Otago tournament prizes well spread

Press, 6 July 1977, Page 27

Otago tournament prizes well spread

For the first time, the Otago-Southland main centre pa;rs was run by the Oamaru Bridge Chib, a considerable challenge for a comparatively small body of bridge players. Although the entrants included representatives from nine South Island clubs, it was expected that the major prizes would be contested by strong contingents from Christchurch and Dunedin. In view of the strength of the ' field, it was a particularly fine achievement by Mr and Mrs A. O. Cockerilf, of Gore, to finish in fourth place. After some early tribulations, two of the trialists for this year’s New Zealand team, S. Burgess and D. Green, took third position with a very high score in the final round. ■ Until the very last deal,l the pace was set by R. P. Kerr and J. R. Wignail, of;

Christchurch, who entered the final session with a useful lead. But hard on their heels were H. Verdoner and J. Verkade, from Balclutha, who, under some pressure, produced an excellent last round. They had nearly caught up when the final hand came to Kerr and Wignall’s table. As it happened it was played against Burgess and Green:

South opened with a precision two clubs, showing a .good suit but only 11 to 15 i high card points. Over West’s takeout double North raised to three clubs which was passed round to Burgess. Unwilling to sell out, he pressed on boldly with three diamonds. In this contract he would probably have been two down for a plus score to North - South of 100 but!'

i it was difficult for either Kerr or Wignali to double for 'penalties. So South called -four clubs, with which everyone was satisfied. ■ After taking the opening lead of the king of diamonds (with dummy’s ace, the declarer sat back to check up. He would have to lose tricks ; to the ace and king of spades ;and to the ace of hearts so •all depended on losing no trick in clubs. Obviously this -could have been achieved by i playing off the ace and king, but South did not know the I queen was singleton. What .he did know was that West !had done a lot of bidding, i and so was likely to have I only one club. The odds were 'pretty good that this singleton would be a small card, and that the queen would be held by East. So the declarer led the 10 of clubs from the table and played low from his hand. When West won, the contract was one down and the minus score on the deal was enough to ensure that Verdoner and Verkade won a well-earned victory. A second deal held much] interest, because game con-! tracts were bid and made! both ways: I

* KJ6S North-South can make nine tricks in no-trumps, seven in clubs plus two red aces, and nothing the defenders can dq can stop them. Five clubs is a little to,o high, for West can make the ace and king of spades and subsequently a trick in hearts.

But a number of the bolder East-West’s finished in four hearts, and what is more a few of them made it when the defenders took only three tricks with the aces of' hearts and diamonds and the queen iof spades. I Obviously if South cashes I the ace of diamonds and I leads a second round for his j partner to ruff, the contract i would be defeated. But just j as with the earlier hand it is la good deal easier to play ! well if you can see your : opponent’s cards.