The Italian job and BJ got mugged

Yesterday evening Team Moran scraped into the Final 8 of the ALT invitational after getting a good trimming from the powerful Nickell squad. Bobby Levin Steve Weinstein Eric Rodwell and Jeff Meckstroth .....4 legends of the game .. However it was only 17 imps and Moran had a chance as is their wont recently on the final board to close it down when Mesbur Fitzgibbon went as far as 5S but stopped short of a decent slam. The Moran 4 some for the match of Hanlon McGann Mesbur and Fitzgibbon is no ordinary foursome but would be outgunned in this scenario.

Next up a quarter final against the overall 2nd place ... BIANCHI.
A phone call from the legendary Irish player indicated he had never heard of any of these opponents bar Alfredo Versace. Clearly he is not on the same planet as me as Giovanni Donati was in Budapest in 2016 as the youngest player in the event .. and on the Italian Open Team. All of the BIANCHI team would probably have BJ for breakfast and still feel hungry in bridge terms.

So Ireland climbed into a 52-33 lead after 19 boards and Bianchi put the head down and pushed for home gathering an unanswered 58 imps before Ireland got the customary last minute try on board 28.

Meanwhile back on the home front the super grandmaster BJ O'Brien was finding the fodder was fighting back and did not care about his 2100 B points or even have any knowledge of them.

So the all conquering BJ rushes into 3NT. Many people would consider allowing the experienced Alan O'Sullivan to have a crack at 4S but not the intrepid BJ. 

So what might we lead as South..Well no normal person would lead a diamond or a spade as that is the opponents suit. 

So why not the unbid major ... So H9 .. 

and down 1 for the super grandmaster .. 

4S might lose 2 trump tricks and a HEART but BJ is not happy ...

.........................................................

Board 17 and after a weak NT opening from North the intrepid BJ rolls out a 2S overcall

showing SPADES and a minor. When this produces a 3H bid from South which might show 5-6 hearts and forcing no big deal. AlanO Sullivan contributes a pass and the North hand with 5 card support ventures 4H which is passed around to Alan O'Sullivan who delivers a "100% penalty " double. The incredible BJ O'Brien deems this is a takeout double. This definition makes no sense to me at all. Takeout to what ???? 

Surely Alan O'Sullivan could bid 4S himself or make a 4C bid for conversion or double 3H for takeout earlier if he was getting involved. Thus my wondering about the double being takeout. I think 4S is a very poor bid by BJ. 

Finally to complete the demolition South opens and rebids Hearts with his partner up North having a fine hand. O'Sullivan ventures in 3Cs and North bids 3NT without any Club stopper. BJ is unhappy with this development. Well what does BJ suggest North bids .. The North player punts 3NT and hopes partner has a stopper. It works and BJ is more unhappy.

JDiamondsx has the name Mark Adams and Remlagh has the name Rose. I don't know them but I suspect them are from John Phelan country.

So BJs conquerors finish in 2nd place. They must be fairly good players then. 

We will have to watch out for them. There are many decent players well behind them. 

Maybe B points is not really a good measurement of a players ability or maybe after 3 months of Galligans Imps Pairs the players are improving.