CONTRACT BRIDGE Late Run To Regain A Championship

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32018, 19 June 1969, Page 7

CONTRACT BRIDGE Late Run To Regain A Championship

(Contributed by J.R.W.) Six years ago two of the staff of Canterbury University School of Engineering decided to combine their knowledge of bridges and to enter for the Mid Canterbury pairs bridge championship then being inaugurated by the Ashburton club. At their first attempt Professor H. J. Hopkins and F. Lu were second. Dissatisfied, they returned the next year to win. They fell from grace at their third try, and then had to miss two years because of absence overseas. After two sessions in this year’s event it looked as though their sabbatical leave had done them no good at all. They were 140 match points behind the leaders which might perhaps be compared with a championship golfer five strokes down with four holes to play. Undeterred, they made the most of some difficult freakish deals in the final session and finished with two resounding results on the last two hands they played to' win almost on the very last card of the tournament. When the smoke had rolled away Mrs G. L. Bradbury and R. B. Vincent, who had played steadily throughout, had to be satisfied with second place.

beaten by a very narrow margin. The third pair was Mrs J. F. G. Lawson and Dr L. F. Story, both of whom used to live in Dunedin and who derived great satisfaction from beating many former club mates. In fourth place, leading the Otago contingent home, were Mrs R. R. Hudson and Mrs W. Thomson, who had their best tournament placing to date while beating many much more experienced partnerships. A Light Opener When the cards turn sticky they often remain sticky. If this happens the old-timers of tournament bridge tighten up their bidding a bit and let the others find, the trouble. North was by no means a novice but he was having an off-day when this deal arose in the lest session:— N. S—J 7 H—K QlO6 5 3 D—J C—K 86 5 W. E. S—B 6 S—K QlO 9 5 H—A J 2 H—9 87 4 D—A 10 65 2 D—K C—o 7 3 C—A 10 2 S. S—A 43 2 H—None

D—Q98743 C—Q J 4 With neither side vulnerable this was the auction: W. N. E. S. No 1H IS 2D No 2H No 3D All pass The requirements for opening bids, like those for women’s dresses, may be diminishing but North was certainly tempting fate when he opened one heart. Hopkins overcalled one spade, and South bid his diamonds. After Lu had passed, North rebid his hearts, but South, in search of a better spot, pushed on to three diamonds. This was passed out in varying degrees of satisfaction. Lu led the eight of spades, dummy played small, Hopkins put on the nine, and the declarers’s ace won. With nothing much to do. South tried to make some tricks in clubs leading the queen from hand. East took this with the ace, played off the king of diamonds to remove dummy's jack, then led out his spades. The declarer helplessly followed suit three times allowing West to discard his remaining two clubs. The position was:— N. SH—K QlO 6 D—C—K 8 6 W. E. S— S—s H—A J 2 H—9 87 4 D--A 10 6 5 D—C— C—lo 2 S. S—H— D—Q9 8 7 4 C—J 4 East continued with the five of spades, ruffed by the declarer’s seven, but Lu, declining to over-ruff, discarded his small heart. South then led the jack of clubs trumped by West. Although the declarer ruffed the ace of hearts West still had to make both his ace and ten of diamonds. Altogether the defence made the ace of clubs, three tricks in spades, and four in trumps to hold the declarer to five tricks. Since he contracted to make nine he was four down. The sins of his partner’s opening bid were certainly visited upon him. Garden Club.—St' MartlnsOpawa Garden Club officers: patron, Mrs O. Miller; president. Mrs R. Flatman; vice-presidents. Mesdames W. Nicholls, A. Munro; secretary. Miss M. Tempero; treasurer, Mrs W. Nicholls; committee, Mesdames A. Gallagher, D. Morse, L. Metcalf. A. Savage, 1. Sellers, J. Taylor, W. Lake.