International Teams Tourney Città di Milano 2011. Lavazza team, winner of 2010 edition, wins again the Trophy “Città di Milano”: Norberto Bocchi, Giorgio Duboin, Guido Ferraro, Maria Teresa Lavazza, Agustin Madala e Antonio Sementa. Runner up is Jelmoni team and third comes Breno (Zaleski’s team). Read the rest of this entry…
International Teams Tourney Città di Milano 2011 – Second Day Results. After a Saturday of rising up and falling down, from “A” serie to “C” through “B” – and viceversa – there are 12 teams in “A” for the last three rounds toward the victory. The leader is Lavazza (with Bocchi, Madala, Duboin, Sementa and Ferraro) and among the finalists there are Miroglio and Breno. Read the rest of this entry…
Sport Accord World Mind Games 2011 – Inaugural Edition. The “Northern Capital” (of China), literal translation of Beijing, welcomed us with a blue and clear sky, enlightened by a sun as brilliant as unuseful: the temperature keeps going from a maximum of 0 C° and a minimum of -8. If you add to that a freezing breeze that swaps continuously the city, you can understand how less appalling is to stick the nose out of the Beijing International Convention Center (BICC), where all the competitions of the first edition of Sport Accord World Mind Games. Read the rest of this entry…
International Teams Tourney Città di Milano 2011 – First day. The Città di Milano started with 94 teams, not many: the great champions don’t lack, but the number of little teams fell off. This is probably due to the hard times the world is living; another sign of the economic crisis is the fact that many teams, moreover the little ones, are of only four players, for three day event. Read the rest of this entry…
The news was announced recently that Lew Stansby and Chip Martel have broken up their long-standing partnership. Together, the pair have won three Bermuda Bowls, a Rosenblum and a World Open Pairs and thus are among only a handful of players to have won three of the four Grand Slam titles. They need an Olympiad Team title to complete the career Grand Slam. Additionally, Stansby has won two World Senior Teams titles. Read the rest of this entry…
Jan van Cleeff, BridgeTopics.com publisher, realized a funny video interview with Alfredo Versace and Antonio Sementa. The video was shot in English, during recent U.S. Nationals in Seattle, at the Sheraton Hotel, that housed the Italian players. For the benefit of our readers we offer the transcription of some extracts by Laura Cecilia Porro for Neapolitan Club. Read the rest of this entry…
The Fall 2011 National American Bridge Championships were held in Seattle from November 24 to December 4. The Usa Nationals comprise more than thirty events including team and pairs tournaments and there is the participation of the strongest players in the world. A formidable success of the Italian champions: Giorgio Duboin, Lorenzo Lauria, Alfredo Versace and Antonio Sementa, in Jimmy Cayne’s team, won the Mitchell Trophy and the prestigious Reisinger Trophy. Here is the list of all winners in Seattle. Read the rest of this entry…
BBO InterCity League Autumn 2011: quarter finals. Are still alive eight team of eight different countries (three are Britons). Highlighted in the round of 16 results: England, Poland, Bulgaria, Italia, Montenegro, Scotland, Denmark, Wales. Manchester - Ljubljana +71; Wroclaw - Kočevje +56; Haskovo - GlasVegas +44; Ascoli Piceno - Connacht +41; Niksic - Cardiff +23; Edinburgh - Niš +12; Egedal - Konstanz +10; Wales - United Parnu +9. The quarter finals will be played on Wednesday 7th with this roster: Read the rest of this entry…
Fall 2011 NABC - Seattle - Reisinger BAM Teams tournament. Sensational Six No by Alfredo Versace. In an interview in the Daily Bulletin here in Seattle Jimmy Cayne stated that his favorite bridge player is Alfredo Versace. The last hand of the morning session – board #27 – in the Reisinger final makes that perfectly clear. Read the rest of this entry…
Fall 2011 NABC - The Reisinger BAM Teams tournament has been completed. The Cayne’s team wins the Reisinger Trophy in Seattle: James Cayne, Michael Seamon, Alfredo Versace, Lorenzo Lauria, Giorgio Duboin and Antonio Sementa. Read the rest of this entry…
Bridge and golf have many similarities, not least of which are the unique patterns of concentration each requires for expertise. Golfers need to concentrate for a short span on each shot, say 45 seconds 70 times per round for the best professionals. Bridge players need to concentrate for longer periods of time with shorter breaks in between. A round of golf takes about the same amount of time as a pairs session (or a 32-board teams segment) of bridge. One more similarity between the two games (this one rather amusing) is the commentary. Read the rest of this entry…
Fall 2011 NABC - The Reisinger BAM Teams tournament is undeway. The semifinals rounds have been played. The top 10 classified teams move to the final rounds. Alfredo Versace, Lorenzo Lauria, Giorgio Duboin and Antonio Sementa, with Cayne’s team, are first in the ranking; second place for Roy Welland’s team and third for Jacek Pszczola’s team. Read the rest of this entry…
International Teams Tourney Città di Milano: December 9-10-11, 2011. Could actually somebody be in love of Milano in Autumn? A town and a time lost in a subtle mist? But the sun sometimes skims stones in which we could recognize our ancient homes, and walking in its wide avenues we could meet the gaze of an unknown person we could fall in love of. Read the rest of this entry…
Fall 2011 NABC. The Reisinger BAM Teams is a six-session open team event scored by board-a-match with two qualifying sessions, two semifinal sessions and two final sessions. The two qualifying rounds have been just completed. There were 44 competing teams: the top 20 classified teams move to the semi-final rounds. Alfredo Versace, Lorenzo Lauria, Giorgio Duboin and Antonio Sementa with Cayne’s team are third after qualifying rounds. Read the rest of this entry…
2011 Reisinger Trophy, Seattle: the Reign of the Board a Match (BAM)The Reisinger Memorial Trophy was so called in 1966, in memory of the bridge philanthropist Curt H. Reisinger (1891-1964, breweries owner). In the Friday bulletin there are the stories of the tourney and of the man. The format of the tourney is a knock-out Teams played in the Board A Match (BAM) scoring. As already written in the preceding article about the topic, the BAM is the simplest way to compare a result in a team of four match: any board is worth one point, and the best result wins it; a zero result gives half point to each team. Read the rest of this entry…
The Neapolitan Club comes mainly from H. S. Vanderbilt ' s Strong Club (1926) and from the Culberston System (1934). It employs sound openings and overcalling, and fully protected 3NT contract. As logical corollary for such sound system, it obeys the principle “first double”: it's better to punish opponents instead of looking for our own game contract.
Contested auction
Middle strength jump overcall: 12-15 points with a good six or more card suit. Standard double, takeout up to 4♦. 2NT overcall: clubs and lower rank free suit, reverse strength. Direct cue-bid: game forcing.
When LHO overcalls at one level, the double is punitive. When LHO doubles, the redouble is forcing up to game or at least to level 4 in a minor.
Openings
1♣: 17+, but 21-22 balanced and full protected (2NT).
1♥, 1♠: 12-16. Natural 4+ card suit.
1♦: 12-16, sometime by 3 cards. It can happen when the opener has only clubs or when he has not a biddable suit. “Biddable” in the opening bidding is a four card suit headed at least by Q9 or J10, or any five card suit.
1NT: 13-16, balanced or semi-balanced one suited in clubs.
2♣: 5+ clubs, 12-16. One or two suited.
2♦, 2♥, 2♠: Weak one suited.
Responses
On 1♣: controls by steps up to 2♦ (six or more). Weak jump from 2♥ to level three.
On 1♦, 1♥, 1♠: natural responses. Strong jump. 2NT and 3NT responses are very strong balanced (respectively: 17-18 or 16), without support in opening suit.
On 1NT (remember: it’s always one suited in clubs), all the responses are natural: 2♣ and 3♣ are support. Just 2♦, is a relais; the opener will bid 2♥ and the responder will explain his hand.
Other
Neapolitan Club does not employs 5CM nor Long Suit First systems. It follows the Principle of Preparedness, i.e. “The idea, originally called Anticipation, of looking forward to the next round of bidding when selecting a bid...” (ACBL Official Encyclopedia , VI ed. Page 362). Because of this Principle, the length of the suits is undefined. The only exception is when the opener has a reverse two suited hand with less than 17 points (with 17+ the opening is 1♣). In this case the reverse will be made bidding the short suit first (Albarran’s Canapé ).
Notes by Rhoda Walsh on the 1 NT gf response in the "2 over 1 game forcing system" (Walsh System). Rhoda Walsh, attorney, is a bridge theorist and champion: she’s WBF Grand Master and an ACBL Grand Life Master. 7th in all time masterpoint list for women; With Paul Soloway, John Swanson, and her ex-husband Richard Walsh, Rhoda is one of the co-developers of the 2 over 1 Game Forcing System, formerly known as theWalsh System. Table of Contents>>
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The idea was born in 2003 when I suggested to few of my friends from all over ex-Yugoslavia that we should start some kind of competition on BBO, primarily to allow teams from small towns to be able to play serious bridge without travelling. We started in spring 2004 with only 4 teams, playing on Tuesdays nights. By 3rd edition the League was already international and we moved to Wednesdays nights. Number of teams participating was gradually growing and now is from 24 to 30 each edition. It runs twice a year (spring and autumn) and every edition we have some new teams. read more >>
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NORBERTO BOCCHI released to Neapolitan Club a long interview a little before to leave Veldhoven. The Italian Champion reports with great sincerity on the atmosphere in Veldhoven, and explains the reasons for the Italian defeat against the Dutch in the semifinals. A quite “hot” interview. (read more >>)
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VALERIO GIUBILO. Nowadays the Franco-Polish financier Zaleski is the third major sponsor of Italian bridge. He is the only one that seems able to compete with the two historic giants: Angelini and Lavazza. Zaleski recently hired three top Italian players, who had previously played for the Angelini team: Lauria, Versace and Giubilo. Valerio Giubilo is seen as a major force in the composition of the new team. Giubilo, Lauria and Versace are completely interchangeable as teammates, as they have been playing the same system for a number of years. All together this was a good reason for Neapolitan Club to have an interview with the third man, Valerio Giublio. (read more)
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FEDERICO PRIMAVERA. The former member of Italian Junior team nowadays partner of Francesco Angelini and Benito Garozzo granted us a long interview. Federico Primavera tells us his experience with the mithic Garozzo and speaks about the most burning questions of Italian Bridge: The exclusion of Fantunes from the National team, The Angelini's disqualification and other. (reed more)
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ANTONIO SEMENTA. During the past months Neapolitan Club had interviews with all the players of the national selection of Italy. All but one, Antonio Sementa who is playing nowadays with Giorgio Duboin for Team Lavazza. Here is Sementa’s story. (read more)
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We give a follow up to previous interview with LORENZO LAURIA, September 15th 2010. Again Lauria is quite outspoken on different issues: the Reisinger Cup, the new Zaleski team, the Italian Cup, the break between Angelini and Fantunes and the related decision of Fantunes to play for Monaco. (read more)
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FULVIO FANTONI, the Number One of world ranking, has kindly granted us a very long and structured interview in which he accepts to discuss all the arguments proposted. There are references, direct and indirect, to the thorniest issues and to the latest Lauria's interview. (read >>) ___________________________________________________________
If you want to understand the sarcastic joke cracked by GIORGIO DUBOIN, you have to remember this famous Esopo's tale. A hungry fox saw some fine bunches of grapes hanging from a vine along a high trellis. He tried his best to reach the grapes by jumping as high as he could. All in vain, for they were just out of reach. So the fox gave up trying, and walked away with an air of dignity and unconcern, remarking: "I thought those grapes were ripe, but I see now they are quite sour.” (read more >>)ALFREDO VERSACE. The Club Team Championships, the divorce from Angelini, the interview that Fantoni has released to Jan van Cleeff: these and many other topics have been discussed in a bright and sincere interview with Alfredo the Great. (read >>)
AGUSTIN MADALA. The pair Bocchi-Madala can easily be considered as world class. Bocchi-Madala is a relatively new partnership but has achieved already some big results: with Italian Team Madala won the latest European Championship in Ostend. We were curious about the life of young Agustin and talked with him. Italian National Team, private life and bridge technique are the topics covered in this interview. (read more >>)
NORBERTO BOCCHI has kindly granted to Neapolitan Club a long and well-articulated interview. A number of topics is referred to, each accompanied by a quote, and the Italian Ace has been invited to discuss them. The result can be considered as a little vademecum: Bridge according to Norberto. (read >>)
LORENZO LAURIA has granted a long interview to Neapolitan Club in which he approached with clarity the topical issues proposed: above all the thorny affair dealing with the former team-mates Claudio Nunes and Fulvio Fantoni. Lauria expecially responds severely to some Fantunes' statements reported in the interview by Jan van Cleeff some day earlier for BridgeTopcis.com. (read >>)
CLAUDIO NUNES and FULVIO FANTONI participated in the Onstein Patton in The Netherlands. Jan van Cleeff took this opportunity to talk with them. As both Fantoni and Nunes share the same view on the matter, they are referred to as ‘Fantunes’. (read >>)
MARIA TERESA LAVAZZA. The frank statements of coach of the Italian open team to Neapolitan Club. Mrs. Lavazza is also, together with Francesco Angelini and Romain Zaleski, one of the three major sponsors of Italian top bridge. (read>>)
FRANCESCO ANGELINI'S REPLY. Neapolitan Club reported on discussions and conflicts between players and sponsors in Italy: is Francesco Angelini's turn to express his views. Of course this important Roman sponsor and player focusses on interview with Maria Teresa Lavazza. (read>>)
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SILVIO SBARIGIA was born in Rome and lives there. He has won the European championship in 1975, runner up at 1974’s and at Olympic games of 1976. Sbarigia is member of Neapolitan Club Technical Commettee.
Some articles by Paolo Enrico Garrisi, one of the founders of Neapolitan Club.
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