The Purest form of Bridgebase online and final World Seniors placing

Today I finished my first go at the purist form of bridge and arguably the toughest.

Matchpoints
Just Declare

and 2 grandmasters and one Kerryman and one Conor Boland as opponenrs.

After butchering at least 4 boards I expected to struggle to break 40% in this field.
When the results popped up I had about 44.5% so that was ok.

Exhibit 1

 After Club King lead and club 2 and club Jack at trick 1 how does one play this hand.
I won 2nd Club with Ace
and floated the Diamond 10 after much thought.
Sadly Jack to 3 on the West and down I went ..

Despite the robots not taking all their hearts I was one down ... for 0% ..
Pretty harsh I thought

All other 4 declarers made the contract .. Presume they made 5 diamonds 2 spades and 2 clubs
Maybe I should have ducked another club to tighten the play and maybe see a small diamond discard. or maybe when GIB does not cover diamond 10 ..he does not have diamond JACK.

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Meanwhile out in the World championships the Ireland Seniors struggled in the Senior event.
Adam Mesbur and Nick Fitzgibbon brought in a respectable 0.36 imps per board but the other 4 only managed to bring in below average scores which would never be enough to be competitive.
Having said that ...the opposition in World championships is damn tough.

 Mesbur and Fitzgibbon were 17th placed pair in the Butler of the many boards pairs

 O'Brians somewhat lower and Ranald BJ another few places down
However just to be aware this is a serious level of bridge
one place above BJ and Ranald we note the presence of George Mittelman a World champion at Open level back in the day ....and Ken Burcasen who goes deep in the Spingold in recent past ...
Maybe he even one a US National ..

The Ireland squad got a little run going near the end but by then there was too much to do.
Training and dedication pays off more then beating up the Regent newbies and the Bray Wheelers.

Duais predictions 2019

Lets see if we can pick out the contenders in the Duais Niall Burke


1. Holland Onishuk
2. Delaney Boland
3. McDevitt McDonagh
4. Fitzgerald Kenny
5. Mr Happiness (John Phelan) and Lucy
6. Mr Angry (O'Connors)
7. Cummins Noonan
8 Gaynor Redmond
9. Roches
10. Pattinsons
11 Ronan Cassidy
12 Tuckey Costello


Those are my top 12 picks in roughly that order

Lets see how I go ...

Brady O'Lubaigh ...well unless they win it in Session 1 and 2 ... O'Lubaigh will be a tired hoss in the morning.
Lodewijks has too much heavy to carry in Wojciech
Elvin and Maria don't have the partnership rapport to carry it thru although Whelan used to have great form in the old Bankers Congress Mixed Pairs ..
Rigney and Part are not a regular pairing
Sean Carroll has a little too much to carry in the aging Jim Doyle

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Meanwhile out in Wuhan China ...

The USA2 team looks to be bailing out at the qualifying stage. I am not sure what is wrong with them as they are quite decent players.
The Scottish ladies team is also heading for home or trans nationals
The Irish Senior Team missed out on the Jacko mantras about Preparing and Imp Gathering
Meanwhile a decent English Mixed squad is firing well so far.

Ireland v Bulgaria and Mesbur Fitzgibbon still in the canteen ..

Good morning folks

I am about to go to bed. However I checked in on Wuhan for a time check. Found it was 10:15am and that play was started. Had done some research and figured large wins were necessary for Ireland Seniors.

Sadly I note Mesbur and Fitzgibbon are still in the breakfast room ..

Its like City without Aguero and Liverpool without Salah

Whats going on ... If you want to make quarter finals you got to play Mesbur and Fitz for all the rest of the games ... Its not like they are not fit for battle

Taking on Bulgaria with 3 players weaker than Galligan is suicide ..

Is Derek O'Gorman really the NPC ... he would be better off playing himself ..

Lets see if Galligan is wrong .......

At least the rugby starts soon but I got to go to bed ..

Maybe USA2 in the Bermuda Bowl will get a move on today with a good start against Morocco.
No offence to Morocco but they are never making quarter finals and maybe Lall might be worth watching . He might pull some stroke ..

Its 2-0 for Ireland after 2 but +720 looks iffy ... its a dodgy 6D so could be flat board or 13 out ..
We will see when I awaken

Strangely they bid 4H on a 3-2 fit so one is suspicious ....Will see when I awaken
Suspect it is 4H on board 4 winning some imps for Bulgaria and maybe something bad happened
for Bulgaria on board 3 ...and they did not enter it ...like 7D minus 1 ...

Galligan to bed ..We will see in the morning

Ireland Seniors versus USA1

This morning Dublin time Ireland Seniors were faced with the USA1 Senior Team. This match one would expect to end only 1 way.

USA1 fielded at centre forward Bart Bramley who was the go to guy for double dummy analysis before the computers caught up  ... In laymans terms BEFORE Deep Finesse.

Bramley is partnered by one Kit Woolsey ... the gently bobbing legend of bridge.

Gaylor Kasle ..well he has been capable since 1966 when he was runnerup in North American Pairs and has won 10 NABCs since then.

Dan Morse ..he has only 12 NABCs ...

So the Dream Team is up against opposition of heavy capability.

Board 1 North Deals None Vul	♠ K 6 4 3 ♥ K ♦ Q J 2 ♣ J 8 6 3 2
♠ A Q 9 8 ♥ 9 7 6 5 2 ♦ A 8 4 ♣ A	N W E S	♠ J 7 2 ♥ A Q 10 ♦ K 10 9 3 ♣ 7 5 4
	♠ 10 5 ♥ J 8 4 3 ♦ 7 6 5 ♣ K Q 10 9

W 4♠; EW 4♥; E 3♠; EW 4♦; EW 2N; NS 1♣; Par −420

 Ireland declared board 1 in 3 ♥ going down 1 but luckily USA1 were in 4 ♥ down 1
Missed chance 

Board 2 East Deals N-S Vul	♠ 7 ♥ Q J 7 6 4 ♦ 9 6 3 ♣ A J 7 4
♠ Q 3 ♥ K 5 2 ♦ 8 5 2 ♣ K Q 5 3 2	N W E S	♠ K 9 6 5 2 ♥ 9 3 ♦ Q J 10 7 ♣ 8 6
	♠ A J 10 8 4 ♥ A 10 8 ♦ A K 4 ♣ 10 9

NS 5♥; NS 3N; NS 2♦; NS 2♣; NS 1♠; Par +650

Our O'Briains contrived to declare 2 ♠ as E/W and lose 150.
Mesbur and Fitzgibbon roared into the normal vulnerable 4 ♥ for 11 imps

Board 3 South Deals E-W Vul	♠ K Q 10 4 ♥ Q 6 ♦ J 9 8 5 3 ♣ 3 2
♠ 8 ♥ J 9 8 5 4 3 ♦ A Q ♣ K J 9 5	N W E S	♠ A 9 7 6 3 ♥ A 10 ♦ K 7 2 ♣ 10 6 4
	♠ J 5 2 ♥ K 7 2 ♦ 10 6 4 ♣ A Q 8 7

EW 4♥; EW 2N; EW 2♠; EW 3♣; NS 1♦; Par −620

The Americans bid game ..the O'Briains played part score ..lose 10 

Board 4 West Deals Both Vul	♠ K 9 ♥ K 8 7 3 2 ♦ A 8 6 ♣ K Q 10
♠ A 6 2 ♥ 10 9 6 5 ♦ Q J 7 ♣ 8 7 3	N W E S	♠ Q J 10 8 4 ♥ A 4 ♦ 4 ♣ A J 9 5 4
	♠ 7 5 3 ♥ Q J ♦ K 10 9 5 3 2 ♣ 6 2

N 2♥; NS 3♦; EW 1N; EW 2♣; EW 1♠; S 1♥; Par +110

 Mesbur Fitzgibbon gathered in 300 when the US went too high .. plus 4 imps

Board 6 East Deals E-W Vul	♠ 10 5 3 2 ♥ A 6 ♦ 5 3 ♣ A J 9 7 5
♠ 9 6 ♥ K J 10 7 5 ♦ K J 9 7 2 ♣ 6	N W E S	♠ K Q J 7 ♥ 9 8 4 ♦ Q 10 8 ♣ 8 4 2
	♠ A 8 4 ♥ Q 3 2 ♦ A 6 4 ♣ K Q 10 3

NS 2N; NS 2♠; EW 2♥; NS 3♣; EW 2♦; Par +120

3 NT by South

Board 6 saw Mesbur Fitz gather in 3 NT making for another gain
The lead was the ♦ 7 ..and it looks like good work from here to get to 9 tricks ..
7 imps to Ireland

Board 12 West Deals N-S Vul	♠ A Q 8 ♥ Q 7 6 3 ♦ A J 7 5 ♣ 9 6
♠ 10 9 3 ♥ K 9 4 ♦ 6 2 ♣ K 8 7 5 2	N W E S	♠ K 7 6 4 ♥ A 5 2 ♦ 10 9 ♣ A J 10 4
	♠ J 5 2 ♥ J 10 8 ♦ K Q 8 4 3 ♣ Q 3

 Board 12 saw the Americans gather in partials at both tables and 5 imps

Board 13 North Deals Both Vul	♠ J 6 ♥ 10 6 5 3 ♦ 9 8 3 2 ♣ K 3 2
♠ A Q ♥ Q J 9 8 2 ♦ K J 5 ♣ Q 9 6	N W E S	♠ K 8 7 5 4 ♥ 7 4 ♦ 6 ♣ A J 8 5 4
	♠ 10 9 3 2 ♥ A K ♦ A Q 10 7 4 ♣ 10 7

EW 3N; EW 3♠; EW 3♥; EW 4♣; NS 1♦; Par −600

The American E/W managed to bid the making 3 NT and the O'Briains played part score so 10 imps for the Americans

Nothing major happened after this so IRELAND had a small loss of 2 imps against a very decent but aging USA1 team 

A morale boosting small loss for the Ireland Seniors ..

I was looking on Bray Bridge Club website for BJ O'Brien but I could not find him .
Then I remembered he could not be in Bray and Wuhan at the same time.

I wondered about why BJ was missing from Bray Congress Teams ... but then I found Stevenson.

David Stevenson one of Englands top bridge tournament directors.

Bray Congress Swiss Teams

So Ireland need a large win against the 7th place TURKEY to get the ball rolling ...
and then lots more big wins .. We have lots of Teams to overtake

Last time out we reached the quarter finals and for some reason chose to bat against USA1.
Not a good choice any time ..

Bermuda Bowl and lesser events

Round 14 Senior Bermuda Bowl v Dubai

This morning after a small loss against Australia Team Ranald went into battle against the powerful Dubai bridge team.
Board 17 (the first one) saw the valient Milne O'Brien partnership find the comfortable contract of 2NT. Chinese Teipei were the only other NS to find this contract. Added to 2S EW from Mesbur this was 6 imps.
Board 18 saw the UAE declare a reasonable 4H but Ranaldo happened to have a Club nearest his thumb and it was the killing lead.
Board 19 saw UAE venture into  a Moysian fit but the incredible BJ O'Brien landed on that with a thud. He done the "I have 5 trumps " double and it was 1100 .... 31-0 to Mesbur
Board 20 saw what was probably a horrific weak NT opening and the UAE landed on it with a thud.

The incredible BJ O'Brien smiled happily at his opponent as he recounted his 11 high card points. 8 tricks later and BJ was minus 500 and down 9 imps. He will sit up straight for the rest of the match.
Ireland by 31-9 ...Look at that 1NT opening .. Your mother would not open it or Ruth Giddings.
Board 21 a quiet 4S
Board 22 saw Mr Nobody fail to negotiate a treacherous 4H contract

Now its 32-14 Ireland ...

And then the lucky opponent on the Incredibles right hammer raised her partner into a very comfortable 3NT and suddenly Irelands 31-0 lead was down to 24-32.

AND then ... the lady from the Right hammer struck again

3NT declared by Fitzgibbon and the experienced SUMAR saw UAE make it and Fitzgibbon come up short. Now normally Fitzgibbon is a serious declarer but something went wrong here.
And with 7 scores to go its the Emerites by 34-32 after a horrific start.

Two part scores on 27 to win 6 imps and regain the lead by 3

We got another 13 imps ... looks like a gift when UAE stumbled into 5H on a 3NT contract hand .
Ireland lead by 51-35

However this is a match of bottom feeders. Most of the Irish team are only reaching match fitness now and the event is long gone from their grasp. You cannot just turn up from a feed of Ireland nationals where you are some of the strongest players probably playing on relatively strong teams and go into a World championships where even the poor players are capable.
Bridge is hard and needs hard work to succeed.

I recall whipping Pat Barry and Rex Anderson into shape before a similar event ...
It was only some bidding practice on Bridgebase but they turned up ready for battle ... like thoroughbred greyhounds... ready to chase that metal hare.

Its over ... Ireland won by 11 to keep a firm grip on their 20th placing out of 24.

Ireland goalkeeper better prepare his back as some heavy hitters are coming in next 8 matches ..
2 times USA .. Italy Denmark Poland Norway ... Turkey .....
Bulgaria and Reunion might provide us with some imps ....but the other 7 matches listed above will require Mesbur and Fitzgibbon at full throttle .....and unfortunately they cannot play at both tables.

So we will need the incredible Ranaldo Briain O'Brien in his HEAT 1 .... this is where every card lands butter side up and every slam makes and every signal is understood by partner ... The Beast O'BrienBriain is about to be launched on unsuspecting Americans and Turks and Poles and Danes.

Its going to be like the Dubs on the drive for FIVE.

So get up at 630am like Eamon and watch the Dream Team ...however they are not vugraph material yet but one can watch RODWELL and follow BJ on the running scores

Bermuda Bowl and lesser events

World Bridge championships Rounds 7-9

Good morning folks

The 4 World championships continue but as we only have representatives in the D'Orsi Bowl we will focus on that. We got as far as round 6 in the last report. 3 rounds of 48 boards a day. Round 12 is running live as we speak. Board 21 just now was a grand slam bid by 21 of the 24 pairs. As two of them were in the same match NORWAY v NEW ZEALAND neither lost any imps. The sole loser was ENGLAND fresh from tonking Ireland in round 11 who lost 13 imps.

Meanwhile its Ireland powered by the awesome Mesbur Fitzgibbon partnership playing Netherlands and the score is 3-3 after 6 boards.

Round 7 . .saw Ireland dish out a 43-6 trimming to SWEDEN ..
Round 8 .. saw Ireland get a hiding from CHINA ...

I am totally lost as to how one could play this hand in 1NT ... by North South.
And NO this did not happen in Malahide on one of the inter B  or novice nights ..
This was a pair who had flown 9000 km to play a bridge game in the World Championships ..
I just cannot figure it ... 55 in the majors .. surely after whatever WEST opens we reach a 9 card spade contract .... even part score is a start ..
And you cannot just fetch up and play in the World championships ... you got to get on your countries team first and then qualify out of Europe .. and then fly 9000km in a round tin cigar tube.

East West got to declare 4H and NS found the good DOUBLE .. You own 3 ACES and the makings of 2 vulnerable undertricks ,,, but somehow the Chinese magician emerges with 11 tricks and 990 ...a 1490 gain on the board .. 990 plus the 500 he could have lost ..

Mesbur and Fitz dropped 550 on the board but they were losing 400 anyway for 5D making NS so no big deal.
Its like the time I dropped 2200 on a board as Thomas MacCormac whispered quietly from dummy ASAL ASAL ... I think its an Irish word .. and its a compliment for what I did.
We were playing in England and most don't speak Irish there ..
The 670 that McAulliffe McMaugh dropped at the other table  was irrelevant as 2200 or 2870 is much same imps.

Here we saw Mesbur and Fitzgibbon find a STOP sign on their road to 6D and grind to a halt before they were finished bidding. The 3-2 fit was beyond them .. Just shows even THE GREATEST can have an accident .. I am suspecting one was cuebidding when the other thought it was canape .
However I could be totally wrong

Meanwhile in the live match the sheep have escaped again and are eating more lettuce.
Netherlands by 22-4 after 12 boards.

In the China match there was also a missed slam and a nearly making 3NT on board 1 ..as Ireland took the 40 imp hiding from the hosts.

Then came round 9 and INDONESIA ... and a much needed victory against LASUT and MANOPPO two legends of the bridge world .. I even have a book written by Henry Lasut on some bidding system from Indonesia. Lasut has been playing bridge a good while so he must like the game. Almost as long as Nick and Adam have been a partnership.

Breaking News Ireland got 13 imps on the final board as NETHERLANDS attempted a low percentage slam and it failed. So 17-22 loss but about 3 VPS better than after 15 boards.

The Bermuda Bowl started and I forgot about it

Over the weekend the Bermuda Bowl started and I kind of missed that. However I caught a fleeting glimpse of BJ watching on as Ireland sheep-dogged France into a losing position only for the sheep to escape and eat all the lettuce nearing the last hurdle. 

Round 1 started with a comfortable victory for Elder Ireland against New Zealand ... but the concession of 24 imps on the way meant the goalkeeper and defence had some work to do. 

Round 2 saw Ireland play an experienced Canadian squad so a loss was probable.

and so it came about 50-16.... the strikers were not bringing in as much as the defenders let out.

Something like Wolves Chelsea on Saturday ... Wolves lost about 5-3 or so

Round 3 and China Hong Kong slapped another 40 imps in the onion bag .. to 16 or so back 

Round 4 and India fetched up ... Ireland led small after 11 boards but then coughed up a cold 3NT not bid in the Ireland room and followed by a major suit game with good play declared in 2H by Ireland. 

This is a bigger pond than the Regent Bridge Club so we are going to have to sign up some Irish Americans for the squad. So lose by 5 imps instead of win by 5 imps or so 

Round 5 and France loomed on the horizon .. the goalkeeper could be busy but Ireland led with 3 boards to go ...Then came to 11 imp losses and Ireland lost by 5 again ... 

Board 15 looks like a slam that makes with careful play .. 

Board 14 looks like a doomed 3NT 

However I have not got time to study the hands fully 

World Bridge Championships

The link is above ... Don't be scared if you see BJ O'Brien .. He is playing there. 

I will have a bigger look later. A quick glance indicates loads of lucky slams by the opponents. 

However one has to bid some slams ...

I bid a slam today and got doubled .. Off one ace and a 5-0 trump break in 6H. 

Damn .. down 1 as I sneaked a HEART thru the doubler. 

However worse news was I could have bid 6NT and made it .. but I did not know if I was short 2 aces or 1 ace and 5 trumps .. No big deal anyway. 

Boards 13-26 of MRBC Sep0319 and Billy goes Pula

This morning I completed the final 14 boards of the Tuesday Game in Malahide Bridge Club. I did better this time then the previous attempt. I finished on about 59% score which is always in the running for a prize.
I used Jack Bridge program as my partner and opponents.
Here is my video of the goings on

Eamon plays Malahide   link to movie

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Meanwhile out in Pula Croatia some Malahide members are carrying the flag.
You can examine the scores of Billy Ronan Thomas Gilligan and Peter Stewart here.

https://www.pulabridgefestival.com/results/

Magic Murphy had problems finding the 2019 results so if you cannot locate the 2019 results on the above page then you do have company. Might not be good company but ..

Now its time for the haircut ...the bi annual hair cut from Stephanie.

Next door to where the new ALDI resides