Slava Cup: February 21 – 23, 2014 in the Danilovskaya Hotel. Thank You to Slawek Latala for the photos!
Official Site Results Bulletins
The Slava Cup in honor of the disappeared Russian bridge player, Slava Grinuk, has become one of the most prestigious events in Russia.
Team tournament: TOP 8
The team tournament consists of two stages. On the first stage the teams play a complete round-robin qualifier (7 matches x 14 boards). The result of each match shall be calculated in IMP and then converted into VP in accordance with the official scale of World Bridge Federation (20:0). At the end of the round-robin qualifier the first two ranked teams will play final to determine the title (4 segments x 14 boards), the third and the forth places will play the match for third place (3 segments x 14 boards), the 5 – 8 places play round-robin (3 matches x 14 boards) with 100% of the IMPs and VPs achieved against the other not qualified 3 teams from the first round-robin.
First day: Friday February 21th
After the first 4 matches the Ventin team: Sabine AUKEN, Roy WELLAND, Juan Carlos VENTIN, Dragan MARKOVICH, Mustafa Cem TOKAY is leading the field with 53.92 VP. Second is Zaleski team: Romain ZALESKI, Philippe CRONIER, Andrea MANNO, Massimo LANZAROTTI with 48.27 VP.
[ilink url=”http://csbnews.org/new/?p=49742″] Read some boards from the Ventin-Israel match[/ilink]
| rk | team | Auken | Zaleski | Neth. | Israel | Monaco | Vainikonis | Real | Bulgaria | VPs |
| 1 | Auken | 15.06 | 16.21 | 4.74 | 17.91 | 53.92 | ||||
| 2 | Zaleski | 4.94 | 13.48 | 13.48 | 15.66 | 47.56 | ||||
| 3 | Netherlands | 10.00 | 13.23 | 7.56 | 15.26 | 46.05 | ||||
| 4 | Israel | 3.79 | 6.52 | 10.00 | 19.56 | 39.87 | ||||
| 5 | Monaco | 15.26 | 6.77 | 6.28 | 9.34 | 37.65 | ||||
| 6 | Vainikonis | 6.52 | 0.44 | 13.72 | 16.72 | 37.40 | ||||
| 7 | Real | 4.34 | 12.44 | 3.28 | 17.04 | 37.10 | ||||
| 8 | Bulgaria | 2.09 | 4.74 | 10.66 | 2.96 | 20.45 | ||||
In the last round of the day Monaco team, the defending 2013 champion, faced Ventin the field leader. The match ended with a Monaco victory by 15.26 to 4.74. The first difference was in board two and it was a huge swing.
Board 13: After Ventin’s 1
opening bid, Fantoni showed his spade suit. Tokay showed a competitive hand with hearts and Nunes invited to play the spade game with a heart cue bid. Finally Fantunes declared 4
and N/S choose to defend. 
South led a club and declarer had 10 easy tricks. Only a heart or diamond lead, defeats the contract, defense needs to develop tricks before the A is knocked out.
At the other table HH played an easy 4
cold contract.
The board gave 15 IMPs to Monaco. In the next board Ventin team recovered 11 IMPs founding the way to make a 4 contract, where Monaco was one down. 
Board 19: Monaco arrived to a spade slam. At the other table Auken-Welland choose to stop at the fifth level, they made the same number of tricks…but cost them 11 IMPs. 
After Welland’s 1 opening bid, showing a non balance hand with spades, Auken’s 1NT was a forcing to game.The partnership decided to play 5, the K on side…assures 12 tricks.
Fantunes arrived to the slam and received a club lead from North. The play was easy…and gave them 11 IMPs.
Board 21, Ventin team found its last IMPs: 
HH arrived to 3NT. Auken led the 
7 and the A won the first trick. Helness continued with the J, Welland played his Q and switched to the 4. Declarer played a small spade, Auken played her Q and dummy’s A won to continue playing the 10.
Welland played a small club, East won with her K and returned a spade. Now North found himself in his hand with the J, and if he plays K y Q, as J drops, the 10 is the ninth trick.
But declarer choose to play a club, West won with his A, and this was the end position:
Welland played his K. Helness won with dummy’s A…and played theJ. Welland played his Q but returned his last heart, and declarer had to lose dummy’s last spade for one down.
At the other table the contract was 1…and 7 IMPs for Ventin.