Dubious Logic

World Mixed Pairs

As mentioned last week, the World Championships are currently being held in Verona. Each time I write about such an event I feel obliged to describe exactly which world championships they are. In odd numbered years there is the Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup (open and women's respectively), the 'long-match' teams event, contested between countries who qualify from zones. In alternate even years, there is the Olympiad, a great multiple teams, again between countries. The other even year we have the World Pairs, World Mixed and the Rosenblum and McConnell teams (again, open and women's), the 'short-match' teams, not requiring single nation make-up. This is where we are now – I hope that's clear.

The fortnight starts with the Mixed, qualifying and final; the other competitions are in play as I write this and will draw to a close Saturday, you can follow the late stages on the Internet. The Mixed was dominated by US pairs – married pairs no less, claiming second and third. The winners were Matthew Granovetter and Karen McCallum. I've always been a fan of Ms. McCallum as her philosophy of pre-emption informed a partnership in which I had a great deal of fun. This style can best be described as 'loose' or perhaps, 'random'.

Mr. Granovetter however is cut from a different cloth; as editor of the Internet magazine Bridge Today, his opinions on soundness are well known, but, whether from partnership diplomacy or gentlemanliness, he agreed to play the McCallum methods. He describes them;

"When we are not vulnerable, we open 2♠, 2♥ or 2♦ with a five card suit and 4-10 HCP. That's it. Period. Suit quality? Who cares? Distribution? Doesn't matter."

An example:

With the range of opening being 4-10, West could afford to co-operate after his partner doubled 3NT (based on her useful heart holding). The resulting contract was not pretty and South finished four light for no matchpoints at all.

This type of deal where something seems to happen from nothing is the perfect advertisement for the methods. And though in his article in the tournament bulletin Matthew intimates that he adopted the methods for pairs play only, the constant pressure at any form of scoring wears down opponents. Here, for example North might have passed South's take-out double. That would have got them a good score; at teams -100 would have been no triumph for North-South.

Published Saturday 24.Jun.2006