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Cap Gemini

Having just emerged victorious in the Cap Gemini, I thought you might like a column right now.....

Henk Van Dalen and his well qualified scout Enri Leufkens spend much of the year rigourously studying the major events in the bridge calendar - indeed they were both in Bermuda (for the 2000 Bermuda Bowl), in non-playing capacities, just to observe. Why?

Because they select the field for the prestigious Cap Gemini tournament. Now well into its second decade, it has established the reputation as the strongest invitational event in bridge.I played in it for seven consecutive years, beginning with a victory in 1990. On each occasion my partner was Tony Forrester.

Since splitting up with Tony I had been on the sidelines, but I had felt that a part of my life was missing. Thus it was with delight that I accepted the offer to play with four time champion of the tournament Zia Mahmood.

Both rather jetlagged after returning from the Spring Nationals, we were languising in eighth equal (out of sixteen) after nine of the fifteen matches (round-robin format). But playing with Zia in Holland is like playing with Johan Cruyff. He has such a lot of home support that he has built up over the years and everybody seemed to be willing us on.

Three big wins put us into second place and then we met the perennial Dutch favourites Berry Westra and Enri Leufkens. On the first hand we overbid to 6 that required a trump suit of K 10 x x facing A x x x to play for no losers. Two down when they were 5-0. This was the next hand...

Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul

			Zia
			A K Q
			A Q 7 3 2
			K 7
			A Q 2
	Enri	N   W E   S			Berry
	J 9 6 5 4				10 7
	K 10				J 9 8 6 4
	A Q J 10 3				6 5
	5				10 7 6 3
			Andrew
			8 3 2
			5
			9 8 4 2
			K J 9 8 4

West	North	East	South
1	Dbl	Pass	2
2	2	Pass	3
Pass	3	Pass	5
Pass	6	All Pass

Another 6...

West led A and switched to 5. After winning in dummy I took the second best line. I led the two of clubs to my jack, successfully finessed the queen of hearts, cashed the ace of hearts discarding a spade, ruffed a heart low; I then crossed to the king of spades, cashed the king of diamonds, and cross-ruffed the remaining tricks. Success but not the best percentage chance.

I believe that the best line, taking into account West's bidding, is to win the spade switch, cash the ace of clubs and the king of diamonds, cash the ace of hearts, ruff a heart (bringing down the king), ruff a diamond with the queen of clubs, finesse the nine of clubs, draw trumps and discard my fourth diamond on the queen of hearts.

The Zia/Robson bandwagon rolled on and we overtook Levin-Weinstein during the last match to win the tournament by 6 imps. Phew!

Further information is at http://www.bridgeplaza.com/tournaments/capgemini/cap00/index.html