Otage contest is popular again.

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 20

Otage contest is popular again.

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

The Otago Main Centre Pairs has been one of the most consistently popular and successful tournaments on the South Island calendar. This is only in part a tribute to the smooth organisation by the Otago-Southland Centre. Much of the reason for its success lies in its location. It is traditionally held at the Golden Central Motor Inn, at Alexandra. There is only one small problem with a venue that in all other respects is practically ideal. It is necessary for various reasons to restrict the entry to 25 tables. With tournament attendances the way they usually are these days, this would not normally be a problem at all. On this occasion the entry was so good that a few pairs could not be accepted. Among the participants were five New Zealand representatives. Two of these. Mrs J. Kerr (Christchurch) and Mrs A. Schwartz (Dunedin), in training for the Women’s Far East Bridge Championship in Bangkok later this year, duly ran out the winners.

They were very closely challenged by Mr and Mrs J.Wolkin from the Otago

Bridge Club. Mrs R. McDougall and A. B. Evans took third place. Fourth was the composite pairing of P. McCaskill (Dunedin) and A. Swords (Christchurch). The winners scored well on this hand dealt by East: N

The auction at their table was: W. N. E. S. 1V 1* No 24 No 3V No 44 All Pass One way or another most Souths finished up in a four spade contract, but a surprising number contrived to go down. Typically West led a heart, and after making the ace and king East switched to a club. The declarer won with the

ace. and ruffed a club in dummy. After returning to hand with a trump, South ruffed a second club, then found himself stranded in the dummy with no obvious way back to hand.

In desperation he tried a diamond to the queen and king, and when West continued with a spade the contract could no longer be made. The declarer lost two tricks in hearts, a diamond and club to go one down.

Mrs Kerr saw that the best way to play the hand, as usual, was to set up the long side suit first. West led a heart to his partner’s king, and East, immediately switched to a club.

After taking the ace, the declarer led the queen of diamonds covered by the king and ace. The jack of diamonds was cashed, a diamond was ruffed in hand, setting up the suit, and

trumps were drawn in three rounds ending in dummy. On the three established diamonds South discarded her second heart and two of her clubs. Her third club was eventually ruffed on the table, so she emerged with a wellearned 12 tricks. Mrs S. Davis and M. Sykes of Christchurch did not have their best result, but scored well on this deal where their combined defence held the declarer to 11 tricks when perhaps he should have made 12. East was the dealer with North—South vulnerable:

In spite of an opening bid from East, North and South duly bid to four spades, an excellent contract that posed no problems in the making.

But this was duplicate bridge where overtricks are of prime importance so the declarer had to try to make 11 tricks.

West started the defence with the nine of clubs, and South put up dummy's queen, a serious mistake as we shall see. East followed with the six, holding up his ace.

With a club ruff now threatened, the declarer was forced to play off three rounds of spades to draw all the opposing trumps.

He then led a heart to the queen and ace, and East returned a diamond. The north hand now had the king of hearts established for a discard but no obvious way to reach it. In some desperation the declarer led out the king of clubs, but East again ducked.

South was forced into leading a club to the queen, which East took. He cashed the 10 of clubs for the vital third defensive winner and a good match point result. Obviously, South should have played low from dummy at the first trick, for then he would have had a later entry to the table via either the queen or the jack.