Getting younger every year

Press, 12 July 1983, Page 14

Getting younger every year

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignail

This week we present a round-up of items of interest from around the world.

From New Mexico, via the American Bridge League’s “Bulletin,” comes the news that a Miss Tricia Thomas is the youngest girl ever to reach the exalted rank of Life Master — at the tender age of 14 years, and 26 days. Mind you, the girls still have some way to go. The youngest ever Life Master was Dougie Hsieh, at 11 years, 10 months, and four days. Miss Thomas seems to be quite a player, judging from her defence of this hand. She was East, but South dealt with only his side vulnerable:

South reached four spades after West had shown long diamonds and East had been shut out of the auction. Having won the opening diamond, lead with dummy’s ace, continued

with the jack of spades, letting it win when East followed low. This was not a particularly bad play, but it turned out to be fatal. West won with the king, and switched to his club. When dummy’s eight was played, Tricia took her queen, and quickly worked out that her partner’s six just had to be a singleton. She returned a low club, forcing West to ruff. After recovering from his surprise, he soon realised what he had to do. He led back a diamond, and when East ruffed the contract was one down to complete a defence of which any ranking expert would have been proud. In London, the House of Lords defeated the House of Commons again by a substantial margin, despite a ridiculous result on this hand dealt by South with neither side vulnerable:

Lord Smith, in the East seat, an eminent surgeon, would be a top player in any company, but on this occasion his partner, the Earl of Birkenhead, had not read the right manifesto. When South’s opening bid of one spade was passed around to him East was right to cue-bid two spades showing a good hand. He was on less sure ground, facing an inexperienced partner, in trying three spades on the next round, and the final redouble was an act of sheer folly. Obviously it screamed for his partner to bid something, but the noble Earl, taking the view that he had nothing, said nothing. The best defence of the ace and king of spades followed by the eight of clubs ducked to the singleton ace would have pro-

duced a penalty of 1000 for three down redoubled. As it was, the defence was not the best. Lord Smith scrambled seven tricks together, one of which was a club ruff with his singleton spade. Even so, minus 600 was nothing to boast about on two hands cold for game in hearts. From Europe comes the news that early unofficial indications are that the member countries of the World Bridge Federation are more or less equally divided over whether or not South Africa should participate in next year’s World Bridge Olympical. It is going to be a very rough problem to resolve. Finally, in Christchurch, Mrs R. D. (Sybil) Iles has died after a long, active, and often very successful bridge life. Originally a member of Crockfords Club, she was one of the founder members of the Christchurch Bridge Club, and a pillar of strength in its early days. She played there until shortly before her death.

Her death brings back memories of a more gracious, less hurried era when manners still made man, and woman.

This was the amazing auction: S. W. N. E. 1* No No 2<t» No 34> No 3<$» Dble No No Redble All pass