Bridge in Malahide Monday July 04 2006

Last night I went to Malahide Bridge Club outside Dublin where we have pre dealt boards. Our section was an 8 table Relay Mitchel run by the Muldowneys. Charley Higgins ran the dealing machine.
Board 1-3 played against Kitty and Ann
1. Eamon played in 1D making 9 tricks losing the minimum 4 tricks. Tried to get 10 tricks but ended up scrambling for the normal 9.
2. Opponents declared 4H and after getting an Italian discard strong diamond signal from pard I was able to kick the Diamond Ace out of dummy before it could be used as an entry to a slow spade.
3. Opponents played in a quiet 2H after a Kitty opened a light 1S with 5-5 majors and Eamon overcalled 1NT with AQJ of Spades and opponents made 9 tricks which is the normal amount but at other tables some made 10 and some even bid game.
Board 4-6 versus Dave Galavan and Fred Newell
4. This was a error strewn 1Nt defence by both Eamon and Pat. Pat started by leading AK diamonds setting up 2 tricks in dummy while the Heart Ace remained as entry. This was quite distracting and when the next card a club jack Eamon let it ride when taking with the ACE and returning a club will gather in our entitlement of 6 tricks. Declarer gleefully wrapped up 9 tricks not bothering with a working Spade finesse. Reckon it was a zero.
5. Happy opponents compete to 4Diamonds on next board before realising that 11 tricks were there easily. Not clear to reach 5D though.
6. Pat Cassidy got home in 2NT which does not look like a Christmas present
Boards 7-9 versus Muldowneys
7. Somehow Eamon in 4th seat opened 1Nt with a 14 count and played there , going 2 off vulnerable. This is weird as dealer had an opening but I don't remember.
8. A normal 4S making 11 tricks ..with trump king offside slam cannot make. Eamon stirred pot here with 3D opener and after a double and a mild 3S responce opps played in 4S
9. The lads bid 7H and opponent finds queen of trumps with the book trump lead against a grand slam much to chagrin of the guy with Q83 of trumps
boards 10-12 opponents unnamed
10. Eamon cracked opponents 3S but Pat decided this was further takeout and bid 4Ds going -200 unmolested. 3S is going off handily doubled. Eamons 3 opponents killed him there.
11. opponents played in 2S and after some struggles this contract eventually drifted 1 off.
2H is a more normal contract but you get higher and probably drift off. Bidding at our table went 1H (2D from pard) a weird 2S from next opp and there they played ..
12. Eamon drifted 1 off in a too high 4H contract after PAt produced a jump Heart raise while holding 3 card support. 4 is the normal for this bid but what you don't know you don't worry about.
boards 13-15 opponents unamed
13. Eamon bid a quiet 4H holding AKQTxxx after a 1C opener by Pat. Opps have a profitable sacrifice in 5D going 1 off and 4S going 2 off but Eamons 4H left alone.
14. Eamon and Pat are allowed steal the pot in 2C. Opponents busy thinking about previous hand as we steal their dinner. Opps have lots of tricks in Diamonds
15. Eamon steals away with 10 tricks in diamonds when opps fail to find club switch.
boards 16-18 versus Kate Crossan and Eileen Ludden
16. Eamon gets 10 tricks in 3NT after no help from defence holding 2 aces and a useful AJ of clubs. Eileen Ludden mentioned the possibility of 12 tricks during defense despite holding the 2 aces and the favourable club jack but Eamon not falling for that trickery. However fair play for the effort.
17. Eamon gets 10 tricks in 3NT ...... Don't ask me but I will take it
18. a 10 count overcalled 1H and then bid 2S and finally raised her unwilling 16 count partner to 3NT. Declarer took the least amount of tricks to go 5 off
boards 19-21 versus unknown
19.Eamon plays in 3N with lots of stuff wrong and gets home. With A7x opposite KJ984 in diamonds Eamon considered running the Jack into the 55 major hand but then went somewhat wrong.
20. Pat found the unfortunate low diamond lead and declarer rolled in 11 tricks in 3NT ..not good for us. Declarer took a club finesse early and Eamon when in with Spade Queen continued diamonds to pards expected Ace but it was not to be ..low promised honour and the only missing honor was ACE.
21. Eamon chose the wrong time to mix it up with an Acol 2D opener as it might have got passed but instead the opponent was happy to bid 3NT over the 2S overcall and 3Nt rolled home for 630. Best defence probably holds it to 9 tricks although a non-spade lead can probably beat it but Eamon was confident with a club AQ to be entries but it was not to be.
22-24 versus unknown opps
22. Eamon held 11 major cards opposite a weak 1Nt and played in 2S making 10 tricks.
I bought a 14 count with aces but it might have been 12. Got all the tricks I am entitled to and might have lost another heart
23. We defended against 2S and got it 1 off. This is at least normal but when partner failed to consider ducking the opening heart lead it became a good score. Ducking heart lead gives us easy 6 tricks with chances of another.
24. Pat cassidy played in 2S after some competition and got home for 2S+1 which is quite a good score by the looks of things.

Overall we have too many zeros to win or even place but if everybody plays bad we might get up there. I estimate about 1.0 tops at best but probably we are 0.6 over average. Too many self inflicted errors.

This is written for those with hand records to see it. I might get a pbn file later. Thanks Eamon Galligan eamongall on BBO.

11

Homebase Tourneys

Homebase is a new type of tourney which at the end of the tourney gives all players wonderful feedback.
Makeable contracts and all results and hand records are published
Also every member gets free access to Homebase Bridgebrowser. This is a small version of Stephen Pickets bridgebrowser and includes all hands played on Homebase tourneys.
Great tool for training pairs or teams
highly recommended and great value at 1 dollar a tourney of 12 boards
Thanks
Eamonn Galligan

Inter City BBO League

In the first round of the Inter City BBO League the Irish results were as follows

Connacht 18-12 winners over Meje (Eddie Fitzgerald Mike McDonagh Liz Taaffe Eamon Galligan)
Dublin 4-25 losers to Gdansk .. ( Anonymous)

www.splitbridge.hr has details of this event ..

16 teams participating from many countries ..

Thanks
Eamonn Galligan

Irish Inter B Pairs CHampionship 2006

The Irish Intermediate Bridge Championship was held in County Arms Hotel Birr over weekend of March 25/26 2006 and the results are as follows

Director: Eamon Galligan

Civil Service March 26, 2006
EVENT LEADERS
1 615.54 A 12 Jim (21) Hawkins - John Kelly
2 601.05 B 10 L Mordaunt - J Kennington
3 595.86 A 13 N Barry - M Gleeson
4 594.42 A 21 S Connor - M Roche
5 582.53 B 11 P O'Mahony - B Coneely
6 582.41 B 1 A Roche - D Roche
7 575.15 A 1 B Hanlon - G Canning
8 571.35 A 10 M O'Connell - N Fitzgerald
9 570.32 A 18 D Gill - F Gill
10 569.50 A 17 S O"Connell - B Brownlow
11 567.38 B 2 D Conlon - M Mannion
12 563.54 A 7 M Walsh - C Walsh
13 556.95 A 2 J O'Brien - R Stewert
14 552.16 A 11 B Cody - K SummonsWalsh
15 550.58 A 3 K Quinn - A Dockery
16 547.83 B 7 J McBride - E Fogarty
17 525.21 A 14 S McNamara - J Keating
18 523.38 A 19 S Carroll - B O'Donovan
19 516.34 B 4 M Ni Oistin - C Lehane
20 513.05 A 5 M O'Leary - B Byrne
21 512.78 A 4 M NiChonghaile - B NiFlatharta
22 510.91 A 15 B Cronin - P Hogan
23 510.39 B 5 M Cummins - P Bertoletti
24 504.04 A 6 L Doyle - M Fitzgerald
25 503.05 A 8 S O'Neill - A Auchincloss
26 502.83 A 20 A Sweeney - R Souhan
27 501.96 B 9 B Addis - A Byrne
28 497.75 A 16 I Henehan - P Stylianou
29 492.66 B 6 J Denby - J Lawlor
30 487.71 B 8 M Dolan - B Jennings
31 475.99 B 12 D Rosney - B Owens
32 457.83 B 3 B Madden - M Shanahan
33 430.83 A 23 R Preston - B Hayes
34 429.57 A 22 D Feore - B McQuillan
35 418.47 A 9 O Bowden - J McCarthy

North Dublin League (Masters)

KIRWAN’S MASTERS LEAGUE BULLETIN (REVISED)
As we approach the second last series of the League (April 7th) I have been pondering what to do about the several unfulfilled fixtures. I think it is unlikely they can be played between now and the final series on May 5th, though I would point out the club is available any Friday to teams wishing to rearrange these outstanding matches. In the event of that not happening the matches will continue to be scored as 15-15 draws, unsatisfactory as this is.
In passing, I would point out that the problems have arisen because some of the teams in the League are operating with too few players, with the result that in the case of illness or unavoidable absence of one person the whole team has to cry off. Next season we should insist that only teams with panels of six or more be accepted, and, furthermore, that penalties be imposed on teams failing to fulfil fixtures.
The current League standings are:


1 95 Philip Murphy 20 18 16 25 16
2 92 John Keane 18 21 14 15 24
3 82 Rita Lacey 20 12 20 15 15
4= 76 Eamon Galligan 16 12 14 20 14
4= 76 Maurice Quinn 12 18 10 21 15
6= 73 Bryan Wallace 11 15 15 17 15
6= 73 Barbara Burke 19 9 12 10 23
8 72 Betty Wilson 10 18 16 13 15
9 57 Danny Doona 14 15 18 4 6
10 9 53 Nuala Lynch 10 12 15 9 7

The pairings for round 6 (April 7) are as follows: Philip Murphy v Maurice Quinn. John Keane v Nuala Lynch. Rita Lacey v Barbara Burke. Eamon Galligan v Bryan Wallace. Danna Doona v Betty Wilson.
POSTCRIPT: The team to represent Dublin North Region in the Kelbourne Cup (National team championship, Ballinasloe, April 22-23) will be nominated after our next series. The nomination will go to team leading the League at that point or, failing that, to highest placed team willing to travel.