ZIA MAHMOOD IMPROVES HIS OWN BRIDGE RECORD
April, 2000
Zia Mahmood, the flamboyant
Pakistani born Bridge star, presently residing in USA,
has last week added another feather to his illustrious
bridge career. He has bettered his own record by
winning the 14th CAP GEMINI
WORLD TOP Invitational Tournament held in
The Hague, Netherlands, for the 5th time. This
tournament, called "the Wimbledon of Bridge" has not
been won more than twice by any other bridge player.
Zia, partnering a British International player, Andrew
Robson won on the last hand of the tournament in the
most exciting finish ever seen.
In this tournament 16 top pairs of the world, holding
one title or another, are invited to participate. This
time it had the Italian World Championship Pair of
Lorenzo Lauria and Alfredo Versace, US World
Championship Pair of Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell,
besides Brazil's Gabriel Chagas and Marcelo Branco and
Poland's Krzystof Jassem and Piotr Tuszynski.
Zia Mahmood has won this event previously in 1989,
1992, 1995 and 1998, each time with a different
partner, a unique feat indeed.
Fond memories: Here follows an interview with
Zia just prior to the Tunisia World Championships
"I'm proud to play for America,
but I'm still a Pakistani" - Zia
Zia has represented his native Pakistan with great
dignity and unsurpassed ability on many occasions. Twice
he led Pakistan to incredible heights - second place in
the Bermuda Bowl in Westchester, New York, in 1981 and
second place in the Rosenblum Teams in Miami Beach in
1986.
This time it's different -
Zia is representing the United States in the Bermuda
Bowl. "But I am still a Pakistani, not an American," he
said as he relaxed by the pool here in Hammamet. "I am
proud and happy to be representing America, but my
Pakistani identity is in no way submerged. I feel like a
Pakistani who is living in America and playing for
America."
To prove his point, Zia asked that we be sure to see how
his American team comes to the table for the opening
match. "Our whole team will be dressed in Pakistani
outfits. I consider this to be a noble and warm gesture
on the part of my American teammates. I feel that my
whole team is Pakistani at heart." Of course Zia will be
ecstatic if his team wins the Bermuda Bowl - but he's not
at all sure it will be the biggest bridge thrill of his
life. "It's one thing if you win a world championship
surrounded by some of the best players in the world. It's
something else again to place second in the Bermuda Bowl
and the Rosenblum Teams with a motley group of pirates -
my courageous countrymen -- who made up for their lack of
experience and ability with their intense desire to play
like champions against the best the world had to offer."
For his part, Zia is happy to be in a country like the
United States - a country that "opens its arms to the
whole world. It's a major part of the American heritage
that this country acts as a cauldron for persons from all
nations of the world. Because of this heritage, Pakistan
can benefit greatly from my appearance on an American
team - a win with me on the team will be a huge boost for
Pakistan.
" Does all this mean that Zia will never again play for
Pakistan? No way! "The time may come when I return home
and lead Pakistan into the world championships again." As
for the Bermuda Bowl competition, Zia believes this is
the strongest field ever to compete in this event. "This
field is so strong that it is premature to think about
winning. Our focus is on qualifying - I don't want to go
home a week early."
It goes without saying that Zia believes the two
American teams are strong contenders here. "Then there's
Italy - they've been winning everything in sight. And
France, winner of the Olympiad last year, is strong
again. The other European teams also figure to be
formidable. And don't ever count Brazil out of the
picture. My gut feeling is that Brazil has returned to
the heights it achieved a few years ago. I haven't played
against the Far East teams recently, but they must be
very good. It has to mean something when Indonesia, a
finalist in last year's Olympiad, couldn't finish in the
top two in their own Far East zone. I always have had
respect for Patrick Huang and his Chinese Taipei team,
and it certainly appears that China is making its mark in
the bridge world. Only eight teams will qualify for
knockout play. It's going to be a real dogfight."
There's one thing Zia would change if he were in charge
of the world championships. "I would reduce the number of
systems and conventions everybody could play. Maybe just
Stayman and Blackwood would be enough. Then I could be
looking at all the beautiful girls in the pool instead of
studying defense here with Michael (Michael Rosenberg,
his partner)."
Zia realizes that bridge has not done all that well in
promoting the game as a spectator sport. "But I think
computers can make the difference. We have already
reached the point where players all over the world can
follow a major tournament by bringing the game up on the
Internet. We have just started in this area, and it
should get better and better as we learn more about how
to do things. Watching bridge on the computer may be the
answer to increasing the popularity of our game."
And his team did come dressed in
Pakistani outfits for their first match!!!
A, drew two rounds of trumps, two top diamonds and a diamond ruff, then 
K, 
