Poles win Epson

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 10

Poles win Epson

CONTRACT BRIDGE

J.R. Wignall

The fourth Epson Worldwide Bridge Contest, played simultaneously in 91 countries, was won by a Polish pair. Wojciech Biegajlo and Dariusz Zembruzuski, playing at the Hutnik Club in Warsaw, defeated more than 80,000 other players in the World Bridge Federation’s biggest annual event. Their score of 79.17 per cent was the second highest ever recorded. Biegajlo, 31 years old, is a technical journalist on the army newspaper, the “Soldier of Freedom.”

Zembruzuski, 30 years old, works for the Radiotelecommunications Centre in Warsaw. ’ Second was an Australian pair, Greg and Winifred Phegan of Blue Mountains, NSW, with 78.75 per cent.

Third was a Canadian pair, Karl Hicks of Dominion, Nova Scotia, and Ron MacDonald of New Waterford, together with another Australian pair, John Brockwell and Mathew Thomson, all with 78.17 per cent. China’s participation was very much reduced by the political convulsions and the Shanghai Bridge Club cancelled what had beep predicted as the biggest-ever heat of a simultaneous bridge pairs contest. Even so, the total entry

is expected to be about the same as last year’s entry of 84,352 in the Guinness Book of Records. Fifth place went to George Havas and Bill Haughie, an Anzac combination. Bill represented New Zealand on several occasions before moving to Brisbane, and George is an Australian international. Meanwhile, back at the ranch here in Christchurch, Bruce Anderson and I were having our problems. Board 13 was distinctly unlucky for us. North dealt with both sides vulnerable:

Against four hearts, South guessed to lead a diamond, and the de-

clarer, John Louisson, called for . dummy’s queen, covered by the king and ace. He led the jack of hearts to the king and ace, and then ran off four rounds of clubs, discarding West’s spade on the last. Since North’s failure to ruff exposed the trump situation, East continued with a low heart to West’s nine. The queen was cashed, a diamond was conceded and Louisson had 12 tricks for an excellent score. A little later my partner took an opportunity to earn us a good result on this hand dealt by North with both sides vulnerable: N

Against three hearts, West led the ace, king and jack of spades. After winning with dummy’s queen, discarding a club from hand, the declarer continued with the three of hearts to the five, 10 and queen.

He won the club switch with the ace, cashed the ace of hearts, dropping the king, and drew the last trump. When the queen of diamonds fell under the ace and king he had no more losers and finished with 10 tricks for a fine result. The defence of course had been kind. If East had called two clubs over his partner’s one spade overcall, West would no doubt have led the suit. Then the defenders would have taken two top spades and a trick in clubs. More importantly, they would not have provided an entry to dummy with the queen of spades, and the declarer, forced to lead trumps from his own hand, would have lost two tricks in the suit to finish one down.

There is a lot to be said for helping your partner by telling him where your strength is.

N ♦ K 10 98543 V 3 ♦ K10 6 ♦ 43 W E ♦ 6 ♦ J VAQ95 VJ8764 ♦Q8752 ♦ AJ9 ♦ Q86 ♦AKJ10 S ♦ AQ72 V K10 2 ♦ 43 ♦ 9752 The auction at our table was: W N ~JE S -- No 1V No 4V All Pass

♦ Q987 V J963 ♦ 10 8 2 ♦ J3 W A E ♦ AKJ10 ♦ 643 *Q74 JK5 ♦ 943 ♦ Q5 4Q97 ♦ K 10 854 2 S ♦ 52 V A1082 ♦ AKJ76 ♦ A6

The auction, with Anderson South, was: S W N E — — No No If If No No 2f No 3V All Pass