Teltscher Trophy 2017 and Bridge Now ratings

Last weekend I attended the Teltscher Trophy as vugraph co-ordinator when I eventually untangled myself from my unco-ordinated route to the La Mon Hotel. Been there about 15 times and still get lost on the way. It helps if one charges ones phone to 100% or brings a car charger.

Eventually got there at about 1400 hours on Saturday for the start of Match 5 and the scoreboard
showed Ireland romping away at the top of the field. This surprised me as England seemed to have a pretty strong team anchored by the well known Tony Forrester assisted by Norman Selway David Kendrick and John Holland. One noted England were a 5 man team and the Teltscher booklet indicated the 5th man had only taken up the game 10 years before although it also indicates a victory in the Premier League in 2008 so he must have learned very quickly.

Anyway on arrival after 4 matches one noted Ireland well in control on about 51 VPs to probably challengers Englands 34 ... In Round 5 Ireland added a 19 by dominating Scotland  to Englands 14 .against Patron so now we are like 70 plays 48. In Round 6 Ireland slipped on a Welsh banana skin while England out ran the Patron. About 7 VPs back and the gap was only 14 with 4 matches to go.
Some doubt was setting in as one player asked me if we could win this thing and wondered did we have to play England again in a direct match.

Sunday morning arrived and it was game on ... England slotted Patron for 18-2 but Ireland held steady with a 17.5 to hold their lead. 96.5 plays 82.8 so 3 matches to go and about 14 VPs in the lead.

In Round 8 we has Ireland versus England. England sent out their front 4 an intimidating collection of Forester Holland Selway and Kendrick. Against this juggernaut CBAI fielded the incredible BJ O'/Brien partered by North Dublins leading bridge teacher Ranald Milne teamed with the perennial Irish National winners Micheal and Padraig O'Brien.

So an Irish pair arrived in 3NT and the English decided to keep him honest with a double.
Its free money as not much difference between 750 and 600 in teams and the double might
put the willies on declarer. Willies it was as our intrepid declarer emerged bruised and bloody with only 6 tricks and minus 800 ...15 euro gone in a small stakes money game. 800 and the possible 750 for making. This board alone is worth 6 VPS of the overall score and as it is the direct match that is arguably 12 VPS swung on a few tricks. The other Irish pair took the insurance in 4S and dropped 300 to add to the 800.

A 16-4 loss and the top of the leaderboard was tightened .. we now had Ireland on 100 VPS playing England on 99 VPs and everyone knew who had the baton.

In Round 7 England played the PATRON and Forrester was at the helm in this 6D contract.

Fortunately for Ireland the great man failed in his quest and the Patron team were allowed a couple of VPS. Its a tough hand to make but running the diamond Queen from dummy is a good start.

Round 9 saw the chasing English side slot the Scots for 20-0 and the competitive Ireland team slotted NIBU for a  respectable 16.7 but now looked up the leaderboard to England with one match remaining. About 2 VPs behind.

Round 10 the final round was the Rex Anderson board.

Rex's Scottish opponents roared into a 6H contract and the always willing Rex led off the Spade Ace.
and Greenwood contributed the KING.
After that some strange things happened ... and one can note the yellow line above.

..............
Ireland played PATRON in the final round and the Lindsay Burns powered PATRON won the day with a 14.5 score while in the other match England slotted the Welsh for almost 20.

All information on the Senior Camrose can be found on http://fob.ie

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Meanwhile this weeks Bridge Now ratings

Igor Milevoj	2270
jim me	2251
Karl Cashen	2145
Patrick 27	2101
WBridge5 (Robot)	2087
pietro serioi	2080
David Welsh	2058	x
MC51	2053	x
Pierre DELVAULX	2046
pinco pallino	2046	x
Jim Wills	2043
Eamon Galligan	2021
John Horn	2013
dr. Eddie	2004
B.J. O'Brien	2002	x
Marek.C	1999	x
Jan Stavast	1970
Terry	1969
Jinn	1966
Kerostia	1960
tom gilligan	1953
миша ройтман	1945
Etienne Delangre	1945
Bernard CARPENTIER	1944	x
George Kissov	1943
gilles lacroix	1941
Tamara de Grady	1939
Claude Martin	1938
pat cassidy	1929
Paul Johnson	1928
Patricia A Kelly	1925
GrantK	1922
Jeannie Fitzgerald	1918
Henry David	1916
Graham Hazel	1914	x
Stanley Lin	1909
Noëlle Delahaye-Levesque	1908
Baile an Mhota	1904
Jens Wamsler	1904
Igor Bek	1902
zozo	1898
Maurice Amar	1896
Yves Costel	1878
Max de Beer	1876
Alice Bayandor	1876
maxim68	1875
Tudor Trocan	1873	x
GUIVARCH Jean François	1870
Fran Swift	1866
marcello martemucci	1863
Maire O'Keeffe	1853	x
michel tourville	1851
Mr Bob	1850
Bill Rasnick	1847
MargyJoy	1845
Kailash Gupta	1844
Jacques Bakker	1834
Courtois Joseph	1834	x
Jean-François MARZAL	1831	x
Henry Lin	1831
Allan McDonald	1830	x
Aldo Real	1829
nahit	1825
Lynn High	1824
Paul East	1824	x
Paule Amar	1822
michel doyon	1819
Art Vandalay	1818
Catherine Dufour	1817
Luc Vanderstichelen	1817
Tommy antonine@eircom.net	1817
Rick Crowe	1813
John Macdonald	1811	x
HMN_WPB	1809	x
Martin Keller	1808	x
Franco Avezzano Comes	1807
Stewart Stacey	1805
Claude Gaubert	1805
Sboby	1804
UTILE 33	1802
Dan PIERRE	1800
lederic15	1799
John Sawyer for Congress	1793
CHARLIE	1793	x
conor foley	1789	x
bgb37	1787	x
gerard clergeau	1783
steven howard	1779
UTILE 06	1777
mayaude de Bonhome	1773
Thierry de Schaetzen	1773
Brigitte COUTHOUIS	1772
Roger Wade	1772
Jean Charles Brothier	1771	x
Stephen Kemper	1771
yordan kaloferov	1769
carter	1768
yanick Huvey	1768
Lacey Sachs	1768
kux	1766

X indicates a player who did not play this week.

So Galligan overtakes the incredible BJ O'Brien who was busy training for the Senior Camrose.

We decay non-players by 2% for not showing up for play.

Anyone can play on http://bridge-now.com

ITS FREE as well ...

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