Rosenblum update

I've been using an automatic posting service, hollotxt.com, to update several feeds at once. Alas, it doesn't seem so automatic now, and I wasn't checking to make sure everything went though. As a result I have some catching up to do.

We beat Parimatch on Saturday and went on to defeat Fredin in the round of 16 on Sunday. In the quarter-final on Monday we faced, not just our nemesis, but everyone's, the Nickell team. Doug and I lost to them in the semi-finals of the Bermuda Bowl in Monte Carlo in 2003 and several times since.

Doug and I started poorly and never picked up steam. In the first set I missed what should have been an easy double of a vulnerable 4S with QJT9 of trump after partner had bid. The result was a push, but I hate to let seven IMPs get away like that. We had a few more that were out and out mistakes rather than errors in judgement. We ended up losing the match by 67.

Nickell made it to the finals where they lost to a Diamond team that included three of my teammates from the 1995 team trials. It's a small world!

Up by 50 with 14 boa

Up by 50 with 14 boards to go. Doug and I are out again this set.

We led 59-7 after th

We led 59-7 after the first set. We're up by 37 at half-time. 28 board to go...

Up by 42 after 6 boa

Up by 42 after 6 boards. Broke my promise -- I'm really gong swimming now!

We're playing the Pa

We're playing the Parimatch team. It's a strong squad -- they're the favorites in the match. Doug and I are out the first quarter.

We won our match. We

We won our match. We'll likely face a Russian team in the round of 32 tomorrow.

Doug and I had a sof

Doug and I had a soft set. We're down by 5 going into the last 14 boards.

After the first Q we

After the first Q we have a small lead, 10-5. Doug and I are out the 2nd Q. I'll spend the break kibitzing the WBF Laws Committee meeting.

We play Hengyuanxian

We play Hengyuanxian Heji from China in the R64. They beat us in the RR. Doug and I sat out that match, so I don't know anything about them.

The Agsar team in ou

The Agsar team in our bracket was unlucky. They failed to Q with 154.5, which would have made it easily in any other bracket. No wildcards!

We scored a blitz in

We scored a blitz in our final RR match. I think average for the RR was 138. Our total of 170 put us 2nd in our round robin group.

Passing a Blackwood response at the six level

Board 24         
Dlr West 
None Vul 


   ♠ AKJ72     
♥ J7   
   ♦ AK             
   ♣ QT97   

♠ QT8         ♠ 63             
♥ 9864        ♥ T3  
♦ 872         ♦ T9643  
♣ 853         ♣ K642  

   ♠ 954  
   ♥ AKQ52  
   ♦ QJ5  
   ♣ AJ

West  North  East  South
Pass 1♠    Pass  3♥
Pass  3♠    Pass  4♠
Pass  4NT   Pass  5♥
Pass  5NT   Pass  6♥
all Pass

Doug and I had an unusual auction on this deal from round six. 3♥ was natural and strong, old-fashioned. 3♠ was non-committal, leaving partner room to describe his hand. 4♠ was natural and denied shortness. 5♥ showed two key cards without the spade queen. I was looking for seven, even after I found we were off the queen of trump. 5N ostensibly promised all the key cards and asked for specific kings. After I learned we were off the club king I took stock again. Doug had to hold pretty much what he did hold, perhaps without one of the minor suit jacks. I saw that 6♠ might go down on a bad trump break, so I passed. Doug was surprised, but not so surprised that he didn't take all 13 tricks with the aid of the club hook.

I also considered 6N. 6♥ seemed a little more secure in that we could set up the 5th spade on some layouts, but it did risk a 5-1 trump break.

At the other table our opponents unaccountably stopped short of slam with their 35 HCP, so we picked up 11 IMPs.

We're 10 points ahea

We're 10 points ahead of 5th place. That puts us in excellent shape, but not a lock. The final round robin match starts at 5PM EDT.

Philly update -- part way through round 8 of 9

The 64 team KO stage begins tomorrow morning.

Doug and I are sitting out the penultimate match. Our team (Robinson) lies 3rd in our group, but only 4 points ahead of 5th.

Live standings at swangames.com: http://htxt.it/j4NG

Trying out hellotxt.

Trying out hellotxt.com. ping.fm, if this works you are dead to me.

We blitzed our 5th match, 25-4. That puts us 8 VP over average but still in the 5th spot with 4 qualifiers. Doug and I are out the 6th,

We’re in a bracket of 9 teams. 4 will qualify. We won our 1st match 18-2, lost the 2nd 20-10 (Doug and I sat out), and have a bye next.

Our team is the same as for last year's Bermuda Bowl in Brazil: Steve Robinson, Peter Boyd, Kit Woolsey, Fred Stewart, Doug Doub, and me.

I'm in Philadelphia for the World Bridge Championships. 134 teams or so have entered the Rosenblum teams, which is open to all comers.