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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

well, across the Tasman, actually!

Good Timing on Gold Coast.

There’s nearly 200 Kiwis enjoying themselves this week at the Gold Coast Congress. Condolences to those who could not make it because of the weather back home.  Here’s hoping there are some success stories, too. At the time of writing, GeO Tislevoll and Liam Milne are leading in the top section of the Bobby Richman Open Pairs.

Here’s an awkward little slam which some found themselves in.

Bridge in NZ.pngnz map.jpg

Board 2
East Deals
N-S Vul

   

Q 10 5

K J 7 4

A K Q 2

A 7

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

A J 7 4 2

A 6

8 6 5

Q 8 6

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

1 ♠

Pass

2 

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

4 NT

Pass

5 

Pass

6 ♠

All pass

 

 

After East opened, they were pushed to slam by their partner. As East, you receive Diamond-smallJ lead from South. What is your plan?

If diamonds broke and the Heart-smallQ could either be finessed or appear in three rounds through ruffing a heart, then you could afford a spade loser. A few if’s in that. So, maybe win and take an immediate trump finesse. It works, or seems to. Another option is that with North holding Club-smallK, you will have 12 tricks. That seems better than relying on diamonds. However, disaster would strike if you play Club-smallA and a second club as this was the lay-out:

Board 2
East Deals
N-S Vul

K 6

Q 10 9 8 5

10 9 7 4

10 4

Q 10 5

K J 7 4

A K Q 2

A 7

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

A J 7 4 2

A 6

8 6 5

Q 8 6

 

9 8 3

3 2

J 3

K J 9 5 3 2

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

1 ♠

Pass

2 

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

4 NT

Pass

5 

Pass

6 ♠

All pass

 

 

No joy in relying on the red suits this time. Also, if declarer played a second round of trumps before playing on clubs, they would fail too as when in South could draw a third round of trumps, leaving East with two club losers.

The winning line seems to be to lead dummy’s small club at trick 3. There does not seem much cost in this. South can win but cannot damage declarer who can win the return, say, the club continuation, play a second round of spades and ruff their third club in comfort.

"E" for "Enjoyment

Kaikoura on Gold Coast.jpg

We all like to try our best at the table but this Gold Coast Congress is about enjoyment too…and none could demonstrate that better than the lively group from Kaikoura who are over here…and, they will have a good time!

Kiwis at the Coast

As stated, GeO Tislevoll and Liam Milne have a slender 1% lead in the A Final of the Bobby Richman Open Pairs. In 5th place are Pamela Nisbet and Jan Cormack. 11th equal are Jenny Millington and Barry Jones and in 14th place Liz and Blair Fisher. There is one more round of 27 boards to be played.

In the Restricted Pairs A Final, Margie Robbie and Jenni Borren are in 3rd place and Jan Bennett and Derek Bartosh in 9th place. Sue Hunt and Sue Skarupsky lead the C Final. In the D Final Trish Clearwater and Viv Murray are in 3rd place with Sue Solomons and Craig Shannahan 4th.

Final results of the Weekend Matchpoint Swiss Pairs saw Linda Cartner and Jonathan Westoby 4th, Anne Somerville and Murat Genc 5th and Gary Foidl and Yuzhong Chen 7th. In the 0-500 MP category, Tim Rigter and Rochelle Van Heuven led going into their last match but dropped to 8th.

Final results of the Pairs tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

 

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