Convincing win for New Zealand over Australia

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 14

Convincing win for New Zealand over Australia

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignail

New Zealand retained the Byrne Cup by defeating Australia in the biennial bridge test held in Auckland by 240 international match points to 209.

The visitors were without their strongest partnership, Cummings and Seres, the bulwark of Australian teams for over 17 years, but still fielded a most competent and experienceed side.

It was a fine achievement by J. Evitt, D. Mathews, A. J. H. Moore, G. M. Sims and L. Wright of Auckland, and P. H. Marston of Christchurch to win in-a decisive manner. Outscoring their opponents in five out of the six sessions of 20 boards, they had built up a large lead by the end of the fourth round. A disastrous fifth session saw their lead more than halved, but it was followed by a recovery in the closing stages. In the end the margin could be described as comfortably close, but hardly reflected the trend of the match. The Auckland Centre, the target of some cirticism for its handling of the Trials, did an. excellent job of presenting the Test. There were splendid attendances at each of the four Vu-graph sessions, particularly the last when well over 100 spectators watched as expert commentators described the action.

There was certainly plenty of it, for the bidding in international matches these days is highly aggressive. Light opening bids, shaded take-out doubles, pre-emp-tive calls, and inferential bids are two a penny. This hand, dealt by West with only his side vulnerable, is a typical example.

With Mathews and Wright West and East for New Zealand the auction at the first able was:

West’s opening bid of one heart and North’s pass were routine, but it is a moot point as to whether East should call three hearts or four. We shall never know what would have happened had Wright jumped to game, but certainly the contract would have been defeated. As it went, over three hearts the Australian South was able to make a take-out double, and North jumped to four spades. They may have held only a combined total of 17 high card points, but there were strong compensating distributional values.

Against four spades, East led the king of hearts ruffed by the declarer, dummy was entered via the ace of . clubs, and a second heart was trumped by North. After crossing to the king of diamonds the declarer ruffed South’s last heart, and cashed the ace of spades, felling the queen. A diamond to the ace allowed a spade to be led from the table and when the two outstanding trumps fell together there were no further problems.

The heart continuation was ruffed, a diamond was conceded to the queen but the declarer claimed the rest. By losing tricks to the king of spades and queen of dia-

monds only, the declarer had made his contract with an overtrick and a score of 450. At the other table where Marston and Sims were North-South for New Zealand the auction was quite different:

East’s jump to two notrumps was a forcing raise in hearts showing a balanced hand. West tried three notrumps but East retreated to four hearts.

When this was passed round to him Marston made a highly imaginative double, and in fact four hearts could well be defeated. If North for example chooses a diamond for his opening lead, South will win, cash the ace of clubs, put his partner on lead with the ace of spades, ruff a club and then cash the other top diamond. That would be five tricks to the defence for a score of 500. New Zealand did even better, however, for Sims decided to remove the double into four spades and the Australian West made an uncharacteristically illjudged double. Playing with great care, South made exactly 10 tricks for a score of 590 and a useful profit on the board.

w. N. E. S. 1V No 3V Dble No 44 All Pass

w. N. E. S. IV No 2NT No 3NT No 4V No No Dble No 4* Dble All Pass