Updated Butler scores are now available HERE.

An astonishing turnaround in the 2021 Open Teams.  Going into the final match, the Danish-Swedish team of WRANG LEAD (Henning Ostergaard, Christina Lund Madsen, David Wrang, Frederik Wrang) had a substantial 10.45-VP lead over nearest rivals ALCOBAÇA ’22 of the Netherlands (Dennis Kruis, Marcel Winkel, Marcel Swidde, Tim Heeres).  It wasn’t enough:  Wrang Lead had the misfortune to meet the all-Danish team of NESCAFÉ GOLD (Johanne Kofoed, Emil Buus Thomsen, Dennis Bilde, Mathias Rohrberg), and could take only 4.25 VPs from the match, pushing them into 3rd place by the tiny margin of 0.10 VPs.

Meanwhile, Alcobaça ’22 inflicted a heavy defeat on Portuguese mainlanders LARA (Maria João Lara, Manuel Capucho, João Paulo Rocha Pinto, Rui S Santos), who had been lying 4th after Round 10.  That was enough to give the Dutch the title of OPEN TEAMS CHAMPIONS 2021.

Final rankings:

1st ALCOBAÇA ’22  149.43
2nd NESCAFÉ GOLD 145.92
3rd WRANG LEAD 145.82

Full results HERE

Saturday’s Telejornal da Madeira, including the sad news of Erkki Juuri-Oja’s death, plus a nice interview with Carlos Luiz on his 6th victory at the Madeira International Bridge Open.

ERKKI JUURI-OJA 

Erkki Juuri-Oja had been a regular visitor to Madeira since 2007. His bridge career involved playing in at least twelve European Team Championships, eight European Pairs Championships with Pirjo his wife, and three stints as the NPC of Finnish teams.

As many of you are aware, on Friday night shortly after play started, Erkki collapsed with a heart attack. Paulo Pessanha, a doctor from the mainland, was immediately at his side and within seconds Nuno Paz, another doctor was assisting him. The ambulance was called and meanwhile the two doctors carried out resuscitation and had the patient breathing. The ambulance crews arrived and strove ceaselessly to revive him.  After about 45 minutes he was stable enough to be moved to hospital, but unfortunately died later.

Erkki’s wife, Pirjo, came into the Bulletin Office with the following message which she wished us to publish:

Dear Bridge Family,

My dear husband and a grandmaster category Finnish bridge player Mr Erkki Juuri-Oja died of a sudden seizure here at the Madeira International Open tournament on Friday night. Bridge was his most beloved hobby – most certainly a lifestyle. Also Madeira and Funchal had a special place in his heart. The International Bridge Family has played a significant role for both of us for over 56 years.

I wish to thank everyone for their urgent help, all the support and very kind messages during this difficult time.

Best Regards.

Mrs Pirjo Juuri-Oja

With the top teams playing each other, there has inevitably been some change at the top.  Northerners continue to dominate, with the Danish-Swedish combo WRANG LEAD (Henning Ostergaard, Christina Lund Madsen, David Wrang, Frederik Wrang) leading by 8.24 VPs with three rounds to play.

The top-placed Portuguese team – with Swedish reinforcement – PALMA (António Campos Palma, João Barbosa, Jorge Cruzeiro, Reinaldo Timóteo, Ida Grönkvist) is lying 11th, on 96.65.

1       Wrang Lead                Ostergaard, Madsen, Wrang, Wrang                         115.13
2       BCO                            van der Kam, van den Bergh, Snellers, de Boer         106.89
3       The Maltese Falcons     Schüller , Retzlaff, Reim, Gladiator                            106.35
4       Alcobaça ’22                Kruis, Winkel, Swidde, Heeres                                  103.26
5       Bowmen                     van den Bos, van den Bos, van den Bos, Bouman       100.16
6       Ice Jaks                      Karlsson, Aevarsson, Palsdottir, Jörgensen                   99.97
7       Astro                          Olafsson, Ingthorsson, Olgeirsson, Saevarsson            99.86
8       Dandylion                   Schreckenberger, Engel, Kavalenka, Kravchenko           97.70
9       TopClub                      Wenneberg, Wegnelius, Bergdahl, Görnandt                97.69
10      16 Flights                   Imsa, Balasovs, Brikmane, Bethers                             96.80
11      Palma                        Palma, Barbosa, Cruzeiro, Timóteo, Grönkvist              96.65

Full results HERE

After further discussion with the authorities it is now no longer necessary to have a Covid test before coming to the Sunday Gala Dinner.

If, however, you wish to have a free Covid test on Sunday then we hope to have a testing facility will within the hotel. You may also have a free test on Sunday at a pharmacy or similar establishment, quoting the code 100760. In both cases your passport or national ID Card and Bridgemate number will be required.

The situation is subject to change at short notice and all participants are advised to keep abreast of the news and also check with the Bridge Madeira website.

After four matches, our friends from the North dominate the top of the table; but we are pleased to report that the leading Southern European team is the local collective THE MADEIRA TEAM: Pedro Macedo, Filipe Gonçalves, Alexandre Rodrigues, Fernando Ribeiro, Ricardo Fernandes &  Frederico Teixeira, in 10th place on 53.42 VPs.

1st Dandylion - Schreckenberger, Engel, Kavalenka, Kravchenko 61.22
2nd 16 Flights - Imsa, Balasovs, Brikmane, Bethers 59.97
3rd Ice Jaks - Karlsson, Aevarsson, Palsdottir, Jörgensen 59.53
4th Wrang Lead - Ostergaard, Madsen, Wrang, Wrang 57.86
5th Nescafe Gold - Kofoed, Thomsen, Bilde, Rohrberg 57.06

Full results HERE

After a day of dramatic developments away from the table, the Open Teams began with an unfortunate occurrence in the playing-room, as a result of which only two rounds were played rather than the scheduled three.

The early leaders are the ICE JAKS (Karl Grétar Karlsson, Jóhann Aevarsson, Jonina Palsdottir, Adalsteinn Jörgensen – ICELAND) on 34.09 VPs, closely followed by PALMA (António Campos Palma, João Barbosa, Jorge Cruzeiro, Reinaldo  Timóteo, Ida Grönkvist – PORTUGAL & SWEDEN) on 33.54 VPs.  Lying third are THE MALTESE FALCONS (Matthias Schüller, Ralph Retzlaff, Andrea Reim, Anne Gladiator – GERMANY) on 33.14.

Full results HERE

Butler scores HERE

A misscored board was identified* after the results were published.  The corrected score has changed 3rd place, which now goes to Frederic Boldt & Paul Grünke of Germany, with 59.69%.

*We are told that Antonio Campos Palma & João Vide Barbosa reported the error themselves.  This cost them seven places in the standings, and they must be applauded for their sportsmanlike behaviour.

Full results HERE

Nuno Paz (Portugal) and Carlos Luiz (Madeira) held on to retain first place at the end of the 2021 Open Pairs, with an overall score of 62.89%.  Congratulations on yet another fine performance.

Second place was taken by Maris Purgailis & Janis Romanovskis of Latvia, with a huge session score of 67.23%, lifting them from 7th after two sessions to finish on 62.71%.

In third were Frederic Boldt & Paul Grünke of Germany, on 59.69%.

Ful results HERE

The Welcome Desk will now be open from 12:00 to 13:30 on Saturday 6th November

In the manner of a Cabinet reshuffle, most of the same characters feature at the top but in a different order.

First and fourth swapped places, Nuno Paz (Portugal) & Carlos Luiz (Madeira) taking the top spot from Florian Weiss (Austria) & Louise Selway (England).  Yesterday’s 3rd-place pair, Henrik Wegnelius & Bjorn Wenneberg (Sweden) moved up to second, and 6th-placed Diego Brenner (Brazil) & Miguel Teixeira (Madeira) leapt three places to third.  A stonking 68.45% session gave Dennis Bilde (Denmark) & Simon Cope (England) the 5th slot, up from 56th.

There’s still plenty to play for in the final session, with eight pairs on over 60%.

Full results HERE

RTP Madeira, 2nd November 2021

Don’t forget to buy your tickets* for the Traditional Dinner & Entertainment at O Lagar on Wednesday.

The coach leaves VidaMar at 20:15 (journey takes 15 minutes) and returns at 23:30.  Tickets may be purchased from the Welcome Desk: price €25.

*Included in some packages

After a technical hitch – what might in another context be referred to as a ‘wardrobe malfunction’ – the Open Pairs finally got under way rather later than intended, for which we apologise (especially to those who were anxious to be seated at a dinner table with prime view of a television screen before the Atalanta vs Manchester United match began at 8pm).

An early lead has been taken by the young Austria-England pair Florian Weiss & Louise Selway (combined age ≤ 40% of average), with an impressive score of 67.35%.  The Dutch pair Arjen Salari & Hans van Ommeren lie in second on 64.93% and Henrik Wegnelius & Bjorn Wenneberg of Sweden on 64.77%.  The island pairing of Carlos Luiz (Madeira) and Nuno Paz (Azores) are not far behind on 64.44%, with Sveinn Runar Eiriksson & Magnus Eidur Magnusson (Iceland) completing the top five on 64.00%.

157 pairs are participating, which is a triumph in the present circumstances.  We wholeheartedly thank you all for supporting our tournament.

Full results HERE

There was a great turn-out of 88 pairs for the Warm-Up.  Denmark scored its first win of the tournament, with Christian Lahrmann and Daniel Brandgaard taking the top slot on 65.85%.

Nick Nautilus and Frederic Boldt (Germany) were runners-up on 63.99, just pipping Jon Ingthorsson & Kristinn Olafsson (Iceland) who finished third on 63.39%.  The top Madeiran pair was Eduardo Fernandes & Pedro Morgado, on 50.90%.

Full results HERE

Sunday’s Inter-Nations Challenge raised €1330 for the Associação de Paralisia Cerebral da Madeira.  If anyone would like to make a contribution, we can accept donations at the Welcome Desk until Saturday. 

A big thank you to all who participated, and to the Tournament Directors who gave up their time free of charge.  

Sveinni Eiriksson and José Júlio Curado looking suitably directorial

The Charity Inter-Nations Challenge was won by Iceland, with a total score of 2861.

The top pair was Karl Gretar Karlsson &  Johann Aevarsson (Iceland), on 61,81%, with runners-up Nick Nautilus & Francisco P Coutinho, of Germany and Portugal (59.92%), and Roennaug Asla & Anne-Lill Hellemann (58.63%) of Norway in third place.

Full results HERE

Summer Time officially ends in Madeira at 02:00 on Sunday 31st October, when clocks and watches should be turned back 60 minutes to 01:00.

(For our visitors, Portugal – including Madeira but excluding the Azores – is on UTC, not Central European Time.)

The second of the two IMP Pairs tournaments was won by our very own Carlos Luiz and Miguel Teixeira with +44.9, ahead of Renate and Heimo Adelsberger of Austria on +42.3, with Birgit Bärlund and Johan Lindstedt of Finland in 3rd place on +38.2.

Full results HERE.

A clean sweep for our friends from the North in the first IMP Pairs, and a fine 3rd place for yesterday’s victors.

1^st Vigfus Vigfusson & Johanna Gisladottir (Iceland) +52.4
2^nd Bengt Emanuelsson & Haakan Tjarnemo (Sweden) +40.7
3^rd Lasse Utter & Maria Tulonen (Finland) +32.5

Full results HERE

The second of our pre-tournament events  – the first of the IMP Pairs – is in progress as we speak.  Don’t forget Saturday’s IMP Pairs (a separate event) at 16:00, and our Charity Tournament on Sunday, also at 16:00.

This year’s charity is the Madeira Cerebral Palsy Association (Associação de Paralisia Cerebral da Madeira) – see the .pdf linked HERE for more information.  Please come and support this good cause, and enjoy some bridge at the same time.

The first event of the 2021 Madeira International Bridge Open was won by Lasse Utter and Maria Tulonen of Finland (NS) and Allie Hoenstok and Hans Metselaar of the Netherlands (EW).  Congratulations to our first winners of the year.

Full results HERE

Don’t miss the chance of some early face-to-face bridge – tonight the Portuguese Simultaneous Pairs starts at 20:30, in the Congress Room at VidaMar.

If you need a partner, please speak to the Welcome Desk (open 18:00 – 20:30 Thursday 28th), and we will try our best to find someone for you.

Madeira currently has a low rate of infections and active cases.  It is important that we do nothing to change that.

We will require you to present ONE of the following before you can be issued with your badge:

• a valid Covid vaccination certificate
• a negative antigen/lateral flow test in the last 48 hours
• a negative PCR test result in the last 72 hours

If you arrived in Madeira in advance of the tournament and your test is older than 48/72 hours, rapid antigen tests may be obtained from any of the locations listed HERE.  There is also a testing station outside the Mamma Mia restaurant in front of VidaMar.

At present, Regional Government regulations require the wearing of masks at all times in indoor public venues, so masks will be required at the table.

These requirements may change, depending on the Regional Government’s regulations, in which case we will post an update here.

If you have booked a package with accommodation and airport transfers, you will be collected from the airport at the pickup point in the photograph below..

Drivers may only enter the passenger pick-up area 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time of the flight, so please take this into account.

Please see the new section on Early Bird discount and cancellation deadlines, on our REGISTRATION page

There was an error in the package prices for double rooms at TERRACEMAR and VILA BALEIRA.  Please see the updated flyers for the correct prices.

We are now open for entries for the 24th Madeira International Bridge Open.  Please use the Entry Form A (for packages including hotel) or B (for bridge-only bookings) above.

Early Bird discounts apply to bookings confirmed and paid for by 31st August.

The bridge-only entry fees for 2021 are now available on the Entry Fees page.

The acrylic separator screens we introduced in 2020 to improve player safety.