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Two weeks away from home and I was to play a tournament with another partner than Bas (Drijver), something that hadn't happened for a long time. The tournament was the Mixed Teams and my partner to be was Meike Wortel. The Mixed took place after the Open Teams, which I was going to play with Bas, nothing strange there.
These were the prospects for the World Championships in the USA. (What kind of World Championship is Sjoert talking about? Read the opening of Tim Verbeek's earlier report, here: World Championships Bridge Philadelphia 2010, -Ed. Bridgevaria.com.)
In earlier editions we had always played for the Netherlands but the Open World Championship Teams, contesting the Rosenblum Cup, is now free, so we had to find ourselves a team.
Quickly we had struck a deal to play the Rosenblum with Marc Jacobus — Lou Anne O'Rourke and Roger Bates — Eddie Wold. Furthermore, we would follow this up by playing the Mixed Teams with Jacobus — O'Rourke as well. I would play, as mentioned, with Meike Wortel, and Bas with Marion Michielsen.
But that was for later… First we had to see whether we would make it into the knock-out phase of the Rosenblum.
We were the #1 seed in our group (9 teams) and would have to finish within the first four, in order to qualify (16 groups).
We lost the first match (12-18), but won all others, finishing as group winners.
In that first match I went down in 6♦, which I could have made. That made us lose the match. | S/All | ♠ | x x x x x | | | | ♥ | A K 9 x | | ♦ | A x | | ♣ | A K | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | A | | | ♥ | J x x | | ♦ | K J 10 x x x x
| | ♣ | x x |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| Drijver |
| Brink | | — | —
| — | 3♦ | | pass | 6♦ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
West led a small heart.
I hoped for either the diamonds to be 2-2, or the ♦Q to be bare or the spades to be 4-3 (dummy has sufficient entries to enable me to ruff good the fifth spade. on which I can pitch the heart loser). Alas, the diamonds were 3-1 (and the ♦Q was in the three-card), the spades were 5-2, there was no squeeze and the ♥Q wasn't in a doubleton. Down one.
And West had the ♥Q, so I would have made the slam if I had let the lead run up to my hand...
At the other table NS bid 3NT. That contract will be defeated on a spade lead, but after the logical club lead declarer made two overtricks.
In the round of 64 we were opposed by a Canadian team. One of the team members told me he had played for Canada against me at the 2004 Istanbul Olympiad. Not a bad team therefore, but still we won quite easily. As a consequence we played team Meltzer (including fellow Dutchmen Jansma – Paulissen) in the round of 32. In this match too I had to play 6♦. | | ♠ | 6 | | | | ♥ | A K J 9 4 3 | | ♦ | 10 7 | | ♣ | Q J 10 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | A Q J 9 3 | | | ♥ | 2 | | ♦ | A K Q 4 3 2 | | ♣ | A |
Although North had opened 1♥, West (Jansma) led a heart.
As mentioned, in the earlier 6♦ I would have succeeded by letting the lead run up to my ♥J. But I didn't like the idea at all to take a direct heart finesse here… Yuck. I thought it better to win in dummy and play the ♠6 to the ♠Q. If it won, I could more or less claim the contract. If not, either the diamond suit would have to be 3-2, or the ♠10 would have to come down in the second round, or the spade suit would have to be 4-3.
The ♠K was with East, so I could ruff two spades in dummy and thus made the slam.
At the other table NS stopped short in 5♦. This made us win the match and we had made it into the round of 16.
Lou Anne was the only woman still in the tournament, which was quite an achievement.
In the round of 16 we had to play team Zimmermann: Multon — Zimmermann, 'Fantunes' (the Italian top pair Fulvio Fantoni — Claudio Nunes) and Helgemo – Helness. This team was considered the favourite for the world title. And a great team it was, simply too good for us: we didn't stand a chance and were eliminated (team Zimmermann went on to win the bronze).
In four years' time we'll get a new chance (far too long to my liking…).
We were not too disappointed. As I said, they were simply better. Now that is something that does worry me, in view of the regular (national teams) World Team Championship (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) next year... in the Netherlands! In short, we will have to train even harder. Finally, after a few days of relative rest, the time had come for the World Championship Mixed Teams.
For once not to play with Bas… Very nice. That is to say… until Meike started to think as well… Started to think for a long time as well... Started to think for an extremely long time… Hmmm… Far too long.
But fair enough, in the end she did play the right card every time. In short: not too much difference compared to playing with Bas then. Having said that: our bidding system was a lot simpler. No Transfers in Competition, Emergency Bid, Optional Blackwood, complicated relays… No, simple bridge, as bridge is meant to be. After a somewhat sticky beginning (we only just managed qualification for the A-final) the team began to gain momentum. At every match we got better, we didn't lose another match. Sadly enough, the tournament was too short — furthermore this was the only tournament in which the group score was carried over. So our great pursuit wasn't awarded with a medal. Still, the sixth spot was an excellent result. Traditionally the last evening is party evening. Nobody has to play bridge the following day, so at the bar the atmosphere is extra pleasant. Still, I can't tell anymore about this, since what happened in Philly, stays in Philly. |