Teams title stays in Auckland

Press, 8 November 1978, Page 16

Teams title stays in Auckland

CONTRACT BRIDGE

By

J.R.Wignall

Over Labour Week-end some of the best of New Zealand bridge players gathered in Wellington for the New Zealand Teams’ Championship, an event which this year was of as high a standard as it has ever reached. It consisted of a round robin in which the 12 teams met each other in a series of 18 board matches. The pre-tournament favourites were substantially last year’s winning team of M. L. Cornell, S. J. Abrahams, D. Evitt and W. Linderman. This team will represent New Zealand in the Far East Bridge Federation Championship in New Delhi this month, and the manner of their success at Labour Week-end augurs well for their performance overseas.

They played through the tournament unbeaten and. barring comolete catastrophe, had the event won with one round to go. Their winning score of 170 out of a possible 220 victory points was a fine achievement.

They were given serious competition from a Christchurch tream led by J. R. Wignall (J. R. Hay, R p. Kerr, and K. G. Wooles), which however, performed only fitfully to take second place on 141.

Third was another Auckland quartet who have all at one time or another represented New Zealand —D. Mathews, R. Jacobs, M. Mayer and L. Wright. The fourth position was won by the other Christchurch team taking part —A. J. Moore, P. H. Marston. L Simpson and M. Sykes. The only’ Otago team in the event, R. R. Hudson. S. Burgess, R. Scott and F. P. S. Lu, was fifth on 127. The over-all entry’ was a strong one and it was gratifying to see four members of the New Zealand women’s team which will compete in New Delhi in November taking part, but it was very disappointing to note that they performed below standard. Nevertheless if women’s bridge is to show any marked improvement in New Zealand, then more of the players must compete in championships of this nature. Successful tactics in superior teams events do not incude rash or gambling bidding, but at times we all land in somewhat opnmistic contracts. Then i: is necessary’ to summon ail one’s skill to the play of the hand. South rose to the occasion during the piay of this deal:

A— A KJ 7 3 ¥—J 4 ♦—KQB6 A— K4 W E A— Q9 64 A— B V— 9B 7 V—Q 10 653 ♦ —95 3 ♦—JlO 4 2 A— J 8 7 A— K 10 5 3 S A— 1052 ♦-AK2 ♦ —A 7 A— A QJ 6 2 It was a bold auction: W N E S IS No 2C No 3D No 4NT No 5D No SNT No 6S No 7NT All pass The final contract was reasonable enough, for the declarer has a number of chances. The most obvious one is to play West for the queen of spades and lead low to the jack on tire first or second round of the suit. No declarer worth his salt

however likes to rely on a simple finesse in a grand slam contract if he can see any other legitimate alternative .

W. Linderman, for the winning team, found a much better line. He won the opening club lead with dummy’s king, cashed the ace and king of spades in case the queen fell under them, then ran off four more rounds of clubs. West was abie to discard a spade and a diamond. North threw’ away two small spades and a heart, but East already had a prob-

Seven tricks had gone to which he had followed with four black cards and he dare not discard one of his diamonds for fear of establishing North’s second suit. He therefore had to throw' away three small hearts. Now the declarer played off the ace, king and queen of diamonds, giving West a problem in his turn.

He had already discarded one diamond and had to retain the queen of spades to beat dummy’s jack, so he too had to discard a heart. Now with both defenders reduced to doubleton hearts South

came to hand with the ace, cashed the king and the deuce became his thirteenth trick. Not surprisingly this sparkling dummy play

produced a large swing to the Auckland team for when the board w'as replayed at the other table their opponents bid only six spades and just made

Another deal which re quired somewhat more des perate declarer play oc

curred in a match between two Christchurch teams. The dealer was South with neither side vulnerable: N A-Q8 4 n e; ♦—AKIO 4 A AO 4. W E A— 1093 A— KJ 62 V— 7 3 V— 86 2 ♦—J 86 5 3 ♦—7 2 A— K 10 5 3 *—J 8 7 S A— A 75 V—K QJIO 4 ♦ —O9 A—Q 9 4 At the first table South, after an auction best forgotten, alighted in the unattractive contract of six hearts. The opening lead of the 10 of spades was covered by the queen, king and ace, immediately setting up two losers for the declarer. With no great hope South set off in search of 12 tricks. After drawing trumps in three rounds he cashed the queen of diamonds and led a diamond to the 10 in dummy. When this held he cashed the ace and kmg of diamonds on Which he was able to discard his two small spades. The ace of clubs came next and then a low club awav from dummy was taken by East’s king. This established South's queen so the precarious contract had been delivered with five tricks in hearts, four in diamonds, one in spades «nd two in clubs. Confidently Sou* sat back expecting to have produced a big swing for his side. Cnfortunately for him, however, at the other table the final contract was six no trumps plaved by North. One problem was solved for the declarer when East, with a most unattractive hand to lead from, chose to start the defence with the opening lead of the seven of diamonds This immediately gave North four tricks in that suit which with five in hearts and two black aces produced a total of 11. The twelfth came when h* led a low club towards dummy's queen and East played the king. Both declarers had the grace to apologise for their luck in making their rather optimistic contracts.