ACBL World Computer-Bridge Championship, VII

Jack Retains Title of World Computer-Bridge Champion

The American Contract Bridge League’s 7th annual world computer-bridge championship pitted nine of the best bridge-playing programs from around the world against each other for the title of 2003 World Computer-Bridge Champion.  The venue was Menton, France, at the site of the European Bridge League’s first Open European Championships.  The climate was “cool” as the computer-bridge championship was played at the Bridge Club of Menton, the only air-conditioned bridge playing facility in Menton.  Players participating in the Open Championship, along with journalist, came to watch the action.  Some came because they were truly interested in the progress of computer-bridge and some came to get away from the sweltering heat in the human playing areas.

Al Levy, this year’s ACBL president, established this event in 1997 at the suggestion of New York Times bridge editor, Alan Truscott, and has been the coordinator ever since.  The championship is to be held annually at an important international bridge event.  The preceding six championships were held three times at ACBL NABCs and three times at World Bridge Federation world championships.

The five-day format started with a 20-board round robin, scored on a 25 VP scale, with the top four programs advancing to the 64-board KO segment, with carryover.  To have a carryover in the KO segment, a program must have both won its head-to-head round robin match and ended higher in the overall round robin standings than its KO opponent.  The carryover is then the lesser of these two VP differences.

Round Robin 20-board matches

 

 Place

 VPs

BCB

Baron

Jack

Meadow

Micro

Oxford

Q-Plus

Sabrina

Wb5

Blue Chip Bridge
UK

7

88

Imps

VPs

16-80

3

14-84

2

92-40

25

28-67

7

18-50

8

41-42

15

75-9

25

34-96

3

Bridge Baron
USA

4

141

80-16

25

 

36-44

14

106-29

25

55-63

14

64-75

13

27-52

10

132-10

25

46-45

15

Jack
The Netherlands

2

162

64-14

25

44-36

16

 

126-22

25

13-39

10

82-22

25

61-47

18

134-06

25

45-30

18

Meadowlark Bridge
USA

8

29

40-92

5

29-106

1

22-126

0

 

10-120

0

25-138

0

1-132

0

66-27

23

0-108

0

Micro Bridge
Japan

3

161

67-28

23

63-55

16

39-13

20

120-10

25

 

102-12

25

55-38

19

113-5

25

21-56

8

Oxford Bridge
UK

6

121

50-18

22

75-64

17

22-92

3

138-25

25

12-102

0

 

48-41

16

110-26

25

50-59

13

Q-Plus Bridge
Germany

5

128

42-41

15

52-27

20

47-61

12

132-1

25

38-55

11

41-48

14

 

107-8

25

19-65

6

Sabrina
France

9

9

9-75

2

10-132

0

6-134

0

27-66

7

5-113

0

26-113

0

26-119

0

 

7-114

0

Wbridge5
France

1

165

96-34

25

45-46

15

30-45

12

108-0

25

56-21

22

59-50

17

65-19

24

114-7

25

 

After nine round robin segments, with each program sitting out one round, Wbridge5 topped all competitors with 165 VPs.  Closely behind were two-time defending champion, Jack, with 162 VPs, and Micro Bridge with 161 VPs.  Fourth place was decided in the final round robin segment, in which Bridge Baron defeated Wbridge5 46-45 to narrowly take fourth place over Q-Plus Bridge.

Wbridge5, finishing first and played fourth place Bridge Baron, while second place Jack was matched against third place Micro Bridge. The competition was so close that there were no carryovers in either semifinal match.

In their semifinal match, Jack defeated Micro Bridge 167-81.  Would history repeat itself with Wbridge5 and Jack meeting in the finals, as they did last year in Montreal? Bridge Baron had something to say about that.  In one of the strongest comebacks in computer-bridge history Bridge Baron came back from a 47 Imp deficit, with 16 boards to play, to defeat Wbridge5 143-139.

Semifinals

Carryover

1-16

17-32

33-48

49-64

Total

Wbridge5, France

0

20

60

40

19

139

Bridge Baron, USA

0

36

19

18

70

143

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jack, The Netherlands

0

36

33

59

39

167

Micro Bridge, Japan

0

9

26

12

34

81

One board that gave Wbridge5 some of its early lead was board 16 of the third quarter.

Board 16
Dlr: West
Vul: E-W

 

ª 10 7
© A 10 8 4 3
¨ 9 7 4 2
§ 6 3 

 

ª 6

© 9 6

¨ A K Q 8 3

§ Q J 7 5 2

N

 

W         E

 

S

ª 9 5 3 2
© Q J 7 2
¨ J 6 5
§ K 8

 

ª A K Q J 8 4
© K 5
¨ 10
§ A 10 9 4

 

 

West North East South
BB Wb5 BB Wb5
1¨ Pass  1© Dbl
2§ Pass 2¨ 3ª
Pass 4ª All Pass

West led the ¨A at both tables, and shifted a trump.  Winbridge5 played best for 10 tricks, playing ©K, a heart to the ©A and the §3, avoiding East getting on lead to return a second trump.  If West has a second trump declarer is going down in 4ª, unless West errs.  If West has the §K Q J and a second trump it would be a mistake to ruff the second heart.  At the other table, Bridge Baron stopped in 3ª and also made 10 tricks, and 6 Imps to Wbridge5.

In the finals Jack defeated Bridge Baron 188-117 to retain the title of World Computer-Bridge Champion. This is Jack's third year in a row as title holder. Jack won the 2001 championship in Toronto, defeating Micro Bridge in the final, and the 2002 championship in Montreal, defeating Wbridge5 in the final.

Final

Carryover

1-16

17-32

33-48

49-64

Total

Bridge Baron, USA

 

26

29

6

56

117

Jack, The Netherlands

2

79

34

56

17

188

Jack accumulated an early lead, in part due to board 7, and never looked back.

Board 7
Dlr: West
Vul: Both

 

ª K J 10 2
© J 7
¨ A 2
§ K 9 8 7 6

 

ª Q
© K 10 9
¨ J 8 5 34
§ Q J 10 4 3

N

 

     W       E    

 

S

ª A 9 8
© 8 6 5 4 3
¨ Q 6 4
§ A 2

 

ª 7 6 5 4 3
© A Q 2
¨ K 10 9 7
§ 5

 
West North East South
BB Jack BB Jack
Pass 1§ Pass 1ª
Pass 2ª Pass 2 NT !
Pass 3© ! Pass 4ª
All Pass

After 2ª by North, South made an asking bid and North showed 4 trumps and a minimum hand.  Jack (South) judged that game was a good Imp bet and bid game.  Bridge Baron (BB) led the §Q.  Jack ducked and eventually ruffed out the §A to set up the §K for a diamond pitch.  +620 to Jack

In the replay, Bridge Baron stopped in 3ª.  Jack led the ¨5.  Bridge Baron won the ¨K in hand and led to the §K and East’s §A.  Nine tricks were the limit.  +140 and 10 Imps to Jack.

Bridge Baron made a comeback in the fourth quarter, but was too far behind to make it close.  Bridge Baron demonstrating good play on board 53.

Board 53
Dlr: North
Vul: N-S 

ª Q T 8 2
© 9 7 6
¨ A 9 6
§ 8 4 3

  

ª J 7 6 5 4
© A J 8 4
¨ K 5 4
§ 9

 N    

E        W    

S    

ª A K 3
© Q 5
¨ Q 3 2
§ A J 7 6 2
  ª 9
© K T 3 2
¨ J T 8 7
§ K Q T 5		  

 

West North East South
BB Jack BB Jack
  Pass 1NT Pass
2§ Pass 2¨ Pass
3© ! Pass 4ª All Pass

Using Smolen, Bridge Baron reached  4ª, while, at the other table, Jack stopped in 3ª.  It looks as if there are two certain trump losers and two more in diamonds after the ¨J lead is ducked to the Queen, but Bridge Baron found a winning line of play. The §A followed by a club ruff and then a spade to the Ace for a second club ruff. A spade to the King put the lead back in the South hand. The ©Q came next, ©K, ©A, and then the ©J. A heart ruff with the ª3 and then the §7 ruffed with the ª7. East was end played and had to concede a diamond to the King for declarer's tenth trick.

Great Software Giveaway Promotion

In recognition that bridge is a wonderful game for youngsters, helping to develop their logical and analytical skills, the ACBL Educational Foundation funded a software giveaway, in conjunction with the world computer-bridge championship.  This funding, along with the cooperation of the software developers, will allow at least 150 pieces of software to be given away to young players, under 26 years old, who are members of a recognized National Bridge Organization.  The programs to be given away include, Jack, Bridge Baron, Micro Bridge, Q-Plus Bridge, Oxford Bridge, Blue Chip Bridge, and Fred Gitelman’s Bridge Master 2000.

Thanks to the European Bridge League, and in particular, Gianarrigo Rona, president of the EBL, and the president’s assistant, Christina MacEachen, for their support in running this year’s championships.  Special thanks to Felix Giani, president of the Bridge Club of Menton, for his total cooperation.  Most of all, thanks to all the contestants who participated with great sportsmanship and mutual cooperation.  Their goal is clearly to push the state-of-the-art as far as they can.

Maybe one day we will see Jack and company defeat a team captained by Zia and company.  Or, how about a challenge to Bill Gates, who claimed last year, in a press conference at the WBF championships in Montreal, that he could beat the best bridge-playing programs.

For more information on the World Computer-Bridge Championship, including its history, past championship results, articles and pictures, go to computerbridge.com or allevybridge.com/allevy/Menton.

See a write-ups by Mike Whittaker and New York Times article