Money Time in the World Championships

Monday, day off but an IBPA Annual General Meeting and WBF Youth Meeting and I am free about 12:30. I head for Eindhoven for an outing where I spend a few hours mooching around the shops before heading back.

The quarter finals finish today with
Open
Italy beating China
USA 2 beating Sweden
Netherlands beating Iceland
USA 1 beating Israel
Women
Indonesia beating USA 2
England beating Sweden
Netherlands beating USA 1
France beating China
Seniors
France beating Germany
USA 1 beating Denmark
Poland beating Australia
USA 2 beating Indonesia

I have dinner with Michael Cornell and Boye Brogeland and kibitz some of the Transnational Teams which starts tonight with two ten board matches. Australia Open are doing well running in the top few of the 151 teams, many of which contain world champions.

I watch Michael Cornell who seemed to have five very good boards but it counted for nought as he found he had sat in the wrong direction and played the same cards as his team mates – DUH!

Tuesday and I am set for just one match, the first, which goes OK. We are regularly commentating in front of 300+ spectators especially when Netherlands are playing. I have the afternoon off and for some reason I sit in my room, doing my BAS statement commentating online from time to time.

My friend Alex delivers nine Hugo Boss polo shirts for Justin and myself which are only available in Germany and are around 50% off the price there when they are available elsewhere. I get Kathy Buchen to buy him some Vodka which BTW Absolut 700ml just $A16 in Netherlands.

That evening I go to “little” Veldhoven and avoid a large group dining by myself at a restaurant called Fine. Thin lobster pancakes and scallops with truffle and angel hair pasta – both Tapas and I walk back to the hotel in very cold weather most satisfied.

Wednesday and the Italian vs Netherlands Semi-final is very close so after breakfast I commentate but unfortunately not that match as there were TV crews around filming that match and we are given the Ladies Indonesia vs England which is good as Australian, Fiona Brown plays for England.

I watch the bridge in the second session and commentate the last session which is Italy versus Netherlands which starts with only 3 imps in it. 400-500 spectators and it is very exciting board by board cheering and sighs of frustration until about three quarters of the way through the Netherlands start to pull away finally winning by 29.3. It is a commentators dream to have close matches and a heavily partisan crowd.
In the other semi final USA2 with an average age of 31 make the final by beating USA 1 comfortably.

In the ladies Indonesia come from behind to beat England by just 7.5 imps while France beat Netherlands by 20.5 imps.
In the seniors France get up on the last board to win by……0.3 imps while USA 1 have resigned against USA 1.

Off now to the Staff Dinner leaving the hotel at 20:30 for a 30 minute drive to the restaurant and I am guessing a very late night – made worse by the fact that I have a 01:30 teleconference call. But then again I am only working one session tomorrow.

 

 

Now not even I have done this (yet)

These are flowers - best arrangement I have seen

 

The restaurant is in a 1780 Nunnery/Convent and is quite charming. The dinner at Hof Van Solms (http://www.hofvansolms.nl/) was well attended and turned out to be most enjoyable notwithstanding that it finished at 00:30.

The President gave every member of the staff a plaque with their name inscribed as a souvenir of the event. Bus back to the hotel  teleconference call and sleep.

Love to all XD

End of the Qualifying Matches

Friday morning and an early 07:30 start for Bruges. I have seen it spelt Bruge Brugge and Bruges so leave me out of that one. Four women and me in the car so I soon settled who was driving and the ground rules.

Note to self, there is a 24/7 ‘problem traffik’ around Antwerp – cost is 30 mins on the way there and 60 on the way back. Anyway we arrive in a very cold Bruges and take the 30 minute canal tour which gives us a nice appreciation of this most beautiful city. Apart from the large number of chocolate shops which interests some more than others (tehe). The real attraction here is the beautiful Flemish and Medieval buildings and the charm of the people, shops and general feeling of the place.

Two of the girls have an idea to climb the 363 steps to the top of the belfry until they see the queue for an hour and €24 cost. We meet up again and go for a quite acceptable Chinese Lunch where the girls pay for the chauffeur which was kinda nice.

Back to the venue to find out that the husbands, The Aussie Seniors Team had a good day and they are looking more prospective to qualify. I have another buffet at the hotel with Bobby Richman and Deb Guthrie as I really didn’t feel like going out.

Next morning I get an SMS to say that 4 more of my photo albums have been scanned and are ready to collect so that will be something exciting when I get back if there isn’t enough excitement awaiting me already.

Saturday morning and I work the first two matches and the Australian Seniors do well while New Zealand and Australian Open are variable. I watch the last match on my computer and when the music stops.

OPEN

WOMEN

SENIORS

Player Performance
Open
HANS - NUNN 0.30 / 240 Boards
EDGTTON- GOSNEY -0.08 / 256
DELMONTE - GROSVENOR -0.10 / 176
WomenBERMAN - CLARK -0.18 / 224 Boards
McLEISH - RANKIN -0.41 / 240
LACHMAN - SNASHALL -0.57 / 208
SeniorsHAUGHIE - KLINGER +0.50 / 256 Boards
BRAITHWAITE - RICHMAN +0.38 / 224
BUCHEN - CHRISTIE -0.08 / 192

Anyway the Seniors splits into two groups and I go with Klingers/Richmans/Mullamphy and Bowie to Steaks and Zo. Apparently the steaks were wonderful but I ordered Mushroom soup – from a can noch, Baked Garlic Mushroom – roasted to within an inch of inedible and Prawn Cocktail – not good so didn’t wind up with a good meal. Anyway I left early and walked in three degrees cold back to the hotel.

Sunday morning and I am sitting here watching France vs New Zealand Rugby and France closing in at 7-8 in a match much closer than people thought and which makes it much more ‘citing than it could have been.

I am working the last two matches today and have tomorrow off all day but…..there is a 09:30 Bridge Press Association AGM and as I am on the committee…..GRR. I had planned to rent a car and take in the nearby villages but that plan seems quashed by the meeting.

Anyway, I am having a VERY good time as always at bridge tournaments. Boye Brogeland and Juan Carlos Ventin arrive today along with some other friends who are readying to play in the Transnational Teams so new company and new friends to meet and greet.

I hear the Kitchen tea and Buck’s night all went well so that is good as we count down the last 14 days to the wedding of my darling daughter.

Signing off from Veldhoven Holland
XD

Moving Right Along

I work the two afternoon sessions on Wednesday which provided some very entertaining bridge. I start to get some emails from friends in the USA and Australia complimenting me on my commentary. WTF! It turns out that my commentary is being broadcast live on the internet through a Dutch website. Hmmm should look up whether I own the copyright.

That evening the President’s dinner where for the first time I wear a suit and tie. They have cliamed for many years that they would move away from formal but it simply hasnt happened. It is held at a lovely restaurant in Eindhoven. Old world with New World service. Prawns, confit of duck and a chocolate and berry dessert all good and tasty and enjoyed by the 120 or so people that were there. There was a rumour afterwards that the powers that be didn’t like the wine available so brought in 80 bottles at a VERY large corkage charge. I don’t believe it, but it is a good story. I was chuffed when John Wignall, the Chairman of Zone 7 (Oceania) complimented me on what a good job I was doing – all good for future gigs.

Thursday, another day another Euro as I commentate two excellent matches involving USA, Italy, Poland and Brazil. There are between 100 and 150 people in the VG theatre which is a solid showing. With bridge being VERY popular in Netherlands there are people coming from Amsterdam and other places just to watch the VG, something which normally doesn’t happen with everything being broadcast on BBO where people can watch in the comfort of their home.

The Australian teams are doing quite well, especially in the Seniors and Open.

Open
20-10 vs USA 1
17-13 vs Egypt
16-14 vs Sweden
25-5 vs Chile
19-11 vs Guadeloupe
8-22 vs USA 2
Running 11th but just 5 VPs off qualifyinf

WomenRunning a hopeless 18th

Seniors
19-11 vs USA 2
23-7 vs China HK
19-11 vs Brazil
11-19 vs Indonesia
21-9 vs France
18-12 vs Netherlands
Running 7th 9 ahead of the “drop” zone

I head into Eindhoven on the bus (which costs a very modest 3 Euros for an entire day on the whole system) to collect my rental car for use tomorrow for a day trip to Antwerp and Bruges with four wives of the Seniors Team. They try to sell me a GPS which I refused as I had installed the Benelux maps on the iPad only to find that there was one installed in the VW SUV I had rented.

Back to the hotel without incident and a buffet meal with Bobby Richman and Deb Guthrie before a relatively early 23:00 to bed.

The news of Gaddafi’s death permeates all the News outlets and while I hold no brief for him or his type I do find his murder and being dragged through the streets rather than natural justice a little unpalatable.

Anyway all good with me hope same for all in Sydney
XD

Monday and Tuesday

Monday morning and an easy day with just 16 boards to commentate in the late afternoon. I write an article for the Daily Bulletin and start on my wedding speech, something I am finding unusually tough.

I book a car rental for Friday when I am expecting to drive to Brugge with four of the senior’s wives - Buchen, Klinger, Haughie and Deb Guthrie.

That evening we go to Veldhoven Village/Township and partake of a Greek meal. Not bad lots of grilled meats not my scene. None of the restaurants here have menus in English and they are terribly set up for large numbers such as the fifteen we were the night. I had invited my friend and the tournament organiser Maurizio Di Sacco to join us and had a very pleasant conversation which is often difficult in large groups.

Australia has done reasonably today
Open - Bilski (c) Nunn, Hans, Grosvenor, del'Monte, Nabil Edgtton and Paul Gosney
18-12 vs Canada
15-15 vs India
17-13 vs Netherlands who are one of the more fancied teams
Women
14-16 vs the favoured German team
10-20 vs Poland
11-19 vs New Zealand
Seniors - Matt Mullamphy (c) Klinger, Haughie, Buchen, Christie, Richman & Braithwaite
14-16 vs India
25-5 vs Guadeloupe
17-13 vs fancied Italy
New Zealand with Michael Cornell are running 12th out of 22 but are yet to play all bottom seven teams.

Although rustically functional I must say the convention centre where the events being staged has quite grown on me. On arrival it was large and rambling and now that we know where things are located etc. it all seems to work quite well.

Today (Tuesday) I wake up at 05:00 and fiddle around for a few hours before breakfast which I share with Bobby and Deb and others as they filter in.  I have narrowed breakfast down to smoked salmon and boiled eggs.

Luckily the commentary panel today is joined by world champion Fulvio Fantoni who raises the level just a few notches!!!

A lunch meeting of the Executive of the International Bridge Press Association and I race back to the second session of the day which is Italy versus USA 2 – interesting but nothing sensational except this hand:

E/W will invariably make 6H unless South underleads his heart and gets a club ruff – yeah good luck with that. 7D is a mere two down for -300 versus 1430 for the likely making slam. However some tables sacrifice in clubs which isn’t good as once a club is ruffed on the table the defence can draw trumps and cash their club winners. Here are the results from the open with lots of IMPS flying around.

Anyway after this session a World Bridge Federation Youth Committee Meeting followed by a buffet dinner at the hotel with Michael Cornell and the New Zealand Team and a much more intimate group of six.

The Aussies mess up their last match in every division Australia has poorly today
Open - Bilski (c) Nunn, Hans, Grosvenor, del'Monte, Nabil Edgtton and Paul Gosney
13-17 vs Favourites Italy
7-23 vs Pakistan
7-23 vs India
Running 15^th Needing to run 8th
Women
14-16 vs the favoured German team
10-20 vs Poland
11-19 vs New Zealand
Seniors - Matt Mullamphy (c) Klinger, Haughie, Buchen, Christie, Richman & Braithwaite
14-16 vs India
25-5 vs Guadeloupe
17-13 vs fancied Italy

New Zealand with Michael Cornell are running 12th out of 22 but are yet to play all bottom seven teams.

Next morning on a whim I get the bus the 20 minutes to Eindhoven, only to find a relatively sterile and quite unappealing city that could easily have been built in Russia during the Communist era. There seem to be a large number of watch, jewellery shops and optometrists – go figure.

I run into the ‘girls’ at the Railway Station on their way to Maastricht as I head back to the hotel. On the way I stop at what I thought was Veldhoven to restock my supplies only to find I was at Veldhoven Centrum and not the village which is near my hotel.

Note to self, taxis can only be phoned with a 10-15 minute wait. I arrive back at the hotel in time to work the two afternoon sessions.
Anyway nothing more for now
Best.....
David

The first Two Days - Sat & Sun

Woke up early Saturday and had breakfast at 7:00am. Walked the 1.5 kilometres to the township of Veldhoven. Well when I walked out of the hotel I was regretting not bringing my ski gear OK I don't own any but wished at that point that I did and it was here. The temperature must have been about 3 to 5 degrees as my breath vapourised in front of me.

The architecture in the residential houses, the village atmosphere and everything about Veldhoven is very appealing. The town is new but everything is tasteful and seems to be "Dutch modern" if there such a thing.

The delicatessen in town is amazingly well stocked and I buy a selection of dips, biscuits and top up with blackberries, blueberries, redcurrants and raspberries from the local supermarket.

I walk back to the hotel in the now slightly warmer weather. Oh I should say that the sun has been out but hasn't warmed things up.

On my return I bat my eyelids and ask if a small fridge could be lobbed into my room fully expecting a no but lo and behold two hours later it arrives.

I spend the rest of the day mooching around, meeting and greeting friends and watching the tournament being set up. Logistically it is a large tournament with 22 teams in each of Open, Women's and Seniors and another 150 teams arriving for the Transnational Teams a week later.

I ready myself in a suit for the opening ceremony which is normally a dry and boring affair - not here though. The host is an incredibly good magician with a wicked sense of humour who punctuated the various welcome speeches. His four 20 something children have formed a magic troupe who perform in what I would regard as a top class magic act.

The 1.5 hour ceremony is followed by a buffet dinner where I talk to a number of people and then off to bed for an early night. I get to sleep at 23:30 only to wake at 02:30 where I fart around for 2.5 hours, take half a sleeping pill and wake at.....09:25. Shit have to start work at 10:30 so I race to ready myself and charge off to breakfast which, by the way, is an incredibly good buffet including smoked salmon and freshly baked bread.

The first match I commentate is the Open match between the Netherlands (traditional to have the hosts) and South Africa while the second one is between USA 1 and China. I have the third match off but am drawn to watching Italy vs Bulgaria which, by happenstance, is first playing second.

The Australian Teams have performed very average (does anybody know an adverb for average) on day 1.

Open
14-16 vs a good Israeli Team
17-13 vs a fancied but not best strength Polish Team
14-16 vs New Zealand which would have made neither team very happy

Womens
7-23 vs Egypt
13-17 vs Brazil
19-11 vs a fancied USA2

Seniors
9-21 vs Pakistan
16-14 vs Bulgaria
16-14 vs USA 1 - a good result

I join the Aussie Seniors for dinner at Romano, an Italian Restaurant. I order a prawn pizza but they found this too hard offering me prawns and a pizza and I could simply put them on top. Something about the prawns being too big - clearly knives are unknown here - so I cancel this and have a nice mushroom instead.

Back to the hotel and a broken 6 hours sleep. I only have one session today which will be Bulgaria (a team expected to do reasonably well) and Poland (usually well fancied but perhaps slightly under strength this year)

Anyway shower and breakfast and off to "work"

I believe it is getting warmer in Sydney which will hopefully good for the forthcoming wedding.
XD

Sydney to Veldhoven

Following an invitation to work as a Vugraph commentator at the World Bridge Championships in Veldhoven I had to research exactly where Veldhoven is located. It is a suburb of Eindhoven and 140kms South of Amsterdam.

Thursday night I board my A380 Emirates 14+ hour flight to Amsterdam via Dubai. After my usual shuffling of seats I manage four seats to myself across the middle of the plane. As the seatbelt sign went off I lay down to a beautiful nine hour sleep. The beauty of the A380 is that it is possible to lay flat and not be able to reach the other end of the row, such is the spaciousness. Also the armrests have been designed not to stick into your body when put upright. For the rest of the trip I watch some of my TV Shows and arrive in Dubai in reasonable shape.

I have my usual Crab Bisque at the seafood restaurant and relax with my computer while I wait out my three hour connection time. I board my 777, another comfortable aeroplane and the best I could manage was an end seat in the middle with the two middle seats empty.

I sleep for two hours and watch my entertainment for the balance of the 7 hour flight arriving in Amsterdam in so-so shape. I find the meeting point and wait 1.5 hours for the 90 minute bus ride which will take me to Veldhoven.

I arrive at the check-in and am greeted by Kathy and Peter Buchen. I had researched the 500+ venue "hotel" which is a conference centre located on very large grounds and noticed comments about room sizes, single beds and other shortcomings so as I am checking in I ask what bed the room has to be told single. Anyway long story short after much consternation, head shaking and tut-tutting I get a "cell" with a double bed. The room actually isn't that bad but basic with no drawers so I guess the double bed was a good idea to store my clothes on at least.

http://www.nh-hotels.com/nh/en/hotels/the-netherlands/eindhoven/nh-conf.-centre-koningshof.html

I am guessing when the best they can do when you click on standard room is show this picture then it says it all



I freshen up as I calculate it has been 33 hours since I left home and, after a Skype call with Michael Cornell who is here as well, I join the Klingers, Buchens and Richmans for a buffet dinner which at E27.50 was just OK but at least the company was good. I am told that the restaurants in town are excellent although Ron did say order the tomato soup not the chicken and don't order the steak so we'll see.

Have run into many bridge playing friends and people I know - notice the differentiation - some good to see some simply to acknowledge. 

Apparently I have been listed as Assistant Bulletin Editor in the program but the VuGraph organiser explained he has paid the transfer fee to have me moved to VuGraph Commentary.

Off to bed where I wake up at 05:00 and sit here and write this blog.

Anyway all is good hope the Aussies can beat the All Blacks but it will be hard.

Love to All
David