II Copenhagen Bridge Invitational

Album de fotos de Charles Jens Otto Pedersen Fuente: 2nd CBI

2ndo Copenhagen Bridge Invitational Official   Site: 2nd CBI

February 24 2013: Michael Barel – Yaniv Zack from Israel won the 2nd CBI.

The last day of competition began with Michael Barel – Yaniv Zack as top leaders. With just two matches to play, a father and son partnership M.Bessis-T.Bessis for the first time in the event appeared on the first positions in the scoreboard very near the leaders.

Everyone started talking about London TGR  last session about a month ago, when BxB won the tournament with a 74.3% score in the last session. With one match to go the Bessis were about 25 points behind the leaders.  3000 people in the Vg followed that last match, the leaders played against Peter Bertheau – Per-Ola Cullin losing 10 points, Bessis x 2 played against Zia Mahmood-Boye Brogeland beating them but finally ended in the second position.

All the results Click Here

This was an excellent weekend for the bridge of Israel. In Denmark Michael Barel – Yaniv Zack, won the main event, and do not forget that Michael Barel had won this Friday the Pro / AM, and in Moscow the young team of Israel: Alon Birman, Dror Padon, Ilan Herbst, Lotan Fisher, Ophir Herbst, Ron Schwartz arrived second in the 2013 Slava Cup .

Michael Barel, Israel:  Made his debut in 1994 as member of the Israeli junior team. Since then Barel has represented the Israeli open team on many occasions. He has won several medals including silver at the Open European Championships in 2009 and bronze at the European Championships the following year.

He was part of the Israeli team for the World Championships in 2011 when Israel lost to USA1 in the quarterfinal.

For many years he was the captain of the Israeli junior Team. Since 2012 he has captained the women’s team, who has developed substantially under his guidance and suprisingly qualified for the World Championships on Bali in 2013.

Yaniv Zack, Israel: A calm and focused player who used to spend his summers traveling  the world representing the Israeli junior team. His last performance on the team was the dramatic bronze match against Denmark at the World Junior Championship in 1999, which Israel lost by a margin of 1,5 imps.

Since 2004 Zack has represented Israel on the open team partnering Michael Barel resulting in silver at the Open European Championships in 2009 and bronze at the European Championships the following year.

In 2011 Zack was on the Israeli team that qualified for the quarterfinal of the Bermuda Bowl.

 February 23, 2013

The players are participating of the main event a Pairs IMPs Tournament: 19 matches of 8 boards each. Whith only 8 matches to go the first 5 positions are:

Josef Piekarek – Tomas Gotard are leading with 69 points. All positions Click Here

Tomorrow is the last day of play …

February 21, 2013

The Pro / Am tournamente finished with the victory of:  Helle Rasmussen (Denmark ladies team) – Michael Barel from Israel.

 Click Here for the results.

 The tournament was played in 13 rounds/ 2 boards each. Since round 5 the tournament was a disputed by three pairs: Martin Schaltz – Karsten Hansen-Nord, Björn Fallenius – Peter Rasmussen and Helle Rasmussen – Michael Barel. At the begining of the last round Martin Schaltz – Karsten Hansen-Nord were the leaders, but only 2 points above were Helle Rasmussen – Michael Barel. In the last two boards Rasmussen – Barel added 21 points to win the event while Schaltz – Hansen-Nord only added 1 point to finish second. Third arrived Johan Upmark – Lennart Pettersson . 

On February 21, 2013, 15hs Bs As, as announced by the organizers began the BBO VG transmision of the PRO / AM of the Copenhagen Bridge Invitational 2013. The field consisted of 52 partnerships, each formed by an amateur and a professional purchased by the amateur a few days earlier.

The most expensive professional was Zia Mahmood whose partner had to spend 2000 euros to have the satisfaction of playing 26 boards with Zia. The money raised by the auction was not for the Pros, instead was used to cover part of the event expenses. Among the professionals besides Mahmood we can mention: Björn Fallenius, Michel and Thomas Bessis, Boye Brogeland, David Gold, Juan Carlos Ventin, Johan Upmark, Martin Schaltz…etc.

Impressions of the pro/am by David Gold and Christina Lund Madsen:

“I shook hands with a Prince, I played bridge against Gus Hansen. I doubled him in three hearts and they only made nine tricks although they were cold for ten. I had an incredible evening. I have never been to an event like this before.”

David forgot to mention that he played with the most beautiful girl in the room, placed 5th and won three silver candlesticks from Danish designer Georg Jensen. Pictures of David and his partner will be uploaded when available.

 The pro/am tournament was won by Helle Rasmussen and Michael Barel from Israel. Helle plays on the national women’s teams and to put it in Barel’s words: I know I am so lucky to have her as a partner at this event. I checked the last hours of the auction every second minute to see if she was outbidden.”

 A battle at the auction and a battle for the win. Now Barel’s main challenge is how to bring home the enormous silver bowl he received as winner of the event.

Click Here to read about some of the hands played in the BBO VG.

February 19, 2013

PRO/AM: Thursday the 21^st of February. Venue: Tivoli Hotel

The auction for the pro/am finished Sunday the 17th with lots of action. The schedule for the BBO-transmission is ready for Thursday and Friday. Click Here to read it

During the pro/am we will transmit from one table only and we have chosen to show defending champions and pokerstas Gus Hansen and Tom Hanlon during all rounds to watch one of the world’s most lethal poker players’ approach to bridge.

It is a privilige for the Danish Bridge Federation to once again invite all bridge lovers to follow the battles of some of the world’s finest players during the 2^nd edition of the Copenhagen Bridge Invitational.

Winners of the inaugural Copenhagen Bridge Invitational in November 2010 were Peter Bertheau and Fredrik Nyström who will be participating again in 2013, although this year with different partners to leave their competitors a chance. 

 20 international top pairs will compete in a three-day imp pair tournament at the Tivoli Hotel & Congress Center. The players are invited not only for their amazing bridge skills, but also their sparkling personalities to ensure a spectacular event. The hope is that the Copenhagen Bridge Invitational will in time become one of the world’s most prestigious invitational tournaments, as the legendary similar tournaments from past decades. As in the previous edtition Juan Carlos Ventin from Argentina and Fredric Wrang from Sweden are invited to participate.

These are the partnerships invited so far:

 Play with the stars

Prior to the main event an exclusive pro/am takes place on Thursday the 21^st of february, where all players of the main event will available as partners sold by an online auction. The pro/am is open to bridge players of all skill levels and the possibility of a lifetime to spend an evening opposite a world champion. Participation includes drinks and canapees introducing and closing the event in the company of the stars and celebrities. Read more and follow the auction under the pro/am-section.

Royal participation 

As in 2010 His Royal Highness Prince Consort of Denmark will be participating at the pro/am partnering a top player. In his capacity of protector of the Danish Bridge Federation His Royal Highness Prince Consort of Denmark will also be presenting the prizes at the prizegiving ceremony on Sunday evening the 24^th of February.