The
1999 Canadian (open) National Teams
Championship (CNTC), and the Canadian
Women's Team Championship (CWTC) were held
in Toronto July 11-17, with the winners
earning the right to represent Canada at the
2000 World Bridge Teams Olympiad in
Maastricht, the Netherlands, next fall.
Kraft: I hate to stir up the pot in our first week of columns, Kokes, but
it's high time that I got this off my chest.
For years I heard nothing but negative
comments about the quality of women's
bridge. Then, when I started to play with
and against the finest women in the game, it
became clear to me that most of what had
been said amounted to a bad rap. For example,
the most effective women are at least as
aggressive as the men and often more so.
Consider
this deal from the Teams Finals:
Neither side vulnerable; North deals
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
Lacroix |
|
Cimon |
|
Pass |
Pass |
1 |
3 |
Pass |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
5 |
Pass |
5 |
Pass |
6 |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Opening Lead: K
In the CNTC Final, both Norths doubled 3
(negative), then converted South's 5
to 5.
Both declarers played a high trump from hand
and did not take the club finesse, losing a
spade and a club for plus 400.
In the CWTC final between GORDON (Dianna Gordon-Katie Thorpe, Francine
Cimon-Martine Lacroix, Rhoda Habert-Beverly
Kraft) and WINESTOCK (Sheri Winestock-Barbara
Clinton, Barbara Saltsman-Nancy Koffler,
Roisin O'Hara-Gloria
Silverman) both North/Souths reached 6.
Martine's pass over 3
might seem conservative, but her spade
length suggested Francine would be short
there and reopen. Martine's courageous pass
worked well when both partners were able to
express their values accurately without
undue strain. Francine played with care and
skill after two rounds of spades. As East
had not opened 2
(weak), Francine placed West with at least
three hearts and seven spades, therefore at
most three minor-suit cards. Starting clubs
without touching trumps, Francine ruffed two
clubs low, cashed the
Q,
and ruffed herself in to draw East's
remaining trumps. Plus 920; 14 IMPs to
GORDON when WINESTOCK's declarer followed
the same line as the CNTC declarers for
eleven tricks and minus 50.
Two other reasonable variations: (1) lead the first trump to dummy's queen,
then take two club ruffs with the deuce and
ten; (2) play
K,
Q,
then K,
club to the jack, club ruff to establish the
suit.
GORDON won the final by 92 IMPs. Gordon and Cimon will compete in their
seventh consecutive Teams Olympiad (held
every four years), a remarkable achievement.
Although both are playing in new
partnerships, they hope to do even better
than they did in their last outing in 1996,
when Canada won the bronze.
<Kokish: This aggressive stuff is vastly
overrated in any case. But if it's the skill,
intelligence, and bravery of women that you
want to sell, I think you'll find some
buyers out there. Just for the record,
anyone would realize that the play in 6
would require more care than the play in
game. It would be a bad rap of a different
ilk to allege that the men would have gone
down in slam if only they had bid a bit
better.