Dubious Logic

The Warren Buffett Cup

This year, at the International Bridge Press Association annual awards, the category of 'Bridge Personality' was for the first time shared. It went to Bill Gates of Microsoft and Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway. Now those are names clearly more often connected with business, what have they done for bridge?

Well to be perfectly honest, if they even turn out and play the accompanying favourable press coverage would be enough. But in fact they have done much more with significant sponsorship of the junior game in America and, very soon, we are to see the inaugural Warren Buffett Cup. This competition takes its inspiration from two sources; the America versus Europe clashes in the 'Golden Age of Bridge', set piece encounters where the star players – celebrities of the day – took on the best of Great Britain, France and Austria the leading lights of Europe. And golf followers of course won't fail to spot the similarity between the Ryder Cup and these matches. Accordingly when America take on Europe at golf near Dublin, the days immediately before will see teams from the same continents clash at the bridge table.

Back in 1933 America had Ely Culbertson, the larger than life character at the helm of bridge popularisation. He travelled to Paris to play a French team and despite a curious form of scoring ('Plafond' – don't ask me to explain) was typically confident, offering odds to his opponents. They proudly refused and played level and were leading after one hundred deals. This was the second of the final eight:

After thought Ely led the ♦2, declarer won and played back the suit, West winning as his wife, Josephine, discarded the deuce of hearts. West switched to the ace of spades, got the eight from partner and they cashed up the suit. South made a fist of discarding and finished three down.

In the other room East-West bid and made a spade contract. Unfortunately, they were Americans too. Not the first (or the last) time that teams have sat the same way in an international match. After a debate of two hours, in the words of French writer Jose Le Dentu, the match committee resolved;

… a distinctly curious decision. Their verdict was that the deal should stand but the contract bid and made by the Americans at the second table should be credited to the French!

This almost escalated into an international incident – and you thought that sporting matters were confined to the field of play in days past – to such an extent that to avoid further unpleasantness, the match was declared a draw after 102 deals.

We can confidently expect a better standard of tournament direction come the 18^th-21^st September when the 2006 match gets underway. Full details are available from http://www.buffettcup.com/ and, I hope, you'll see more in the press.

Published Saturday 16.Sep.2006