CONTRACT BRIDGE Well-mixed Field In Big Charity Tournament

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31871, 26 December 1968, Page 3

CONTRACT BRIDGE Well-mixed Field In Big Charity Tournament

(Contributed by J.R.Wj If proof is needed of the terrific upsurge ip the popularity of bridge in Britain, one need only cite the sponsorship of the British rubber bridge championship by Action for the Crippled Child. Realising that charity begins at home, the managers of the National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases. provided a first prize of £lOOO to go with the Faber Cup, a second prize of £2OO, and other consolation prizes. The competition was open to any pair who paid an entrance fee of 20s and the first one was so successful ■ that next year's winner will receive 1000 guineas, by far the biggest money prize in British bridge. The championship is run on a knock-out basis, the draw in the early stages being done by counties. The champions for each county then play off for the right to join the champions of Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the finals. Each match is over six rubbers, or fon three hours plus two further hands, the side with the highest total net score winning. The big attraction is that competitors play with their favourite partner against all sorts of players they would never normally meet, from the novice to the international expert. Furthermore, while over six rubbers skill will usually triumph, it is quite possible for an average pair with a fair slice of luck to beat a couple of experts. World champions and European champions entered for the first 8.R.8.C., but none reached the semi-finals. Novel Tactics

The Faber Cup for 1968 was won by G. C, H. Fox, a well-known bridge writer and teacher, playing with his wife, an English international. In the final they defeated Alfredo Campoli and J. Sadler. Campoli is wellknown as a violinist and even better known to New Zealand bridge players for on one of his frequent visits here some years ago, he gave a cup; the North Island pairs.] The form of the 8.R.8.C. introduces several new 1

hazards. If one goes into the last rubber facing a deficit of 1000 points, one cannot afford to win in two straight games. This will produce only 900 odd points and will lose the match. One just has to score a slam, for it is certain the opposition will not be risking any needless penalties, their aim being to win by losing the rubber quickly. In these circumstances, vulnerable with a part-score of 90 after partner has passed, even a point count of 20 is barely good enough to open the bidding for it is very doubtful if there is a slam in the combined hands. Both winners and runnersup had narrow squeaks in such situations in the final stages of the competition. Writing in the English bridge magazine one of the tournament committee, Victor Mollo, describes how Campoli and Sadler in one match faced an 800 point deficit in the last rubber. Then along came a hand where one of them held 24 points and the other 11. A grand slam was cold, but they called a safe six to be sure of winning the match and a place in the final. Mr and Mrs Fox were on the other end of a similar exploit in the quarter-finals. Sitting East-West they were 1500 in the lead in the final rubber when this hand was dealt:

S—7 5 3 H—A K Q 9 D—K 9 7 C—A Q 4 W. E. S—J 96 4 S—K 2 H—lo 86 5 H—.l 3 2 D—Q 3 D—B 65 4 C—B 7 2 C—J 10 5 3 S. S—A QlO 8 H—7 4 D—A .1 10 2 C—K 9 6

Six no-trumps is a reasonable contract on the NorthSouth cards, but this would not have produced quite enough points to wipe out the 1500 deficit. So South valiantly called seven notrumps in an effort to pull the match out of the fire. West led the eight of

clubs, and had the declarer taken the right view of the diamonds the contract was makeable, albeit very luckily. By playing off the ace and king of diamonds the declarer can make four tricks in that suit, to go with three in clubs to produce this position with the lead in dummy: N. S—7 5 H—A KQ 9 D— C W. E. S—J 9 S—K 2 H—lo 8 6 5 H—J 3 2 D— D—C— C—.l S. S—A Q 10 8 H—7 4 D— C It will be seen that West has had to discard two spades in order to retain four hearts. A spade from dummy brings the two from East, and the declarer wins with the queen. The ace drops the jack and king so South’s last two spades are winners, and the tenuous grand slam is duly made. Fortunately for the eventual winners the play did not go like that. The declarer won the opening lead in dummy with the ace of clubs, cashed the king of diamonds and made the percentage play of leading a small diamond to the jack in his own hand. When West won the trick with the queen the £lOOO finesse had failed, and iFox was able to breathe; again.