Bridge players from around the world are converging on the famous alpine ski resort of Tignes to compete in the 4^th European Winter Games. State-of-the-art conference centre Tignespace will be the focal point.

In the week-long Les Etincelles Cup, the teams will contest a two-day qualification playing ten matches under the Swiss system, after which the 32 leading teams will advance to the knockout phase of the competition. They will be chasing the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals that are on offer, along with the magnificent trophy. There is also an impressive prize-list for the top 16 teams, the winners receiving €24,000.

The remaining teams will contest the GKC Trophy, repeating the formula of a two-day qualification contest, followed by two days of semifinals, and one day of finals in BAM format. Here too, there are substantial cash prizes on offer.

The entry list is an eclectic mixture from around the world. Although most of the competitors are from Europe, the list includes those who have travelled from Colombia, India, Korea, USA and Venezuela, illustrating once again that bridge has no frontiers.

With so many World, European and National champions taking part, it is hard to predict a winner, but the favourites will certainly include two teams with a great record in previous editions, Zimmerman Gold (Sjoert Brink, Bas Drijver, Piotr Gawrys, Michal Klukowski, Michal Nowosadzki and Pierre Zimmermann) and Black (Peter Bertheau, David Gold, Simon Hult, Andrew McIntosh, Thomas Paske and Andrew Black). From the astonishingly powerful field, Bernal (Agustin Madala, Antonio Sementa, Alfredo Versace and Francisco Bernal) and Wigoder (Boye Brogeland, Zia Mahmood, Geir Helgemo and Charles Wigoder) will be dangerous opponents.

All-female squads

The popularity of the event is illustrated by the involvement of teams from every sector, including Junior squads from the Netherlands, Poland and Greece, Seniors from Switzerland and two all-female squads, Swiss Ladies (Kamelia Balabanova, Erna Cheng, Laurence Duc, Elianna Meyerson, Mariann Vegh and Vreni Waelti) and Italy’s Frenna (Monica Aghemo, Irene Baroni, Monica Buratti, Monica Cuzzi and Emanuela Fusari).

Shortly before this event Monica Cuzzi produced a masterpiece in the Italian Women’s Championships, originally reported by Maurizio di Sacco.

Monica Cuzzi has been the leading Italian woman player for many years, and many think she still is despite being "differently young". In the 1980s she was even considered one of the top three worldwide, though, thanks to a fiery temper, she never achieved the success her talent deserved. During the Italian Women’s Championship (the Interclub Championship, the most prestigious event of the year), she showed that her skill is still intact. Sitting South, NS Vulnerable, she saw West open 5♣, and after her partner’s Double and East’s Pass she had to decide what to do holding: ♠K9 ♥AQ832 ♦K107 ♣QJ8. She went for a practical jump to 6♥, which was passed out, but not before a slight hesitation from East. South led the ♣A and down came a rather disappointing dummy:

Cuzzi played as if she could see through the cards. She ruffed in dummy and played the 9 of Hearts, covered by the 10 and Queen, West following with the 4. Now, expecting Hearts to be 4-1, she cashed the King of Diamonds and played a Diamond to dummy’s Ace, West pitching a Club on the second round. Monica continued by cashing three Spades pitching a Diamond, and when West followed suit she was marked with a 3-1-1-8 shape. A Diamond ruff was followed by a Club ruff, leaving:

Monica cashed the Ace of Spades pitching her last Club and played a Diamond. When East ruffed with her Jack, declarer completed her masterpiece by underruffing with the 3, finessing the 8 of Hearts on the forced continuation. A spectacular +1430 that was worth 17 IMPs when the same contract failed at the other table.

Back to 2018: Brogeland’s brilliancy

Since its inception in 2016 the Winter Games has delivered thrills and spills aplenty, rather like the ski slopes that provide the backdrop to this year’s event. In 2018 this was the most spectacular deal:

Dealer East. NS Vul.

Open Room

West led the Ace of Diamonds and continued with the 5. Declarer won in dummy and played the Queen of Spades, covered by the King and Ace, ruffed a Spade and played the Queen of Diamonds. East ruffed (as he had to) with the 8 of Hearts (the 10 also works) and declarer overruffed, ruffed a Spade, cashed the Ace of Clubs and ruffed a Club. It was already clear that the timing was wrong for the trump reduction that was necessary to neutralise East’s ♥102 and declarer was soon conceding one down, -100.

The critical moment was at trick three. Declarer must play a third Diamond (the Queen is the obvious card) starting the trump reduction immediately.

Closed Room

West cashed the Ace of Diamonds and continued with the Jack, declarer winning with dummy’s King and continuing with the Queen, ruffed by East with the 8 and overruffed by declarer who now cashed the Ace of Spades and ruffed a Spade. Now the route to 12 tricks is to play dummy's remaining Diamond; after ruffing you cross to the Ace of Clubs and cross-ruff the black suits. Instead declarer cashed the Ace of clubs and could take only 11 tricks, +650 and 13 IMPs that gave Lavazza a glimmer of hope, quickly extinguished by the quiet nature of the last two deals.

Meanwhile Netherlands Red had taken a narrow 5 IMP lead against Mahaffey. The Closed Room had finished play while there were still seven deals to play at the other table. Nothing bad had happened for either team, but there were no obvious deals on which Mahaffey could hope to gain. By the time board 18 settled on the table Mahaffey had narrowed the gap with a couple of overtricks. Close to 4000 spectators already knew the result in the other room:

Closed Room

West led the 4 of Spades and declarer won with the Ace and played a Diamond to the King. When it held, he cashed the Ace of Clubs, and cross-ruffed Spades and Clubs, eventually pitching a Diamond on the fourth Club, finishing with eleven tricks, +650.

Open Room

The players had no way of knowing that the auction in this room ensured that this would be the deal that decided the outcome of the match.

There were quite a few kibitzers in the Bulletin Room. The general feeling was that declarer would be unlikely to find the winning line – after all, the problem had proved too much for Geir Helgemo.

West led the 2 of Clubs and declarer won with the Ace. He ruffed a Club and played a Diamond. West took the Ace and returned the Jack and declarer won with dummy’s King and continued with the Queen. East ruffed with the 8 of Hearts and declarer overruffed, cashed the Ace of Spades, ruffed Spade, ruffed a Club, ruffed a Spade, ruffed a Club, ruffed a Spade and played a Diamond, collecting East’s ♥102.

Bravo Boye! from the thousands watching online.

The 13 IMPs so brilliantly earned on this deal proved decisive and was subsequently voted declarer play of the year by the IBPA.