Getting Ready for Philadelphia
The World Championships will be on us quite soon and I am looking forward to watching great and exciting vugraph for weeks with lots of hands and stories. Can you wait?
I am not going and I think that Ray won’t either although he is still vacillating. It’s just that I have been traveling to much this year and I am going to Orlando in November. I just couldn’t bear to pack another suitcase. I miss home too much.
I shall miss seeing all my friends and deep down I may miss playing just a bit (although I don’t feel anything really). Do you know the song from Chorus Line:
And I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
To see what I had inside.
Yes, I dug right down to the bottom of my soul
And I tried, I tried.
But I felt nothing
I am quite happy being right here in front of my desk with my wonderful house, my great electronics, my food, my family and all the things I like best. Now if it had been Paris or Rome….
So anyway it is time for us to get ready and of course it is time for the world championship contest. So this is what I am thinking giving that this is a multinational, entrants will be asked to name five countries. We will take the listed nationality of each contestant who plays in the Rosenblum. No need to pick the USA we will assume that everybody has and give you all the points for that. We will look at the top eight finishers (the round of eight). You will get one point for each player of the nationality you selected in the top eight an additional three points for each who finishes in the final four, then three extra for third, five extra for second and ten extra for first. Through the miracle of spreadsheets we can keep track of it.
Now all this may sound complicated but all you have to do is to send us the seven nationalities that will produce most of the winners.
This year the winner may pick from a list of Master Point Press books which we will publish later and will also get a gift certificate for an ebook from www.ebooksbridge.com. I am open to better ideas so if you have any other suggestions about the contest or even some ideas about rule changes let me know. We will probably publish something on Wednesday. Meanwhile if you are thinking about Philadelphia have a look at the USBF site. No doubt there will be a prize for everybody who enters too.
Ron Bishop came by and he is heading down for the Open Pairs. Apparently you will be allowed to play multi but all players can bring their OWN defense to the table and read from it during the play. Is their any other convention that gets this treatment? Is multi that hard?
Anybody have any other Philadelphia tidbits to share?
Thank you to Ray who suggested that the idea of giving everybody the USA.
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Bridge-related
The WBF Systems Policy was changed last year to permit written defences for the Multi 2D (or Multi 2C if it promises either major).
I believe the reason is that the WBF wish to keep the multi in its major tournaments but recognises that it should have been classified as a Brown Sticker Convention (BSC). But for historical reasons it has a specific exemption from being defined as a BSC.
You are permitted to take written defences to BSCs.
Although BSCs are not permitted in Philly, the multi is and permitting written defences is a sort of half-way house.
Written defences to multi are the future (including the Bermuda Bowl next year) until such time as the WBF update the policy.
I have heard the old saying that it is better to remain silent and let them think you are a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
That is sort of what I look forward to in Philadelphia. The bridge parallel would be that it is better to not play in the World Open Pairs and let people believe you are not as good as you think than to enter in the World Open Pairs and remove all doubt. As a glutton for self-inflicted punishment, I cherish the opportunity to remove all doubt. Who knows, though? Maybe my partner and I will do better than we expect and surprise ourselves, and others!
I want to come and be with you in your wonderful house, great electronics, good food!! I am currently moving from one house to another and that is my goal! All of the above.
Dear Linda:
I know that feeling of exhaustion (but happy exhaustion) — trip after trip. When I first became endoctrinated to the Nationals, I would count the hours until the plane would depart and be so sad as the Kays boarded their Monday morning flight home. But, before I knew it, four months had flown by and the counting started again as the next NABC was knocking at our door. I have lost track now, but as of 2008, I believe I had attended well over 140 of them. Hot, cold, near, far — it made no difference. I just loved playing and seeing friends I have made over the decades. However, lifestyles change and I am the last person in the world to utter a complaint about mine. I got it right twice!
With the exception of our Sao Paulo, Brazil WBF adventure last fall and motoring to the Palm Springs Regional last winter, we had temporarily departed the tournament trail but we’ll be back in action in a week. Bobby is playing in the World Bridge Senior Teams in Philly in October and I will be reunited with my irregular partner (off and on for twenty-some years) — Jane Segal. She may need a tranquilizer when she sees how much more I have navigated away from our old rigid KS system (which I adored) to my loose-as-a-goose Wolff style (although she obediently and diligently started her conversion six years ago). In any event, I find I am again counting the days.
Let me close by telling you about my native City of Philadelphia. Go early or stay late, but please take advantage of all the historical sights (some within walking distance). I haven’t been back in two and a half years so of course I am excited at the prospect of seeing family, normal friends (those are the non-playing variety) and of course my old partners, teammates and opponents.
Go Phillies!
I know Philadelphia is a wonderful city and it does sound wonderful. I am sure you will all have a great time. I wish the best of luck to all of you and I hope the bloggers amongst you will do lots of blogs about Philadelphia.
I know that performance anxiety is part of the reason I don’t like playing, that horrible feeling of jangled nerves before I start to play. But this time that is not the main reason. I have never worried much about looking bad, only about doing well which isn’t the same thing
So I am hoping for lots of good blogs, good vugraph and great moments and if anybody who is not a blogger wants to blog about Philly let me know. We can give you a guest blog!
By the way, although of course the WORLD BRIDGE SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP is the FEATURED ATTRACTION, bear in mind that being held concurrently at the same site (The Marriott, 1201 Market Street, Philly) from 10/1 until 10/16 will be THE PHILADELPHIA REGIONAL TOURNAMENT. It is a fabulous opportunity to ‘play up,’ ‘play down,’ kibitz or sightsee. All events are being played in the Convention Center attached to the hotel.
Who could ask for more????????