebid in support of spades – he presumably expected more than four cards in partner’s hand – but East took the bid as natural and asked for key cards.The response showed two plus the trump queen – you work it out – and East worked out that partner could not intend clubs to be trumps as she was looking at the queen of that suit, so passed. The play was no more pretty than the bidding. Declarer won the diamond lead on table and led a club to the king and ace. She won the return of the jack of clubs in hand and played a heart to the queen followed by the ace of hearts, which was The WBF wishes to welcome Mrs. Enma Castro-Ruz from ruffed. Declarer lost a little concentration from here and Cuba to Verona. Mrs Castro-Ruz lives in Cuba and Mexico but ended up down three for –150. here represents the Cuba Bridge Federation together with her Of course, 5[ is cold after a diamond lead! Declarer simply partner Frankie Frontaura.This is the first time players from the needs to play for the diamonds to be eight-one and the club Cuba Bridge Federation have participated in the World ace to be with the shortage. If that sounds a little improbable, Bridge Championships. consider that the 3{ overcall was made at adverse vulnera- We would like to take this opportunity to thank her and bility. Mr. Frontaura for their extraordinary efforts to establish bridge The play is to win the {K and take the heart finesse. Now in Cuba and wish them well for the future development of cash three rounds of trumps and, when declarer discovers bridge in their country. that they are four-two, play ace of hearts and another heart, discarding a club from hand. South is powerless. Holding only black cards, she has to give the lead to declarer, who can then draw the last trump, cross to the ace of diamonds, and cash all the hearts, losing just one heart and one club. Tor Helness, Norway 3 12th WORLD BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS Verona, Italy Final Session 2 Mixed Pairs by Brian Senior For the second session of the final I watched a few rounds The 2} response was two-way, usually either natural or in- featuring two of England’s top players, Nicola Smith and John vitational with three or more spades, which meant that Arm- Armstrong, and a series of strong opposing pairs, starting with strong could not raise immediately. Not that it mattered very the overnight leaders, Chantal Haemmerli and Alfredo Versace. much, as Smith’s next call ended the auction in the normal contract. Haemmerli had no reason to guess to lead a heart Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul. so chose a diamond.Armstrong won the ace, cashed the top [ Q 9 7 3 2 spades, then crossed to a top club to lead the {Q to the king ]9 and ruff, then went back to dummy with the other club to take a heart pitch on the {J; eleven tricks for +650. { A J 8 5 4 }K 4 Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul. [ K 10 4N [ A J [ K 10 9 4 ] J 10 8 7 ] A K Q 6 5 4 ]A W E { K 10 7 2 { 9 6 3 { K J 5 4 } J 7S } Q 5 } A Q 10 8 [ 8 6 5 [8N [A J ]3 2 ] K Q J 5 ] 9 6 4 3 W E {Q { 9 3 { Q 8 7 2 } A 10 9 8 6 3 2 } J 6 5 4 3 2S } K 9 7 [ Q 7 6 5 3 2 West North East South ] 10 8 7 2 Versace Armstrong Haemmerli Smith { A 10 6 3} }– Pass 5} 5] All Pass I suspect that a lot of different actions were tried around the West North East South room with the North cards facing a 3} pre-empt. As is often B. Levin Armstrong J. Levin Smith the case, the simple space-consuming bid proved to be very ef- 1} Pass 1[ fective as Haemmerli had too much to pass and the wrong dis- Pass 3{ Pass 4[ tribution to double.