Southland triumphs in Pairs event

Press, 31 July 1984, Page 14

Southland triumphs in Pairs event

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

Southland and Otago players dominated this year’s South Island Pairs championship run at the Otago Bridge Club in Dunedin.

The event attracted a full muster of 25 tables, a distinct improvement on the mere 12 tables in play at the North Island Pairs at Rotorua a few weeks earlier.

The early running was made by Hilary Van Zoelen and Mike Ferrari who, however, could not quite sustain their effort, and drifted back in the final round to finish a still creditable fifth. In a tournament marked by the unpredictability of the cards, it was Vivienne Lindsay and Noel Grigg of Invercargill who produced the most consistent performance to win the title for the first time.

It was a popular victory, particularly for Mrs Lindsay, a stalwart of the Invercargill Club for some time. Certainly it would be some consolation for her after seeing her club’s new rooms ravaged by the Southland floods earlier this year.

The runners-up were Judy Medlicott and Bob Lawrence, of Dunedin, while the favourites, Michael Sykes and Bob Scott, of Christchurch, had to be content with third place. While in the nature of things it is the slams and games that attract most attention, there are a lot of points to be won in duplicate tournaments in the part-score area, particularly defence.

This hand was usually played by South in two spades, a contract that was often made though best defence might have defeated it. South was the dealer with both sides vulnerable:—

At one table West led the singleton diamond against two spades, East winning with the ace as South dropped the king. Though it was tempting to return the suit for West to ruff, East found the best continuation of the queen of hearts. After taking his ace the declarer set about the trumps. The king of spades was won by the ace, and West continued a brilliant defence by switching to the jack of clubs. South took the trick with his king, drew three more rounds of trumps, then led his last diamond. This was

So far the defenders had played impeccably, but they were to fall from grace.

First let us see what actually happened.

The two of diamonds was ruffed by West, quite correctly, and the king and jack of hearts were played. On the second heart East discarded a diamond, as South ruffed.

Now the declarer cashed the ace of clubs before leading a small club. That was his seventh trick, for by that time he had made four tricks in spades, one in hearts and two in clubs. When East won with the queen of clubs, he had to return a diamond to dummy’s queen and the two spade contract had been made.

It was difficult defence to find, but if under the ace of clubs, East had firmly jettisoned his queen, West would have won the third round with the 10. The six of hearts would then have won the last trick, thus defeating the contract.