DAY 5 - Friday August 12th, 2022
After a less than successful teams event, the Under 26s entered the BAM event as their original team, and the Under21s appended the Under31 experienced players Jamie Thompson and Andrew Spooner to the team, and decided to mix up the playing partnerships so that all the youngsters would get some opportunities to learn from the best!
Board-A-Match (BAM) is only scored between two teams (your NS and EW, vs their EW and NS), but the scoring is simplified. You either Win a board (2 points) or Tie (1 point) or Lose (0 points). The size of the difference doesn’t matter – you could win by a small margin like if your team makes 8 tricks in 1NT for +120 and the opponents make 8 tricks in 2♥ -110), or if you bid and make a game, and your opponents don’t, you “win the board” regardless of how many tricks are made.
It’s an interesting scoring format and is often said to be a very pure form of high-level competitive bridge.
After 25 2-board rounds in 3 sessions in one day, the top 12 teams Qualified for the BAM A-Final. Unfortunately, neither Australian team managed to make the cut, finishing in 19th (U21 + U31) and 26th (U26).
They play off tomorrow for the BAM B-Final. Good luck!
There was an amusing situation during the event in which every table is being played behind screens.
The West opposition opened 1♦ and Jacob slid the tray through the table. Lara made a 2!h Weak Jump Overcall, which was passed, and the tray was passed back through.
Jacob passed the 2♥ bid, and the Opener decided to reopen with a bid, but decided to keep the bidding low (too low) and bid 2♦. Neither Jacob nor his screen mate noticed the insufficient bid – but on the other side of the screen they did. After a Director call, Lara decided to rebid 2♥ (confirming she was proud of her first overcall), but needed to borrow the 2♥ bid from her screenmate.
David Gue and Jamie Simpson have been best mates for years after meeting on a school trip to Canberra. They’re playing together on the Aussie youth team for the first time.
Player Profile – Jamie Simpson
It wasn’t until 2017 that Guey was able to convince Jamie to give bridge a try.
“Even following David’s sub-par teachings, I picked it up pretty quickly.”
Jamie is coming to Salso having just anchored the South Australian junior team to a win in the ANC – the highlight of his bridge career so far.
“It was a tough week and despite only getting 3 hours sleep each night, I managed to hold it together and still play some good bridge.”
The SA team went into the last set of the final with a 62-imp lead but managed to lose 45 imps in the first 5 boards. “A lucky plus 1400 settled the nerves back down and we went on to win.”
Jamie is in the process of completing a PhD in analytical chemistry studying opioid consumption through wastewater analysis. He also teaches botany and plant identification at the University of Adelaide. When he isn’t at the beach or exercising excessively, he even finds some time to study native Crinum lily.
“Youth week is always amazing; I mostly just enjoy the people. We’re always laughing about something inappropriate!”
Player Profile – David Gue
David learnt bridge at a young age at the request of his mum but didn’t really start taking it seriously until he was 15. Since then, he’s matured into an excellent player and the game has turned from a hobby into a profession.
“I run a bridge club in South Australia, but still manage to enjoy playing the game.”
When he isn’t playing, teaching, or organizing bridge, he manages to find time for video games, TV shows and reading.
“I love hanging out with friends, whether it's eating good food or going for hikes.”
David has been to every youth week since 2014.
Here was a very well bid hand by Lara Topper, playing in a first time partnership with veteran Jamie Thompson.
Lara held
And heard the auction begin on her left with a Strong 1NT – pass from Jamie – and 2♥* Transfer to Spades.
Lara started with a Double. The bidding proceeded 2♠ by the Opener – another pass from Jamie – and pass by the Transferer.
Lara now bid 4♣, which looks like an excellent choice. It keeps Hearts in the picture, shows a hand almost capable of making game in her own hand, and leaves the auction open for Jamie to decide what to do next.
Sadly, the bidding finished with the 1NT opener Doubling the 4♣ bid (holding ♣ KJxxx ), and Jamie correcting back to 4♥ and going down a few, when he had the worst possible hand for the situation. Well bid Lara. Bad Luck Jamie – try to have better cards next time.
Here is the full auction. The website doesn’t provide any hand records at this stage.
BAM Qualifying Round 19
Board 17. Rotated. Pips approximate
Jamie played it well to go only two off, and Tie the board, when the Slovenian Declarer at the other table stopped in 3♥, but also went down two.
Jamie Thompson played a set with another aspiring Junior, Jacob Rose, who found an intelligent play on this hand.
BAM Qualifying Round 17
Board 14. Rotated. Pips Approximate.
No hand records yet.
Jacob opened a Heart and then heard Jamie make a Negative double of the 1♠ overcall. Jacob found a practical 1NT rebid, and played there on the ♠Q lead.
Jacob won the ♠K in his hand, and played a Club to Dummy’s King, noting the fall of the ♣T with West. The ♣T might have been a singleton Ten, or from some other possible holdings, like ♣T9 or possibly ♣QT. Jacob worked out that if the ♣T was singleton he could finesse to the ♣J and scramble home with 7 tricks, but if the Club finesse lost, he was likely to go down. He also reasoned that if West’s Clubs were originally ♣QT doubleton, then we could make his contract by not finessing and playing the King on the second round (He would also go down if he was wrong). The advantage of trying to drop the Doubleton Club Queen offside was that if it worked, he would subsequently get all five Club tricks, not just three. Jacob played the ♣K, dropping the doubleton Queen, and then unblocked the ♣J and won 9 tricks (five Clubs, three Hearts and the ♠K).
The amusing result on the board was that at the other table the Germany U26 team overbid to 3NT, and went down 5 after the same opening lead. Declarer played the ♥A and a Heart to the Queen, then took a first round Club finesse into Andrew’s ♣Q. The defence took the ♣Q, then five Spade tricks, but a Diamond winner got discarded, so they only took 3 Diamond winners, but the board was already won!
Here was a hand from the Pairs Qualifying.
The result wasn’t great for Declarer, but they did manage a rare feat!
It happened a few days ago in the Pairs Qualifying, and occurred when U26 pair Damon and Josh played against U31 pair Jamie T and Andrew.
Pairs Qualifying
Board 9. Rotated
Jamie’s 3♣ opening was a fairly normal modern standard opening when favourably Vulnerable in first seat. Josh found the practical 3NT bit. Andrew passed, and was probably deciding whether a Club lead would cost his side a trick or two, but Damon bid 4♠ ending the auction.
The play ended with an easy 13 tricks for Damon, but the interesting trick was trick one, where Jamie led his singleton Diamond. Damon called for a low card from Dummy, and Andrew figured that it was likely that Jamie didn’t have the ♦K, so elected to play low. Damon won trick one with the ♦7.
Trick one beer card!
In some jurisdictions, Josh would owe Damon a case of beer (After the event, of course).
Errata:
In yesterday’s bulletin we accidentally posted a piece of cheery artwork from the lobby of Captain Mike Doecke’s accommodation.
The actual Teams Championship Qualifying scores were:
U31 – Australia and Japan 5th (top 4 Qualify)
U26 – Australia finished 16th (top 8 Qualify)
U21 – Australia finished 18th (top 8 Qualify)
Posted by Pauline on Sunday, 14 August 2022 at 11:56