Co-ordinator: J. P. Meyer Editor: M. Horton
Assistant Editors: B. Manley, B. SeniorWeb Editor: Th. Matziaris


No.: 2 • Saturday, 8 January 2000


Results Contents

{short description of image}{short description of image}BB01, BB02, BB03
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VC01, VC02, VC03

{short description of image}{short description of image}USA1 v USA2
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China v Great Britain

 

Directors to Decide Close
Bermuda-Netherlands Match


Open RoomBermuda's Venice Cup team battled the heavily favored Netherlands squad to the wire Saturday, only to lose by 1 IMP. The locals will have a second chance today when Chief Tournament Director Bill Schoder reviews the facts of a disputed board that could turn defeat into victory for Bermuda.

Here is what happened. In the third match of the round-robin, Audrey Smith, playing with Diana Diehl against Bep Vriend and Marijke van der Pas, opened 2© as North and was allowed to play there. She took eight tricks, but turned one wrong in the process. The official scorer had her doing down one for minus 50.

In the other room, East-West (Judy Bussell and Stephanie Kyme) bid to 3§ and were defeated one trick for minus 100.

That resulted in a 4-IMP swing to the Netherlands, enough for a 44-43 win (15-15 in Victory Points). If the board is a push, as Bermuda claims it should be, Bermuda will win, 43-39.

After the match but within the correction period, Smith realized she did not go down in 2© and should have been credited with plus 110. They spoke to a tournament director and officially filed a protest, but the matter could not be handled because the Dutch team had left the playing area and could not be found.

Schoder said he will speak to the players involved in the match to determine the facts and make a decision about the scoring of the board before play begins today.

He said there was nothing else he could do in the absence of the Dutch team. 'It's like trying to put feathers back into a pillow when they get away,' he said.

Meanwhile, the Bermuda squad, most of whose members are playing in international competition for the first time, were on tenterhooks awaiting the decision. 'It's important to us,' said Smith, 'to win any match.'

Here is the deal in question.

Dealer West. NS Game
ª A 6 5
© K Q 9 6 4 3
¨ 10
§ 8 7 6
ª Q 10 8
ª K 7 3
© A J © 10 7 2
¨ J 8 5 3 2 ¨ K 9 4
§ J 5 4 § K Q 3 2
ª J 9 4 2
© 8 5
¨ A Q 7 6
§ A 10 9

Smith, playing 2© as North, recalls getting the opening lead of a low diamond. She won the ¨A in dummy and played a heart: jack, king, 2. She then played the ªA and another spade, taken by East with the king. East played the §K and continued with a club when Smith ducked.

Smith won the §A and played dummy's other heart, taken by West with the ace. Smith says she doesn't remember what West did at that point, but there doesn't seem to be any way for the defenders to take more than two black tricks from that point, since there is no way for West to promote the ©10 in her partner's hand.

 
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