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. 612 January 10, 2016 President: PATRICK D JOURDAIN Happy New Year! 8 Felin Wen, Rhiwbina We wish all IBPA members, their families and their loved ones a happy, healthy and Cardiff CF14 6NW, WALES, UK Tel.: (44) 29 2062 8839 prosperous 2016. In the West, the advent of a new year is the traditional time to make [email protected] New Year’s Resolutions: lose weight, quit smoking, exercise, become closer to family and friends, drink better-quality red wine, and so on. Here are some resolutions for the Chairman: PER E JANNERSTEN bridge world, some more light-hearted than others… Banergatan 15 World Bridge Federation - we resolve to take the lead in ensuring the integrity of our SE-752 37 Uppsala, SWEDEN championships and not to leave matters in the hands of others. Tel.: (46) 18 52 13 00 [email protected] European Bridge League - we resolve to bring a speedy, just and satisfactory conclusion Executive Vice-President: to the alleged cheating cases now under investigation. JAN TOBIAS van CLEEFF American Contract Bridge League - we resolve (i.) to reverse the current trend toward Prinsegracht 28a insolvency with a program of financial vigilance and (ii.) to make a serious, concerted 2512 GA The Hague, NETHERLANDS Tel.: (31) 70 360 5902 effort to bring young people into the game. [email protected] Chinese Contract Bridge Association - we resolve to host every Asian and World Bridge Organizational Vice-President & Championship in perpetuity. European Championships can wait until we annex Europe. Bulletin Production Manager: All bridge organisations - we resolve to reverse board erosion, returning to 16-board DILIP GIDWANI 401 Mariden, 16th Road Bandra West segments in important matches. Mumbai 400 050, INDIA IBPA - we resolve (i.) to redesign our website and (ii.) to correct the dues payment Tel.: (91) 22 98205 47150 issues members have. Fax: 22 26002241 [email protected] IBPA members - we resolve (i.) to pay our dues on time (see bottom of page) and (ii.) Secretary & to bring at least one new member each into the fold. Membership Secretary: Forbo Flooring Systems, The Sunday Times, Bonn Bridge Club, The Macallan, Warren HERMAN DE WAEL Buffett, Cap Gemini and other sponsors of now-defunct invitational bridge tournaments Michel Willemslaan 40 - we resolve to revive the glory days of bridge-tournament sponsorship. B-2610 Wilrijk, BELGIUM Tel.: (32) 3 827 64 45 To page 14... Fax: (32) 3 825 29 19 [email protected] Members are kindly requested to pay their annual dues for 2016, Treasurer: RICHARD SOLOMON which are set at 42USD. 308 Kauri Road, RD2 Methods of payment: Tuakau 2697, NEW ZEALAND • World-wide: via PayPal. Go to the website http://www.ibpa.com/ and Tel.: (64) 9 232 8494 follow the links Renewing – Paying and “add to cart” for a full calendar [email protected] year, and checkout via PayPal. The site will tell you how to pay via your Honorary General Counsel: credit card. DAVID HARRIS • Within the SEPA (the Single European Payments Area = EU, EFTA, 1a Westfield Avenue Harpenden AL5 4HN, UK Monaco, San Marino & Andorra), you can perform a cost-free bank Tel.: (44) 1582 821161 transfer to our bank in Malta. The amount to pay is 32EUR (conversion Fax: (44) 1582 821162 valid until 31st Januari) and the bank details are: [email protected] IBAN MT70 MMEB 4426 6000 0000 2611 3621 451 Awards Secretary: BIC MMEBMTMT BARRY J. RIGAL • In the rest of Europe, one can try the bank transfer to Malta, but should Apt 8E, 22 West 26th Street, make certain all extra charges are at their own cost.. New York NY 10010, USA Tel.: (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 LETTER FROM NORWAY Knut Kjærnsrød, Tored, Norway MEMORIES OF TROMSØ On my ultimate spade, South had to discard his queen of clubs. The ace, king and knave of hearts brought For the first time since 1969, Norway hosted a major South in, and she had to lead diamonds into dummy’s international tournament, the European Open ace-queen. Twelve tricks produced an 80 percent Championships. I hope most of the players enjoyed score to secure us a place in the semifinals. our largest polar city, despite the fact that the midnight In the Open Pairs final our superstar Espen Lindqvist sun was reluctant to show itself more frequently. earned a complete top on this board against the My first board shows the kind of chances you feel winners Bessis and Volcker: inclined to take in your hunt for results at matchpoints: Dealer North. Neither Vul. Dealer North. NS Vul. [ J 10 8 2 [J 7 ]A Q ]7 6 4 {8 6 4 {9 6 } 10 7 6 4 } A 7 6 5 4 2 [ 6 4 [ K Q 9 7 5 [ A K Q 6 4 3 2 [ 9 ] K J 9 5 2 ] 8 6 4 ] 8 ] A K J 5 3 2 { A K 10 5 2 { J 7 { J 8 4 { A Q 10 3 }J }5 3 2 }K 3 }J 9 [A 3 [ 10 8 5 ] 10 7 3 ] Q 10 9 {Q 9 3 { K 7 5 2 } A K Q 9 8 } Q 10 8 West North East South In the initial stages of the qualifying for the Senior Bessis Brogeland Volcker Lindqvist Pairs, I felt that we had not done too well and were in — Pass Pass 1NT need of a good board. Consequently, the bidding went: 2] Double Pass 3} Pass 3NT Pass Pass West North East South Pass — Pass 1] Pass 1[ Pass 2{ Pass West led the ace of diamonds. When East produced 3} Double 3] Pass the knave, West shifted to a heart, won by dummy’s 3NT Pass Pass Pass queen. Lindqvist cashed his clubs and, after the penultimate one, the position was: North led a club to the nine, ten and king, and I rattled off the spades, to reach this end position: [ J 10 8 2 ]A [— {8 6 ]7 }— {9 6 [ 6 4 [ K Q 9 7 }A 7 6 ]K J 9 ]8 6 [2 [— {K 10 {7 ]8 ]A K J }— }— { J 8 4 { A Q 10 [A 3 }3 }— ] 10 7 [— {Q 9 ] Q 10 9 }9 {K 7 }Q On the last club, West discarded a spade and Lindqvist took full advantage by leading to the ace of hearts, 2 coming back to the ace of spades and endplaying West West North East South with a heart. West had to give away the ninth trick to Andersen Marstrander the queen of diamonds. ———1NT Pass 2} Pass 2] Lindqvist and his partner Boye Brogeland produced a Double Redouble 3{ Pass defence that gave them a 90 percent score against a Pass 4NT Pass 5] top Bulgarian pair, Gunev/Nanev: Pass 6] Pass Pass Dealer North. Neither Vul. Pass [ J 9 7 4 On their home ground in Tromsø, Andersen/ ]8 5 3 Marstrander were brilliant in the Open Pairs final and { 9 6 5 4 finished only millimetres out of the medals. }K 9 Marstrander played like a true champion on this board [ K 10 2 [ 8 6 5 from the final: ] A Q 9 ] K J 7 4 2 { 10 { A J 3 West started with the three of spades, and the king } A Q J 6 4 3 } 5 2 of hearts revealed the trump position. Marstrander [A Q 3 proceeded to cash all his trumps and spades to reach ] 10 6 this position: { K Q 8 7 2 [9 } 10 8 7 ]— West North East South {7 Nanev Lindqvist Gunev Brogeland }Q 9 — Pass Pass 1{ [— [— 2} 3{1 Pass Pass ]— ]— Double Pass 4] Pass {A 10 {8 6 Pass Pass }K 10 }7 5 1. Pre-emptive, not invitational opposite 18-19 [— ]— Brogeland thought that East/West might have six club {K 9 tricks along with five heart tricks and thus elected to }A 6 lead the ace of spades. Linqvist encouraged, so Brogeland continued with the three of spades to dummy’s king. Marstrander discarded his nine of diamonds, and West Gunev played the ace of trumps and the nine to the was defenceless. He elected to discard a diamond, was knave. A club to the queen was ducked without a flicker thrown in and had to lead away from his king of clubs. by North! The bidding and play strongly indicated the Finally I present a Devil’s Coup, executed by Geir king of clubs to be in South’s hand, so declarer played Brekka: the queen of hearts to his king and took a second club finesse. Lindqvist took his now-bare king and played a Dealer East. EW Vul. diamond, ducked to Brogeland’s queen, who cashed his [A 8 7 queen of spades for one down. Eighteen of 19 other ]A 9 5 declarers made 11 or 12 tricks! {Q 6 } A 8 6 3 2 Peter Marstrander and Rune Andersen defended our [Q 6 5 [J 3 Norwegian colours in the Senior World ] 8 6 4 ] K 7 2 Championships in Chennai.