Slam problems in tournament

Press, 5 August 1981, Page 14

Slam problems in tournament

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

The J., and B. Whisky national teams tournament for 1981 is now' well under way. Run on knock-out lines, the event attracts a larger entry than any other national championship, but already the Canterbury finalists have been decided. The remaining five centres are still playing off to find four teams, which will contest the grand final in Wellington, in late November.

In a key match in one of the early, rounds, nerves probably accounted for the strange goings-on on the very first deal:

After a competitive auction, South alighted in the peculiar contract of six clubs. The defenders took the first two tricks in spades, and the declarer, faced with a third obvious loser in hearts, was resigned to a two-trick defeat, when he suddenly realised that his dummy seemed to have more than its proper quota of cards. A quick recount revealed that North had in fact started with 14 cards, and East with only/;12. so South earned a quite unjustified reprieve. The board was cancelled, and redealt as follows: . N.

At both tables the final contract was six spades by South, and both West players led a heart.

The first declarer won in hand, played the ace, king and another spade, won the club return with the ace and ran off his winners. Essentially he .relied upon either an unlikely squeeze position or a defensive error. He duly made five tricks in spades, three in hearts, two in diamonds and one in clubs to concede one down, when the defenders • discarded correctly.

At the other table R. P. Kerr showed he needed no errors to bring the contract home.

The heart, opening lead ran to the four, queen, and king, and the declarer cashed the ace and king of spades. Leaving the master spade at large, South crossed to the ace of diamonds, made the king on which he discarded a club, and ruffed a diamond in hand. After crossing to the ace of hearts, he trumped

another diamond. Now came the key play. He ruffed his master heart in dummy to gain entry to the established last diamond. On this he discarded his jack of clubs, and East could make his queen of spades whenever he wished.

In the Canterbury final, S. R. Burgess. R. P. Kerr, J. R. Wignail and K. G. Wooles enjoyed the best of the luck to run out comfortable winners, but I. P. Shearer’s Ashburton quartet (Mrs T. Harley, Mrs R. Sutherland and Mrs R. Lovelock) gave them a few uncomfortable moments, particularly on

this hand dealt by South with East-West vulnerable:

West could make the queen of clubs whenever he liked, but that was the only winner for the defence and the slam contract was home. At the other table. NorthSouth languished in three notrumps. so the Ashburton team collected a well-earned slam bonus.