Day Two found me playing in the Qualifying round
of the Open Pairs with my regular partner, Bill "Wintaka"
Treble.  This was a very strong field.  Every well-known
player in the world was here.  Hamman, Passells, Jaggy,
Wolf, Nagy, Meckstroth...in was murderer's row!

        The highlight for me was playing against the
man generally considered to be the greatest living 
bridge player:  Zia Mahmood.  On the first hand, Zia
psyched a penalty double and collected a very fortunate
"sticks and wheels" (i.e. 1100).  As Bugs Bunny would say:

        "Of course you know, this means war!"  :)

        I don't mind someone outplaying me, outbidding me,
or even outwitting me.  But NO ONE out-psyches me!  On
the second game, I bluffed a 3S re-raise.  Zia stretched
to 4C, down one for the only minus score their way.

        After splitting tops with Zia, this hand came up:

  Bill's Hand:  S-107652  H-AQ96  D-J63      C-Q
 Colin's Hand:  S-Q4      H-K43   D-Q10975   C-K93

        Bill passed, and my RHO opened 1NT.  With neither
side vulnerable, my 2D overcall ended matters.  RHO
won the S-3 lead with the S-King and switched to a 
trump to prevent Club ruffs.  LHO won this with the
King and returned a diamond.  RHO's D-Ace won this and
played a third diamond.  I won with dummy's D-Jack
and played a Spade to RHO's Ace, dropping my S-Queen.  
RHO cashed the C-Ace and continued the C-Jack.

        In with my C-King, I entered dummy with a Heart
and ruffed a Spade, in case they were 3-3.  RHO showed
out here.  The play has now "marked" LHO for the S-Jack
and RHO for the C-10.  The stage is now set up for a 
double squeeze.  Here are the last four cards:

  Bill's Hand:  S-10   H-A96  D-    C-
 Colin's Hand:  S-     H-K4   D-Q   C-9

        When I cashed my D-Queen, LHO pitched a Heart,
since he must keep the S-Jack.  I jettisoned the
now-useless S-10.  RHO had to pitch a Heart, too,
so as to retain the C-10.  I claimed, since no one
can keep three Hearts!  +90 was a good score, with
most tables spitting up -120 defending 1NT.

        This, then, was another illustration of the 
Matchpoint Madness Rule:  

     "No one plays 1NT our our table except us!"  :))

     -----------  Denouement  -----------

        Our two sessions of 58% and 54% qualified us
for the Final on Day Three.  Unfortunately, Shep
and Eliza had had a rough time of it, missing the
"cut".  More fun on the morrow, though! :)

     ------------------------------------

	Vancouver 1999 Spring Nationals, Day Three CLICK HERE to proceed to Colin's report from Day Three.
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