Beautiful, clever or inspired games and bids... You'll find them here.
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Beautiful Japanese dummy play *** |
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Until recently the scheme of global championships was:
- Once every two years the World Team Championships (contesting the Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup)
- In the intervening years there was an alternation of the World Pairs Championships (extended with the World Knock-out Team Championships) and the World Bridge Teams Olympiad (meaning each took place once every four years).
For the last few years the Olympiad has been extended; the tournament has been renamed The World Mind Sports Games. Bridge, chess, checkers, go and Chinese chess all have their own place in this brand-new event.
During this tournament Tadashi Teramoto, one of Japan's finest bridge players (he is a professional and trainer of the Japanese juniors), shows beautiful dummy play on this deal: |
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Brilliant deceptive play*** |
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In the 4♠ contract below, from a team match (IMP scoring, therefore) Frenchman Dominique Pilon found an ingenious defensive play. It was a manoeuvre any bridge player will wish to have thought of himself. As is so often the case with deceptive plays, it presents the opponent with an extra, losing option. Without the deceptive play he couldn't have gone wrong. |
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Italian tour de force *** |
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Every year an IBPA (International Bridge Press Association) jury awards prizes for best declarer play, defence and bidding.
Italian bridge-legend Benito Garozzo received the 1974 award for best declarer play. The deal was from the Italian team trials for the 1975 World Championship. By skilfully interpreting the bidding he made a slam on a combined point count of 19! 'Brilliantly bid and played', observed the jury... |
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The defence often starts in the bidding ** |
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The 2003 Lederer Memorial Trophy, a very strong invitation tournament in England. David Burn and David Price are awarded the prize for best defence. By defeating 4♥ in a very elegant way, they show that sometimes good defence already starts during the bidding. | N/EW | ♠ | K Q J 3
| | | | ♥ | K 8 6 3 2
| | ♦ | J 9
| | ♣ | 6 4
| | ♠ | 10 7
|  | ♠ | 6 5 4
| | ♥ | Q 4
| ♥ | J 9
| | ♦ | A Q 8 3 2
| ♦ | 10 5
| | ♣ | A 10 8 5
| ♣ | K Q J 9 3 2
| | | ♠ | A 9 8 2
| | | ♥ | A 10 7 5
| | ♦ | K 7 6 4
| | ♣ | 7
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Reese was a great player...*** |
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Although his reputation was thoroughly damaged by the infamous Buenos Aires cheating scandal in 1966, friend and foe agree that Englishman Terence Reese (1913-1996) was a hugely talented bridge player. He declared the deal below during the 1955 World Championship, playing for Great Britain against the USA. Let us first follow events at the other table where William Rosen (USA) declared the same contract as Reese. Rosen, an acknowledged crack in those days, was totally outplayed by Reese. | E/All | ♠ | A J 9 3 | | | | ♥ | K J 8 7 4 3 | | ♦ | A 3 | | ♣ | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | Q 5 4 2 | | | ♥ | A 10 | | ♦ | —
| | ♣ | A K J 10 9 7 6 |
| West | North | East | South |
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Pavlides
| Ellenby
| Meredith
| Rosen | | — | — | pass | 1♣ | | 3♦ | 3♥ | 4♦ | 6♣ | | pass | pass | pass | |
| West | North | East | South |
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Mathe
| Schapiro
| Moran
| Reese | | — | — | pass | 1♣ | | 3♦ | 3♥ | 5♦ | 6♣ | | pass | pass | pass | |
At both tables West led the ♦9. |
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Niek Brink, brother of acknowledged international top player (and Bridgevaria columnist) Sjoert Brink, showed at an early age that he too is very talented.
During the 1996 European Youth Championships, playing in the 'under twenties', he won the award for best dummy play. The way in which he bamboozled the opponents, will probably remind the reader of the master (Zia Mahmood). |
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