CONTRACT BRIDGE Two game contracts on one deal

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32677, 5 August 1971, Page 5

CONTRACT BRIDGE Two game contracts on one deal

, (Contributed

by J.R.W.)

t It was not surprising that ; the Wellington main centre f I pairs tournament should ( attract a capacity attendance, hfor this year’s host was the Contract Bridge Club. '! This club, now under the ■i imaginative presidency of ’ iW. R. Green, a former ChristI church player, has made great ’ I steps forward recently, and [’from small beginnings (reached the stage where it Jis becoming embarrassed to accommodate its increasing membership. This year’s tournament attracted entries from Wellington, Blenheim, Motueka, Westport and Christchurch,

as well as Nelson, and th d event was made even moi t successful by the sponsoi s ship of Benson and Hedge: The geographical spread c ® the contestants was matche ! by that of the prize-winner: p Mrs R. J. Eckersley and < ® Rowland, of Christchurch , were first, J. B. Cordwell an 1 J. W. Knight, of Wellingtor , second, and Mr and Mrs B |C. Mordaunt, of Nelson ; third. Although the winner t are an established partner 5 ship, circumstances do no permit them to play in man; tournaments; but they havi a very consistent record. Oi this occasion they had thi little bit of luck necessary t< win any event at just th< right time to enable them t< overtake by a very narrow margin the runners-up almost on the post. They will have good cause

3S No 4S All pass The auction probably requires a few words of explanation. Mrs Eckersley’s opening bid of two clubs announced a hand containing eight playing tricks in an

'unspecified suit. It was (forcing for one round only (and with no high card strength Rowland would have responded two diamonds. Two no-trumps therefore showed some strength, three spades was natural, and with two fairly sure tricks opposite an announced eight North had no qualms in calling four spades.

West had a difficult iecision to make over his opening lead, which he sleeted to resolve by starting with the ace of diamonds. iVhen East followed with the tine as the start of a highpw signal, or echo, to show i holding of a doubleton, c West continued with the 10, ® taken by the declarer’s king. South on the face of it still ’• has tp lose two tricks in f clubs and one to the king 1 of spades, for there is no obvious entry to dummy’s ace and king of hearts. The declarer was quick to 1 spot her only chance. She ~ first cashed the act of spades, . removing East’s singleton , jack, then ruffed her third 5 diamond in dummy. This pro- . vided the entry to dummy’s t treasures and the ace and , king of hearts were quickly , played on which the two los- ' ing clubs wer6 discarded. , South was quite happy to ■ concede a trick to the king 1 of spades, for making 11 ' tricks in all represented a 1 very fine score. It is true that West’s open- '■ ing lead certainly did the declarer no harm, but he had a very difficult choice to make. As it happens, if he starts with a heart, North wins and both South’s clubs go away at high speed. Strangely enough, the best opening lead is the eight of spades. The declarer takes East’s jack with the queen, and plays off the ace. In this way he loses no tricks in spades, but eventually he must lead away from his clubs and diamonds 1 to lose five tacks in the minor suits. But of course no-one in their senses would find the lethal spade lead, unless both North and South held their cards well out. Competitive auctions At other tables, the EastWest pairs were rather more active during the auction. By vigorous bidding of the red suits, several pairs found their fit in four hearts.

: Against this contract, North began with the lead of a spade to dummy’s jack and South’s ace. Hoping to find his partner with the diamond ace. South switched to a low diamond, but the declarer finessed the 10 which won the trick. The heart switch was taken by North’s king, and the defence attacked clubs in an unavailing attempt to find a chink in the declarer’s armour. The only tricks the defenders could win, however, were the two top trumps and the ace of spades so that the four heart contract was easily made. This was quite a difference from the result when the winners played the deal, illustrating again the power of distribution. For this reason, most experienced players in the West seat would try to get into the bidding after South had opened, relying on their long suits to save them from disaster.

to remember this deal: - N. S—4 2 H—A K 5 , D—6 2 C—J 10 8 6 4 3 W. E. S—K8 S—J H—Q 9 8 7 4 H—J 10 6 3 2 D—AQJ1054D—97 C— C—AK975 c S—A Q 10 9 7 6 5 3 H— D—K 8 3 C—Q 2 s. 2C W. N. E. No 2NT No