A trip to Italy for a major Bridge Championship always brings back memories of the famous Blue Team. While researching material for the seventy-fifth anniversary issue of Bridge Magazine I came across this article which appeared in January 1968. AMY BAIRD

Monday, 16th October 1967. A day impressed on my mind forever! The day I learnt I would never be a world champion. The day Giorgio Belladonna showed me the difference between his bridge world and mine.

The event was the teams of Four Championship in the International Festival of Bridge at Mallorca.

Dealer South, North-South vulnerable
	ª 9 © 9 4 3 2 ¨ 7 5 § Q 10 9 8 7 6
ª 7 4 © 10 8 7 5 ¨ J 9 8 6 4 2 § A		ª K Q 10 5 © A J 6 ¨ K Q § 5 4 3 2
	ª A J 8 6 3 2 © K Q ¨ A 10 3 § K J

West	North	East	South
-	-	-	1ª
Pass	Pass	Dbl	2ª
3¨	Pass	3NT	All Pass

I led the six of spades, four of spades from dummy, nine from my partner and KING OF SPADES from Belladonna!! Whoopee! I say to myself, my partner has the ten of spades. What kind of a fool am I? Why didn't I double? A chance to take penalty from a member of the Italian Blue Team, Champion of the World and I didn't take it. What's the matter with you, Amy? Getting cold feet in your old age?

Belladonna now plays the king of diamonds, which I duck, and continues with the queen of diamonds and again I refuse the trick. Declarer now leads the knave of hearts which I take with the queen. I now see two entries to dummy, ace of clubs and almost surely, the ten of hearts.

But it doesn't matter, I think, that there are now two entries to dummy, for hasn't my partner the ten of spades, and all I have to do is lead a small spade, declarer must take his queen or loose it forever, then must let me in with the ace of diamonds. I am glad there was no photographer about to take pictures of my face when the seven of spades held the trick. Three no-trumps made it with an overtrick!

Why didn't I lead the ace of spades and get a big club discard from my partner?
So if you ever happen to play against Belladonna, be warned.