IBU Trials boards 41-60

Reporting on the IBU Trials final after 40 boards the BJ O'Brien squad led the Moran squad by 4 imps. So onto boards 41-60 out of the 100 total. This event was shown live on BBO and the files can be found on www.bridgebase.com with a small amount of searching. Along with Fergal O'Boyles fantastic results site all the information is available for anyone who wishes to examine how the legendary BJ O'Brien wins bridge games.
With 40 boards gone we the general public expected Team O'Brien to fold but they were not going anywhere yet.

Board 1 was flat 4S
Board 2 both sides played in 4S and Team Moran led HA and that was made. At the other table played the opposite way up it was HQ lead which led to 2 heart tricks and presumably a club ruff later on for down 1... 12 imps to O'Brien
Board 3-4 were flat games
Board 5 saw MacCormac McMaugh over reach into 6D and lose 13 imps. 31 hcp and 9 card trumps often is enough but not today.
Board 6 flat
Board 7 saw O'Brien grab 5 imps for 2 downed partscores
Board 8 saw the O'Brien team attempt declarership in spades at both tables. It does not often show a profit. So this time they lost 600 in undertricks some of them doubled and 12 imps to Moran
Board 9 was an overtrick imp to Moran
Board 10 saw Moran win 2 partscores for 6 imps ...You got to play pretty good to go down only 1 in
3H but it got home.
Board 11 flat
Board 12 saw 4 imps to O'Brien for a knock and a small partscore .. 90 + 50
Board 13 saw Moran win 3 imps for a bigger knock of a  contract
Hanlon declaring 3NT as far as I recall played a kind of terminal CT and CK on trick 1 and
went down in a kibitzers cold one .....However even Hanlon nods
However Boland Moran had his back with 200 and 3 imps off 4S

Board 14 saw 5 imps for an impetuous double of a comfortable 6H by Hanlon McGann.
5 imps to O'Brien
Board 15 flat
Board 16 also flat but down 3 at both tables ... in 2S and 4S ..
Board 17 saw Hanlon McGann doubling another cold 1 and lose 10 imps. They were doomed on
this board anyway as MacCormac McMaugh had found the good 5D sacrifice
Board 18 flat
Board 19 saw Hanlon McGann float home a defeatable 2S to cover Boland Morans 4H-2
Board 20 an overtrick imp to Moran

So after 60 boards and Saturdays action completed O'Brien led Moran by 5 imps much to my surprise. However I know one English lad who was not surprised. He holds that Carrot Club is doomed and all the dunces just pile in and interfere with it. He also believes the Boland Moran
bidding system is antique and last played by 1980s bridge players.

However next post we will see what Sundays action brought. Obviously this event is over and I am
writing after the fact.

http://www.fob.ie/sites/default/files/files/IBU%20OT%20Final%20R4.pdf

http://www.fob.ie/national

Hand records can be found above

Thanks
Eamon Galligan