14th World Bridge Games
Australia's First World Champion
Last night I went for drinks with the first Australian ever to win a bridge world championship. Fiona Brown (playing with Susan Stockdale) was part of the English Ladies team which defeated Russia in the final of the WMSG (previously the Olympiad) - while it could certainly be argued that they were used as a third pair at the Europeans (which they won a month or so ago) - that was definitely not the case in Lille - they played several of the crucial sets and their full share throughout the knockout stages. Fiona grew up in Ballina and played her first representative bridge for the NSW youth team way back in 2002 in Hobart - I remember it quite well (as I sat opposite her at the time) - she has come an incredible way in the last ten years and fully deserved her gold medal.
I thought I had played my last bridge in Lille after my team was eliminated in
the qualifying stages of the Coupe de Lille (a board-a-match teams event, where
a difference of just 10 points is just as good as a double game swing) -
however I ended up filling in for five hands in the final when Paula lost her
passport and went searching for it. One of the hands I picked up was
AJx
QTx
Kxxxx
KJ
Partner opens 1D at nil vul - because you are unsure what your minor suit raise structure is (having had very little discussion) you bid 3NT. LHO bids 4C and this is passed back round to you.
I chose to bid 4D - over which partner bid 5C - I now bid 5D.
To tie the board you have to bid 4NT,over 4C, to win it you need to bid 6D.
Partner's hand was QTx AKxx AJxxx x, the spade finesse works and 4C is only 300. BAM is definitely a lot of fun and we should try and introduce a BAM event to the Australian calendar.
Tomorrow Tony, Martin and I leave for Germany where we are playing in the Gro Cup on Saturday. If you are reading this post on the ABF site and would be interested in reading future updates on my travels then drop me a line at .
Michael Wilkinson