N.Z. women’s pair impressive

Press, 13 October 1982, Page 16

N.Z. women’s pair impressive

Playing from strength to strength, the New Zealand contract bridge pair of Kathy Boardman and Jan Cormack ended six days of intensive competition to take sixth place in the World Women's Championship in Biarritz, France. So the New Zealanders, who had qualified twentyfirst, improved 15 placings in competition with the 39 other pairs during the final two days play. New Zealand tournament players will acclaim the performances of Mrs Boardman and Mrs Cormack as a breakthrough feat by any standards.

Pairs players are happy with single-figure placings in any big tournament. To come

sixth in the world championship at a first attempt is prodigious. A justifiably and ecstatically happy pair said after the event that a specially good second session, in which they scored a first class 66 per cent, had moved them up to eighth, with a good chance of finishing in the first 10. Consistency and steadiness on the final day then rewarded them with two further places up the ladder. Mrs Cormack, who is 42, is a mother of two children, and a well-known bridge columnist. iviis Boardman, who is 10 years younger, has the de-

grees of M.Com and B.Sc and is a research assistant in the economics department at Auckland University. Mrs Boardman and Mrs Cormack are joining Stephen Blackstock (Wellington) and Denis Humphries (Auckland) in a knockout teams contest, the final event of the Biarritz Championships. They regard their entry as a ‘'fun" event. Mrs Boardman is due home at Labour Week-end. and Mrs Cormack at the end of the month. They will leave at the end of November as very much the "anchor pair” in the New Zealand team which will defend the Far East Women's title to be contested in December in Bangkok.