February 22, 2014
Two weeks ago the following article was published in JOE.ie It’s Man Stuff:
Camels and armchairs and swans oh my! The weird and wonderful blockages that appear on Irish roads
There’s a WHAT on the road!?
Traffic came to a standstill on the M50 this morning as reports emerged claiming that a rogue armchair was causing a major road disruption, the like of which hadn’t been seen since The Great Chaise Longue Blockage of 1948. Ask your Grandparents.
2014 Slava Cup Last Round Robin match: Netherlands vs Auken
The Auken team: Sabine AUKEN, Roy WELLAND, Juan Carlos VENTIN, Dragan MARKOVICH, Mustafa Cem TOKAY.
The Netherlands team: Sjoert BRINK, Berend van de BOS, Sebastiaan DRIJVER, Jiris van LANKVELD, Herman DRENKELFORD.
Auken led the Slava Cup Round Robin until the last 5 boards, when Netherlands with 3 boards in a row added 36 IMPs to win the match and to finish the Round Robin in the first position.
Board 30..A Wierd Blockage
After three Pass, Drijver opened 1NT and finished as a 3NT contract declarer.
Ventin led the 
3. Tokay won with his A and returned the 10 Drijver played his Q and Ventin played a small club. Declarer continued with the 
Q, Ventin played a small one, declarer continued with his J…again Ventin played a little heart…Now declarer had with 1 club, 1 spade, 2 hearts and 5 diamonds…and claimed…
What was the defense problem? The club blockage…If Ventin, would have won the club or the heart, defense would have made only 4 tricks because of the club blockage…
Was there a solution?…
Yes but a DD one…After winning his A, Tokay should have played a little spade from his 
K 9, then the defense would have been able to make: 1 spade, 1 heart and three clubs for one down…
Only Three boards later…
Board 33 Auken’s Wonderful Blockage
Auken opened with a 1
bid = usually unbal; 5+ diamonds or 4441 (1 club). East preemted with 3 and Welland doubled…Sabine after some thought, decided to play 3NT…and she found a wonderful heart blockage to make her contract.
After East heart lead, West won with his ace…and Sabine made 6 diamonds, 2 clubs and a spade…