Clara and Lucrecia Monsegur Cup and Championship of the Argentinian Republic in Buenos Aires, 6-10 December 2023
This year’s Argentinian Championship took place in Buenos Aires right after the Clara and Lucrecia Monsegur Cup in what was a nearly week-long bridge meeting.
Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires
Clara and Lucrecia Monsegur Cup – Final Results
The pairs tournament was played on December 6-7 and featured most of the prominent Argentinian players as well as some international guests.
The pair formed by Silvina Rocca and Carlos Pellegrini, both winners of the Transnational World Championship Morocco 2023, confirmed their excellent form by winning the event and adding a new gold medal to their showcase.
International masters Ricardo Angeleri and Ricardo Poleschi finished second, with masters Gerardo Siano and Sergio Durante completing the podium.
Ricardo Angeleri and Ricardo Poleschi (second), Carlos Pellegrini and Silvina Rocca (winners), Gerardo Siano and Sergio Durante (third).
Complete Results:
The 2023 Championship of the Argentinian Republic
Buenos Aires, December 11, 2023
Team Angeleri (Silvina Rocca, Carlos Pellegrini, Ricardo Poleschi and Ricardo Angeleri) is the Champion of the Argentine Republic in 2023. Bravo!
Carlos Pellegrini, Ricardo Poleschi, Silvina Rocca, and Ricardo Angeleri.
From Thursday the 7th to Sunday the 10th this traditional championship, one of the oldest in the country, was held in the main rooms of the Ayacucho Bridge club.
The championship featured the participation of the country’s best players, including the four players who recently won the Transnational World Championship, and some foreign masters took part in the tournament. The tournaments were directed by Ms. Josefina Bello, assisted by Ms. Candelaria Reynoso. The two made up a top team!
After an all play all round Robin qualifier was played, the first four advanced to the semifinals on Saturday. The first semifinal saw the Angeleri team take on the Fariña’s Circus Team: Adolfo Madala (h), Adrian Iglesias, Mauro Uberti and German Fariña. After an uncertain start, the Angeleri team finally won by 107.5 to 44 IMPs.
In the other semifinal, the Whibley team defeated the Muchachos team: Alexis Pejacsevich, Francisco Montes de Oca, Fernando Tiscornia, Andres Mooney and Gonzalo Aguiar by 95.5 to 13.
On Sunday the final was played over 4 sets of 12 deals. Team Angeleri came out of the first set with +32 IMPs, and maintained the lead until the end to win against the international masters of the Whibley team: Pierre Pejacsevich, Michael Whibley (NZ), Pablo Ravenna (BRZ), Marcelo Caracci (CHI) , Ramiro Nuñez and Fernando Lema. Whoever may have thought that the players of the Angeleri team would be tired after their top performance in the pairs event was wrong, it rather seemed to serve as the perfect warm up!
Second place, team Whibley: Fernando Lema, Marcelo Caracci, Michael Whibley, Pierre Pejacsevich, Pablo Ravenna and Ramiro Nuñez
Here is a hand from the final of the Championship of the Argentinian Republic
The last segment of the final began well for the Whibley team that managed to reduce the IMP-difference to about half of what it had already been, but then came the hand that would definitely define the match.
Hand 19, dealer South, E/W VUL.
In the closed room, Poleschi/Angeleri as E/W were facing Pejacsevich/Ravenna as N/S.
South decided to open a weak 2♦, West passed, North raised to 3♦ and when East showed his major two-suiter with a 4♦ bid, West signed off in 4♠.
The declarer won the diamond lead in his hand and played a heart for dummy’s king, which won the trick, back to his hand ruffing heart and saw the ace of north appear, the rest was mechanical, diamond to the ace and a heart ruff with the Jack, which was overruffed with the Queen, club and the declarant lasted claiming the rest of the tricks, 680 points for E/W.
In the open room it was different, to start N/S did not take part in the auction, so West opened 1♣ and when East responded 1♠, repeated his clubs with 2♣. East jumped to 3♥, West showed preference for the spades, they continued with cue-bids and Blackwood to reach the slam:
Again, a Diamond was led, and declarer won in hand. He then cashed the two top trumps, and when the queen did not fall, he could no longer make his contract, finishing two down. 200 points for N/S and 13 IMPs which all but secured the victory for the Angeleri team.
What did you think about this article?
Share your opinion in the Commentary Section!
