THE 1999 IBPA ANNUAL AWARDS

The 1999 IBPA Personality of the Year:

Marc Hodler (Switzerland)

Marc Hodler has a remarkable record: he has international significance in bridge, skiing, and the Olympic movement.

He learned to play bridge, from his family in Berne, Switzerland, at the age of nine, and read the first major book on the game, Culbertson's Blue Book, when it appeared in 1930. He represented his country in one European Championship, and was President of the Swiss Bridge Federation from 1955 to 1985.

He learned to ski at the age of five, which he says was too late: future champions must start at two. He was President of the International Skiing Federation for an astonishing 47 years, from 1951 to 1998. This led him into the Olympic movement, based in Lausanne, and he has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1963. His efforts to counter corruption within the movement bore fruit in 1998, when ABC News obtained some secret documents from Salt Lake City.

Mr. Hodler has worked hard to bring bridge into the Olympics. The first step is the international team contest now being staged annually in Lausanne. The second, he hopes, will be a similar demonstration event in Salt Lake City. Finally, perhaps in Turin in 2006, we can look forward to an official bridge event with gold, silver and bronze medals. That is an exciting prospect for us all.

 

The 1999 IBPA Award for Best Play:

Jeff Meckstroth (USA)

by Omar Sharif (Egypt) See Bulletin 413 page June '99

Omar Sharif's column in the London Observer on 6th June reports this deal, Board 9 in the second session of the Cavendish Pairs Qualifying:

It is not often that declarer makes a play that leaves me feeling that I still have a lot to learn about this game. However Jeff Meckstroth of the US is one of those masters of the game who occasionally produce a coup to take your breath away. With that huge hint, put yourself in his shoes as declarer on the following deal:

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

West North East South Cope Johnson Chu Meckstroth     1© 2¨ 2© Pass Pass 2ª 3§ Dble 3© All Pass

Cope led ace and another trump on a very informative auction, after Meckstroth had opened on very light values - some would use harsher language than that! Meckstroth could immediately form the picture of West's hand as having four spades and six diamonds, with a probable singleton club honour (no club lead) and with the diamond honours split (no top diamond lead).

At trick three he led his singleton club, won the return of the queen of spades in dummy, and advanced the queen of clubs, covered and ruffed. This was the ending - what would you do with the sight of all four hands?

ª 7 © J ¨ J 5 § J 9 6 4 ª J 9 3 ª 8 4 © — © Q ¨ K 9 8 7 3 ¨ Q 6 § — § 10 8 7 ª K 10 6 © 9 8 ¨ A 10 4 § —

South is on lead, needing six more tricks. As you can see, playing on diamonds does not work, East will take the trick and draw a round of trumps. Ruffing a spade in dummy brings you to eight tricks, but not to nine.

Meckstroth found the spectacular coup of leading the ten of spades from hand - be honest, would you have thought of it?

If West takes the trick and leads either a spade back (a diamond is no better) declarer wins in hand pitching a diamond from dummy. He plays the ace of diamonds, ruffs a diamond, ruffs a club and leads a losing heart, to endplay East into leading a club at trick 12 into the tenace in dummy.

In fact, at this point Cope decided his best chance was to duck the ten of spades, hoping his partner had the king. That simply let Meckstroth cash ªK to pitch a diamond, then take ¨A, and ruff a diamond. Now he scored §J and ruffed a club for nine tricks, and put in an entry for the Best Played Hand of the Year. IBPA Editor: When West did not cover ª10 declarer can make 10 tricks by following the line described earlier of an end-play on East. Presumably Meckstroth did not wish to take any risks once his contract was secure.

Others on the shortlist were: B410 P11 March Henrik Ron (Den) by Ib Lundby (Den); B411 P10 Apr Brown (Australia) by Ron Klinger (Aus); B415 P7 Aug Seamon (USA) second hand by ACBL staff; B415 P10 Aug Piotr Tuszynski (Pol) by Krzysztof Jassem (Pol).

 

The Sender Award for Best Defense:

Andrew Robson (GBR)

by Philip King (GB) See IBPA Bulletin 407 page 5 From the Lederer Memorial Press Release

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

West North East South Erichsen Robson Charlsen Zia 1© Pass 1ª Pass 2¨ Pass 3§ Dble 3ª Pass 4NT Pass 5¨ Pass 6ª All Pass

Zia led the king of clubs against East's Six Spades, (a heart going from the table) won by the ace and Charlsen played a diamond to the king and ace. At every other table where this happened North played a second club, anticipating that he would then make a trump trick. However, the declarers succeeded on a cross-ruff without even taking advantage of the heart position. One heart went on the good diamond, two top hearts were cashed and when the cross-ruff followed the defence never had a chance to over-ruff. The declarers made four outside winners and eight trumps.

By contrast Robson counted declarer's potential twelve tricks and switched to a trump away from Jxxx! Although it is possible to succeed Charlsen assumed that, with the switch, the trumps must be 3-2, and with two club ruffs, he needed one extra trick from either setting up diamonds, or a squeeze. But when he came to draw trumps they did not break, and the slam went two down.

The others to make the shortlist were: B405 page 15 Oct Steve Eginton (GB) by Mark Horton (GB); B410 page 4 March Anna & Gudrun (Ice) by Barnet Shenkin (USA); B411 page 3 Apr Glowacki (Pol) by Marc Smith (GB); B414 page 12 Jul Popov (Bulgaria) by Malta Staff.

 

The Romex Award for Best Auction:

Geir Helgemo & Tor Helness (GBR)

by Patrick Jourdain (GB) See Bulletin 409 Page 2, February From the Macallan Daily Bulletin

Board 21. Dealer North. NS Game ª J 8 © Q 10 3 ¨ J 4 2 § Q 9 8 3 2 ª K Q 10 5 3 ª A 9 7 © 7 4 © A 5 ¨ K 8 7 5 3 ¨ A Q 9 6 § 6 § A J 10 5 ª 6 4 2 © K J 9 8 6 2 ¨ 10 § K 7 4

West North East South Helgemo Helness Pass 1§ Pass 1ª Pass 2NT Pass 3¨ Pass 4¨ Pass 4ª Pass 4NT Pass 5¨ Pass 5NT Pass 7¨ All Pass

4NT was Key Card Blackwood. 5¨ showed one keycard. 5NT guaranteed all first round controls and no trump loser. Helgemo realised any heart losers would disappear.

This effort gains in stature when you realise that three pairs stopped in game.

Others on the shortlist were: B410 page 14 March Bettina Kalkerup - Charlotte Koch-Palmund (Den) by Svend Novrup (Den); B413 page 7 June Titkin-Deloney (USA) by Harvey Bernstein (USA); Lille Special page 10, Sabine Auken & Daniela v Arnim (Ger) by Tony Gordon (GB); B411 page 7 Apr Collins & Cusworth (Australia) by Dick Cummings (Aus).

 

The Levendaal Award for Best Play by a Junior:

Martin Schaltz (Denmark)

by Ib Lundby (Denmark) See Bulletin 408 page 7, January '99

Lizzi and Jørgen-Elith Schaltz were some of the hot bridge names I read about and learned from, when I was a junior player. Lizzi won the European Ladies Team title several times, and her husband played on our national team as well. For a couple of years my partner was Peter Schaltz, their son, and in 1970 I was his captain when he and his team won the European Junior title in Dublin. Since then Peter has for many years played on our national team with different partners, among them his wife Dorthe and his cousin Knud-Aage Boesgaard.

Dorthe and Peter are still competing in the Danish first division, but their chances to represent Denmark again maybe have decreased a little. No problem at all - the third generation is ready to take over! Meet 14 years old Martin Schaltz in this fascinating hand from a recent club evening.

Dealer South. Love All ª Q 8 4 © Q 6 ¨ A K 10 7 2 § Q 10 2 ª J 10 7 3 ª A 6 © K 9 7 4 3 2 © 10 ¨ 8 ¨ J 9 5 4 3 § J 8 § K 9 7 4 3 ª K 9 5 2 © A J 8 5 ¨ Q 6 § A 6 5

West North East South 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass

West led his fourth best heart, won by dummy's queen, and after a diamond to the queen the next diamond trick told Martin that he had to work for it. So he did!

The ¨K took trick 3, and a heart to the 8 end-played West on the 9. He elected to play the ªJ which was taken by the ªK, and a spade went to the 8 and the bare ace. Now it was East's turn to be thrown in! A low club went to the jack and queen, and before Martin cashed the ªQ this was the picture:

ª Q © — ¨ A 10 7 § 10 2 ª 10 7 ª — © K 7 3 © — ¨ — ¨ J 9 5 § 8 § K 9 7 ª 9 5 © A J ¨ — § A 6

Look what happens to East when the ªQ is played. If he throws a diamond, declarer will cash the ¨A and continue with a diamond, thereby making his third end-play. Therefore East had to throw a club, but it didn't help him very much. Instead Martin played a club to his ace, discarded a diamond on the ©A and threw East in with the §K. Dummy's A-10 in diamonds took the two last tricks. 3NT made with an overtrick.

Two end-plays and a throw-in squeeze in the same hand ... I guess that we will meet Martin at the international scene very soon.

Others on the short list were: B403 page 11 Aug Julien Geitner (Fra) by Hervé Pacault (Fra); Lille Special page 16 Sep Gavin Birdsall (GB) by Lille staff; B404 page 6 Sep Oglobin (Poland) by Krzysztof Piatkowski (Pol); B416 page 3 Sep 99 Eric Greco (USA) by Florida staff.