The Maastricht Seniors Championship Revisited

Nissan Rand, Chairman WBF Seniors Committee

It certainly can be stated that the first Senior International Cup event was a great success. Twenty-four teams competed in a Round Robin at the Maastricht MECC. Seventeen teams came from Zone No.1 - Europe - while the remaining seven came from the other zones of the WBF. The Senior teams competing were: Aruba, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Poland, San Marino, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA, Venezuela and Wales.

It was heartening to see great players competing among the Seniors. We counted more than two dozen World and European Champions. The famous movie star Omar Sharif representing Egypt attracted a huge gallery of spectators to the table, and helped to create a special atmosphere for the event.

The medal winning teams representing USA, France and Sweden, demonstrated wonderful skills, and they could undoubtedly compete with distinction in the Open Series. Some journalists remarked that the top Senior teams were as strong as their respective teams contesting the Open Series.

The 2000 Senior Champions from the USA were undoubtedly the best team in Maastricht. They fielded three excellent pairs, who finished first, fourth and fifth in the Butler Ranking list. They came with great records:

Bobby Wolff, is one of the great stars of all time, a former President of the WBF, a member of the ACBL Bridge Hall of Fame, and a firm believer in bridge ethics, who was winning his eleventh World title. He writes a syndicated bridge column published in 160 newspapers.

Dan Morse has captained five different Open and Women's World Championship teams, earning a bronze medal in the 1990 Rosenblum in Geneva, following a World Championship gold in New Orleans. The winner of six American National events, he operates a pharmacy business in Houston Texas.

John Mohan was the ACBL player of the year in 1979, when he won three US National titles. In total he has won 17 American Championships, and three South African titles. He operates a bridge touring organisation in the Virgin Islands.

John Sutherlin won a bronze medal in the 1990 Rosenblum, and silver with his wife in the World Mixed Pairs in Biarritz in 1982. He is a retired vice president of the Crocker National Bank.

Kit Woolsey won the Rosenblum in Miami in 1986, and silver in the 1989 Bermuda Bowl, and the 1982 Rosenblum. He has won the Cavendish twice, which may explain why he is a retired options trader.

Steve Robinson won the Rosenblum in Miami in 1986, the World Mixed Teams event in Las Palmas in 1974. He is a retired government employee.

Betty Ann Kennedy, the npc, was recruited after the team won the American Senior Trials in Las Vegas. She has won four World titles, two Venice Cups, one Olympiad and one World Pairs.

This deal from Round 10 demonstrates the effectiveness of the two Johns.

Dealer East. E/W Vul
	ª Q 9 8 7 5 2 © 4 ¨ A K J 8 5 4 § -
ª 4 3 © Q 9 8 6 5 ¨ 10 6 § 9 4 3 2		ª A K 6 © A K J 10 ¨ 7 3 § Q J 10 7
	ª J 10 © 7 3 2 ¨ Q 9 2 § A K 8 6 5

Sutherlin expressed typical confidence by supporting his partner with only ªJ10.

Scoring +880 was worth 13 IMPs as their opponents played in a diamond part-score, scoring +130.

This result helped Mohan & Bates to the top of the Butler.

This deal shows Bobby Wolff in action:

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

This excellent natural sequence saw the American pair reach the good slam. North led the king of diamonds and declarer won and ruffed a diamond. He played the king of clubs, and when South covered there was no need to ruff another diamond. That was worth 13 IMPs, as the slam was not reached at the other table.

France, the silver medalists in the Seniors are the reigning European Seniors Champions. They fielded a powerful team of six World and European Champions.

Christian Mari, Claude Delmouly (Europe's highest ranking Senior), Jean-Marc Roudinesco, Pierre Adad, Maurice Aujaleu, and Francois Leenhardt.

The Seniors Congress in Maastricht exhibited the wonderful enthusiasm of the participating senior players and officials. They were especially pleased to enjoy a wonderful WBF event, which produced a top-level competition, and generated a great deal of respect for the ability of the Senior players, that is highly valued by us all.

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