World Bridge Olympiad: Ireland's team of John Carroll, Tommy Garvey, Nick FitzGibbon, Adam Mesbur (all Dublin), Tom Hanlon (Rochfortbridge), Hugh McGann (Fermoy), with non-playing captain Gay Keaveney (Galway), has advanced to the quarter-finals of the world bridge Olympiad in Istanbul.
In the qualifying round robin, after winning 13 and drawing one of their 17 20-board matches, they finished second to England, and became the first ever Irish team to win through to the knock-out stages of the world championship event. Four teams qualified from each of four groups of 18.
In round 16 of the knock-out, Ireland met Sweden in an 80-deal match played over five sets of 16 computer-dealt hands. The Irish had an early setback in the first set when Hugh McGann, a doctor by profession, in the middle of playing a slam, was suddenly called from the table to attend to a man who had become ill. When he returned to the table he lost concentration and went down in the slam to get a minus score.
Despite the unfortunate incident, they won the set by 10 points. They also won the second set but Sweden scored heavily in the third to go into a narrow lead. However, all six Irish players played faultless bridge from then on to win the next two sets and take the match by the overall score, 193-160. In the quarter finals Ireland will play the Netherlands, who beat Germany 175-142. England, after finishing in front of Ireland in the qualifying rounds subsequently lost to Pakistan, 164-201.
The championship title holders, Italy, came from behind to defeat USA, 158-146. Other results: Hungary 182, France 168; Russia 170, Turkey 163; China 218, Iceland 104; Japan 223, Egypt 199.
The quarter finals draw is: Ireland v. Netherlands; Hungary v. Russia; China v. Japan; Pakistan v. Italy. In the women's championship, Ireland's Ena Cleary (Limerick), Mary Finn (Cork), Anne-Marie Carroll, Hilary Dowling-Long (both Dublin), Brid Kirby (Limerick) and Maureen Pattinson (Ennis), with non-playing captain B.J.O'Brien (Dublin), failed to qualify for the knock-out stages.
At half-way in the first round of the knock-out stage the scores were: China 125 South Africa 36; Croatia 67 Sweden 64; USA 105 Turkey 55; Poland 76 Austria 63; Finland 62 Netherlands 42; Germany 58, Russia 26; France 95 Greece 68; England 79 Italy 48.
The US yesterday won the seniors (over 55) event over the Netherlands and Germany, who won silver and bronze respectively. The championships continue until Saturday next.