oct 20

English 2020 אוקטובר 206 גיליון 47 On August 28, one of the greatest women bridge players of our time, with two Venice Cup titles and one World Mixed Teams title to her name, prematurely passed away. Catherine D’Ovidio dedicated her life to bridge and was a full-time bridge professional. Once she told an interviewer that after her first bridge lesson (at 19-years old) she went back home and told her parents: “One day I will be world champion”. They were laughing at the time, but the promise was eventually fulfilled. Six year later she and her partner qualified for the French women team. Later that year the team won the European championship, the first of her long list of European and American successes. After having a daughter, her first husband wanted her to give up bridge. Instead, she decided to separate and got remarried at age 38. Seven years later she won her first world title, partnering the legendary Paul Chemla, together with Sabine Auken and Zia Mahmood. The Venice Cup title followed the next year. Catherine reached the top spot in the world’s women ranking. Her last big success came in the European Open Championships at Istanbul 2019, where she won the Women Teams title as a member of the transnational “Apple Pie” team. In a dramatic final against the Poland team, the scores were tied after the final session (and a successful appeal), so the teams had to play a tie-break of four boards. Two good bidding decisions by Catherine during those four boards helped her team to win. Dealer East. Vul N/S A652 KJ63 T74 75 KT74 J3 AT742 Q85 Q95 832 A JT862 Q98 9 AKJ6 KQ943 West North East South Willard Kazmucha D’Ovidio Sarniak Pass 1♣ 1 ♥ Dbl ? It was tempting to support partner at favorable vulnerability, but Catherine made the correct Catherine D’Ovidio (1959-2020) // Ram Soffer