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Mondays, Start Time: 7:10 pm (Pacific), Registration Opens: 5:10 pm (Pacific)

 
     No Wednesday games for now...If you would be interested in a Swiss Team Game or a Limited Pairs Game (499er, 299er, 199er, etc.) or a Limited Swiss Team Game, or any other type of game on Wednesday evenings, please speak to me (Doug) about it.  Or also please feel free to email me (dough0918@aol.com) or phone me (925:938-4493) about it (or about anything else really).  if I can sense there is enough interest in a Wednesday game to make it work, we could certainly have one. 


                      LOOKS AS THOUGH I NEEDED 2 WEEKS OFF, NOPE...A MONTH NOW...DETERMINED TO FINISH THIS ONE, THEN GET CAUGHT UP.  THIS IS GAME FROM MONDAY FEBRUARY 8... 

 
     THIS WAS AN 11 TABLE GAME W/ 3 N/S PAIRS SCORING OVER 60% AND THE E/W WINNER SCORING EXACTLY 60%, ALTHOUGH THEY STILL WON BY ABOUT 3/4 OF A FULL BOARD.  NEEDLESS TO SAY THERE WERE SOME FAIRLY UNLUCKY (LOW) N/S SCORES, WHEREAS THE E/W SCORES WERE MORE TIGHTLY BUNCHED, NONE BELOW THE 40% MARK. 

 
     DAVIDGEARY (DAVID) and GLENNB56 (GLENN) WON N/S AND THIS MARKED 2 CONSECUTIVE MONDAY EVENING WINS FOR THEM AND 4 CONSECUTIVE WINS HERE FOR DAVID WHO'D (AT THAT TIME) ALSO WON THE 2 PREVIOUS THURSDAY EVES (W/ BLAIR).  THEY'VE DONE WELL ENOUGH W/ THEIR THURSDAY EVE PARTNERS [GLENN GENERALLY PLAYS W/ DRLAZ (DOC ANDY) ON THURSDAY EVES HERE], BUT TOGETHER ON MONDAY EVES, CHECK OUT THIS RECORD.  OVER THEIR PAST 14 MONDAY EVES PLAYING TOGETHER HERE DATING BACK THROUGH NOVEMBER 9 OF LAST YEAR, THEY'VE ACCUMULATED 6 WINS (INCLUDING 3 IN THEIR PAST 5 GAMES), ALSO A 2nd PLACE, A TIE FOR 2nd/3rd PLACE AND 3 4th PLACES.  SO THEY'VE SCRATCHED 11 OUT OF THOSE 14 TIMES.  ON THIS EVENING THEY SCORED A "ROOM"-HIGH 127 POINTS (AVERAGE WAS 90, SO THIS IS, TO BE PRECISE, 70.56%).  SCOOTCAT (ANNE) and SIDNEYMAR (SIDNEY) TOOK 2nd PLACE W/ A SCORE OF 117.5 (65%), MAKING FOR A MarginOfVictory OF JUST A HAIR (OR A HARE?) UNDER (OR 95% OF) 1 FULL BOARD.  ARTCPA (ARTHUR) and TGRISWOLD (TOM) FINISHED 3rd, ALSO 1st IN STRATS B AND C, BY SCORING 112 (62%).  THEIR AWARD SEEMS TO BE FOR THE STRAT B RANKING.  WELL DONE, FELLASSmile!!!  DLPRATT (DAVE PRATT) and EIDINGER (JOHN EIDINGER) WERE 4th, ALSO 2nd IN STRAT B (FROM WHENCE CAME THEIR AWARD) W/ 102.5 SCORE (57%).  ALSO SCRATCHING WERE JKOSEL (JANICE) and RBSMITH637 (ROSEANNE) WHOSE 86.5 (48%) EARNED THEM 3rd PLACE IN STRAT B.  ALSO BURTMAR (MARILYN OUR VERY OWN BOOKBINDER) and SLAMGIRL8 (KC/KATHLEEN) EARNED 2nd PLACE IN STRAT C BY VIRTUE OF 85.5 (47.5%).  WE'LL TAKE 6 SCRATCHES OUT OF 11 PAIRS EVERY TIME, SINCE ONLY 4 WERE GUARANTEED.  WELL DONE ALL. 

 
     THE RACE WAS, AT THE SAME TIME INTERESTING, YET A BIT DULL.  ONLY 3 PAIRS EVER HELD THE LEAD, ONE OF THEM, PRATT and DINGER, FOR ONLY ONE ROUND (THE 4th), AND IN FACT A ZERO ON THE 2nd BOARD OF THAT ROUND DROPPED THEM BACK INTO A TIE FOR IT AND THEN THEY LOST IT ON THE SUBSEQUENT BOARD AND NEVER REGAINED IT.  THE ULTIMATE WINNERS, DAVID and GLENN, NEVER GOT THE LEAD TILL BOARD #14, THEN HELD IT FOR THE FINAL 5 BOARDS.  IN FACT THEY ONLY HAD ONE BAD ROUND, BUT THAT ONE WAS A DOOZY, #1, ON WHICH THEY SCORED ALL OF 2.5 MATCHPOINTS (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 20).  AT THAT POINT THEY WERE 14.5 POINTS BEHIND THE LEADERS.  BUT THEY NEVER HAD ANOTHER BOARD W/ LESS THAN AN AVERAGE SCORE (5), NOR A ROUND WORSE THAN 12.5 POINTS (62.5%) FOR THE REST OF THE GAME.  ANNE and SIDNEY WERE THOSE EARLY LEADERS, HAVING GRABBED THE LEAD W/ AN IMMEDIATE PURE TOP (10 MATCH POINTS) ON BOARD #1 AND THEY HELD IT FROM THEN RIGHT UP UNTIL BOARD #14, SAVE FOR THAT ONE PRATT and DINGER ROUND, STARTING W/ BOARD #7, THEN THE TIE AFTER BOARD #8.  SO THEY HELD THE OUTRIGHT LEAD FOR MORE THAN HALF THE GAME, 11 BOARDS OUT OF THE FIRST 13, PLUS THE ONE TIE.  THERE WERE ALL OF 3 LEAD CHANGES THROUGHOUT. 

 
     ANNE and SIDNEY WERE THE PAIR WHO HAD TO WAIT PATIENTLY (AND THEY DID) WHILE WE DUG UP A COUPLE OF SUBS AGAINST WHOM THEY COULD START.  IT COULD BE SAID THAT THAT WORKED A BIT TO THEIR ADVANTAGE, AS ONE OF THE SUBS MADE A COMPLETELY KNUCKLE-HEADED 2S OVERCALL ON BOARD #1.  BUT SIDNEY HAD FULL-WELL HEARD HIS PARTNER OPEN THE BIDDING, SO WASTED NO TIME BIDDING QUICKLY TO GAME, 3NT.  THE OTHER SUB, HOLDING 3 SMALL SPADES AND GOOD HIGH CARDS IN THE OTHER SUITS X'ed (REASONABLY ENOUGH I SUPPOSE) BUT WHEN KQ DOUBLETON OF CLUBS APPEARED W/ THE DOUBLER, SIDNEY WAS ABLE TO TURN DUMMY ANNE's 6 CARD SUIT INTO 5 TRIX AND EASILY MAKE THE DOUBLED CONTRACT (+550) FOR THAT EARLY TOP BOARD AND LEAD, 17-16.5 AHEAD OF PRATT and DINGER AFTER THE 2 BOARDS OF ROUND #1. 

 
     THAT 2.5 FIRST ROUND DISASTER FOR DAVID and GLENN?  OH, WELL, THAT STARTED BADLY ENOUGH FOR THEM WHEN, ABSENT THE BAD SPADE OVERCALL, DAVID CHOSE, INNOCENTLY ENOUGH, TO REBID 1NT RATHER THAN 2C AS MOST OF THE OTHER N's WOUND UP DOING, THUS GETTING THE NOT-AT-ALL HELPFUL SPADE LEAD FROM E, WHICH HELD THEM TO 9 (UNDOUBLED) TRIX AT 3NT, AND ONLY 2.5 MATCH POINTS.  WHEREAS AT MOST OF THE OTHER TABLES, S DECLARED AND RECEIVED (AS IT HAPPENED) MUCH MORE FRIENDLY HT LEADS FROM W, ALLOWING THEM TO MAKE AN EXTRA (10th) TRICK AT 3NT (AND 6.5 MATCHPOINTS).  BUT "BADLY" BECAME "DISASTER" ON BOARD #2, WHEN  THEIR OPP WAS THE ONLY ONE TO OPEN 1C, RATHER THAN 1NT (LIKELY DISCOUNTING THEIR Qx OF HTS), TEMPTING DAVID INTO WHAT PROVED TO BE A WAY TOO AGGRESSIVE CALL LEADING TO AN UNPREDICTABLE AND UNFORTUNATE AUCTION/PLAY SEQUENCE ENDING IN 4S, -3=-300 AND 0 MATCH POINTS ON THAT BOARD (AND THE 2.5 TOTAL TO THAT POINT).  

 
     MEANWHILE ANNE and SIDNEY KEPT ON HAVING GOOD ROUNDS, BUT SO DID THEIR CLOSEST COMPETITORS, SO THAT 32.5 POINTS (81%) AFTER 2 ROUNDS STILL LEFT THEM ONLY 0.5 POINTS AHEAD OF ARTHUR and TOM.  THEY HAD 45 POINTS (STILL 75%) AFTER 3 ROUNDS, BUT ALSO STILL ONLY 0.5 POINTS AHEAD OF (NOW) PRATT and DINGER, WHO'D PULLED OFF AN EFFECTIVE SACRIFICE ON BOARD #6, A PURE TOP (10 POINTS), 5D, X'ed, -3=-500 VS. 4H CONTRACTS, MOSTLY MAKING +650's AND +680's.  THEN CAME CRAZY ROUND #4 WHERE ANNE MADE 8 TRIX AT 2S, WORTH 7 MATCH POINTS, ONLY TO SEE PRATT and DINGER SCORE 9 POINTS (AND SWIPE THEIR LEAD AWAY) BY VIRTUE OF DINGER's BORDER-LINE X OF OPPS' 3C CONTRACT, WHICH PAID OFF BIG-TIME -1=+200.  NOT TO MENTION DAVID and GLENN's EVEN CRAZIER PURE TOP (10 POINTS) WHEN THEIR OPPS LEFT IN GLENN's SUPPORT XX OF DAVID's 1S RESPONSE.  TURNED OUT THEY HAD A NICE 5-3 FIT AND EVEN THOUGH THE SUIT BROKE BADLY (4-1) DAVID HAD A BETTER OVERALL HAND THAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED AND HE MANAGED 9 TRIX FOR THE UNUSUAL SCORE OF +1520 (YUP, 1S, XX, MAKING 3, VUL RESULTS IN THE SAME +1520 SCORE AS 7NT, NOT VUL...WHO KNEW??). 

 
     THIS LEFT PRATT and DINGER W/ A 53.5-52 POINT LEAD OVER ANNE and SIDNEY BUT NO ONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SLEEPING ON GLENN and DAVID WHO'D CREPT UP TO 42.5.  ESPECIALLY SINCE BOARD #8 WAS WICKED AND PROVED TOTALLY UNKIND TO THE 2 LEADING PAIRS.  E HELD 23 HCP AND PARTNER W HELD NADA, ZIPPO, ZILCH, i.e. A TEN AND 2 NINES.  AS E's (DECLARING) BOTH LIP77 (PAUL L) PLAYING W/ FRANKIEF (FRANKIE) AND ALSO BOOMSTAR33 (J-NICE/JANIS) PLAYING W/ NMORTON123 (NANCY), EACH WERE ABLE TO SNEAK A SPADE TRICK PAST DINGER AND SIDNEY (RESPECTIVELY).  THIS ALLOWED PAUL A 9th TRICK TO MAKE 3NT (A PURE TOP FOR THEM AND A PURE 0 FOR PRATT and DINGER) AND J-NICE AN ALL IMPORTANT 10th (UPTRICK) AT 2NT (8.5 POINTS FOR THEM AND ONLY 1.5 FOR ANNE and SIDNEY).  MEANWHILE DAVID and GLENN LET NOTHING SLIP PAST THEM AND SET 3NT A TRICK FOR 9 BIG MATCH POINTS.  THIS LEFT ANNE and SIDNEY IN THEIR TIE W/ PRATT and DINGER @ 53.5 EACH, BUT NOW DAVID and GLENN LURKING @ 51.5.  ALSO ARTHUR and  TOM HAD BEGUN A STRONG PUSH, BY ALSO BEING PART OF THE 3 WAY TIE FOR TOP (9 POINTS) ON WICKED BOARD #8, DEFENDING CAREFULLY ENOUGH TO SET THEIR OPPS A TRICK AT 3C.  THIS LEFT THEM CERTAINLY W/IN RANGE @ 49. 

 
     ROUND #5 SAW PRATT and DINGER DROP BACK AND ANNE and SIDNEY SURGE AHEAD W/ A PURE TOP ON BOARD #9 WHEN THEIR OPPS SUDDENLY BID TO 5S (VUL), SIDNEY X'ed THAT AND IT WAS -3=+800.  ARTHUR and TOM WERE RIGHT BEHIND THEM, SCORING 9 MATCH POINTS WHEN THEIR OPPS BID 4H (W WAS 5-5 IN THE MAJORS).  IN BOTH CASES E, W/ A BIG HAND, HAD X'ed N's DMND PRE-EMPT, WHEN THEY PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE JUST BID NT INSTEAD.  THE SPADES WERE ONLY A 5-2 FIT (AND BROKE 4-2), WHEREAS THE HTS WERE A BETTER 5-3 FIT, BUT THEY BROKE 5-0, S HOLDING ATxxx.  IN THE LATTER CASE TOM WAS S (AS WAS SIDNEY) AND HE ALSO X'ed, RESULTING THIS TIME IN -2=+500.  EACH OF THOSE 2 N/S PAIRS FOLLOWED THAT ON BOARD #10 IN A 3 WAY TIE FOR 2nd (8 MATCHPOINTS EACH) SCORING +200 IN VERY DIFFERENT MANNERS.  ANNE WAS IN A REASONABLE 3S, OFF 4 TOP DEFENSIVE TRIX, BUT DEFENDERS ONLY FOUND 2 OF THEM, AFTER WHICH TRUMPS BEHAVED AND SHE WAS ABLE TO RUN OFF A 5 CARD SIDE DMND SUIT TO DUMP THE REMAINING LOSERS, +5 FOR HER +200.  MEANWHILE ARTHUR and TOM NEVER FOUND THEIR SPDS BUT WERE IN THE AUCTION IN DMNDS INSTEAD, REASONABLY ENOUGH, BUT WERE OUTBID BY THEIR OPPS AT 4C.  OK, SO THEY RATTLED OFF 4 TOP DEFENSIVE TRIX IN THEIR 2 POINTED SUITS, A TRUMP TRICK WAS TO FOLLOW, -2=THE SAME +200.  DAVID and GLENN's ROUND 5 WAS ALSO PRETTY GOOD, 12.5 POINTS OUT OF 20 POSSIBLE, 61%, BUT THEY STILL LOST GROUND TO ANNE and SIDNEY's 18 POINTS (90%) AND ARTHUR and TOM's 17 (85%).  AT ROUND'S END THE FORMER SAT ATOP THINGS W/ 71.5, THE LATTER HAD 66, DAVID and GLENN LURKING @ 64. 

 
     ROUND #6 STARTED WELL ONLY FOR DAVID and GLENN AMONG THE TOP CONTENDERS, WHEN THEY SCORED 8 POINTS IN A 3 WAY TIE FOR 2nd ON BOARD #11, HOLDING THEIR OPPS TO 7 TRIX AT 2NT.  THE 2 OTHER N/S PAIRS IN THAT TIE WERE DEFENDING 3NT AND ALLOWED 8 TRIX EACH, FOR THE SAME +50, ALTHOUGH OUT-DEFENDED BY A TRICK.  ON BOARD #12 ANNE and SIDNEY ALONG W/ PRATT and DINGER THIS TIME JOINED THE ABOVE IN ANOTHER 3 WAY TIE FOR 2nd (8 MORE POINTS).  ALL 3 N's (ANNE, PRATT AND DAVID RESPECTIVELY) EACH MADE 13 TRIX W/ CAREFUL BIDDING TO ARRIVE IN THE BETTER 4-4 HT FIT, RATHER THAN THE FLASHIER AKQT9x 6-2 SPD FIT, INSTEAD PITCHING LOSERS ON THE SPDS (WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE W/ SPDS AS TRUMP, SINCE HTS AT 4-4 PROVIDED NO PITCHES).  THIS MANEUVER ALSO REQUIRED FINDING THE Q OF HTS WHICH ALL 3 DECLARERS MANAGED TO ACCOMPLISH.  THE GAME PLAN WAS MARKEDLY DIFFERENT FOR ALL 3, YET ALL ARRIVED W/ THE SAME ULTIMATE RESULT.  MEANWHILE ALL THE OTHER N's SAVE ONE DECLARED IN SPDS INSTEAD AND WHILE ONE, JANICE (PLAYING W/ ROSEANNE), MADE 12 TRIX, MANAGING TO FIND THE Q OF HTS, ALL THE REST MADE ONLY 11 TRIX.  THE ONLY N/S PAIR TO DO BETTER THAN +710 WAS PAR36 (PAT) and LEUPHRAT (LISA) WHO WOUND UP DEFENDING OPPS' 5D AND PAT KNEW WELL TO TAKE AN AXE (X) TO THAT.  THAT CONTRACT NEVER STOOD A CHANCE, OFF 6 TOP TRIX BUT IN A BIT OF FINE DEFENSIVE EFFORT (AND HYPERBOLE) THEY TOOK 8, -6=+1400.  SO ROUND #6 WAS PUT TO BED W/ ANNE and SIDNEY @ 84, DAVID and GLENN @ 80 AND BASICALLY NO OTHER PAIR W/IN A BOARD'S REACH OF THE LEADERS. 

 
     BOARD #13 WAS ENTIRELY A PUSH FOR ALL THE N/S HIGHEST SCORERS TO THAT POINT, ALL OF WHOSE N's DECLARED 4H AND ALL OF WHOM MADE AN UPTRICK FOR 6 MATCH POINTS.  BUT BOARD #14 PROVED TO BE THE DENOUEMENT WHEN DAVID and GLENN's OPPS TRIED 3NT, OFF 5 CASHING DMND TRIX AND THE HT ACE, -2=+100, THE ONLY N/S + SCORE, A PURE TOP (10).  MOST ALL OF THE OTHER E/W PAIRS WERE IN SAFER CLUB CONTRACTS, MAKING 11 OR 12 TRIX.  MEANWHILE IN A REMARKABLE BIT OF MISFORTUNE FOR ANNE and SIDNEY, THEIR OPPS WERE THE ONLY OTHER ONES TO ALSO TRY 3NT.  BUT IN EITHER A MIS-CLICK OR ELSE A FAILED ATTEMPT TO ASK HER PARTNER IF THEY HELD A DMND STOP, THE OPENING BIDDER REBID 2D, RATHER THAN 2C (HOLDING AQJT8x OF THOSE BUT ONLY Jxx IN DMNDS).  PARTNER, HOLDING A SMALL SINGLETON DMND BUT WELL FORTIFIED IN ALL THE OTHER SUITS, NOT SURPRISINGLY BID 3NT.  BUT ANNE, THROWN OFF NO DOUBT BY THE DMND BID, LED FROM HER 4 CARD HT SUIT INSTEAD OF THE KILLING 5 CARD DMND SUIT, ALLOWING THE OPPOSING DECLARER TO SCAMPER OFF W/ 10 TRIX AND EVEN HAVING BLOCKED THEMSELVES OFF OF AN 11th MADE NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL AS EITHER WOULD HAVE LED TO THE SAME 8 MATCH POINTS FOR DECLARER AND ONLY 2 FOR ANNE and SIDNEY.  THIS 8 POINT SWING WAS THE LAST LEAD CHANGE AND LEFT DAVID and GLENN W/ A(N ILL-GAINED) 96-92 LEAD.  15.5 MORE POINTS ON ROUND #8 (77.5%) GREW THE LEAD TO 111.5-102.  THE TOP 2 PAIRS FINISHED W/ IDENTICAL 6.5+9=15.5 POINT FINAL ROUNDS, THE FIRST BOARD OF WHICH ELIMINATED THE ONLY OTHER REMAINING CONTENDER AND LEFT ANNE and SIDNEY W/ THAT SAME 9.5 POINT DEFICIT W/ ONLY 10 POINTS REMAINING ON THE FINAL BOARD, SOON ENOUGH GAME, SET, AND MATCH, THANK Y'ALL FOR PLAYING, DRIVE HOME SAFELY. 

  
     LET THERE BE ONE FINAL POST-SCRIPT, WHICH IS THAT AFTER THAT MISERABLE FIRST ROUND, DAVID and GLENN POLISHED OFF THE FINAL 8 ROUNDS W/ 124.5 POINTS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 160, A REMARKABLE 78% OVER SUCH A LONG STRETCH.  


          LULUTEAK (MARILYN T) and WOODMANSF (JEFF) WON E/W THIS EVENING W/ A SCORE OF 108, EXACTLY 60%.  THEY ALSO WON STRAT B.  ANOTHER BIG STORY WAS HOW DIFFERENT WAS THIS E/W FINISH, COMPARED TO WHAT OCCURRED IN N/S DIRECTION.  OF THE 4 N/S PAIRS WHO SCRATCHED IN STRAT A, ONLY 2 OF THEM ACTUALLY WERE STRAT A PAIRS, A 3rd WAS A STRAT B PAIR, THE 4th A STRAT C PAIR.  THIS MEANT THERE WAS ONE MORE SCRATCHING PLACE AVAILABLE TO ONE PAIR FROM EACH OF STRATS B AND C, MAKING FOR THOSE 6 SCRATCHING PAIRS.  E/W HOWEVER HAD 2 STRAT B PAIRS AND 2 STRAT C PAIRS TAKING ALL 4 OF THE TOP (STRAT A) AWARDS, BUT THOSE PAIRS ALSO TOOK ALL THE TOP STRAT B AND STRAT C AWARDS AS WELL (SO WINNING THE BIGGEST OF THEM FOR THEMSELVES).  SO THIS MEANT THERE WERE ONLY 4 SCRATCHES (AWARDS) FOR THE 11 E/W PAIRS, EVEN THOUGH THERE HAD BEEN 6 IN N/S DIRECTION.  DON'T SEE THIS ALL THAT OFTEN.  SO SUNNYSD (MARIAN RENVALL), A FIRST-TIMER W/ US AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO HER PARTNER REGGINALD (REGINA) FOR INTRODUCING US TO EACH OTHER...THEY TOOK 2nd PLACE, SCORING 99 (55%).  AGAIN AN MOV OF JUST A HAIR (OR HARE?) UNDER 90% OF (THIS TIME) A FULL BOARD.  THIS WAS ALSO GOOD FOR 2nd PLACE IN STRAT B AND 1st PLACE IN STRAT C BUT THEIR STRAT A AWARD WAS HIGHEST.  BOOMSTAR33 (J-NICE/JANIS) and NMORTON123 (NANCY) SCORED 97.5 (54%) AND FINISHED 3rd, ALSO 3rd IN STRAT B, 2nd IN STRAT C.  ALSO LILIMCB (LILI) and ARGLE89 (MARCIA) TOOK 4th PLACE, ALSO 4th PLACE IN STRAT B BY VIRTUE OF THEIR 96 (53%) SCORE. 2 STRAT B PAIRS AND 2 STRAT C PAIRS WON ALL THE E/W TOP 4 PLACES AND ALL THE SCRATCHES.  NOT ONE OF THE 4 STRAT A PAIRS FINISHED HIGHER THAN 5th OR WERE ABLE TO SCRATCH.  WELL DONE STRAT B'ers AND C'ers!!!Smile

     NOW TO THIS RACE AND, OHMIGOSH, AGAIN IN CONTRAST TO THAT OF N/S, WHAT A RACE THIS WAS!  EACH OF THE 4 SCRATCHING PAIRS LED FOR AT LEAST ONE BOARD AND THOSE WERE THE ONLY PAIRS THAT EVER HELD THE LEAD.  THE EVENTUAL 4th PLACE PAIR LED FOR EXACTLY 1 BOARD, THE FIRST ONE.  THE EVENTUAL 3rd PLACE PAIR HELD THE LEAD THE MOST OFTEN, ON 4 SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR A TOTAL OF 7 BOARDS.  THE EVENTUAL 2nd PLACE PAIR HELD THE LEAD ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS FOR A TOTAL OF 4 BOARDS, OUTRIGHT, PLUS 2 OTHER TIMES, BOTH LATE IN THE GAME, ON WHICH THEY SHARED IT, AS IT HAPPENED, W/ THE EVENTUAL WINNERS.  AND THEY (THE EVENTUAL WINNERS) HELD THAT LEAD OUTRIGHT ON ONLY 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT ALSO FOR 4 TOTAL BOARDS, PLUS THOSE 2 OTHER SEPARATE OCCASIONS (AND BOARDS) ON WHICH THEY SHARED IT, AFTER BOARD #s 15 AND 17.  WE COUNT 9 DRAMATIC LEAD CHANGES, OR AFTER EXACTLY HALF OF THE 18 BOARDS PLAYED.  

 
     LILY and MARCIA JUMPED OUT TO THE EARLY LEAD W/ A PURE TOP (10 POINTS) ON BOARD #1 WHEN THEIR OPP DECLARING 3NT DID NOT GO AFTER THE LONGEST (AND BEST) SUIT AND SO WENT -1 WHEN MANY, IF NOT MOST, MADE 10 TRIX.  BUT THAT WAS THEIR ONLY LEAD OF THE GAME.  THEY HAD A BIDDING GLITCH ON BOARD #2 BUT DID STAY IN CONTENTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE GAME.  THEY HAD SOME BAD LUCK ON BOARD #5 AND W/ BETTER SCORES ON THOSE 2 BOARDS THEY SURELY WOULD HAVE FINISHED AT LEAST 2nd AND MIGHT HAVE CHALLENGED FOR THE WIN.  MEANTIME J-NICE and NANCY SCORED A PURE TOP ON BOARD #2 AND FINISHED THAT FIRST ROUND W/ A 17.5-16.5 LEAD AHEAD OF MARILYN and JEFF.  THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG EITHER, BUT THEY WOULD GET BACK IN THE FIGHT AND THE LEAD LATER. 

 
     MARILYN and JEFF HAD A GOOD ROUND #2, 14 POINTS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 20, 70%, FUELED BY 9 POINTS ON BOARD #3 WHEN THEIR OPPS LET JEFF PLAY 1D, THEN LET HIM MAKE IT.  MOST OTHER N/S's BALANCED AND WOUND UP DECLARING IN HTS OR NT TO FAR BETTER ADVANTAGE.  AFTER 2 ROUNDS, THEY LED 30.5-28 AHEAD OF J-NICE and NANCY.  THEY MAINTAINED IT THROUGH BOARD #5, BUT DIDN'T FARE SO WELL ON BOARD #6 AND J-NICE and NANCY SWITCHED PLACES W/ THEM AND EMERGED W/ A SLIM 39-38 LEAD.  BUT THE BIG STORY OF ROUND #3 WAS A HARD CHARGE BEGUN BY MARIAN and REGINA

 
   

 

     
     THIS EVENING'S DATA BASE COUNT REVEALS A WELL-BALANCED FIELD OF  PAIRS OF 499-QUALIFIED PLAYERS,  PAIRS OF OPEN PLAYERS AND  PAIRS CONSISTING OF ONE FROM EACH CATEGORY.

 
     CONGRATS (AGAIN) TO ALL WHO SCRATCHED AND THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME...ER, WHO PARTICIPATED.  PROBABLY AT LEAST SOME OTHERS OF YOU (INCLUDING MELINDA, I'M GUESSING, BUT ALSO CERTAINLY MYSELF) ENJOYED THE ENTIRE EVENING IN OUR JAMMIES.  NEXT GAMES CURRENTLY WILL BE, WELL THIS EVE AND TOMORROW (AS I WRITE), SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MARCH 6 AND 7, THEN MONDAY MARCH 8, THEN AGAIN FOLLOWING THURSDAY MARCH 11.  ALL GAMES STARTING AT 7:10 pm.  DO HOPE TO SEE AS MANY OF Y'ALL AS CAN MAKE IT THEN...TILL THEN...  

 
     ...HOPEFULLY YOU'LL REMEMBER WHERE TO FIND RESULTS FROM GAMES NOWADAYS...IN CASE YOU WEREN'T SURE, SIMPLY TYPE, THEN CLICK ON live.acbl.org, ENTER SPECIFICALLY New Piedmont Bridge Center IN THE View Club Results SEARCH BAR, CLICK AND VOILA!  ALL GAMES, VIRTUAL AND NOT, LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER W/ MOST RECENT AT THE TIPPY TOP.  (USUALLY TAKES 15 MINUTES TO HALF AN HOUR AFTER MOST OF OUR GAMES TILL THEY'VE BEEN BROUGHT IN TO THIS SITE, BUT IT ALL GETS THERE.)   

 
     ALSO SOME OF YOU MAY NOT YET HAVE DISCOVERED THAT ONE MAJOR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN F2F (FACE2FACE) GAMES AND THOSE OF THE CURRENT VIRTUAL STYLE...IS THAT IN THE FORMER, WE ALERTED OUR PARTNER'S CALLS AND PLAYS AND THEY ALERTED OURS.  IN OUR CURRENT (VIRTUAL) INCARNATION, THAT PROCEDURE IS TOTALLY REVERSED AND, AS SUCH, MIRRORS WHAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN TRUE (CAUSE IT'S SLIGHTLY BETTER, WHENEVER POSSIBLE) IN THE FINAL SEVERAL ROUNDS AND DAYS OF MOST OF THE TOP-LEVEL NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EVENTS PRETTY MUCH WORLD-WIDE.  OF COURSE VIRTUAL STYLE MAKES THIS EASY...THE KEY PART BEING, WHEN YOU ALERT YOUR OWN BID (OR TRANSFER, OR ANNOUNCEMENT), BOTH OPPONENTS CAN SEE THAT, AND EVEN ASK YOU ABOUT IT IF THEY WISH, YET PARTNER SEES (AND OBVIOUSLY HEARS) NONE OF THIS...AND VICE VERSA, WHEN PARTNER ALERTS THEIR OWN CALLS OR PLAYS.  ADVANTAGE BEING, OPPONENTS ALWAYS GETS TO SEE AT LEAST THE BIDDER OR PLAYER'S VERSION OF WHAT THEIR AGREEMENT IS (AND PARTNER IS NONE THE WISER)...SAVES LOTS OF ARGUMENTS AND BEEFS AND WRANGLING...

 
     LEAVING UP WHAT IS BELOW FOR AWHILE, JUST IN CASE ANYONE VISITS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE ADVENT OF THE NEW (VIRTUAL) FORMAT FOR OUR GAMES.  DON'T WORRY, I PROMISE I'LL TAKE IT DOWN EVENTUALLY, BUT WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO MAY STILL NEED IT...

 
     HERE'S SOMETHING NEW, LYNN JUST SENT...TUTORIAL:

 
                                                                                                             https://www.acbl.org/bbotutorials/

 
     another little bit jim scott thought i'd forgotten to put in earlier...but i just looked and found it...it is there near the bottom of this column, but i suppose it's worth mentioning again here...which is that in order to play in any (including ours, which costs $6) virtual (piedmont) acbl club games (or any game on bbo which costs money, some do, some don't), one needs to purchase bb$s (bridge base dollars).  there is a tab for this (says exactly that, "bb$") in the upper right part of the web-site.  you can buy 'em via credit card (immediate) or check (have to go through snail-mail and wait)...
 
     THESE GAMES ARE RUN PRIMARILY FOR PLAYERS WHO'VE PLAYED (AND WON AT LEAST SOME MASTERPOINTS) W/ US IN  PIEDMONT AT ANY POINT IN EITHER 2020 OR 2019.  EXCEPTIONS TO THIS MAY BE ADDED LATER.  FOR NOW, I DO KNOW YOU NEED TO SIGN UP W/ BBO (bridgebase.com) WHICH, I'VE FOUND, IS BEST WAY TO LOG ONTO THEM.  SIGNING UP IS FREE (PICK A SCREEN NAME AND PASSWORD).  REGISTRATION FOR EACH PARTICULAR GAME (THEY ARE CALLED "TOURNAMENTS" BY BBO) BEGINS ONLY AT APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS BEFORE (AND CONTINUES UP UNTIL A FEW MINUTES BEFORE) GAME TIME. THIS MEANS STARTING @ AROUND 5:10 pm ON MONDAY.  YOU'LL NEED TO CLICK ON VIRTUAL CLUBS, THEN ON VIRTUAL ACBL CLUBS.  YOU CAN FIND OUR SPECIFIC GAME UNDER SOME VERSION OR ABBREVIATION OF "PIEDMONT" AND/OR OUR CLUB USER NAME WHICH IS:

 
                                                                       VACB214114.

 
     WE'RE GOING TO PLAY 18 BOARDS, ALL ONE SECTION (OPEN, BUT STRATIFIED) FOR NOW.  IF YOU'RE NOT CLEAR ON YOUR PLAYER #, ASK ME AND I CAN FIND IT FOR YOU...OTHERWISE IF YOU GET THAT WRONG, YOU'LL BE PUT IN STRAT A.  PLANNING FOR 499er SECTION TO BE ADDED LATER.  3 BOARD ROUNDS W/ TIME CLOCK SET AT 21 MINUTES FOR EACH ROUND.  IF BOARDS AREN'T FINISHED, SYSTEM SENDS US ON TO THE NEXT ROUND ANYWAY AND WE DO OUR BEST TO AWARD SCORES BASED ON EFFORT TO PLAY UP TO TEMPO.  PARTNERSHIP OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE, EITHER THROUGH ME OR ON THE GAME SITE, ONCE IT IS SET UP.  

 
     AS MELINDA SAID, "WE GET TO PLAY IN OUR JAMMIES"...THAT PLUS W/ NO DRIVING OR PARKING ISSUES, NO MOVEMENT OF BOARDS OR PEOPLE AND SCORING BEING DONE FOR US BY THE EVER WATCHFUL COMPUTER WE SHOULD FINISH OUR BOARDS (AND BE HOME, YES, POSSIBLY IN OUR JAMMIES) IN 2 HOURS OR SO, GIVE OR TAKE...THAT'S THE MODEL SUGGESTED FOR NOW, COULD BE REVISED LATER.

 
     COST IS $5/PERSON.  FOR THOSE UNFAMILIAIR W/ BBO SO FAR, BB$ CAN BE PURCHASED FOR THAT PURPOSE ON THE HOME/LOG-IN SCREEN.  AND OF COURSE I'D SUGGEST YOU GIVE IT A WHIRL W/ ONE OF THEIR "FREE" (BUT FACELESS STRANGERS AND/OR "ROBOTS" FOR PARTNER AND OPPONENTS) OPTIONS...JUST TO BECOME FAMILIAR W/ THE PROCESS. 

 
     ANY QUESTIONS? PLEASE, RUN 'EM BY ME...EMAIL: dough0918@aol.com AS PER USUAL.  DO HOPE TO "SEE" Y'ALL THURSDAY NIGHTSmile. 

  


Thursdays, Start Time: 7:10 pm (Pacific), Registrations Opens: 5:10 pm (Pacific)

 
Yes, the new evening for our 2nd (virtual) weekly game now.  


 
     OOPS, NOW MORE THAN 3 WEEKS BEHIND, HERE WILL BE THE REVIEW OF THE FEBRUARY 4 GAME ON THE WAY TO STILL DESPARATELY WANTING TO ACTUALLY "CATCH UP".  WE WRITE THIS ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON, PRIOR TO THIS EVENING'S 3rd SUNDAY GAME.  DO HOPE TO SEE AS MANY OF YOU COME PLAY TO SUPPORT AND GROW THIS GAME AS CAN MAKE IT...

 
     THIS FEBRUARY 4 GAME WAS A HEALTHY 8 TABLE GAME W/ CLOSE RACES IN EACH DIRECTION.  IT WAS A BIT DIFFERENT IN THAT SOMEHOW I MUST HAVE ERRED IN SETTING UP THE GAME (OR ELSE THE SOFTWARE "GLITCHED") AND WE WOUND UP PLAYING 21 BOARDS INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 18, MEANING WE FINISHED ABOUT 20 MINUTES LATER THAN USUAL, BUT NOT ONE PERSON COMPLAINED (PROBABLY SO LONG AS IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN).  I DO KNOW IT HASN'T SINCE. 

 
     SCOOTCAT (ANNE) and BRADLEYKOM (BRAD) WON N/S SCORING A "ROOM"-HIGH 89.  AVERAGE WAS 73.5, GRADING OUT TO A NICE 60.54%.  THERE WAS A CLUSTER OF 3 PAIRS AT THE TOP, ANY OF WHOM MIGHT HAVE WON W/ ANY DIFFERENT BID OR PLAY CAUSING AS LITTLE AS A 3 POINT DIFFERENCE IN ANYONE'S SCORE.  VULNRABLEV (VALERIE) and ALPETE99 (AL P) FINISHED 2nd W/ 87.5 (59.52%).  MarginOfVictory WAS BARELY A MERE 20% OF A FULL BOARD.  THEY ALSO WERE 1st PLACE IN STRAT B.  MERCEDESB (LO-IE/LOIS) and ARGLE89 (MARCIA) WERE 3rd ALSO 2nd IN STRAT B W/ 86 SCORE (58.5%).  ALSO SCRATCHING WERE WALLACE394 (MELINDA) and DP606JY (EILEEN), STRAT C WINNERS HAVING SCORED 65.5 (45%).  WE'LL TAKE 4 OUT OF 8 PAIRS SCRATCHING (ONLY 3 WERE GUARANTEED). 

 
     THE RACE HAD SOME TWIST AND TURN TO IT.  4 DIFFERENT PAIRS LED AT SOME POINT BUT 2 OF THEM FOR ONLY A SINGLE BOARD EACH.  ANNE and BRAD HELD THE LEAD AFTER 9 DIFFERENT BOARDS OVER 3 DIFFERENT STRETCHES, BUT VALERIE and AL HELD IT FOR 10, ALSO OVER 3 DIFFERENT STRETCHES, ONE OF WHICH WAS 5 BOARDS LONG, ANOTHER 4.  THERE WERE 7 LEAD CHANGES, CAUSING PLENTY OF EXCITEMENT.

 
     SPEAKING OF EXCITEMENT, BOARD #1 WAS SURELY A DOOZY, SPARKING PLENTY OF OF THAT.  BOOMSTAR33 (J-NICE/JANIS) and MDLUBIN (MIKE) TOOK THE EARLY LEAD W/ A PURE TOP ON IT.  THE AUCTION WAS UNUSUAL (MAY HAVE INVOLVED A MIS-CLICK, SURELY A HEAD-SCRATCHER IN ANY CASE).  AFTER 1H-X-P (?)-1S (?? THIS SUBSTITUTE PLAYER BID THIS W/ A 2 CARD SUIT, JT, FORGETTING TO MENTION THEIR 5 CARD CLUB SUIT?)-4H (REASONABLE ENOUGH, HOLDING AKQxxxxxx AND THE ACE OF SPDS.  NOW N LEAPS IN W 4S (HOLDING A MERE Qxxxxx AND SOME OTHER STUFF, THE OPPS HAVING SHOWN, THEN BID SPADES)-P AND NOW S COULDN'T STAND THAT SO BID 5H AND W, HOLDING 2 ACES AND 2 KINGS (BUT NOTHING IN TRUMPS) X'ED.  WHEN DUMMY CAME DOWN, MIKE SITTING S, DECLARING, HOLDING ALL THOSE HTS, WAS LOOKING AT 2 DMND LOSERS OFF THE TOP AND A POTENTIAL SPADE LOSER (REMEMBER HE'S IN AT THE 5-LEVEL).  SO W, THE OTHER SUB, CASHES THE TOP 2 DMNDS, THEN  TRIES THE ACE OF CLUBS AND MIKE RUFFS THAT AND BEGINS TO JUST RUN OFF HIS HTS, HOLDING ONLY ACE AND A SPADE IN HIS HAND NEXT TO ALL THE HTS.  IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS, E DISCARDS THE ONLY REMAINING DMND THAT W CAN'T SEE (IN THEIR OWN HAND PLUS DUMMY), SO IT SHOULD NOW BE CLEAR TO W THAT MIKE's ONLY REMAINING CARDS IN ADDITION TO THE HTS ARE 2 SPADES...EVEN IF ONE OF THEM IS THE ACE (WHICH IT IS), W/ W THEMSELF HOLDING THE KING, SO THEY COULD PROTECT IT SO THAT SHOULD BE THE SETTING TRICK, EVEN THOUGH DUMMY HAS THE QUEEN.  BUT NO, AS MIKE RUNS OFF HIS FINAL HT, W PITCHES HIS LAST SMALL SPD, SAVING SINGLETON KING AND THE NOW GOOD DMND JACK, W/ MIKE HAVING LONG AGO PITCHED AWAY DUMMY'S PREVIOUSLY GOOD QUEEN OF DMNDS, W/ NO WAY TO GET TO IT IN ANY CASE (ALSO REMEMBER, W HAS NOW SEEN ALL THE DMNDS IN THE DECK AND HAS SEEN MIKE ALREADY SHOW OUT OF (BY RUFFING) CLUBS.  BUT W APPARENTLY DIDN'T BOTHER TO COUNT THAT, TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT, SO THEIR NOW SINGLETON KING FALLS UNDER MIKE's ACE, MAKING DUMMY'S QUEEN GOOD FOR THE FULFILLING TRICK (WHILE W INSTEAD HELD ONTO THEIR WORTHLESS DMND JACK), +650, 7 MATCH POINTS AND THE EARLY LEAD FOR BOOMSTAR33 and MDLUBIN.  (SIGH...) 

 
     BUT THE REMAINDER OF ROUND #1 WAS ALL ABOUT VALERIE and AL P WHO SCORED PURE TOPS ON BOARD #s 2 AND 3.  ON THE FORMER ONLY 3 PAIRS BID SLAM, BUT AL WAS THE ONLY ONE TO PUSH TO 6N (ANDY and GLENN ALSO ANNE and BRAD WERE THE OTHERS IN SLAM AND BOTH RESTED IN 6C).  ON THE LATTER, VALERIE and AL's OPPS WERE ONE OF 2 PAIRS WHO DIDN'T BID WHAT LOOKED LIKE A SHAKY GAME, BUT CARDS WERE WELL PLACED AND THE 6 W's WHO DID BID IT ALL MADE 9, 10, EVEN 11 TRIX.  SO THEY LED 19.5-15 OVER ANNE and BRAD.  THEY MAINTAINED THE LEAD FOR ONE MORE ROUND, AFTER WHICH IT HAD SHRUNK TO 31-28.5 AND CLOSEST PURSUERS HAD BECOME LO-IE and MARCIA BY VIRTUE OF AN 18.5 POINT 2nd ROUND (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 21, 88%).  THIS  FEATURED 6.5 MATCH POINTS ON BOARD #4 ON A VERY AGGRESSIVE 3NT SIMILAR TO BOARD #3, WHERE EVERYTHING WORKED, ALLOWING MARCIA TO MAKE IT.  THEY ALSO SCORED A PURE TOP (7 POINTS) ON BOARD #6 WHEN OPPS GOT INTO A WAY TOO DIFFICULT 2NT CONTRACT, -3=+300. 

 
     ROUND #3 WAS WHERE ANNE and BRAD REALLY BEGAN TO STRUT THEIR STUFF.  THEY GRABBED THEIR FIRST LEAD AND IT WAS INDEED THAT STRETCH OF 5 BOARDS FOR WHICH THEY HELD IT.  ON BOARD #7, THEY EARNED A PURE TOP (7 POINTS) WHEN OPP DEFENSIVE ERROR PERMITTED ANNE TO TAKE A 9th TRICK AT 2S, WHEN ALL TABLES WERE IN THE SAME CONTRACT AND ALL THE OTHERS TOOK ONLY 8 (SAVE 1 WHO TOOK ONLY 7).  THEY EARNED 6 MORE POINTS ON BOARD #9 WHEN OPPS GOT INTO TOO DIFFICULT A CONTRACT AND BRAD MADE THE KEY DEFENSIVE PLAY OF DUCKING A DMND TO MAKE SURE THEY SET IT.  SO THIS BECAME A ROUND SIMILAR TO LO-IE and MARCIA's ON THE PREVIOUS ROUND, 18 POINTS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 21 (86%) AND HELPED THEM LEAP-FROG TO A 46.5-41.5 LEAD. 

 
     THEY MANAGED TO HOLD ONTO THIS LEAD FOR 2 MORE BOARDS, BUT LO-IE and MARCIA HAD A GREAT ROUND #4, BEGINNING W/ A PURE TOP ON BOARD #10, MANAGING TO DEFEAT OPPS 2NT CONTRACT 2 TRIX WHEN OTHER E/W DECLARERS MADE AT LEAST 8 TRIX, SOME MORE.  THEY CLOSED IT OUT W/ 6 MORE MATCH POINTS ON BOARD #12 WHEN OPPS MADE ONLY 10 TRIX AT 4H, WHEN MOST OTHERS MADE 11 (ONE EVEN MADE 12).  THIS WAS A 15 POINT ROUND, 71%, AND LEFT THEM W/ 55 POINTS, TRAILED BY VALERIE and AL (WHO WERE BEGINNING A BIG RALLY) @ 53, ANNE and BRAD LURKING @ 52.5. 

 
     THIS RALLY HAD BEGUN W/ A PURE TOP ON BOARD #12 FOR ACTUALLY DEFEATING OPPS 4H CONTRACT A TRICK, THEN FOLLOWING THAT UP W/ ANOTHER (STRANGE) ONE ON BOARD #13 WHEN (NEXT) OPPS CHOSE TO LET AL PLAY 1C, HAVING OPENED 3rd SEAT W/ AN 11-COUNT AND HE ACTUALLY MADE 6 TRIX OUT OF IT, HOLDING IT TO -1 ON A 4-1 TRUMP FIT =-100 WHEN ALL OTHER E/W PAIRS WERE EITHER MAKING AT LEAST 8 TRIX AT NT PARTIALS OR ELSE DEFEATING N/S 2 (VUL) TRIX AT CLUB OR HT CONTRACTS.  THEY THEN FINISHED THEIR RUN OF 3 CONSECUTIVE PURE TOP BOARDS ON #14 WHEN VALERIE MANAGED TO MAKE 11 TRIX AT 4H BY OVERCOMING A BAD TRUMP BREAK AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF DUMMY'S GOOD LONG DMND SUIT WHEN ONLY 1 OTHER N COULD MAKE EVEN 10 TRIX AT 4H AND 3 OTHERS WENT SET.  THEY ENDED ROUND #5 W/ A 68-64 LEAD OVER ANNE and BRAD, W/ LO-IE and MARCIA @ 62. 

 
     THE 4 POINT LEAD QUICKLY SHRANK TO 0.5 POINTS AFTER ANNE and BRAD EARNED A PURE TOP ON BOARD #16, HAVING WORKED HARD TO DEFEAT THEIR OPPS 2 (VUL) TRIX=+200 IN AN UNFORTUNATE 2NT CONTRACT.  IT QUICKLY DISAPPEARED ALTOGETHER ON BOARD #17 AND AT THE END OF ROUND #6 ANNE and BRAD SAT ATOP THE LEADER BOARD W/ 80 POINTS, W/ LO-IE and MARCIA @ 77.5, VALERIE and AL @ 77. 

 
     EVEN THAT 2.5/3 POINT LEAD SHRANK TO 0.5/1 POINT AFTER BOARD #19 ON WHICH NONE OF THE 3 TOP COMPETITORS WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE EVEN SO MUCH AS AN AVERAGE (3.5 POINT) RESULT.  AT THIS POINT NONE OF THE OTHER 5 PAIRS HAD EVEN THE SLIMMEST MATHEMATICAL CHANCE FOR VICTORY.  ON BOARD #20 VALERIE and AL MADE ONE FINAL PUSH AND WERE ABLE TO PLAY 5S WHEN THEIR W OPP OPENED 1H AND VALERIE CHOSE TO MAKE A T.O. X OF IT, WHEREAS ALL THE OTHER W's OPENED 4H INSTEAD, MAKING OTHER N's A BIT MORE NERVOUS ABOUT A X AND INSTEAD THEY BID 4NT (SHOWING BOTH MINORS) AND HENCE WOUND UP INSTEAD IN 5C.  12 TRIX WERE MADE AT EITHER BLACK SUIT BUT THE CLUB CONTRACT YIELDED ONLY +620, THE SPADE CONTRACT +680, HENCE 6 BIG POINTS FOR VALERIE and AL, ONLY 4 POINTS FOR THE CLUB BIDDERS. AND SO VALERIE and AL TOOK BACK THE LEAD ONE MORE TIME, HOLDING 86, ANNE and BRAD 85, LO-IE and MARCIA 84.5. 

 
     ON THE FINAL BOARD #21, 6 OF THE 8 TABLES INCLUDING ALL 3 OF THE TOP COMPETITORS SAW N DECLARE 2S.  AMONG THOSE TOP 3 ONLY BRAD WAS ABLE TO MAKE 9 TRIX, THROUGH A RARE DEFENSIVE ERROR, WHEN OPP FAILED TO PULL DUMMY'S LAST TRUMP AND INSTEAD GAVE DECLARER A RUFF/SLUFF.  HE TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE AND THEY OUTSCORED THE 2 OTHER CONTENDING PAIRS, EACH OF WHOM MADE ONLY 8 TRIX, W/4 POINTS, LEAVING 1.5 FOR EACH OF THE OTHERS.  GAME, SET, AND MATCH, T'X FOR PLAYING. 

 
      DAVIDGEARY (DAVID) and BWHOFFMAN (BLAIR) WON E/W W/ A SCORE OF 86.5 (58.84%).  GOTTA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PAIR...THEY HAVE BOTH PLAYED HERE ALMOST EVERY GAME WE'VE HAD ALTHOUGH THEY EACH HAVE DIFFERENT PARTNERS ON MONDAY EVENINGS, W/ WHOM THEY'VE EACH DONE WELL.  FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF FEBRUARY 4 (ALTHOUGH THIS IS BEING WRITTEN 3 WEEKS LATER), DAVID CAME IN 1st ON MONDAY (SWEPT THE WEEK), ALSO 1st (W/ BLAIR) THE PREVIOUS THURSDAY, 3 CONSECUTIVE WINS...DIDN'T SCRATCH AT ALL MONDAY OF LAST WEEK.  HOWEVER PRIOR TO THAT, HE AND MONDAY PARTNER GLENNB56 (GLENN) HAD SCRATCHED 4 CONSECUTIVE TIMES, A 1st PLACE, A TIE FOR 2nd/3rd PLACES, AND 2 4th PLACES.  BLAIR, FOR HIS PART, PLAYING ON MONDAYS W/ WURAT (ERIC) HAD PLACED 2nd AND 3rd THE TWO PREVIOUS MONDAYS, THEN FAILED TO SCRATCH ONE WEEK, BUT BEFORE THAT HAD RATTLED OFF 3 CONSECUTIVE MONDAY EVENING SCRATCHES, 2 2nd's AND 1 4th.  BUT TOGETHER!!! MY GOODNESS...THEY CURRENTLY HAVE A STREAK OF 19 CONSECUTIVE SCRATCHES ON THURSDAYS ON WHICH THEY'VE BEEN AVAILABLE TO PLAY TOGETHER.  INCLUDING THIS WEEK AND LAST.  THAT STREAK INCLUDES 8 1st PLACE FINISHES, 6 2nd PLACE FINISHES, 1 3rd, 1 4th AND, OH, YES, 1 TIE FOR 1st/2nd, 1 TIE FOR 2nd/3rd AND 1 TIE FOR 3rd/4th.  THE LAST THURSDAY ON WHICH THEY'VE PLAYED AND NOT SCRATCHED WAS AUGUST 27, NOW APPROACHING 6 MONTHS IN THE REAR-VIEW MIRROR.  ALSO, GET THIS, ON THAT LONG AGO AUGUST EVENING, NOT ONLY DID THEY NOT MANAGE TO SCRATCH, THEY CAME IN TIED FOR NEXT TO LAST...W/ 38% FOR THEIR TROUBLES FOR THAT EVENING.  TRULY REMARKABLE, ALTHOUGH WE'VE NOT "PEEKED" AHEAD TO SEE HOW THEY'VE FARED (EITHER W/ EACH OTHER ON THE 3 MONDAYS OR THURSDAYS ON WHICH THEY'VE PLAYED SINCE)...BUT WE DO PLAN TO KEEP NOTE OF THESE NUMBERS AND STREAKS AS WE STILL DO PLAN TO GET CAUGHT UP ON REPORTING HERE ON ALL OF THOSE SUBSEQUENT INTERVENING GAMES, SOONER RATHER THAN LATER...

 
     OK, BACK TO THE PRESENT (BTW, LEST WE FORGET, DAVID and BLAIR ALSO FINISHED 1st PLACE IN STRAT B THIS EVENING), BUT, MOVING RIGHT ALONG, MRSCLEAN (ANN) and 4902ELC (JUDY) FINISHED 2nd HERE THIS EVE, SCORING 85.5 (58.16%), A MERE SINGLE POINT BEHIND THE WINNERS, MarginOfVictory OF 1/7 (14%) OF ONE BOARD.  THEN MARILYN617 (MARILYN H) and BILLTCI (BILL) FINISHED 3rd W/ 80.5 SCORE (55%), ALSO 2nd PLACE IN STRAT B.  ALSO SCRATCHING WERE WONGANNAWO (ANNA) and LAURAWD (LAURA) WHOSE 74.5 (51%) EARNED THEM 1st PLACE IN STRAT C. 

 
     ON TO THE RACE, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL INDEED.  DEFINITE TALE OF TWO CITIES.  ONE PAIR LEAPT OUT TO A LEAD ON BOARD #1 AND MAINTAINED IT FOR THE FIRST 3 ROUNDS (9 BOARDS).  THEY LOST IT AFTER BOARD #10, THEN REGAINED IT ON BOARD #11, BUT IMMEDIATLY LOST IT AGAIN, THEN STAYED CLOSE, BUT NEVER REGAINED IT AGAIN.  THE LEAD CHANGED HANDS AN AMAZING 8 TIMES OVER THE FINAL 12 BOARDS.  ALSO W/IN THAT SPACE THE EVENTUAL TOP 2 PAIRS HAD A SEPARATE INTENSE BATTLE, TRADING THE LEAD BACK AND FORTH 5 TIMES IN THE FINAL 8 BOARDS (PLUS CAME TOGETHER FOR A TIE AFTER ANOTHER).  THE FINAL OUTCOME WAS NOT DETERMINED TILL, PRETTY LITERALLY ALMOST (IF NOT) THE LAST CARD ON THE LAST BOARD PLAYED.  DAVID and BLAIR WOUND UP HOLDING THE OUTRIGHT LEAD FOR 4 BOARDS, ANN and JUDY DID SO FOR 6, PLUS THE ONE ON WHICH THEY WERE TIED W/ EACH OTHER.  BUT MARILYN and BILL WERE THE PAIR WHO LEAPT OUT TO THE EARLY LEAD AND HELD IT FOR THE FIRST 9 BOARDS CONSECUTIVELY AND FINISHED HAVING HELD IT FOR 10. 

 
     BOARD #1 WAS ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE.  4 OUT OF THE 8 N's CHOSE TO OPEN 2S, HOLDING Qxxxxx IN THE SUIT (LITERALLY, NO HELPFUL SPOT CARDS WHATSOEVER) BUT ALSO QTxx IN DMNDS, KQT IN CLUBS (YES, AND NO HTS AT ALL).  NOT A 2S BID FOR US, BUT FOLKS ALL HAVE THEIR OWN HABITS.  S MEANTIME HELD Ax IN N's SPADES, BUT ALSO AKQxxxxxx IN HTS (PLUS 2 SMALL DMNDS). SO MARILYN and BILL's (N) OPP WAS INDEED ONE WHO OPENED 2S, S "OGUST"ED (ASKING HOW GOOD WERE N's SPADES AND ALSO HOW GOOD WAS THE REST OF N's HAND.  N DULY RESPONDED 3H, SHOWING BAD SPADES, BUT SOME OTHER (POSSIBLY HELPFUL) OUTSIDE CARDS (WHICH DESCRIBED THE SITUATION PERFECTLY).  SO OVER N's 3H (OGUST RESPONSE), S LEAPT TO 6H.  N HAD TO BE WONDERING IF THEIR PARTNER HAD MIS-CLICKED (AND S HAD TO BE WONDERING IF N WOULD THINK THEY HAD MIS-CLICKED OR JUST LOST THEIR MIND.  N DECIDED TO TRUST S AND IT WORKED...BUT ONLY FOR A SECOND OR TWO...S HAD TO BE RELIEVED IN THE TRUST PARTNER HAD SHOWN, BUT IN THE END THE "OUTSIDE CARDS" THAT S HAD HOPED N WOULD BE HOLDING JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN TO BE IN THE SLIGHTEST HELPFUL.  ALL S NEEDED N TO HAVE WOULD HAVE BEEN KQ OF SPDS AND EITHER ACE OR ON-SIDE KING OF DMNDS...BUT IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE.  HOLDING AK OF DMNDS, K OF SPADES AND ACE OF CLUBS, BILL X'ed AND WAS EASILY ABLE TO DEFEAT THE CONTRACT 2 TRIX, -300 FOR THE PURE TOP (7) AND THE EARLY LEAD.  

 
     AT THE END OF ROUND #1 (3 BOARDS) MARILYN and BILL HAD 16.5 POINTS (OUT OF A POSSIBLE 21, 79%) AND A 2 POINT LEAD.  THEY HAD AN EVEN BETTER ROUND #2.  ON BOARD #4 OPPS GOT INTO AN UNFORTUNATE CONTRACT.  ON #5 BILL MADE 8 TRIX AT 2H WHEN 4 OTHER W's WENT SET IN HT PARTIALS, EITHER BECAUSE THEY BID A LEVEL HIGHER OR, IN 2 CASES, DIDN'T MAKE EVEN 8 TRIX.  ON #6 THEIR CAREFUL DEFENSE SET 3C 2 TRIX.  ALL OF WHICH MADE FOR 17.5 POINTS (83%) ON THAT ROUND, AN 81% CLIP TO THAT POINT AND A 34-27 LEAD OVER THE NEXT CLOSEST COMPETITORS ANN and JUDY.  THEY WOBBLED A BIT ON ROUND #3, BUT EMERGED FROM IT STILL HOLDING THEIR LEAD, NOW TRIMMED TO 40-39.5, W/ BMACBRIDE (BMAC/BONNIE) and SIDNEYMAR (SIDNEY) CLOSE BEHIND W/ 39. 

 
     THEIR STRING OF 9 CONSECUTIVE BOARDS HOLDING THE LEAD ENDED ON BOARD #10 WHEN ANN PUSHED HARD TO GET JUDY TO 3NT (NO ONE ELSE BID THAT HIGH) AND JUDY PLAYED WELL ENOUGH TO MAKE 10 TRIX (-630) FOR A PURE TOP AND A MOMENTARY LEAD 46.5-44.5.  HOWEVER BOARD #11 WAS MOST UNKIND TO ANN and JUDY WHEN THEIR OPPS MIS-BID TO 3NT (WHEN MUCH OF THE REST OF THE FIELD PLAYED IN THEIR 8-CARD FIT AT 4H, GOING SET WHEN TRUMPS BEHAVED BADLY).  3NT, AS IT HAPPENS REQUIRED LUCKY GUESSES ON DEFENSE TO SET IT AND WHEN ANN and JUDY INSTEAD MADE UNLUCKY GUESSES, THEY RECEIVED ONLY 0.5 MATCHPOINT WHEN THEIR OPPS MADE THEIR CONTRACT AND MARILYN and BILL SAT QUIETLY DEFEATING 4H TO REGAIN THEIR LEAD FOR ONE MORE TIME, 49.5-47.  FINALLY, BILL MAY HAVE BEEN THROWN OFF BY AN UNUSUAL BID BY THEIR OPPS ON BOARD #12, GOING SET IN A COLD 4H CONTRACT WHICH KNOCKED THEM OFF THE LEAD FOR GOOD AND DAVID and BLAIR USED A PURE TOP (7) ON THE BOARD TO FUEL A 15 POINT (71%) ROUND #4 TO ELEVATE INTO A TIE FOR 2nd PLACE W/ MARILYN and  BILL @ 49.5 EACH, BEHIND ANN and JUDY's 51. 

 
     NOTHING CHANGED ON BOARD #13 AS ALL THOSE 3 TOP CONTENDERS TIED FOR TOP (6 POINTS EACH) BY MOSTLY STAYING OUT OF THE AUCTION AND SETTING THEIR OPPS 2 TRIX EACH (-200's) IN VARIOUS UNFORTUNATE AND DOOMED CONTRACTS.  MOST OF THE OTHER E/W PAIRS PLAYED PARTIALS, NON OF WHICH AFFORDED THEM AS MUCH AS THE 200 THOSE WHO DEFENDED RECEIVED.  BUT ON BOARD #14 DAVID WAS PERMITTED TO PLAY 3S BY OPPS WHO THEN ALSO FAILED TO LEAD TRUMPS AGAINST HIM, ALLOWING HIM TO MAKE (-140) FOR A PURE TOP (7) AND THEIR FIRST LEAD.  NONE OF THESE 3 PAIRS EVEN MADE AN AVERAGE SCORE (3.5 POINTS) ON BOARD #15, AFTER WHICH OCCURRED THE TIE BETWEEN DAVID and BLAIR AND ANN and JUDY @ 63.5 EACH, MARILYN and BILL HOLDING @ 63. 

 
     NOW DAVID and BLAIR TRULY FIRED THE FIRST SHOT OF THE ULTIMATE BATTLE ON  BOARD #16 AS DAVID WAS (AGAIN) PERMITTED TO PLAY (THIS TIME) 2C AND MAKING 9 TRIX WAS WORTH 6 MATCH POINTS AND BREAKING THE TIE TO TAKE A 69.5-67 POINT LEAD OVER ANN and JUDY.  THEN BEGAN A CRAZY FINAL RUN OF 4 LEAD CHANGES OVER THE FINAL 5 BOARDS.  FIRST DAVID and BLAIR SEEMED UNABLE TO UNTANGLE THEIR DEFENSE ON BOARD #17 FOR A 0 WHILE JUDY WAS ALLOWED (HER TURN) TO PLOUGH THROUGH 2C, MAKING, FOR 5 MATCH POINTS AND A 72-69.5 LEAD.  BOARD #18 SAW THE NEXT LEAD CHANGE AS ALL 8 TABLES SAW E DECLARE 4S, BUT W/ TRUMPS 4-0 (QJxx OFF-SIDE) ONLY DAVID RECEIVED ENOUGH HELPFUL DEFENSE TO MAKE, FOR A PURE TOP TO RETURN TO THE LEAD, 76.5-75.5 ENTERING THE FINAL ROUND. 

 
     THE BIGGEST POSSIBLE SWING (7 POINTS) ON BOARD #19 SEEMED TO TILT THE SCALES IN FAVOR OF ANN and JUDYANN WAS ALLOWED (HER TURN) TO PLAY A FRIENDLY 3C (AND MAKE IT=-110) FOR THE 7 POINT TOP, WHILE N/S DECLARED AT EVERY OTHER TABLE, MOSTLY IN HTS, SOME MAKING, SOME GOING SET, BUT W/ LESSER E/W SCORES THAN THAT FOR MAKING 3C.  MEANTIME DAVID and BLAIR PERMITTED (HIS TURN) GISH LICHT (GISH), PLAYING W/ BRIDGEACE3 (PRAKASH), TO MAKE 9 TRIX @ 1NT, W/ SOMEWHAT LESS THAN THEIR USUAL STELLAR DEFENSE, SCORING A 0 WHICH LEFT THEM TRAILING 82.5-76.5 W/ 2 BOARDS TO GO.  BOARD #20 WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE FINAL 5 THAT DID NOT INVOLVE A LEAD CHANGE, BUT DAVID and BLAIR WERE ABLE TO GET 4 POINTS BACK OF THE 6 THEY'D FALLEN BEHIND VIA YET ANOTHER PURE TOP (THEY HAD ALTERNATED THESE 7 POINT PURE TOPS OVER THE PREVIOUS 3 BOARDS).  ON THIS ONE BLAIR WAS ONE OF ONLY 2 W's WHO OPENED 1H (THE OTHER 6 ALL OPENED 4H) AND HE BID 4H AT HIS 2nd TURN AND THIS TIME IT WAS HE WHO WAS PERMITTED TO PLAY IT THERE.  HE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF SOME UNCHARACTERISTICLY SLOPPY DEFENSE TO HOLD IT TO -2 FOR THE PURE TOP WHEN THE 3 OTHERS ALSO ALLOWED TO PLAY THERE WENT -3 AND THE OTHER 4 TABLES ALL SAW N/S SCORE 11 TRIX AND GAME CONTRACTS IN THEIR WELL-FITTING BLACK SUITS. 

 
     SO ANN and JUDY WERE LEFT TO DEFEND THEIR (NOW) 85.5-83.5 LEAD OVER DAVID and BLAIR W/ ONLY THE FINAL BOARD TO PLAY, W/ ALL OTHER PAIRS HAVING BEEN ELIMINATED FROM WINNING...BUT, LIKELY KNOWING THEY WERE IN CONTENTION, THEY BID JUST ONE TOO MANY AND THEN FELL VICTIM TO DRLAZ (DOC ANDY), PLAYING W/ GLENNB56 (GLENN) AND DOC ANDY's FINE DEFENSE, LEADING A TRUMP TO PREVENT DECLARER FROM EVER REACHING DUMMY TO TAKE A WINNING DMND FINESSEGLENN HAD X'ed THE (3C) CONTRACT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO AVOID THAT DMND LOSER WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN -1 (+100) AND -2 (+300) AND ENOUGH TO NOT BE ABLE TO HOLD ONTO THEIR PRECARIOUS LEAD.  DAVID HAD ELECTED NOT TO TRY TO TROT OUT HIS DECENT LOOKING CLUB SUIT AND SO THEIR OPPS PLAYED IN A HARMLESS 2S AND EVEN THEIR LESS-THAN-PERFECT DEFENSE ALLOWING PRAKASH TO MAKE 9 TRIX WAS STILL ENOUGH FOR THE 3 MATCH POINTS THEY NEEDED TO SALT AWAY THE WIN...GAME, SET, MATCH AND EVENING...T'X (AS ALWAYS) FOR PLAYING.

 
     THIS EVENING'S DATA BASE COUNT REVEALS 4 499er-QUALIFIED PAIRS, ACTUALLY "DIPPING (THEIR) TOES IN THESE DECEPTIVELY NEGOTIABLE WATERS", 11 OPEN PAIRS AND 1 PAIR W/ ONE PLAYER FROM EACH CATEGORY.  THANKING YOU ALL, ONE MORE TIME, AS ALWAYS...

 
     CONGRATS TO THOSE WHO PLAYED WELL ENOUGH AND HAD ENOUGH OF LADY'S LUCK TO HAVE SCRATCHED AND WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING AS MANY OF YOU WHO CAN MAKE IT TO US FOR OUR NEXT GAMES, (NOW) MONDAY EVENING (MARCH 1), ALSO NEXT THURSDAY (MARCH 4)...TILL THEN...

 
     W/ THAT, WE'LL ADD, AGAIN, HOW THRILLED WE ALL ARE W/ THE GROWTH OF THESE THURSDAY EVENING GAMES (NOT TO MENTION CONTINUED STRENGTH OF OUR BENCHMARK MONDAY EVENING ONES).  THANKS MUCH TO ALLSmile...WE'RE NOW LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT WEEK'S GAMES.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAY STRONG AND HEALTHY OK?...
 
     WHAT FOLLOWS HERE IS ACTUALLY LEFT OVER FROM NOW QUITE A WHILE BACK, BUT W/ NOTHING BETTER TO DO W/ THE SPACE, SOMEHOW IT FEELS RIGHT TO LEAVE IT WHERE IT IS AS SOME SORT OF BRIDGE BETWEEN OUR FORMER PIEDMONT "LIVE" (FACE2FACE) LOCATION AND THIS "BRAVE NEW (VIRTUAL) WORLD" IN WHICH WE, FOR BETTAH OR FOR WORSER, NOW FIND OURSELVESSmile...

 
     3 MORE SHOUT OUTS ARE CERTAINLY MERITED HERE.  FIRST TO (MARILYN) OUR VERY OWN BOOKBINDER AND HUBBY, MAROONED FOR 9 MORE DAYS AT TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, DUE TO POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO THE C-VIRUS, WHILE TRAVELLING ALTHOUGH THERE SEEMS TO BE NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY ACTUALLY CONTRACTED IT.  REPORTS ARE THAT THIS IS NO FUN AND VERY PRISON-LIKE, ALTHOUGH DAUGHTER SOMEHOW MANAGED TO MAIL COMPUTERS AND A FEW OTHER ESSENTIALS TO THEM--THIS REPORTED BY PARTNER KC (KATHLEEN). 

 
     2nd TO DOC (COURTENAY) WHO NEVER SHOWED, AS EXPECTED, FOR OUR NEXT TO LAST GAME (MARCH 2) DUE TO HAVING FALLEN IN THE STREET W/ A BLOOD PRESSURE ISSUE.  LUCKILY HE WAS RESCUED BY A PASSERBY, THEY GOT HIM IN AN AMBULANCE TO A HOSPITAL AND, A WEEK LATER, SUNDAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, I TALKED TO HIM ON THE PHONE WHILE HE WAS AWAITING SON EVAN WHO WAS ON THE WAY TO PICK HIM UP TO BRING HIM HOME.  HIS PARTNER OTHER DOC (ANDY) REPORTED HAVING TALKED TO HIM A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO AND HE IS DOING OK, BUT NOT ABLE TO GO OUT OR DRIVE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER MONTH OR SO NOW...ALL OUR BEST FOR SPEEDY RECOVERY...  

 
     ALSO, ADD ONE CHEERY NOTE IN THIS OTHERWISE VIRTUAL BLIZZARD OF BAD BRIDGE NEWS, MOST SPURRED OF COURSE BY THE FAR WORSE NEWS OF THE C-VIRUS, i.e. EVERY OTHER CLUB KNOWN (BY ME) IN THE AREA HAS NOW SHUT DOWN, EITHER VOLUNTARILY OR BECAUSE LANDLORD HAS REQUIRED THIS (AS IN OUR CASE, ALTHOUGH, I MIGHT HAVE FOUND A PATH TO DOING SO MYSELF, HAD PIEDMONT NOT DONE IT FOR US).  ALSO IT DOESN'T LOOK AS THOUGH ANY TOURNAMENTS WILL HAPPEN ANY TIME SOON, PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE.  (AND NOW FOR THE ACTUAL CHEERY NOTE) IN THE LAST KNOWN GAME TO OCCUR, A GAME IN A SMALL, QUITE RUSTIC CLUB HOUSE IN A LOVELY PARK IN A NICE AREA OF EL CERRITO ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, OUR VERY OWN MARCIA MATTON and OUR LONG-TIME AND RECENTLY, BUT APPARENTLY NO LONGER, VERY OWN SARLA PUROHIT TOOK 1st PLACE W/ A 61% GAME IN A FIELD OF MOSTLY MORE EXPERIENCED (AND HIGHER MASTER POINT HOLDING) PLAYERS.  WELL DONE, KIDS...WAY TO GO OUT W/ A BANG.

     WE'LL CONCLUDE FOR NOW W/, AS ALWAYS OF COURSE, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME TO PLAY ON THE ABOVE DISCUSSED EVENING, SEEMINGLY AGES AGO, BUT IN REALITY, BARELY A WEEK AGO NOW.  AND CONGRATS TO THOSE WHO PLAYED WELL ENOUGH (AND/OR HAD ENOUGH OF LADY'S LUCK) TO SCRATCH...WELL DONE.  I FINISH TYPING THIS AND ABOUT TO "PUBLISH TO WEB" MONDAY MORNING (HAVING DONE MY VERY BEST TO TRY TO COMFORT AND HELP RELAX, VIA PHONE, DARLING DAUGHTER KELLY, CURRENTLY UNDERGOING EVEN MORE THAN HER USUAL ANXIETY AND PANIC ATTACKS, SITTING IN HER DORM AT MILLS COLLEGE IN EAST OAKLAND, FURIOUS AND SAD THAT HER CLASSES HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO ON-LINE AND, OF COURSE, NOT KNOWING WHAT TO MAKE OF CURRENT CLIMATE AND EVENTS--AS IS TRUE FOR ALL OF US, AS I TRY TO REASSURE HER.  ALSO HAVING FALLEN ASLEEP AMID TRYING TO DO ALL THIS PLUS KEEP UP W/ REPORTS FROM ESTEEMED D.(IANE)B.(ARTON)-P.(AINE), MY LONG-TIME FRIEND, BOSS AT TOURNAMENTS, AND MENTOR...ON VARIOUS (ALMOST ENTIRELY AWFUL) MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT REPORTS FROM, AROUND, AND ABOUT THE BRIDGE WORLD, IT IS NOW MID-MONDAY MORNING.  MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING Y'ALL A.S.A.P., ESPECIALLY FOR WHENEVER BRIDGE RETURNS TO US ALL.  ANNIE, THE ONLY ONE OF YOU I'M AT ALL LIKELY TO SEE ANY TIME SOON, DO HOPE TO SEE YOU IN EITHER THE STORE OR PARKING LOT OF W.F.--WHERE I'LL BE HEADING THE SECOND I PUT THIS TRUSTY LAP-TOP TO SOME WELL-DESERVED "SLEEP"--SO LONG AS THEY MAY (PLEASE GODDESSES) STAY OPEN (AND HAVE ANY FOOD THAT I AND ALL OF US WILL CERTAINLY NEED).  

     SO, TO ALL OF YOU THEN, TILL SOON, W/ ANY LUCK...STAY STRONG AND HEALTHY FOLKS AND PLEASE STAY TUNED HERE FOR RANDOM FURTHER REPORTS, I PROMISE, INCLUDING, SOONER, RATHER THAN LATER IF WE GET LUCKY, A REPORT OF AT LEAST SOME RETURN TO ALL OUR FAVORITE PAST-TIME.  PLEASE CONTINUE TO EAT AND SLEEP OFTEN AND WELL...