October 16th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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The Dutch created a party room for the players just outside the playing area. Here you can compare scores, relax with frineds, Have something to eat and drink, enjoy a cup of Lavazza coffee while watching the big screens for up to the mintues results in all three events.
Dano with friends at the Plaza
Klaas and Niek Brink cheering on the home team
Phyllis and Curtis Cheek npc USA 2
Michael Schoenborn (the Shoe) and Boris Baran
Josef Harsanyi with the camera
For to-day’s results you can click on this
link.
October 15th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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In these Championships, all European teams will have home field advantage over their counterparts from the rest of the world. They will be able to field a 5th man call Jet Leg.
I have been in Europe for a week, still I doze off during the day or is it night. What time is it anyway?
The Swedish Open Team played a match against their neighbour Norway. In the following deal Peter Bertheau-West and Fredrik Nystrom-East had 14 calls to 4H!
Board 8. Dealer West. Non Vul.
They will be the dark horse in these championships. I am impressed.
October 15th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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In these Championships, The Dutch Bridge Federation will introduce to the bridge world a new technology.
It is a card reader mounted on top of the screen. As each card is played, the machine read and transmitted the information to the main computer. While viewers at home everywhere can follow the table action, card by card on the computer. The score is then automatically updated at the end of each deal.
Time taken to play the cards is also kept on each player. In effect we have a time clock on bridge, much like the time clock on cheese! No more he said, she said.
Six tables in the three events are equipped with this new card reader. Three teams will be picked as guinea pigs each match.
On display are some interesting card tables from the USA dated 1932.
Card dealing table
1st photo-A table that deal cards randomly around the table.
- bidding keys at side of table
2nd. photo-A table that used bidding boxes/keys that were set at the edge. Once bidding is over, the contract, lead and dummy is directed in the middle of the table.
Table with score card in pockets
3rd. photo-A table with score cards, trump indicator and hocks for hand bags.
These tables and much more are from The Dutch Bridge Museum in Leerdam. WWW.bridgemuseum.com
Tables we are using these championships
4th photo-One of the many tables equipped with the card reader that will be used in these championships.
Table with card reader, bidding keys and 2 way glass screen
5th photo-The table of the future. The screen is made with reversible two way glass, during the auction it is a solid screen. After the lead is made, with a switch you can see your opponents. Another feature is the bidding buttons set in the table. You click on the bid you want, much like a keyboard. No need for bidding boxes at all!
Amazing!
October 14th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
5 Comments
For the next two weeks, bridge players around the world will be treated to record amount of live Vugraph broadcasts and news from Veldhoven, Netherlands. Site of the 40th World Bridge Team Championships.
There are many options:
Find all the information about the championship from the official World Bridge Federation site!
Like reading the Daily Bulletins.
You can watch up to 12 tables each match on BBO-Bridgebase online.
You can also follow all the Chinese Teams on Our Game.
Follow The Dutch Teams through StepBridge.
Watch up to the minute result on SwanGames.
For all the people in Veldhoven, there are two Vugraph theaters to chose from. One in English and one in Dutch.
Chess set in one of the courtyards
Clock tower at the playing area
Another one of the many beautiful courtyards
Peter & Kathy Buchen from Australia
Judy and Bobby Wolff enjoying afternoon tea
October 14th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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Canadian Sighting! (Photo’s for your viewing pleasure)
B
Doug Bexter, Michael Roche and Michael Hargreaves.
Audrey Grant, John Rayner and James McAvoy
Michael, Barbara Stewart and David Lindop.
Audrey, John and Connie McAvoy.
Sugar fix
October 14th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
1 Comment
Am in Amsterdam for another day before the World Teams Championships. The last time I was here was 1972 and Gene Raskin’s “Those were the days.” sung by Mary Hopkin filled the airwaves.
There is just so much to do and see in Amsterdam!
Right in the city centre, there is the impressive Central Station used daily by 166,000 passengers daily. All trains stop here. We saw The Royal Palace on Dam Square. There are also carnival rides in this area. If you like flowers check out the flower market.
If you feel rich! You should take the tour of the Diamonds centre where you can see diamond cutting and polish process. One can hop-on-hop-off on the Canal boat tour. We took the hour tour/ride for 8 Euro.
For beer drinkers, there is the Heineken Brewery beer tour, for a small price you get two beers at the end of the tour. There is the Red Light District where you can window shop. If you feel like resting those tired feet, stop by one of the many coffee shops, where you can relax more ways then one.
For dinner, make sure you try the Rijsttafel-rice table with many side dishes. The dutch run Indonesia as a foreign colony from 1602-1945. When the Dutch return home they brought the dish back with them. For something different you can also have dinner at the Sea Palace, a floating restaurant.
Back in Veldhoven, if you are tired of eating in the hotel, be sure to check out the Dorpstraat area. It is a 20 minutes walk from the hotel. If you take the bus, at the 2nd stop from the hotel, get off at the town church.
By this evening more players have arrived. The excitement of the championship is building.
Floating Restaurant Sea Palace
One of the Many Coffee Shops
High Flying action at Dam Square
Mini buses at hotel
Host Hotel
October 13th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
2 Comments
I have been at the Koningshof Hotel-King’s Court Hotel, Veldhoven, Netherlands for a few days. Veldhoven is in the outskirts of the Town Eindhoven.
As the World Team Championships does not start till the weekend of the 15th of October, Pony and I took a train to Amsterdam and checked out the Rijksmuseum.
First we took the bus-No. 15 from the front of the hotel to the railway station in Eindhoven centre, return ticket cost 3 Euro, unlimited use for the day. The bus ride was about 15 minutes.
Normally 2nd class return ticket from Eindhoven to Amsterdam cost 33 Euro. This month The Netherlands Railway has a special promotion, a 1st class ticket good for one day unlimited use is only 25 Euro. The promotions is for two people traveling. The train ride was about hour and a half. Trains runs every 30 minutes.
The collections at the museum were well worth the trip. Rembrandt’s Night Watch was larger then life. We took more than 2 hours to see everything. On the way back to the station we also saw the Royal Palace at Dam Square. Walked past the many canals.
On return to Veldhoven we stopped at El Gusto-Dorpstraat 17, for all you can eat Tapas, at 21.50 Euro. Turns out they also have hotel rooms-65 Euro for double, at the top of the restaurant. www.heelgewoon.com
If you’d like to know more about the World Championships before they start check out their website: 40th World Team Championships
"I wonder where I parked the rental bike!?"
The Rijksmuseum
Pony and The Central Station
October 4th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
2 Comments
The other evening playing Teams at the local club. I picked up the following hand.
♠ Void ♥ AKQ876543 ♦ Void ♣ AKJ8
While thinking what I should bid. My left hand opponent, the dealer bid 1♦ , partner 1♠ , pass to me.
What would you bid?
Suddenly the light came on, I could bid 2♥ , then over partner’s response, I could key card ask in hearts. Over partner’s response, I could bid 6♣ to ask about his third round control in clubs. If he had the queen of clubs, we be in the grand slam in hearts otherwise we be in the small slam. Brilliant.
There was a small problem, after my 2♥ it went all pass!
My left hand opponent led a banana. Dummy hit with ♠ K9867 ♥ 9 ♦ AJ1085 ♣ Q5
I sheepishly claimed all 13 tricks. I must say It was a record for me, never had +260.
“Sorry partner, misclick.”
At the other table, the simple guy with me hand just jumped to 6♥ made seven.
September 29th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
3 Comments
While playing at a sectional tournament in Victoria, I noticed this interesting deal.
Open Pairs. 1st session. Board 3.
South dealer. East-West vulnerable.
As East you held ♠ A103 ♥ K106 ♦ J1083 ♣ 1076
This was the auction.
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
Pass |
| 1♣ |
1♥ |
1NT |
Pass |
| 2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
The lead was the ♥2 How would you declare 3NT ?
| West
♠ Q7
♥ 85
♦ KQ4
♣ AKJ843 |
 |
East
♠ A103
♥ K106
♦ J1083
♣ 1076 |
At the table. Heart two, Declarer played five, North won with the ace, six. Heart seven, ten, queen and eight. South cleared hearts and East won with the king, discarded a spade from dummy.
Declarer took a reasonable shot, played South to hold the diamond ace, exited the diamond three. Alas North had that card and defeated the contract.
Did you find the line to make 3NT?
If you think about it, South could not have the diamond ace and the heart queen, he would have raised to two hearts.
What did the South hand looked like? Most likely shape was 4333. If he had more shape he may have found a bid.
What about the North hand? Give him KJxx AJxxx Axx x, if he had the club queen, he would have 15 high card points and may have made a takeout double instead.
You had nine clubs missing four cards, the odds of them breaking 2-2 is about 40% and breaking 3-1 is about 50%.
Once you came to this conclusion, the rest is easy.
At trick 3, on the heart king discard the diamond king from dummy.
Trick 4, take the club finesse and run the clubs. North had to find five discards.
The first four discards should be rather painless. This is the position with the last club to be played.
| Dealer: South
Vul: E-W
|
North
♠ KJ
♥ J9
♦ A
♣ |
|
| West
♠ Q7
♥
♦ Q4
♣ 4 |
|
East
♠ A10
♥
♦ J108
♣ |
| |
South
♠ 85
♥
♦
♣ 952 |
|
On the club 4, North is caught in a Strip Squeeze-A combing elements of squeeze and endplay.
North has choices of losing options.
-Discard the spade jack, gives up two spade tricks right away.
-Discard a heart winner, he be throw in with the diamond ace, endplay in the spades.
-Discard the diamond ace, gives up three diamond tricks.
Amazing, a hand that played itself! Do we call this the Solo line?
September 25th, 2011 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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Vancouver Island is well known for it’s bridge community. This year is no exception. Out of the eighteen Canadian players going to the 40th World Team Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands. Five of the players are from the Island! Michael Roche, Mike Hargreaves and James McAvoy in the Bermuda Bowl. Karen Cumpstone and Sandra Fraser in the Venice Cup.
The boys were having fun on BBO this afternoon.
Board 4. IMPS. West dealer. All vulnerable.
Hargreaves-West and McAvoy-East bid to a very nice small slam to earn their side 12 imps.
Even though Hargreaves didn’t make a forwarding move over his 4♣ bid. McAvoy looking at both black aces knew partner must have at least one red ace for his opening bid. He Jumped to six clubs to offer a choice of slam, at the same time protecting any red suit values West may have.
There was nothing to the play, 12 tricks and +1370.
At the other table the East-West pair played in 4♠ making 11 tricks for +650.
Veel geluk jongens in de wereld.
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