CONTRACT BRIDGE Clear-cut Victory To Otago Pair

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32302, 21 May 1970, Page 7

CONTRACT BRIDGE Clear-cut Victory To Otago Pair

(Contributed by J R.Wj

At a recent tournament two women had just had distinctly the better of things against another female partnership. There was an icy silence as the atmosphere around the table thickened. As the players were moving for the next hand, one of the losers delivered her parting shot. With a haughty glance at one opponent’s nylon-clad legs, she snapped: “Anyway,

no-one over 30 should wear

these mini-skirts. You should i wear your dresses below the i knees.” < This did not occur, needless to say, at this year’s Otago i pairs championship. It is true that < South Island tournaments usually lead to keen rivalry between Canterbury and Otago players, but it is a little more friendly than that. At this event in Dunedin the honours went to the - home players when the longestablished and very formidable partnership, N. W. Allan and G. B. P. Wilson, struck devastating form. At the end they had a convincing lead from another Dunef din pair, R. R. Hudson and . L. G. Townsend. Mrs W. A. f Roxburgh and A. A. Tyrie of . Invercargill were third. The leading Canterbury pair, Mrs 3 F. W. Brandt and Mrs E. G. - Young, were lying second f until a disastrous final session . relegated them to fifth. 1 None of the leading pairs s had any problems with this a hand which produced a wide r variety of results:

N. S—Q 8 5 4 H—4 D—Q 10 i C—A 8 7 65 2 W. E. S—K 7 2 S—J 9 : H—K QlO 8 7H—-A J 6 5 3 t D—9 5 D—B 7 6 2 C—K 10 3 C—J9 S. S—A 10 6 3 H—9 2 D—A KJ 4 3 C—Q 4

Otago and Southland players have developed over the last few years a system of their own with a marked similarity to certain French methods of bidding. The main feature is that short suits are called before longer suits. On this particular hand, for instance, after passes frbm the dealer, North and East, South opens one spade. West intervenes with two hearts, but North can now show enthusiastic support for his partner’s major suit. In this way Allan and Wilson duly arrived at four spades, against which the king of hearts was led. Having won the first trick West switched to a diamond. After taking this with dummy’s queen, South played the ace and another spade. West jumped in with the king to lead a third round of the suit. The declarer was now able to run off the diamonds, and then ruff a heart in dummy for his tenth trick. In all

he came home with three tricks in spades, five in diamonds, the ace of clubs and one heart ruffed in dummy. The Otago system made short work of the bidding, but elsewhere the NorthSouth pairs had their problems when the auction proceded along these lines: W. N. E. S. No No ID Dble 2C 2H When South decided somewhat timidly that he was not strong enough to introduce his spades at the' two-level, West was allowed to play the hand in hearts. Hudson and Townsend were one of the pairs to do so, making nine tricks when everything went well. Mrs Roxburgh and Tyrie did not score quite so well on the board for against them North played in three clubs, making 10 tricks. They would still be satisfied however in view of the vulnerable game their opponents might have bid and made. There seems no very good reason for North-South to miss their spade fit On the auction given above for instance South can call two spades over two hearts with no qualms. While it is true he had little more than an opening bid, he need have few worries if North has to put him back to three diamonds. Similarly he has some sort of fit for his partner’s suit, so should be happy to hear three clubs. As it happens of course North would raise two spades to three at least and the partnership would be well on the way to game.