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by Brian Senior
The 6th European Mixed Championships
The 6th European Mixed Championships
were held from march 18th to 24th in Bellaria, near Rimini, Italy.
Bellaria is a resort town on the Adriatic coast and, out of season,
it seemed very quiet and many of the restaurants and hotels were
closed. Still, if you like Italian food then you would have no trouble
in finding something to please you.
The Championships consisted of two
separate events, the European Mixed Pairs and the European
Mixed Teams.
First up was the Pairs, with a record
entry of 456 pairs. After three qualifying sessions, the
field was split in two, a final (roughly one-third of the total)
and a consolation for the remainder. There was a carry-forward to
these from the qualifying stage, and two more sessions to play to
decide the final positions. The final was totally dominated by the
experienced Italian pairing of Monica Buratti and Carlo Mariani,
who won by a huge margin. Second were Marlene and Michel Duguet
of France, and the bronze medal went to Elena Maitova and Tim Zlotov
of Russia, the first ever medal for Russia other than at junior
level at a European or World Championship.
There were 101 entries to
the Mixed Teams. They played twelve rounds of Swiss Teams,
ten boards per round, to decide which four teams would contest the
semi-finals. The semi-finals and final were each of 32 boards, while
the rest of the field played another four matches of Swiss to decide
the minor placings. Team Maybach of Germany led at the end of the
qualifying and chose to play Volina of Russia in the semi-final,
a match which they won by a comfortable 101-50 IMPs. Meanwhile,
Auken of Denmark defeated Tissot of France by 100-47 IMPs to set
up a Germany v Denmark final.
There was a lot of interesting bridge
played during the course of the Championships. Let me present to
you just two deals, both from the Mixed Teams event. Let me start
by giving you an opening lead problem.
| North |
South |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| 3 |
3NT |
| 7 |
Pass |
One Club was Polish, showing either
clubs, a weak no trump, or any strong hand, and Two Hearts a natural
game force. North has shown a one-suited hand with spades.
What would your choice be holding:
|
3 2 |
|
A 10 5 |
 |
8 5 3 2 |
|
K 6 3 2 |
We will come to that shortly, but
a lot of IMPs swing on the decision you make.
When Madsen (Denmark) met Sandsmark
(Norway) in Round 10 of the Swiss, Morten Lund Madsen thought that
he was dreaming as the auction progressed on one board.
This was the board:
Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul
| |
|
|
Q |
|
| |
|
|
A K 10 8 5 |
|
| |
|
|
K J 8 7 5 |
|
| |
|
|
K 5 |
|
|
|
K 10 4 |
|
|
J 8 3 2 |
|
|
Q J 4 3 2 |
|
7 |
|
|
10 6 4 3 |
|
Q 9 |
|
|
6 |
|
A Q 10 9 7 3 |
| |
|
|
A 9 7 6 5 |
|
| |
|
|
9
6 |
|
| |
|
|
A 2 |
|
| |
|
|
J 8 4 2 |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Madsen |
|
Rahelt |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
| 3 |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
| All Pass |
|
|
|
West's Two Heart opening was weak
with five hearts plus a four-card or longer minor. Lund Madsen was
slightly surprised by the opening bid but he passed to see
what would happen. When East asked for his partner's minor and West
admitted to holding diamonds, Lund Madsen was even more surprised.
Still, he had to pass again as a double would have been for take-out.
Imagine his pleasure when he saw that Maria Rahelt had made a balancing
double! Three Diamonds doubled made just three tricks for
+1700 to the Danes, helping them to a 25-4 VP win
in the match.
Meanwhile, Paul Chemla of France
also enjoyed the above board, though not achieving quite the same
score as Lund Madsen.
| West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Chemla |
|
D'Ovidio |
|
|
Pass |
Pass |
| Pass |
1 |
2 |
Dble |
| Pass |
2 |
Pass |
2 |
| Pass |
4
|
All Pass |
|
The opening lead was a low spade
to dummy's ace. Chemla played ace, king and a third diamond, East
pitching a club. He ruffed the diamond and led the 9,
covered by the jack and king.
When the 7
fell, Chemla decided that the suit was probably breaking 5-1, especially
given that East seemed to be long in both black suits from the bidding
and his opening lead.
He continued by cashing the jack of diamonds, then exited with the
king of clubs. East won the A
but then made the fatal error of failing to cash the Q.
Instead, he led a spade for Chemla to ruff. Chemla again exited
with a club and East was obliged to lead a black card for him to
ruff again.
Finally, Chemla played his last diamond and West had to ruff and
lead into the A
10 at trick twelve to give the tenth trick.
Strangely, this fine effort was not matched at the other table.
The Chemla team gained a 25-3 VP win and were right in the thick
of the qualification battle.
Semi-final. Board 4.
Dealer West. All Vul.
| |
|
|
A
K J 8 7 6 5 4 |
|
| |
|
|
- |
|
| |
|
|
A 4 |
|
| |
|
|
A Q 8 |
|
|
|
Q 10 9 |
|
|
3 2 |
|
|
Q 9 4 |
|
A 10 5 |
|
|
9 7 6 |
|
8 5 3 2 |
|
|
10
9 7 5 |
|
K
6 3 2 |
| |
|
|
- |
|
| |
|
|
K
J 8 7 6 3 2 |
|
| |
|
|
K
Q J 10 |
|
| |
|
|
J 4 |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Oelker |
Gromov |
Gladiator |
Gromova |
| Pass |
1 |
Pass |
2 |
| Pass |
2 |
Pass |
3 |
| Pass |
3 |
Pass |
3NT |
| Pass |
7 |
All Pass |
|
Well, did you decide on the answer
to the lead problem? If you led a spade, as did Anne Gladiator,
I expect you will think that she was unlucky. Personally, I have
seen this sort of thing happen too often and don't believe in leading
a 'safe' trump against a grand slam. But then, of course, it is
easy to say so afterwards, isn't it?
The trump lead gave the contract;
+2210 and 13 IMPs to VOLINA as the Germans stopped in Six Spades
at the other table.
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