Europe Win!
Two weeks ago I wrote about the events at Louisville Kentucky, the much over reported Ryder Cup of golf and the sadly under reported Buffett Cup of bridge. Well, that opinion might betray a little prejudice; firstly I remain untouched by the walking game but perhaps more pertinently at this time, Europe beat the Americans handily at bridge.
Two years ago Europe took a small lead into the final day of the individual and lost. This year it was even slimmer, they were ahead by 147.5 to 146.5 but there were 84 points at stake in the last session and Europe won it 58-26. There was one similarity with the golf; the less-fancied team won both contests. In the bridge, Europe were thought to be under-strength, having lost their Italian stars to a controversial domestic fixture clash.
The scoring is a very cut-throat, a version of point-a-board where you compare against one other table and take a point if your score is better, nothing if it is worse, without regard to the size of the difference at all. This gives rise to some extreme gambits:
| Love All, Dealer East | ♠ Q9 | ||
| ♥ KQ98652 | |||
| ♦ 2 | |||
| ♣ A105 | |||
| ♠ 10 | ♠ 42 | ||
| ♥ 4 | ♥ AJ107 | ||
| ♦ AJ10965 | ♦ KQ87 | ||
| ♣ J7632 | ♣ KQ9 | ||
| ♠ AKJ87652 | |||
| ♥ 3 | |||
| ♦ 43 | |||
| ♣ 84 | |||
| U♠A NS | West | North | East | South |
| Michielsen | Fallenius | Auken | Welland | |
| 1NT | 3♥! | |||
| 5♦ | End | |||
Roy Welland's psychic bid was an attempt to lull his opponents into three no-trump whereupon he would smartly cash the spade suit. Marion Michielsen wasn't tempted by a heart contract and bid what she though she could make. Bjorn Fallenius surely checked the back of the cards but his contribution – he could obviously deduce from his holding that his partner had psyched – was to lead the heart two as a signal in case south was void. Of course, five diamonds made easily.
At another table (not comparing with the above where America lost the board) with Europe NS, this auction ensued:
| West | North | East | South | |
| Berkowitz | Pszczola | Sontag | Kwiecien | |
| 1NT | 4♠ | |||
| 4NT* | 5♠ | Pass | Pass | |
| X | End | |||
David Berkowitz bid 4NT as "two places to play" but found himself with a lead problem. It was hard not to select the singleton heart and though the sight of partner's ace must have raised his spirits, south could ruff the next heart high and make the remainder of the tricks; +750 for Europe. Any other lead could have beaten five spades.
If you enjoyed following the Buffett Cup online, the First Mind Sports Games starts in Beijing on 3-October. Bridge, represented alongside Go, Chess, Draughts and Xiangqi (Chinese Chess), has a dedicated site: http://www.worldbridge.org/tourn/Beijing.08/Beijing.htm.
Published Saturday 27.Sep.2008