Barcelona, December 27th 2014
Juan Carlos Ventín: World International Master (WBF: WIM), also has countless Golds in Spain, he has played for Spain in the National Open Team five times and three times in the juniors category. In the «juniors» he won the Silver Medal in 1980. In 2002 he won a Silver Medal in the Open and he earned his presence to play the Bermuda Bowl.
From 2009 he started playing for Argentina, and in the South American Championship he also earned the possibilty to play the Bermuda Bowl by that country and thus becoming the only Spanish player to have played twice this cup in history.
He has played two South American Open Teams Championship, and he is one of the winners of its last edition, played in Santiago de Chile, May 2014.
Other important results are: third place at the Cavendish in Las Vegas and the Bronze Medal at the European Mixed Category Championship in 2007.
This year his team: Juan Carlos Ventín-Frederic Wrang – Johan Upmark (Sweden) and Sabine Auken-Roy Welland (Germany) won the Bronze Medal at the Rosenblum Cup (Transnational World Championship) during the 14 World Series in Sanya (China), being a unique achievement not only in Catalonia but throughout Spain.
Bellow you can access an interview, where Fernando Lema, Csbnews.org editor asked him the following questions:
-Juan Carlos; speaking strictly about bridge you had an almost dreamed year. What can you tell us about it?
Yes. I’ve been really lucky to achieve a series of results that have made 2014 the best bridge-year of my life. However, the results as in any top sport are a result of hard work, harmony in your personal life as well as a point of fortune.
-In Particular – Tell our Readers what results did you get?
At international level: During the month of January 2014 I was second in the 5th TGRs Auction Pairs of London. In February I participated in the «Slava Cup 2014»; one of the most prestigious teams tournament that is played in Moscow, Russia where I repeated my a third position, the same position as in the 5th Open Pairs of Barcelona, this time playing with Dennis Bilde.
In May I won the Gold in the South American Teams Championship, and then I played a Calcutta in Turkey and finished third.
To end this season calendar, I won a Bronze in the World Series of Sanya, China.
Nationally, I won the Open Pairs in Argentina and the Spain Open Teams Championship (a few hours ago).
Which one made you more excited?
Undoubtedly the South American Championship. I had a debt with myself and something to prove to the beloved South American bridge community.
However, the bronze in the World Series of Sanya was the one who got more visibility and points in the World Bridge Federation Master Rankings.
What was the one you most enjoyed? And the one you suffered the more?
– How was that you played in a team with Sabine Auken and Roy Welland?
With Sabine me share a great friendship for a long time. Two years ago when Sabine began her relationship with Roy, she stopped playing in Ladies and went on to play in the Open Category, with Roy as her partnership. As a result, it was a matter of time that we could find a tournament to play all together.
-¿Is the Sabine Auken and Roy Welland partnership, as good as all comment?
For me they are awsome. I admire their system, which get the opponents in lots of troubles, while being super accurate for the slam hands. In my point of view, their system is one of the great innovations in Bridge. No doubt we will hear about them for a long time.
-Talk to me about your partner, Frederic Wrang.
Frederic is a great guy and an excelent player. For me finding him (by the way, I owe it to Sabine) has been the culmination of my learning experience during the many years I’ve been playing.
From all my colleagues I learned something: Carlos Fernández, the importance of the declarer play at the beginning of my carreer. With Amadeo Llopart, the good vibes with your partner. With José Manuel Peidró, the art of defense. And with Pablo Lambardi, the absolute importance of the auction (el remate in Argentina) to compete internationally.
With Frederic I have consolidated all this and now I am gathering the fruits of my bridge-life story.
¿Your plans for this 2015?
Like every year, my season has 40 days a year of competition. There are several invitationals I’ll play in EUROPE and then the most important one Tromso 2015: the European Championships.
I will go to USA to play the Summer NABC (Chicago) and in Argentina one or two official events.
To end this interview and as all sports have their fun side and as the sense of humor can never fail, it seemed appropriate to recover a Csbnews.org question that Fernando Lema did to Juan Carlos while participating in the 2009 Sudamericano de Chile. 😆
–¿Juan Carlos: Do you have a funny story to tell us?
¿Do you know the Coca Cola Coup?…
I was twenty and was playing with a bridge master who had a reputation for being very quick… Playing against two old ladies. My partner had the lead but needed to play from the table into his AQ … unfortunately in the 4 cards end there were no entries to the dummy.
He tanked…
After a while he said: Phampa play a small card from dummy. I told him … NO, you have to play from your hand (at that time that were the rules).
He kept thinking and the old ladies were still half asleep.
He tried again and said … Please play a small card from dummy. I felt a little pissed but believing in him, I repeated again: I remember you that you are in your hand …
He looked at me and said, it is true … look … can you go and ask the waiter for a coke please …
When I returned the hand was over and so I asked: How many tricks have you done? He answered: plus one, which meant he had made the last 4 tricks playing to his strength A-Q.
The coup was baptized as the Coca Cola Coup.
Nice!! 🙂 Lovely and very friendly:Juan Carlos Ventín. Thank you very much!