Two weeks of watching the 2nd World Mind Sports have come to an end and I feel rather like I did after the last episode of The Killing. Bereft. The English Ladies proved that, with the help of a drop of lavender oil, they are the undisputed Queens of the World, taking both European and World Gold Medals within two months of each other.
Sweden won the Open title and, for me, pair of the tournament goes to Peter Bertheau and Per-Ola Cullin. In the quarter final Sweden played USA and they doubled the mighty Meckwell in 4NT, taking it SEVEN off and knocking them out of the tournament. But it was the final, against Poland, that brought the biggest thrills. Here is a pivotal hand, with Bertheau bidding like a world star — albeit possibly a World Poker Star!
East opened a constructive weak 2 in hearts and South’s 4♦ was Leaping Michaels — showing diamonds and spades. Bertheau could see that North South must have a good save in spades so he bid a ‘quiet’ 4♥ and the bidding meandered, seemingly innocently, up to 7♥ which North, understandably, doubled. Who wouldn’t?
South led ♦3, hoping his partner would win the Ace and give him a club ruff but to no avail. Cullin won the Ace, drew trumps and claimed! +2470 to Sweden and a 20 imp gain. At this point the Polish pair, in shock, left the room to cool down which one of the commentators called a ‘Cliff Johnson Coup’, a baseball reference which entails stepping out of the batter’s box to turn the flow for the pitcher. Alas for Poland, the flow was not for turning.
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