Day Two and Three

I was expecting a phone call from the team captain who was arriving on Monday to say he had suddenly come down with some rare illness – perhaps inspired by looking at the scores. But mercifully no such call came.

So, Sunday morning and another day and I hope another bunch of VPs. I have been scheduled to do Vugraph for USA plays Turkey while my Open Team are drawn to play Switzerland. For want of anything else I continue the rotation sitting out Thommo and Richard and am rewarded with a 21-9 win against Switzerland.

I work during the morning doing my only session of VuGraph commentary for a very entertaining match between USA and Turkey. With USA on 71 from 75 during the first day they were expected to account for the USA but the Turks played exceptionally well to win 17-13 .

Watching Rodwell go for 800 on a hand made me feel almost mortal. Unfortunately the hand records are not available but I will try and track down the hand for reference to my own mortality.

The second match we meet Venezuela and Peter/Bobby sit out while my boys make me proud with a 25-5 win. Both pairs report they played well and perhaps I should have stuck with the same line-up but as an interim captain

Now I find out that the captain is having difficulties getting a flight to Beijing with flights out of Hobart being delayed overnight. Oh well I am trusting he will in fact make it.

Final match against Belarus and Ron/Matty sit out. Now the former Russian states along with Bulgaria and Albania, Turkey and other countries in that region are making a name for themselves in bridge – earlier in the day Albania beat Italy 16-14!!. So on this basis nothing is taken for granted and so it is proved when we succumb 12-18.

So, after a better day 2 we are only marginally – 25 VPs – closer to the magical 4th spot.

I track down a duck restaurant recommended by the Bermudan Team – what do Bermudans know from duck – I don’t know – but the recommendation proved excellent with a banquet costing just $A22 a head. Speaking of heads I passed on the duck heads and duck tongues but suspect all the same that they were probably very tasty.

So onwards towards day three.....

For my sins I have agreed to go on to the executive of the International Bridge Press Association and attend a fiery meeting first thing on Monday morning – I miss breakfast to boot which makes me a little grumpy as I sit here with my coffee – yes folks I did bring my coffee machine with me to Beijing while I wait for my commentary to start on the China vs Netherlands match.

This championship lacks some of the intimacy of others with the venue, hotels and Vugraph theatres being slight disparate within the Olympic precinct. The sight of the Birds Nest and Cube lit up at night is quite spectacular.

Anyway more later