June 16th, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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“Super size me” was a movie about Morgan Spurlock eating only at McDonald’s for 30 days. He gained 11.1 Kg!
Here in Oostende most restaurants that I have been to, must have taken a page out of McDonald’s, their servings are humongous!
Think is best I order a salad for dinner to-morrow.
Ribs at Den Artiest
Berthold Engel (Luxemboug) and Claudia Vechiatto (Germany) bid and play the following board very well.
Mixed Pairs. Round 9. Board 30. Dealer East. None Vul.
Berthold as South held : ♠ AQJ42 ♥ AKQJ108 ♦ ♣ K5
This was their auction :
1♣ =17+. 2♣ = 5 controls. Aces 2, kings 1.
The lead was ♦ 10.
You see this dummy : ♠ 976 ♥ 943 ♦ AKQ3 ♣ A98
How would you play 7NT?
Berthold won with the ace of diamonds, played two more winning diamonds. Discarded three spades from hand, got the diamond count. Next he run five heart winners, discarded two spades from dummy.
At thick 9 he cashed the ace of spades, in preparation for a compound squeeze against both opponents. If the king of spades didn’t drop then the last heart would have squeezed his LHO in diamonds and clubs. Squeezed against his RHO in spades and clubs.
The full deal :
Made 13 tricks for a great score. As many declarers took the losing spade finesse and went down.
Claudia Vechiatto
Berthold Engel
June 15th, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
4 Comments
In North America we are used to super sizes. Houses are bigger, cars are bigger. Everything is bigger compare to the rest of the world.
Am in Ostend, Belgium for the 6th European Open Bridge Championship. The hotel I am staying at is large by local standard, however is still the size of a stamp from my view. It has everything I need, free breakfast, wifi, fridge and in room tea and coffee.
Casino Oostende-playing site
Jim Mahaffey playing with Judy Radin (Both USA) in the Mixed pairs did a good thing on Board 9. Dealer North. E-W vulnerable.
Hands rotated to make declarer South.
AS West you hold : ♠ 764 ♥ 1097 ♦ K875 ♣ A92
Against 4♠ (you and partner pass throughout in the auction.) You led the ♥ 10.
You see this dummy : ♠ A ♥ A32 ♦ AQ643 ♣ K1075
Jim won with the Ace of hearts. Cashed the ace of spades. At trick 3, called for the King of clubs from dummy. It went low, low to you. What would you do?
This defender thought Jim was trying to create an entry to his hand with the queen of clubs, ducked.
These were the North-South hands.
Made 12 tricks for a nice score.
Jim Mahaffey (USA)
June 2nd, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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The final between Lebi (Lindop, Czyzowicz, Jacob) VS Fergani (Daigneault, Schoenborn, Baran) was full of action. Well worth getting up early to watch them play on BBO.
With every finesse on the slam was make able. Not blessed with x-ray vision Jacob played South to have been squeezed, bared the heart Queen earlier. At Trick 12 played for the drop, so they lost 13 imps. At the other table Fergani was only in game.
Right on the next board Jacob and Czyzowicz found a good save of 5♠X over 5 ♥ to get back 10 imps. Other table was allowed to play in 5♥.
After 60 boards the match was tied. Lebi won the 8 board play off 10-2.
The winner of the Canadian Open Pairs : Jordan Cohen – Stephen Copper. Second : Bryan Maksymetz – Gray McMullin. Third : Don Domansky – David McLellan.
Stephen Copper – Jordan Cohen.
June 1st, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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Gartaganis (Nick+Judy Gartaganis, Paul Thurston, Jeff Smith, Darren Wolpert, Daniel Kobel) VS Tucker NPC (Irving Litvack, Ian Findlay, Roy Dalton, Vince Oddy, Arno Hobart, Harmon Edgar) in the fifth set, after 10 boards put on an amazing 54 to 1 run.
This deal contributed 11 imps to the Gartaganis team. Judy made the wise decision to play in 3NT. While her counter part was in the no play 5♦.
No Mas, play had stopped. Both team had retired to the bar after the 6th set.
Silver Medal :
Harmon Edgar, Ian Findlay, Irving Litvack, Vince Oddy, Roy Dalton, Arno Hobart.
And the Winners :
Paul Thurston, Daniel Korbel, Judy Gartaganis, Jeffrey Smith, Darren Wolpert , Nicholas Gartaganis.
June 1st, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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Sandra Fraser (North) and Francine Cimon (South) earned a slam swing this morning on Board 1.
This was their auction :
4♦ – Keycard in diamond. 4NT – 2 without the queen. 5♥ – Ask for kings.
Very nice auction, nothing to the play, set up spades for a club discard.
Silver Medal :
Sharyn Reus, Sandra Fraser, Isabelle Smith, Sam Nystrom, Francine Cimon and Dianna Gordon.
The Winners :
Ina Demme, Karen Cumpstone, Joan Eaton, Sondra Blank, Sylvia Caley and Katie Thorpe.
May 31st, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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Canadian Senior Teams semi-final.
Robert Lebi (David Lindop, Jurek Czyzowicz, Dan Jacob) VS Don Domansky (David McLellan, Larry Hansen, Roland Laframboise, Barry Onslow, John Arblaster)
Bob Todd (Doug Fisher, William Koski, John Morgan) VS Kamel Fergani (Pierre Daigneault, Michael Schoenborn, Boris Baran)
More photos are posted on line.
For results see CBF site.
The finals will be on BBO.
May 30th, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
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The Open Semi-Final :
Gartaganis VS Jotcham
L’Ecuyer VS Litvack.
The Women final : Francine Cimon (Sandra Fraser, Dianna Gordon, Sharyn Reus, Sam Nystrom, Isabell Smith) VS Sylvia Caley (Sondra Blank, Joan Eaton, Karen Cumpstone, Katie Thorpe, Ina Demme)
Both events will be on BBO Thursday.
Brad Bart played the following hand well to earn his team a slam swing.
Brad was North and Neil Kimelman was South.
May 29th, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
5 Comments
For the 60 Board Quarter Final.
Nick Gartaganis (Judy Gartaganis, Paul Thurston, Jeff Smith, Daniel Korbel, Darren Wolpert) VS Eiji Kujirai (Lewis Richardson, John Duquette, Ron Bishop)
Nick L’Ecuyer (Les Amoils, George Mittelman, Vincent Demuy, Zygmunt Marcinski) VS Charles Martineau (Andre Chartrand, Serge Chevalier, Jean J. La Traverse, Don Piafsky, Fred Hoffer)
Irving Litvack (Arno Hobart, Roy Dalton, Vince Oddy, Ian Findlay, Harmon Edgar) VS Difan Wang (Yan Wang, Peter Wong, Jianfeng Luo, Ed Xu, Qun Liu)
Ray Jotcham (Steve Mackay, Mike Cafferata, Dave Colbert, Doug Baxter) VS David Sabourin (Gordan Zind, Gary McMullin, Bryan Maksymetz, Tom Walsh, Shan Huang)
CBF site has the results.
May 28th, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
2 Comments
Leo Weniger (North) who is the ACBL district director for District 1 played very well the following deal.
Board 16. Dealer West. E-W Vul.
This was the auction:
1NT-14-16. 2♣ – Diamonds and a shorter major.
The lead was the three of diamonds, five, ace and nine. West played the two of diamonds back, Leo ruffed it with the three of spades, seven and ten from dummy. Trick 3 Leo cashed the spade ace, west dropped the jack, four and two.
After he played the two good spades from dummy, Leo made the key play, low heart to the nine when west followed with the two.
He drew the out standing trump. Now he had 10 major suit tricks for +420.
Leo Weniger
At the other table, with a different auction Declarer was in four hearts, played hearts to break 3-2 and went down one. We won 10 Imps on the board.
Nader Hanna and CBF is putting on a great show every evening.
Before
Where is Boris when we need him?
After
May 26th, 2013 ~ Mike Yuen ~
3 Comments
Maurice and I put in a wake up call for 8.30 am before we went to bed last night. We slept well so when the phone rang this morning I assumed it was our wake up call. But no, it was Leo, our team-mate “Where are you, it is 10 am game time and you are in the first round!”
We rush down to the playing room, not knowing which table or opponents we were supposed to play against, I sat down in the only open seat and pick up my hand.
Board 10. Dealer West. Both Vul. ♠ 9854 ♥ A98 ♦ AJ62 ♣ A2
The auction.
1NT-14-16. 2♦ – Transfer to hearts. 2♠ – nobody steals from me.
The lead was the ♦ 10.
Maurice put down a perfect dummy with ♠ J762 ♥ Q102 ♦ 754 ♣ 763
The deal.
-1100 later, I got my wake up call. Note to self-The water is not so warm in Toronto.
The very next board.
Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
I picked up : ♠ Q3 ♥ QJ6 ♦ AKQ65 ♣ Q75
The auction.
I didn’t come all the way here to pass, so I bid 3NT.
LHO led the ♣ 3.
Dummy came down with ♠ AJ762 ♥ 7543 ♦ J10 ♣ 42
I played low, RHO cashed two top clubs, I followed twice while LHO discarded a high diamond on the second club, switched to the nine of hearts. I played the Queen, LHO won, then went into the tank, trying the sominex coup.
What seems like hours later the ♦ 2 came back. I won the jack and run five diamond winners. LHO was caught in the major suits squeeze.
Made 9 tricks for +400. Won 10 imps, they played in 3♦ in the other room.
A little unlucky that we lost the match on that wake up call!
Nader Hanna – Tournament Chair
So far Nader Hanna is doing a great job with hospitality. Breakfast in the morning, chicken wings and pizza in the evening with a free bar.
ruce Gowdy – Friendly Bartender
Photos of the players are posted my blog site.
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