East will meet West in the final of this year’s CNTC
There are now two teams remaining in this year’s CNTC – it will be an East meets West confrontation. The Gartaganis team, perennial contenders and past winners (from Alberta), will play the Korbel team (from in and around the Toronto area).
The final match will consist of 128 boards over two days – and will be broadcast live on BBO.
Team Gartaganis – Nick and Judy Gartaganis; Gordon Campbell and Piotr Klimowicz
Team Korbel – Daniel Korbel, Darren Wolpert, Danny Miles, Keith Balcombe and Ross Taylor
Keith has actually played with (several times) and won this event with Team Gartaganis in the past; and together they went onto win the IOC Grand Prix in Salt Lake City and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002.
In 2006, those five, plus Dave Colbert partnering Keith, made it to the round of 16 in the Rosenblum at Verona, before falling to Meckwell and company.
Should be a good tight match – but don’t expect any predictions from this particular blogger.
I will say if you want to see great talent and huge potential, check out Korbel and Wolpert when they are on BBO. (And they play fast too!)
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GL. I know who I’m rooting for.
Ross;
Congratulations to both you and the rest of your teammates on an excellent showing in the Canadian Open Team Championship. The gold-medal match was a nail-biter between two evenly matched teams that was exciting to watch.
While finishing second may be a disappointment, the margin of victory (19 imps over 128 boards) was the equivalent of roughly 1 additional downtrick for each of the eight 16 board segments that comprised the final, and underscores the extent to which there was *very* little to choose betwen the two teams.
Cheers.
Nick Krnjevic
Hi Ross,
Bridge has its own personality.
Whenever there is a long match for an important prize there are attempted and also succeeded brilliancies, down the middle judgment with a splash of adventure, well reasoned opening leads where some worked and some didn’t, solid consistent taking of tricks mixed in with gremlin thinking causing errors, system success together with “Houston, we have a problem”.
There is never a reason to seriously question a victory which both finalist teams have had a number in that very event, nor linger on a loss which will forever be a major part of every competitors resume.
All fair contestants play their hardest to win at all times and therefore let the devil take the hindmost.
Over a long bridge career I’ve played hundreds of matches, winning most, but losing too many. After awhile they all blend into one and all the 4th quarters I have suffered through, vanish into nothingness.
Bridge is certainly, at least to me, the greatest game ever invented with joy, challenge, excitement and despair always within reach.
When two good ethical teams combat, whatever happens, whoever wins and loses, the game itself comes out on top. We are all lucky to have the good fortune to be able to compete and never forget it. I DON’T!