Strong field at Canterbury championships

Press, 2 April 1980, Page 16

Strong field at Canterbury championships

CONTRACT BRIDGE

By

J.R. Wignall

This year’s Canterbury provincial pairs championship at Crockfprd’s Club attracted a strong field containing most .of the province’s leading players. Though the format — two sections playing duplicated boards three at each table — met with a mixed reception it was on the whole successful. Certainly the game proceeded quickly and smoothly with no frustrating delays. Several .of the partnerships were in training for the trials to select this year’s national teams to compete in the World Bridge Olympiad in the Netherlands in October, and it was one of these, S. Burgess and R. P. Kerr, that made the early running. When they were unable to sustain the pace they slipped back to finish second overall. Reversing this pattern G. M. Sims (Auckland) and P. H. Marston started shakily but improved as the event went on to win comfortably. In third place were F. P. S. Lu and K. G. Wooles who actually took the lead at one stage and generally had a tournament of ups and downs. The hands from rhe week-end were lively and interesting, but none provided a greater diversity of results than this deal from the third session. East was the dealer with only his side vulnerable:

Starting as it were from the bottom, at two tables the hand was thrown in. Presumably the players all searched in vain for the 12 high-card points that would have permitted them to open the bidding. Events

were not so peaceful elsewhere. The best East-West score was achieved when East decided she had the values to open. W. N. E. S. 1A 3A 3NT All Pass Against this distinctly optimistic 21-point game, North led the nine .of clubs, and to preserve communications South encouraged with the eight. After winning with the 10, West led the jack of hearts to the queen and King, then ran off three more tricks in the suit. ■ That was five tricks, and the declarer turned his attention to the spades. When the .ace dropped the queen he correctly diagnosed this as a singletone and it only remained to lead the 10 from hand playing low from dummy when North followed with ■the five. i Then came the four of ' spades to the nine .on the table, the king dropped the jack and that was five .'tricks in that suit. The' 'parlous contract had been made with a overtrick. By contrast one South player was allowed to make a game the other way after this auction: W. N. E. S. No 3 A No No Dble All Pass i ( Though East decided at .first that he lacked the ■: value to open, when South’s pre-emptive three ■ clubs was passed round to ‘him he found a takeout double. Unfortunately for him his partner, deciding to play for penalties, passed, an unsound decision as it soon transpired. A heart was led to the king and the club return was taken by the ace. South continued with a heart to East’s ace, and the spade switch went to the queen and ace. Now West was in an impossible position for if he led a second- round of ; trumps he would- give Up his trick in the suit and if he did not the declarer could safely ruff a heart in dummy. n

Eventually South came to six tricks in clubs, a heart, ruff on the table, and the queen and ace of diamonds for nine in all and his doubled contract. The more typical result however was a part-score in spades or hearts played by East-West after an auction along these lines: W. N. E. S. 1A 2A 2A No No 3A No No 3 V All Pass Against three hearts, South starts by cashing the ace of clubs and then has two good reasons for switching. The declarer may have a singleton, allowing him to ruff the king if it is contineud, and even if he has a- doubletbn there is little point in establishing' the queen. So South leads the five of diamonds, allowing his partner to make the queen and ace before leading a third round for him to ruff. That is four tricks for the defenders and when South exits with a heart the de-’ clarer has to play the spades so as to los-e no tricks. After drawing trumps, West cashes dummy’s ace of spades, noting the fall

of the queen with 'great interest. There are two strong reasons for this’ to be a singleton rather than from the doubleton queenFirst. South has announced length' in clubs, has produced three hearts and two .diamonds andso is likely to be very short in spades; Second, i£:. is mathematically twice/. as likely that South was dealt one singleton honour than exactly two honour cards doubleton. ' . . . (t:

nine tricks for his tract. ' /'(...Mt.. ’