CONTRACT BRIDGE Timaru Tournament Won By Christchurch Pair

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31462, 31 August 1967, Page 7

CONTRACT BRIDGE Timaru Tournament Won By Christchurch Pair

(Contributed bu

J.R.W.)

Although the Timaru Bridge Club’s South Canterbury pairs tournament attracted entries from all the Canterbury clubs, and from Dunedin, Oamaru and Westport, it developed into a close tussle between two Christchurch pairs. After the first session Mrs W. Ellis and J. Vryenhoek had a narrow lead, which was overtaken at the end of the second round by F. P. S. Lu and J. R. Wignail, with a number of established partnerships still in the hunt not far behind. Both leaders scored well in the last session, the final order remaining the same though the margin between them was negligible. The expected challenge from at least one of the other experienced pairs did not eventuate, and Mrs H. Harley and I. P. Shearer of Ashburton took third position. The remaining players can console themselves with the thought that their partners had an off day. One of them heard her right hand opponent open one diamond and holding S—KQ9B4 H—J10763 D—9 C—Q4 over-called one heart. Most players, of course, would prefer to call the stronger spade suit, for apart from other considerations it seems better to indicate to partner the opening lead of a spade rather than a heart. Her left hand opponent duly reached three no-trumps, her partner duly led a heart, and nine tricks were quickly made. The over-caller pointed out that a spade lead would have defeated the contract. Her partner reminded her of her over-call but this argument was soon swept aside. “He (i.e., the declarer) must have two holds in hearts to call no trumps. You couldn’t lead a club because you had the king. They had called diamonds, so what else was there to lead except spades?” Bridge, sometimes, is an easy game. Choice of Suits

This deal from the tournament illustrates the advantage

The optimum result for East -West is six spades bid and made, for the only defensive trick is the ace of clubs, but only one pair allowed themselves to be pushed into the slam by South’s vigorous competitive bidding. Most pairs finished in four or five spades when South abandoned the chase, but at two tables the auction was:

South certainly struck gold when he called his second suit, and careful play restricted his losers to three, a spade, a heart and a diamond. The penalty of 300 was a good exchange for his opponents’ game or slam. Several Souths, over-im-pressed by the length and quality of their heart suit, continued to six hearts over their opponents’ five spades. One of them was down six when he received the best defence. The ace of spades was led and the spade continuation ruffed by South. The queen of hearts lost to the king and another spade was trumped. The jack of hearts was taken by the ace, and the declarer had to ruff spades a third time. His remaining trump was the ten, which he played off before cashing the ace and king of clubs. West was able to trump the next club and the defence made the rest of the tricks. The whole deal shows how a forcing defence can cause

even a strong trump suit to be shortened to a point where the defenders have a majority of the trumps outstanding, and consequently take control of the hand. If the hand is played in clubs, -where both dummy and declarer have strong holdings, this danger does not arise.

w. N. E. S. IS 2H 3S No 4S 5C 5S 6C No No Dble. All Pass.