The Buffett Cup
Bridge and golf have something of a joint constituency. You can very often find a bridge game at a golf club and some even field teams in competition. You won't have to play many rounds at a local club duplicate before someone at the table mentions the other game but two years ago there began a more formal association.
At the same time as the Ryder Cup another America against Europe encounter takes place – the Buffett Cup. This is played to the same two-year schedule in the same location. This year it is the turn of the North Americans to host and both events are held in Louisville, Kentucky, the bridge from September 15th to 18th while the golfers warm up – and allowing the bridge-players to watch the golf after their conclusion.
You can receive emails about the state of play, read daily bulletins and follow on-line. There is a dedicated website – http://www.buffettcup.com/ - where you can register your interest.
Last year's event was very close and the Europeans had a convincing lead until the last two sessions. The scoring is cut-throat (it is a variant on point-a-board) and no team should relax. Another aspect is that the final part of the competition is an individual and this taxes those out of regular partnerships. This was one of those late deals in 2006:
| Game All, Dealer South | ♠ AKQ1065 | ||
| ♥ 94 | |||
| ♦ Q10 | |||
| ♣ K87 | |||
| ♠ 72 | ♠ J843 | ||
| ♥ Q76 | ♥ 10853 | ||
| ♦ K752 | ♦ 864 | ||
| ♣ QJ53 | ♣ 109 | ||
| ♠ 9 | |||
| ♥ AKJ2 | |||
| ♦ AJ93 | |||
| ♣ A642 | |||
| America NS: | West | North | East | South |
| Bocchi | J. Levin | McGann | Meyers | |
| 1♦ | ||||
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 2♣ | |
| Pass | 2♥* | Pass | 3♥ | |
| Pass | 3NT | End |
The permutations brought a regular partnership to the table for the Americans, Jill Meyers and Jill Levin, to bid these awkward hands. I think both players underbid a little but north had a good picture of her partner's hand and caution was indicated. McGann led the club ten, taken by dummy's ace. The spade nine was run to east who continued a club won by the king to cash the spades. Searching for overtricks to win the board, Levin finessed in diamonds but that lost and Bocchi cashed two clubs. That was just +600, it was more than good enough…
| Europe NS: | West | North | East | South |
| Weinstein | Ju. Hackett | Berkowitz | Hanlon | |
| 1♣ | ||||
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 2NT | |
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 3NT | |
| Pass | 4♣ | Pass | 4♦ | |
| Pass | 4NT* | Pass | 5♣* | |
| Pass | 5NT* | Pass | 6♥* | |
| Pass | 7NT | End |
You cannot say the Anglo-Irish pair of Justin Hackett and Tom Hanlon left anything unbid. Hanlon's awkward 2NT rebid persuaded Hackett that the spade suit would run – it did not and Europe finished down two for -200.
Published Saturday 13.Sep.2008