International players Liam Milne and Susan Humphries were our guest experts fpr our May Swiss Pairs. They led the PBI at 5 workshop on "When to respond 'light'", and then followed with a pre-session talk on guidelines when low-level doubles would logically be for penalties. The workshop was well received with a number of players from North Shore making the journey to hear them speak. It will be interesting to see how many light responses appear at the club.
The Swiss Pairs showed some interesting - read difficult - boards. The first board at our table had the following bidding: 4H (5D) 5H (6D) P P 6H X All pass - down one when 6D makes. In fact 7D makes when played by the other hand but fails on an unlikely spade lead and ruff. Needless to say Cath Whiddon and I were on the wrong side of this board playing against Susan and Liam.
Derrick Browne was our guest expert at the Swiss Pairs on 24 April. His pre-session talk on the "Power of the Closed Hand" was very well received, and a number of players were seen trying to practice the deception technique during the night. Join us for the next Swiss Pairs on 22 May when international players Liam Milne and Susan Humphries will be our guest experts. The pre-session talk will address how to distinguish the doubles partner intended as penalties from those intended as takeout.
The winners on the night were David Farmer and Catherine Whiddon, ahead of Peter Clarke and Hans van Weeren, and Marieta Borthwick and Annegrete Kolding.
Nine tables played on the night which was directed by in-house directors Alan Davies and David Farmer.
Members may not be aware of the KEORIDE transport option available for those living on the Northern Beaches north of Narrabeen.
This option was introduced as part of the B-Line service, and provides on-demand transport between your home and the nearest B-Line bus stop. There is of course a B-Line bus stop right outside the bridge club.
Member Julie Daniels writes:
The committee asks, in the best interests of all members of the club, that members do not attend the club when they are ill and contagious. We want to minimize the risk of others catching the flu and other diseases via coughs, sneezes and through touching the cards and boards that others will also touch.
All members are encouraged to wash their hands and do whatever they can to minimise these risks.
And if you are ill and miserable at home, do ensure that your bridge friends know so that they can keep in contact.
Peninsula participated in Bridge for Brains today and we all had a great day with lots of delicious food and a good bridge game. We offered the 3 rookie tables the choice to join the main game but they preferred to stay where they were so they sat on the side and played 3 rounds of 7 boards.
Thanks very much to Sue Riley and Gayle King for organising and co-ordinating the day and thanks to all those who contributed to the raffles, bought lots of tickets and brought food for the fantastic afternoon tea.
Check your results at http://www.nationwidepairs.com.au/bridge_for_brains.html
April has been a busy month at the club, with a very successful Swiss Teams Congress as well as the Autumn Individual competition, which provides a lovely opportunity to play with a few different people other than your regular partner.
Saturday 5 March is our annual Bridge For Brains Day. Along with clubs all over Australia, we donate the session proceeds and raise funds for Alzheimer’s Research - please join us and help this important cause.
Another national event happening in May is the Australia Wide Novice Pairs. Come along on Friday 25 May and see how you fare against novice players across the country - a fun event and you receive a booklet of all the hands played that day, with an analysis of bidding and play.
Hans van Weeren won the 2018 Autumn Individual with a late charge - a mammoth score of 68.41% yesterday, the final Monday. This is all the more impressive as he only played three of the possible four weeks due to his expected partner having to pull out for one of the weeks - so he was not able to drop a poor score.
This is a repeat performance for Hans who also won the 2017 Autumn Individual - and continues his strong results across a range of events.
Hans won ahead of Vivien Eldridge and Anne Small. You can download the full results.
Peninsula travelled to the 2018 Central Coast Super Congress on 23-25 March. And we had some success, notably Marieta Borthwick and Annegrete Kolding were runners-up in the Restricted Swiss Pairs.
Other results to mention include Marieta and Annegrete teaming up with Heidi Colenbrander and Ray Hurst to come 8th equal in the Restricted Teams, and Carolyn Dowling, Chris Duggin, Lori Neville and Yvonne Perkins coming 15th in the Open Teams. Congratulations to those members.
Hopefully a photo is to come.