The 2011 World Championships were held in Holland, home of bridgevaria.com. And 'we' won!

After a great final against USA2 the Bermuda Bowl went to the Dutch Team. Italy won the bronze medal. In the Venice Cup-final the young Indonesian team lost to the French team. The bronze medal went to the Dutch Womens team. (photo by NOS)

For more final results, visit the results page on bridgevaria.nl.

The opponents overcall. What is your bid? *

Partner, North, opens 1♦.
What is your bid if East, your right hand opponent, overcalls 1♥, 1♠, 1NT or 2♣ respectively?

About W-D's and frustrations (1)

I find it difficult to believe people who claim not to care whether they win or lose, as long as they enjoy themselves playing. I think every bridge player likes to win and hates to lose.
The way you win or lose plays a part as well though. Winning is particularly nice if you do it by pretty declarer play or defence. Winning as a result of blundering opponents is far less satisfying.
With losing, things are less straight forward. Getting beaten by technically superior opponents usually is bearable — though often it is hard to admit that they were better: regularly we come up with excuses like 'they were lucky with that slam succeeding on a finesse, while we were unlucky twice, going down in game because the trump suit split 4-1'. Often however, an objective analysis will show that good and bad luck were pretty evenly divided.
Really frustrating is losing after being taken for a ride by a wily opponent. Having fallen for his deceptive play, we will afterwards gracefully congratulate the wheeler-dealer (W-D) but internally we will curse him.
Take this deal from match point (MP) play (meaning overtricks are important):

A blockade *

N/EW		♠	6 5 4
		♥	A 6 4 3
		♦	A K 7 5
		♣	A K
		♠	A K Q J 10
		♥	8
		♦	6 4
		♣	Q 10 9 8 7

West leads ♥K. South wins and plays ♠AK, west discarding a diamond on the second trump.
How should south play?

Forcing or invitational? *

♠	A J 8 7 6			♠	K Q 4 3
♥	6 4			♥	A 8
♦	K Q 7 5			♦	J 4
♣	Q 8			♣	A K J 6 2

¹ Classical: 10⁺ HCP, one round forcing (not game forcing therefore, which is — by the way — getting more and more popular)

Effortlessly West makes twelve tricks.
'I think my bidding was slam invitational', says East, 'so it was game forcing.'
'I thought 3♠ was a limit bid', says West, 'invitational for game.'
Who was wrong?

What should West lead? ***

♠	K J 9 3
♥	J 8 7
♦	10 5
♣	K Q 10 2

¹ Gambling: solid minor suit, little or no honour cards in the side suits

Which lead gives West the best chance of defeating the contract?

Forquet unleashed ***

In the round robin of the 1962 World Championship Teams (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) in New York, bridge superpower Italy plays the USA. We focus on the pair Forquet - Garozzo, two of the greatest bridge players ever.
At the time Forquet already had earned himself a reputation as a quiet, safe bidder. However, this deal showed an unusual side of him, it was as if he was unleashed.
Take a seat behind Garozzo in North.

What is Forquet up to? First he bids 5♥ whereas in Italy (just as in New York) too 4♥ would have been enough for game.
Garozzo doubled 5♠, showing some strength and at the same time denying interest in playing 6♥. Only to hear Forquet bidding just that contract!

What would you do now over West's 6♠-bid?