REIMS – Yesterday Tuesday, the sixth World University Bridge Championship started in earnest and 17 teams of 13 countries and regions entered the friendly competitions:
1) Belgium
2) Botswana
3) China
4) Croatia
5) Czech Republic
6) France
7) Germany
8) Netherlands
9) Poland
10) Serbia
11) Chinese Taipei
12) Thailand
13) Turkey
For day one, the organisers had prepared special matches with two Polish teams, two Chinese ones and the French meeting in round one. The draw also put three other groups of countries together that share a common language. Thus, we were treated to matches between Serbia and Croatia (2-25), and between Belgium and the Netherlands (24-6).
After two matches, Czech Republic has yet to drop a point, while the first teams of Poland, China and France have dropped 1, 2 and 4 respectively. It’s undoubtedly too early to say, but we predict three of these four will be the teams on the podium.
Paul Magerman Cup
The Paul Magerman Cup will be a awarded at the end of these championships for the best played hand. This can be a bidding sequence, a single bid, an opening lead, a line of play or a line of defence. The prize will be judged by a Committee. In order to be eligible for such a prize, the brilliancy needs to have been reported in the Bulletin (exceptionally a last-day piece of play may be accepted).
RESULTS DAY 1
(Source: Herman De Wael, 2012 WUC Bridge Organising Committee)