World Sports Mind Games Day 2

The bridge bulletin is online now with all the results and some match writeups.

http://www.worldbridge.org/bulletin/08_2%20Beijing/pdf/WMSG/bul_02.pdf

I can’t help but notice that I have written at least as much as they have!  Well that shows you that a determined staff of one can be better than whatever.  Of course they do have a second bulletin for the junior events but they have an extra three people for that.

I don’t know why the Bulletin staff always chortle about the fact that there are so many European teams in the top of the open field.  Yes, the USA is number one so far but so what … Well hello, there are only two North American teams and they are both doing very well thank you very much.  The only way that we can get more teams in the top 8 is if Quebec secedes from Canada or maybe Texas will form a country. Brent Manley, you are the chief editor stand up for our continent.  In fact I am going to email Mark Horton right now.  Done.  Now I feel better.

Anyway I couldn’t help but look and see what Phillip Alder had written about Match I Egypt versus Norway which I blogged in real time.

After looking at the start of the article I wondered if he read my blog.  He asked the very same questions I did.  As it turns out we have a slightly different slant on a few things.  You will enjoy his article and also Mark Horton’s writeup on the England-Australia first round open match.  So have a gander.

If you want to see what is doing with the rest of the games (non-bridge) you can see all the results at

http://www.worldbridge.org/bulletin/08_2%20Beijing/pdf/IMSA/bul_01.pdf

and if I were you I would definitely check out the youth bulletin.  I think it is a lot of fun.

http://www.worldbridge.org/bulletin/08_2%20Beijing/pdf/Youth/bul_02.pdf

  I really want to see an American Open game.  The US is playing Turkey on Vugraph in the first match.  I hope that it is up today.  That is my only opportunity.  Is there some reason why they aren’t showing the USA on BBO?!  In fact the only other match featuring a North American team is the Canadian ladies in the third round playng Russia.  That’s for you Ray.

Okay now I am going to handicap Day 2

Open

The USA open team has one easy match against Reunion but two tougher ones against England and Turkey.  So they are probably not going to get an unbelievable score of 71 like yesterday.  Still I think they will get a good score, say 55.

Can the Canadian open team keep this up?  I told everyone in previous blogs that this was a team with potential.

Team Canada’s Robert Lebi and Dan Jacobs fresh from their win in Detroit of the Silidor Open Pairs.

They have a fairly tough day but they should be high after that win against Italy last night.  Brazil will be the toughest opponent I think but they also have to face Romania.  Chinese Macau might be a bit easier.  They have 62 VP right now.  I would be very happy with aabout 50 VP today.  Go guys!

Ladies

USA

The USA ladies have a tough day today playing two teams who had a good day yesterday Poland and Brazil and then Portugal.  I think they will start getting their form.  I am thinking that they will improve at least a little on the 48 VP from yesterday.

Canada

Well I knew the Canadian ladies had a hard schedule yesterday so it is no surprise that they are below average.  37 VP isn’t so bad.  Today will definitely be better.  They do have to play Russia which will be tough but they should do very well against Scotland and I expect they will do fine against Finland.  If they can get near average today they will be in a reasonable spot for the rest of the event as they start to play some of the easier teams in their division.