The Vanderbilt Teams at the ACBL Spring Championships looked more like a European Championship. In the round of 16, more than half the players were from overseas.
As usual, the high seeds comprised a wealthy sponsor and five professionals. The influx of pros from Europe reflects a soaring demand for pro services. It is also a symptom of socio-economics in the US: more people with tons of cash, more living around the poverty line.
The event saw a remarkable win for a four-person team: Sabine Auken, a women’s world champion; New Yorker Roy Welland; and two unknown Danes, Morten and Dennis Bilde (father, son). In the final AUKEN, the 20th seed, beat VAN PROOIJEN, four Dutch champions plus Dan Zagorin-Kevin Bathurst of the US. Earlier, AUKEN ousted powerful “Team Monaco” with a huge fourth-quarter rally plus a favorable appeals committee ruling.
In the final AUKEN led most of the way, but with two deals left, VAN PROOIJEN went ahead by a single IMP. Then came today’s deal, where North-South for VAN PROOIJEN stopped at three clubs. (North’s bid of one heart artificially showed spades.) Morten Bilde took his top diamonds and ace of spades and led a third diamond. East overruffed dummy and led a spade, promoting a trump trick for West. Down one.
At the other table Auken-Welland, North-South, reached 3NT. If declarer had faced a club loser, the contract would have failed, but with clubs breaking 2-2, an overtrick was unstoppable.
So AUKEN gained 12 IMPs — and gained seven more on the final deal.