Issue no.: 4 Tuesday, 31 March 1998 Chief Editor: Mark Horton - Editors: Patrick Jourdain, Stefan Back - Layout Editor: Stelios Hadjidakis Swedish Champagne Moment Catherine d'Ovidio-Saul - Paul Chemla Pia Andersson - Arne Larsson Colette Lise - José Damiani Pia Andersson and Arne Larsson are the new Mixed Pairs Champions of Europe! The Swedish pair de- livered a title winning session score of 63.01%.They finished well clear of two pairs from 'La belle France'. Catherine d'Ovidio-Saul and Paul Chemla are no strangers when it comes to award ceremonies, and a smiling Catherine was delighted to collect her first medal since her marriage! Colette Lise and José Damiani took third place. It was not the first time Anna Maria Torlontano had called the President of the World Bridge Federation to the podium. However this time he was being awarded a medal, not presenting one! The Consolation was won by Italy's Rosa Corchia and Guiseppe Matricardi who just edged out a couple of Weltmeisters, Germany's Andrea Rauscheid and Roland Rohowsky. France's Nathalie Courty and Hervé Schiat- ti were third. There was more glory for France when Marie-France Renoux and Philipe Rey took the prize for the leading Senior's pair. Marie-France is one half of the reigning European Senior Pairs Champions, having won the title last year with Nadine Cohen. Another highlight of yesterday's prize giving ceremony was the presentation of the Silver Medal of the Euro- pean Bridge League to the person whose idea it was to stage these Championships, the Chairman of the Or- ganising Committee,Vice president of the Deutscher Bridge Verband,Anneliese Schmidt-Bott. 5th EUROPEAN MIXED CHAMPIONSHIPS Aachen, Germany PAIRS FINAL e start at Board 3 with the fortunes of the Polish pair West North East South W Piotr Gawrys, a former World Individual champion and Gawrys Vandervorst Eva Peters Eva Harasimovicz.They were playing a Belgian pair Mady Peters 1NT Pass 2{ Pass and Mike Vandervorst. A problem with screens, usually more 2] Pass 3{ Pass relevant in the World Individual,is that players forget who their 3] Pass 4] All Pass partner is. On this occasion the Belgians had agreed to play Bergen raises but Mrs Peters momentarily assumed someone After the transfer Three Diamonds was natural and game- else was sitting opposite: forcing and Three Hearts was Slow Arrival showing a better hand than Four Hearts.The defence led }K and later made the Board 3. E/W Vul. Dealer South. ace of diamonds for a normal 11 tricks.Those lucky enough to [ 6 4 3 2 receive a spade lead would make more. To keep the boards in order we now skip to the table ] J 7 5 2 where Paul Chemla and Catherine Saul-d'Ovidio were starting {A Q J against the Norwegians Ivar & Siri Hove.The French pair were }9 3 in third place, but they had a poor start. [Q 7N [J ] K 9 ] A Q 10 6 3 Board 5. N/S Vul. Dealer North. W E { K 10 9 6 4 { 8 7 5 S [ A Q J 10 7 } Q J 8 5 } 10 6 4 2 ]K 6 [ A K 10 9 8 5 { 10 7 2 ]8 4 } A K 10 {3 2 [ K 6 5N [ 9 8 3 2 }A K 7 ] A J 5 4 ] 9 3 W E West North East South { K 6 3 { A Q 9 8 Gawrys Vandervorst Eva Peters } 7 6 3S } 9 4 2 1[ [4 Pass 3{ Pass 3[ ] Q 10 8 7 2 All Pass { J 5 4 South explained Three Diamonds as a long suit with 9/11 } Q J 8 5 points and 3[ as forcing. North explained 3{ as four-card spade support, about 8/9 points. West North East South When Gawrys led }Q declarer was able to win, draw trumps, take a diamond finesse, return with a club, and repeat Chemla Ivar Saul Siri the finesse for a heart discard and 12 tricks, but few match- 1[ Pass 1NT points. Pass 4[ All Pass The next board was: East led ]9 against Four Spades.This might have been a Board 4. Game All. Dealer West. singleton so Chemla won the ace and played another. North won the second round and led a speedy ten of trumps, East [ K 10 6 3 playing the two and West winning the king. A glance at the ] 7 4 3 diagram shows that if the defence cash three diamonds end- { 10 8 3 ing with West's king, then a third heart puts the game three }A K 9 down by promoting East's trump. West would even have been alright if he had played a heart. If North ruffs high East [ A Q J 2N [ 7 throws a club. However, Chemla read Easts two of trumps ] K Q 8 ] A J 10 6 5 W E as suggesting a club honour and a switch to that suit proved { K 6 { Q J 7 5 4 2 fatal. } 10 6 5 2S } 7 Hove rose with the ace, drew trumps and continued clubs. [ 9 8 5 4 When Chemla saw the third club, angry perhaps with his fail- ]9 2 ure to switch a diamond, Chemla, without a word folded his cards, as if to say that declarer had the rest.The board was ini- {A 9 tially scored as 4[ making 11, but later, when they analysed the } Q J 8 4 3 hand they discovered, as the hearts were not coming in, de- 2 28th March - 3rd April 1998 5th EUROPEAN MIXED CHAMPIONSHIPS clarer could only discard two of his losing diamonds, and the [ Q 7 5 2 score was amended to just making "The same bottom," re- ] Q 8 3 marked Chemla gloomily. { K 5 4 On the next board the French recovered their morale with a brilliant defence: } 7 5 3 Gawrys led ]8 and this was the full deal: Board 6. E/W Vul. Dealer East. [ A K 9 4 Board 7. Game All. Dealer South. ]K 9 [ K J 10 9 6 { K 9 7 4 ]K 9 } J 8 4 {9 [ 10 7N [ 8 3 } Q J 10 6 4 ] A Q J 8 6 4 3 ] 10 7 2 W E [ Q 7 5 2N [ 8 4 3 { 10 3 { A ] Q 8 3 ] A 10 6 5 2 S W E } K 6 } A Q 10 9 7 5 2 { K 5 4 { 7 6 2 [ Q J 6 5 2 } 7 5 3S } A 9 ]5 [A { Q J 8 6 5 2 ] J 7 4 }3 { A Q J 10 8 3 }K 8 2 West North East South Chemla Ivar Saul Siri A very off-centre opening by Terraneo, but that is not the 1} 1[ story.The heart EIGHT was covered by the nine, ten, and jack. 2] 4[ 5} 5[ Two rounds of clubs removed East's ace. Now Harasimovicz Dble All pass noted something incredibly frustrating. Her six of hearts was one pip too small to run the suit. If she cashed the ace and West unblocked the queen, then (declarer's) seven would be- "The Five level belongs to the opponents" goes the BOLS come a stopper! Hoping that West held {A she deliberately Tip, but South bid on to Five Spades. Chemla led the king of led back a LOW heart, allowing the bare king to win in dummy. clubs against Five Spades doubled. Saul overtook with the ace, However, declarer was able to run nine tricks to make the cashed ace of diamonds, and led the two of hearts to West's game. ace. Note that it does no good for Gawrys to lead the queen of Chemla was very surprised by this. Was it possible that hearts.This is covered by king and ace. If East continues with South had a concealed six card diamond suit? Eventually his the ten declarer must win the jack at once. Then if West un- faith in his partner overcame any doubts in his mind and he blocks the eight, again South's seven becomes the master. But led a second diamond, to find partner ruffing. Well done in- just switch the six and seven of hearts and you realise how bril- deed. 300 to France. liant was Gawrys' lead. Back now to the Poles Their next two boards were against the Austrian pairing of Jan Fucik and Sylvia Terraneo. This was the other deal of the round: The round could be called the Tale of Two Sevens.The first deal presented Gawrys with a lead problem. This was the auction Board 8. Love All. Dealer West. with South dealer and Game All. [ Q 9 6 4 2 West North East South ] 5 3 2 Gawrys Fucik Eva Terraneo { 10 5 2 1NT }4 2 Pass 2] Pass 2[ [ A K 8 7N [ J 10 Pass 3} Pass 3{ ] 9 7 6 ] A Q W E Pass 3NT All Pass { J 4 { K Q 7 3 } K Q 9 3S } J 10 8 7 5 After the transfer Three Clubs was natural and game-forc- ing, and Three Diamonds showed values in diamonds, and, by [5 3 implication the possibility of a choice of contracts. ] K J 10 8 4 { A 9 8 6 What would you lead from: }A 6 3 5th EUROPEAN MIXED CHAMPIONSHIPS Aachen, Germany West North East South Board 13. Game All. Dealer North. Gawrys Fucik Eva Terraneo 1} Pass 2} 2] [ 10 5 2[ Pass 3NT All Pass ] K Q 10 6 5 One Club was prepared and the Two Club response was { A J 10 9 4 natural and game-forcing.