When famous champions win a tourney we say that it was a strong tourney, but it’s not always exact: sometimes the strongest tourneys are those where the famous champions do not win; or, maybe, where the winners aren’t yet famous. The German Team 1702 has won the 2013 Reykjavik Bridge Festival, first between other 97; they are Nedju Buchlev, Sebastian Reim (Germany), Victor Milman, David Kendrick (England).
Second place to another German Team: Gronaldo (Martin Rehder, Michael Gromoller, Joerg Fritsche, Roland Rohowsky). Third a French Team; so an en plein for the Central Europe (Pilippe Toffier, Dominique Pillon, Laurent Thuilles, Wilfried Libbrecht). Fourth and fifth come two Icelandic Teams: Chile (Ómar Olgeirsson, Ragnar Magnusson, Stefan Johannsson, Kjartan Asmundsson, Sverrir G Kristinsson) and Erla Sigurjónsdóttir (the same Erla, first of the women, Guðni Ingvarsson, Þórarinn Sófusson, Halldór Einarsson Jon Páll Sigurjónsson).
Now the casualties, i.e. not winner famous players: Janet De Bottom, Rumen Trendafilov, Kalin
Karaivanov, Zia Mahmood, Sandra Penfold, Nevena Senior, Tor Helness, Peter Bertheau, Anita Sinclair, Peter Fredin.
As I have heard it has been a fine rejoicing; all, winners and not winners, famous and not famous, Central Europeans, not Central Europeans and not Europeans, all have felt the warmth of the Icelandic hospitality.
Joerg Fritsche – Roland Rohowsky from Germany won the Open Pairs Tournament. The event was held at Natura Hotel in Reykjavik (Iceland) from the 24th to 27th of January.
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Paolo Enrico Garrisi
January 29, 2013
Pictures are courtesy of Lorenzo Riccucci