Editer

I'm surprised no one has mentioned drugs such as modafinil, which is used to treat narcolepsy. In a healthy person, I've read, modafinil boosts alertness without the jitters and faster heart rate that come with caffeine, dexedrine et al. Back then, playing regularly, I was a middling B player; I suspected that with an expert partner and a supply of modafinil I could probably make the finals of the Blue Ribbons. Several top track athletes got suspensions not long ago for taking modafinil, which is on the banned list. I'd be more than a little surprised if no bridge pros are taking the drug or something similar. The workaday traveling pro playing 2-3 sessions a day several days a week may have a hard time resisting the temptation. And at the moment there are no professional repercussions (and I'm not saying there should be), so why not give in?

It's interesting that Welland is the only remaining team from the first 16 seeds. I wonder how often so few top seeds reach the semifinals.

What a nice event, where Kibs are walking around, especially between the OR and the CR in a championship ... :P :P ;) The quarterfinal tables were all in the same room, with dividers set up so that players at one table couldn't see their counterparts. Kibitzers who weren't sitting quietly were asked to do so or leave the room (and a sign on the door said that if they left they couldn't come back in). I didn't see anyone shuttling from one table to the other; I only left Meckwell's table because they had finished the last board and vamoosed. The semifinals will surely be in separate rooms.

Not this time, team Hollman won by 5 imps, Welland by 38, Chang by 11 I kibitzed the end of the Nickell-Holland match. At the table Meckwell vs. Grue-Cheek, it appeared Holland was losing ground, as indeed it was; two close slams went 1 light. I saw Meckstroth go 1 down in 2♥ vul on board 64, then walked over to the other table just in time to see Hamman go IIRC 4 light in 3♦ nv against Smith-Cohen, for 7 IMPs away, or 2 more than the final margin. Shugart-Moss was delayed by an appeal after the third quarter; I left about 1:40 and Shugart-Brogeland vs. the Canadians had six boards still to play. It looked from where I sat as if Shugart was holding onto the lead.

A bit tangential, but interesting, since some have wondered how hotels determine these sorts of charges: How Much Should Hotel Web Access Cost?