CONTRACT BRIDGE Visit From World-Class American Team

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32220, 12 February 1970, Page 3

CONTRACT BRIDGE Visit From World-Class American Team

(Contrtbuled by J.R.W.) t Christchurch bridge-players will this week-end have an unrivalled opportunity to watch bridge of the very highest standard. The Australian and New Zealand bridge associations have combined to bring out an American team, all of whom are of world standard, to play a series of exhibition matches. From Philadelphia comes a pair regarded as one of the strongest in the world, Robert .Jordan and Arthur Robinson. An admiring English critic wrote of them: “They stride towards the tournament room, cigars clenched, menacing, leaning forward slightly from ' te hips. They settle at the tai :e, look at the opponents, size them up. It doesn't make the opponents any happier if they know Jordan's profession: he is a cemetery sales manager” The only woman in the team is Mrs Dorothy Hayden, who apart from Mrs Helen Sobel is the only woman to have represented the United States in the world championship. One of the few women who can play at the very top against the best men, she has' won just about every national; championship in America. Who will be the best card' player in the team, no-one: can say for sure, but there will be no doubt who will! have the best and most attractive dummy. This honour will go to Alan Truscottl who will be Mrs Hayden's | partner most of the time. I Born in England, and edu-l cated at Oxford, Truscott was I a keen chess player before being corrupted by bridge. A journalist by profession, he: became a life master and a European champion before I representing Great Britain in the world championship. Soon afterwards he emigrated to America, became a life master there, and helped

■ produce the “Official Encyclopaedia of Bridge." He is now: jthe bridge editor for the I “New York Times," for which I Ihe writes a daily article. I The fifth member of the team is Bill Root, a very popular and very experienced [player who has represented; his country twice in international competition. He is a writer and a keen student; and exponent of modern; ideas in the game. Altogether the team ranks! [as one of the strongest that.! [will ever visit this part of 1 the world. After playing in I [Australia they will arrive in Christchurch, and on Satur-; [day evening will conduct a: |Rridge “clinic” at the Christ-1 church Contract Bridge Club's rooms. This will be followedj [by a duplicate match in [which all the patients will [have the opportunity to play; against at least one American pair. On Sunday the visitors will! oppose a combined South llsland team, the first session starting at 2 p.m. The! actual play will take place tn Crockford's clubrooms [which will be in direct tele-! phone communication with!, the Christchurch chib Here: a large number of spectators; will be able to hear the bidding and see the play dis-i played on a large screen. If they are lucky, they may see! Dorothy Hayden tackle an-, other hand as brilliantly as : she did this in a world cham-[ ] pionship:

3NT All Pass Against three no-trumps West led the king of diamonds, then the ace on which I East, after some thought, discarded a club. West switched ■to the jack of hearts, won by Mrs Hayden’s ace. She returned a heart to dummy, discovering the bad break. Her next play was a spade to the ace. followed by a small one to West’s king. She took the club return in hand, to make the queen, jack and .four of spades, then the three top clubs for her contract with an overtrick. Had she played the spades in any other way she would have been defeated. I Was it female intuition that jtold her the king of spades |was only once guarded? She had, in fact, several indications. East had only one diamond, and when his partner could not follow to the second round of hearts was marked with four of themI He had discarded a club early

with some reluctance so prob-[ I ably had four of them only,[ [leaving him with four spades. I West was marked with the [king for his bidding, and if] East had four , it must be a doubleton But perhaps intuition is a [better guide than mental arithmetic I Christchurch Chib j The fall<owing is the result of j ‘the third round of the club pairs of the Christchurch Con-1 ! tract Bridge Club: Green Section Open.—North-South: Dr M. j Langley and J. R. Wignali 1, Mrs E. Hopkirk and Mrs A. H. I Tucker 2, Mrs L. R. Dunster and Mrs S. J. Moore 3. East-West: i H. Pickering and Dr J. D. Thompson 1, Mrs G. W. Wilson and K. t Humplkries 2, Mrs J. Jackson: ’and Miss G. Russell 3. Handicap.—North-South: Mrs A.' Campbell and Mrs N. William-’ son 1, Mrs Dunster and Mrsi 'Moore 2. Miss S. Harrison and Mrs 1. Leggat 3. East-West: Mrs] M. Blackmore and Mrs Newburgh 1. Mrs E. Shand and Mrs] [S. McGlashan 2, Mrs Jackson' ' and Miss Russel] 3. White Section Open.—North-South: Mrs M.! Milner and Mrs J. C. Marshall 1. Mrs H. Pool and Dr J. P. Me-1 Quilkin 2, Mrs T. P. Cannon and 1 R, F. Hince 3. East-West: Mrs i D. A. Ballantyne and Mrs H. Smart I. Mrs J. F. G. Lawson and Dr L. F. Story 2. D. A. Ballantyne and W. Merritt 8. Handicap.—North-South: Mrs i R. Suckling and Mrs W. Olliver 1, Mrs Bushell and Mrs Sargentina 2. J. Norman and C. .Stagg] 3. East-West: P. Jamieson and. D. H. Heaps 1, Mrs Ballantynel and Mrs Smart 2. D. Easterman] and J. Hay 3.

The bidding was: S. w. N. E. IS 3D 3H No