CONTRACT BRIDGE Practice Games For Australian Trip

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32344, 9 July 1970, Page 15

CONTRACT BRIDGE Practice Games For Australian Trip

(Contributed by J.R.W.) The New Zealand team to travel to Australia on July 19 recently gathered in

Christchurch for a weekend of practice matches. In the first of these H. Pickering and J. D. Thomson played with the Wellington members of the team, V. Gravis and T. Winiata against F. Lu and J. R. Wignail, and the Dunedin pair R. R. Hudson and L. G. Townsend. The latter two are not amongst those who will travel away, but after watching them play some of the most consistent bridge of the weekend many would think they should be:

With Hudson and Townsend South and North, the auction was:

The complexities of the Otago system have baffled some of the strongest brains in bridge, and one can only report what happened. Hudson opened one club, Pickering made a takeout double and Townsend jumped to two spades. Thomson, relieved of the necessity to find a bid, passed and Hudson rebid three hearts. Though this was passed out it was apparently optional for North to return to four clubs.

Against three hearts West led the king of spades which was won with the ace as the declarer discarded a diamond. A low heart from dummy was taken by South’s ten, the ace was cashed and the jack of hearts was captured by East’s king. The latter switched to the 10 of clubs, covered by the jack and won by the king. West made his ace of clubs, then led a third round for his partner to trump. This was the fourth and last trick for the defence for Hudson made the rest He held the three remaining trumps, the last two clubs and dummy still had the ace of diamonds, so the contract was just made. At the other table the

pass Here Gravis chose to pass as dealer, quite unknowingly baiting a trap for his opponents. Lu opened one spade in orthodox fashion, Winiata passed and Wignall with only four points saw no justification for bidding. South now doubled, asking his partner to call, but with such great strength in spades North was happy to pass. To East it was quite clear that the suit was going to break very badly, and that evasive action was called for. His redouble was a plea to his partner to try another suit. West duly called two diamonds, North doubled and everyone passed, albeit only after some thought on South’s part

He need not have worried, for the play took an excruciating turn as far as the declarer was concerned. North led his singleton heart, and dummy’s king was captured by the ace South made the queen of hearts before leading a third round ruffed with the declarer's five of diamonds and overruffed by North’s queen. The ace of spades won the next trick and another spade was trumped by South. The latter continued with a- heart, ruffed with West’s six of diamonds and overruffed by North’s ace. A third round of spades was trumped by South to complete the carnage. The declarer won the rest, but the defence by winning the first seven tricks had put the contract two down for a penalty of 500. Once West has been allowed to open the bidding it is hard to see how he can avoid conceding a penalty.

The cards were on the whole sufficiently varied and interesting to give the players a good work-out. The standard was typical of New Zealand bridge and the latest budget-good in parts. Since the best of the Australian players are very good even by world standards, the New Zealanders will have their work cut out to win. If they can avoid some of the expensive errors which crept in during the practice they can do it

N. S—A109852 H—2 D—AQ3 C—9 32 W. E. S—KQ73 S-J64 H—85 H—K974 D—K865 D—J974 C—AK7 C—10 8 S. H—AQJ1063 D—102 C—QJ654

s. W. N. E. 1C Dble 2S No 3H All Pass

auction was entirely different: S. W. N. E. No. IS No No Dble No No Redble No 2D Dble All