Kelan loses the head and the challenge and MacCormac delivers

This afternoon we had the end of the Qualifying 6 rounds for the European open Pairs
We have some good news. I don't know how clear this is but in short our 6 players qualified for
the A semi final of the European Open Pairs.

Thomas MacCormac B Saker
Thomas Hanlon John Carroll
Ronan McMaugh Marcin Rudzinski

This afternoon I finished the challenge with Kelan and I was successful. Kelan was unlucky on the first 2 boards as he bid a decent 6 clubs contract and hit a 4-1 break and a few other odds and ends.
Then on the 2nd board Kelan bid a good 7 clubs grand slam. Unfortunately for him there was 4 to the JACK of trumps offside. Needless to say Kelan still attempted the endplay.

Galligan v Kelan boards 1-10

Galligan v Kelan Boards 11-16

European Pairs and Kelan

This morning the 2nd stage of the qualifying for the Open Pairs takes place. We have 3 Irish Pairs involved.

1. Legendary Irish bridge teacher Thomas McCormac partnered by Saker

2. Famous Tyrone bridge player Ronan McMaugh along with Polish national and 

    Irish international bridge player Marcin Rudzinski 

3. Thomas Hanlon and John Carroll. 

All 3 are currently running well in the qualifying positions. 

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Today while watching the scores coming through on the webfeed I was playing a  BBO CHALLENGE against the unknown bridge player Kelan from Kerry. 

He is a great supporter of Kerry GAA. 

Here are the first 10 boards and Eamon thinks he is in good shape for a tight game against Kelan.

Galligan versus Kelan 1-10    Movie

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Also there was a Twitch feed with commentary on the Euro Teams Final 

Twitch feed of Netherland v Mossop

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On Monday I saw the most bizarre bid ever 

After a weak 2H open by West the bridge player found the bid of 2NT showing 12-14 hcp and the other major. Apparently this is called Hackett convention.

A few boards later another demonstration of the Hackett convention in flying form. 

Again 2H opening by West and the bridge player bids 3 Diamonds alledgedly the Hackett convention showing 15+ points and bidding will continue from there. 

Galligan is wondering why there is no 2 Spades bid in Hackett .. 

European Open Teams moving day June 23 2019

Meanwhile out in INSTANBUL  we have the European Open Team championships.

Ireland are represented by Team Moran and Team MacCormac. Starting today both teams were struggling but we had some hope for Team Moran as they have plenty of Top 32 class in their team.
Led by the lengthy partnership of Mesbur Fitzgibbon who might have 100 years of bridge experience between them. They also have Thomas Hanlon and the swashbuckling pair of Garvey and Carroll.

Hopefully they have done loads of preparation for this event. Adam Mesbur and Nick Fitzgibbon have been very visible on BridgeBase Online in the last 6 months. I heard Krystoff Martens telling the lads a few years ago .. "You guys amateurs .. you guys need 10 days of warm up to reach our level" "Me proffessional ..always ready to go"

Anyway this afternoon the bridge started at 12 noon due to a local event in Turkey clashing.

Round 6

A good start for Team Moran
Round 7

A slight hiccup and loss of momentum ..
Board 29 might need some analysis if they remain alive after 2 more matches

Round 8 and still alive but still many teams to overtake and little room for error

2 matches to go and 9 VPS approx to make up .. Not only 9 VPS but also got to overtake 30 teams as well so need plenty of flat matches to allow Team Moran reach the coveted 32nd or higher position.

Meanwhile the Irish ladies team are treading water mid table just outside the top 8 about 6 VPS to make up but only about 5 teams to overtake in a much smaller event.
There is also a 4 nations team powered by Malahide stalwart Mary Kelly Rogers. They are just outsde the top 8 also although as I type they are in 8th place leading Poland by 8-5 in imps.
However Poland are awful strong.

Team MacCormac languish in the lower regions of OPEN TEAMS BUT THE Dubs are in action and Meath are keeping them at bay for now.

Hmmm I almost forgot my next video including 4 more boards of the challenge versus Kelan.
Galligan v Kelan 2

The Waterford Whisperers strike oil

Sometime towards the end of last week the news filtered through about the Waterford Whispers.
The Whisper was that they won something. Now the Waterford Whisperers often win things but normally it is in Ireland or up the North.
Normally John Phelan is touted for how dark the glasses are on a Sunday morning. A great man to drink a pint and for many years has been known for great ability to fall asleep when sated.
The man can fall aleep on a bar stool and then suddenly awaken and start drinking again like nothing happened.
Anyway for some reason I downloaded some bridge bulletin to see how other things were going and was greeted by a page that said 3rd place John and Lucy Phelan. Good God I thought.

Now I know some people will say its only the EBL Cup 2 but most of those people are hurlers on the ditch. Somewhat like the poor Waterford hurlers this year. Still those same hurlers remain on the same ditch as pre tournament possibilities GALWAY and on a much higher ditch then OFFALY.

The Phelans favourite convention is WEASEL and also John Phelan's partner is the BPIW.
The Phelans never seem to be very good when it comes to playing bridge but they seem to win loads of stuff. They must be nearly GRANDMASTERS of BRIDGE at this stage.

I ALSO have a video about the first 8 boards of myself against Kerry crook Kelan in bridge

Galligan v Kelan June 23rd

Kelan the Kerry Bridge player loses and Murphy bids a slam

This morning one took on the might of the Kerry Bridge player in a BBO challenge.
Now the Kerry bridge player is a much more refined animal than the tantrum throwing wild child of the late 2000s. I played against him once in the Duais when he was a kid and he almost danced on the table when I stroked him. I was playing with Gordon Lessels. He was a right murphyslaw back then.

Murphy goes outside and bangs his head off the railings outside Malahide Regional Bridge club everytime Jumping jumps the bidding beyond the reasonable.

Anyway Kelan has been beating me regularly and heavily. if I have a bad set its 37imps in the bin.

So this morning I hoped for better ....and I got a great stroke of luck.

6 spades making off 2 aces ...the thing of dreams

So the robot led off the Heart Ace and switched to a non diamond
Now Galligan needs 3-3 Hearts or doubleton Jack.
And blessed are the overbidders.
plus 1430

Here is the full video including the celebration
Galligan slams Kelan

I have heard there was some good action in Malahide last night. Magic Murphy says he bid 3 slams.
However he missed one on board 14 it seems and one of them must have revoked on board 11.
On board 21 it appears some one failed to make the matchpoint effort of converting to NoTrump.
37 points between them.
I also noticed a board where several strong players played in HEART part score when Magic Murphy drove to a SLAM .. Ronan and Gilligan declare 1H safely while Magic Murphy roars into 6S.
I think the throne is under attack .. Murphy is about to take over the crown.

The Magic not only bids game but moves on and bids a slam. Down the bottom you can see 3 pairs not even arriving in game. Looks like Malahide has a new boss.

Wednesdays are bad days for BBO challenges

Wednesday is Bridge-Now day as come 1am its the end of the Bridge-Now week.
Therefore all challenges must be finished early in the day so Galligan can have a run at getting 70 boards played. Usually Eamon comes up short as he leaves it too late in the night.

However its a great way to get in some practice and warm up for real bridge.

Link to Bridge Now

Meanwhile out in Europe Open Bridge the Waterford Whisperers are toiling away.
Otherwise known as John "Brick" Phelan and Mrs "Brick " Phelan.

They always put down bricks in dummy.
Promise 6-9 and its always 8-9
Their motto is never go Minus ...as plus in part score beats down in SLAM ..

The Waterford Whisperers qualified into the SEMI FINAL A in Mixed Pairs
along with the non-whispering WALSH and KEMPLE.

Poor Murphy ran into some heavy flak in this latest battle.
We also played a BASH recently and Noel was semi content with his 41.5%

Galligan v murphyslaw


I also finished a challenge with Peter from Donegal. He likes Pink Floyd in the background.
We don't know the result of this challenge as Peter is still to finish.

Galligan v Donegalman

Meanwhile storm Kelan has been on the horizon for several months.
I don't like playing Kelan as he is a fully active bridge player whereas Eamon has retired to Directing.
However one of these days Eamon might make an effort.

I mean whoever heard of a Kerry bridgeplayer apart from Nicky Wheels and Bernard Goldenfield.
I used to think Bernard was the best player in Kerry but then I found out he was from Manchester.

Eurobridge Mixed Pairs 2019 and Shane returns to bridge

Meanwhile over in Instanbul the first stage of the Mixed Pairs qualifying is over. Of our aforementioned two pairs who were bringing up the rear after 5 boards one Walsh and Kemple climbed all the way to 77th place out of 240. They might sneak a place in the A semi final but due to dropins from the Teams knockouts will probably end in the B semi fnal.

Boland Onishuk and Waterford Phelans placed in the early 100s and its B final for them
The best in the west according to Mairead got spanked badly and ended in early 200s. The Bray terrors failed to get moving too much and qualified for the B semi final.

However many world reknowned bridge players failed to make it into semi final A so thats the way it goes.

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Bridgemaster..1

An another subject the Bridgemaster program one of my favourite pieces of bridge kit for many years. We had some new developments.
I advised an up and coming bridge player from Malahide to give it a go. The person returned and indicated Bridgemaster should be sent to Panda recycling and fast. The person could not work out that when the program told him down 1 at trick 2 it was being nice and not wasting time.

Bridgemaster was written by Fred Gitelman about 25 years ago or more as a DOS program.
Its still a fantastic piece of kit but Fred has now placed it free of charge on Bridgebase Online.
However my person could not understand that it was getting a good deal.

My person could not grasp that when he took a losing finesse that the next time when it disdained the finesse that the finesse now worked. So it threw a strop.

Bridgemaster 2

The other night in the local pub due to circumstances unmentionable here the legendary barman Shane Maxwell was pressed back into service. Now I took the liberty of attempting to teach Shane bridge several years ago. This was a hard task as Shane at the time knew everything about everything. He would tell a fishing correspondent how to fish and a boat how to float.

So Shane knew bridge and even more so when the first hand he played saw him defending against 6NT by the WBridge5 robots. Shane held KQJT of clubs and like any newbie led off the CLUB 10.
Later on as robot cruised towards 12 tricks Shane noted he was getting squeezed but did not know the term squeeze so he discarded KQJ of clubs as he saw no way out. Then his partner was able to win trick 12 with Club 9 and trick 13 with some other card. DOWN 1 and Shane the Unblocker was born.
Now the bugger was even more unbearable. He had added bridge expertise to his long list of know all things.

3 years later Shane was on the drinking side of the bar and now almost qualified electrician and still knowing lots about everything. We got Shane playing some online bridge. Slowly I realized and noticed that Shane never bid past 3 level. So I took the bait and asked.

Shane explained that you get game bonus for 3 level.

Apparently Shane was so busy talking as Eamon was giving him the crash course that he only heard the part about 3NT getting a game bonus and presumed it was same for 3C 3D 3H 3S.
You see I wondered why he was stopping in 3H and 3S with big hands. He said ..game bonus and too far from a slam.

So I educated Shane a little more ... REVELATION he said ...
This is a game changer ...You did not tell me the full rules.
It was all my fault ..

So last week Shane indicated he was still a top bridge man but he was flying under the radar and was somewhat busy. However this night he indicated willingness to have a go at bridge after first offering 20 shots handicap in a game of GOLF. I don't play GOLF so that was not going to work.

So I offered him BRIDGEMASTER and SHANE said " Well I guess I will try level 3 for starters and then maybe level 4.... Level 1 is for dunces "

I put him going on Level 1 and those red circles indicate FAILURE.

That shut him up for all of 10 hours ...Shane rose the next morning and pulled out his laptop before work and scored 27 out of 30 on level 1.

I said "Great so is it level 2 tonight .." He said "Nope I got lots of Level 1 to finish first"

European Bridge Opens continue Instanbul

A woman asked me yesterday was there any bridge on last weekend. I replied "Yes of course the European Open championships in Instanbul" There is an interesting name wonder what does it mean.

Anyway the Joan Kenny plus 5 team qualified comfortably in 3rd place in the European Mixed Teams qualifying. 32 teams out of 86 qualified for the knockouts. 

Now as far as I know leading teams can pick their last 32 opponent. 

(v) In the Mixed knockout the teams placed 1–10 in the Swiss are seeded nos. 1-10. They, in that order, get to choose their “round of 32” opponents from the teams placed 17th -32th in the Swiss. Those chosen teams are assigned seed nos. 32-23 respectively. The remaining seed nos. 11-22 are assigned in ascending order according to the final Swiss ranking.

So the Kenny team picked some Lu Dong team. Now that is always going to end in tears. 

Simple maths indicates as China owns 1/5 of the worlds population then any folk who travel to European Open Bridge championships are going to be damn good. So the last thing you want to do is pick Chinese as your cannon fodder. 

And so it became a good hiding for the Kenny Team. 

That Chinese team finished 3rd place in the last Mixed World championship in Orlando Florida. 

3 minutes on Google got me this. I would have picked a team who came out of the depths whereas Team Lu Dong has form and spent most of qualifying in the qualifying positions so playing tougher teams. However in the last 32 of any Euro championship all teams are very capable. 

Still look for one coming from the depths or a trans national team as partnerships unlikely to be as practiced. 

Meanwhile this morning I finished off my challenge against Mullingar Man and beat him by 32 imps. Mullingar man is not playing too well these last 2 months. He of course will say its Golf time and not bridge time. However he might be struggling at the golf as well. 

Here is a link to the last few boards plus some commentary on Euro Open championships

Galligan v Mullingar Man

Meanwhile Fearghal and Mairead will be touting Joan Kenny as a superstar now as she qualified in this and that and she done this and that. However its easier to be a superstar West of the Shannon. 

Best woman player in IRELAND they say .. Well there is no Shannon in China.

First thing this morning I spotted the Irish Terrors were struggling in Euro Mixed Pairs.
However I know they will improve some.

However things have imporved since but all 5 IRISH pairs remain below halfway for now.

European Open Bridge begins 2019

This morning the European Open Bridge event begins in Turkey. Teams led by Johnny Phelan and Terry Walsh enter the fray from Ireland. There is also a team which includes Wooden Spoons Kenny.
The Spoons team might trouble the scorers.
A disappointed Johnny Phelan has already suffered the hurling pain with Waterford losing 4 matches in a row at the stickball. However at least it was good for some people who bet against Waterford.
There is always next year. However those hurlers will be able to login to BBO and support the Waterford card playing star who supports them.
Johnny Phelan the best bridge player in Waterford these days. However he is not allowed say that as its best for Johnny to declare her indoors as the best. That way he gets to drink more beer and stay up later.

Meanwhile in recent challenges Mullingarman is no longer at the races and just loses most challenges.Even Murphyslaw can defeat Mullingarman regularly these days. Wilsopd got beaten this morning by a small margin. Same happened Murphyslaw.
Finally Murphyslaw played 20 boards last night and was very happy to manage 41.5%. I am struggling to understand how that is a win. Most people after getting 41.5% zip up their coats and pretend they were not in the bridge club.

Galligan versus Donegalman    video

At this moment in the European Mixed Pairs Wooden Spoons Kenny is taking on the might of Pierre Zimmerman. After 4 boards Wooden Spoons Kenny is giving him the porridge. 10-2 in oats.
Then on Board 26 with 43 tables in play ..Wooden Spoons Kenny is the only pair not to bid 3NT with a 26 combined high card points and a good 5 card diamond suit.

Somehow the only pair in the whole room of  43 matches thus 86 tables to stay out of game.

Then the Zimmerman overstretched and got into 4H and Wooden Spoons Kenny doubled and got it off loads .. Maybe 5 off. Zimmerman thought Kenny was a dunce but found out the hard way and 1400 points later. 

Meanwhile the aforementioned Waterford hurlers led by Mick the  Brick will be watching carefully as they note how Johnny Phelan put Osbourne and Hinden to the sword.
25 imps ..thats like the drubbings Waterford used to get off Cork 40 years ago in the stickball.
However one expects Team Badger to arrive at the cutting point when the qualifiers are sent into the knockouts while Team Phelan will meet with same fate as other Waterfords.

Sligo Bridge Congress 2019

Good morning or evening folks

The Fearghal extravaganza is upon us. I hear several Malahides mentioning they are going on their annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Fearghal just beside the funny mountain with no peak.
One woman cannot go as her leg is hurt and thus she cannot climb some Gullion mountain.
All the others are going because they love either BRIDGE or SLIGO or Fearghal.

Now Fearghal just sits on his throne and directs operations. There are loads of Sligo and further afield folk motoring in the background sorting out all sorts of stuff. I don't know their names but Fearghal knows them all.

However Sligo better beware as the Malahides are coming. They will be telling about their own extravaganza next March in the Grand Hotel Malahide. First weekend in March I think.
The Carabines are coming and the Dolan as well and a few others in the B Pairs.
However they will find the going much tougher down the country. All these opponents are well groomed by Fearghal and Mairead and come armed with Stayman and Lebensohl hatchets.

Then in the A pairs the Malahide assault continues .. The Deane squad along with Rachel one of the Malahide Congress leaders. There is also the men from Mayo McHale and Cunningham.
Cunningham has been ruling the Monday morning Malahide game with an iron fist for the last few months. He is also the fastest player in Malahide. The cards just fly off the table. Sometimes the opponents don't get to quit their last trick or 2 before the flying Mark has another trick in the bag.
However they will find the opponents armed with extra Lebensohl and some Keycard Blackwood axes from Fearghal and Maireads Monday night training sessions.

We don't have many Congress Pairs entrants yet but the Ronans and Kelly Rogers will fly the flag.
No sign of Thomas Gilligan this weekend but he must be busy elsewhere. However there is time yet to get more entries. Delaney Brady and Boland Raymaeker will give the Congress Pairs a good run.
There is also the unknown (to me) capabilities of Brown and Pender. One should also beware of the unknown 3NT convention axe wielder Kelan O'Connor. He claims no agreement but 3NT to play is an agreement. Fearghal will be checking all 3NTs declared by South and removing all tops gained by the agreement.

I hear some thunder outside.

This morning I took on Magic Murphy at bridge. I barely got over the line in a tight finish.
Tonight Magic Murphy will showcase his talents to Malahide Regional Bridge Club.
I made a big mistake in forgetting to be aware of a long spade in the West hand on a 3NT where I was heading for 11 tricks ... ended up with 8.
However my extra class was able to outrun the Murphy by a few imps ... 4 I think.
The video is here

Galligan v Magic Murphy June 6th 2019

No sign of any Malahides in the Congress teams but Zrinka is arriving with Pat McDaids fridge.
Michael O'Kane is definitely playing .. He is entered on 2 teams. Or could there possibly be 2 Mickael O'Kanes.

Sligo Congress 2019 Brochure.

No Inter A teams ... How weird is that
What will the Deane squad do on Sunday.