The World Bridge Championships, in which 26 Irish players competed and which ended in Lille yesterday after 15 days of competition, broke all records in terms of numbers participating.
Both of the main pairs championships were in doubt until the last table. The final rounds were played in a barometre pairs movement so that spectators had an update of the results after every set of boards. Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz (USA), set the pace throughout the last round of the Societ e Generale Open Pairs Championship, but had to settle for the silver medal when Michael Kwiecien and Jacek Pszczola (Poland) had a massive score on the last set. Magnus Lindquist and Peter Fredin (Sweden), were third, just ahead of Compton and Katz (USA), Ramer and Paulissen (Netherlands), and Martens and Szymanowski (Poland).
The Louis Vuitton Women's Pairs Championship was won by Americans Shawn Quinn and Jill Meyers. Sabine Auken and Daniella von Armin (Germany), were second andVeronique Bessis and Catherine d'Ovido (France), third. Moss and Greenberg (USA), were fourth; Vriend and Arnolds (Netherlands), fifth and Menil and Pigeaud sixth. It was Auken's second medal. She had earlier finished third with her husband, Jens Auken (Denmark), in the mixed pairs.
The Elf senior, over 55, pairs championship was won by Boris Schapiro and Irving Gordon (Britain). Schapiro at 89 becomes the oldest world champion at any game or sport. Runners-up were Benito Garrozzo and Lea Dupont (USA). Acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time, Garrozzo was on the Italian Blue team which dominated world bridge from the 1950s into the late 1970s. He now lives in the USA. Vavensleben and Hoger (Germany), were third. Limerick pair Aidan and Ena Cleary played some of the best bridge of their lives to reach the final of this event.
An American pair, Russ Ekeblad and Michael Seamon, won the Cara imps pairs ahead of Masure and Leflon (France). Ladyzhensky and Pavlov (Russia), were third. Tom Hanlon and Hugh McGann, fifth at halfway, had a poor third set, then finished well to take ninth place. Gay Keaveney and Rory Timlin were next best of the Irish. Also taking part were Gordon Lessels and Pat McCarthy, Patsy Meehan and Petra O'Neill and Paul Hanratty and Seamus Dowling. The next world open championships will be in Montreal, Canada, in 2002.