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Daily Bridge in New Zealand
A Kiwi Come-Back.
The first half of the Seniors’ Zone 7 on-line play-off between Australia and New Zealand took place yesterday with New Zealand staging a fine recovery after a dismal first 14 boards which saw Australia lead 25-6. A further four boards saw the lead increase by another 14 imps before the Kiwi pairings, Jane and John Skipper and Julie Atkinson and Patrick Carter won the last 10 boards 46-7 to finish the 28 boards with the score-line of New Zealand 52 Australia 46.
How would you play the following board in 4
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Board 19 |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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1 ♦ |
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1 ♠ |
Dbl |
4 ♠ |
All pass |
1
promised at least 2 diamonds. North led 
K. What is your line?
This board started the Kiwi fight-back. The lead was the same at both tables. The Australian declarer won to take a losing trump finesse. Julie Atkinson (South) played a heart, ruffed and the declarer played A and Q discarding a heart and then 9 discarding a diamond with Pat Carter (North) ruffing to lead a low diamond. Which diamond would you play from dummy?
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Board 19 |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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1 ♦ |
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1 ♠ |
Dbl |
4 ♠ |
All pass |
Declarer misguessed to lose K, a club ruff, two diamonds and eventually a heart as well to go two down.
Not so, Jane Skipper. Jane got off to a great start by playing a trump to the ace. She was always going to play clubs and of course then did so. Q discarding one diamond from hand and 9 discarding another. North ruffed and exited a low diamond to the jack and South’s queen. South played back a small diamond on which Jane discarded a heart. She had lost two diamonds but only one trump. North exited a heart, ruffed by Jane in dummy.
Jane ruffed a club high in her hand (the J was still to be played) and could play a trump back to the now high cards in dummy (10, 2 top clubs and K). Playing a trump to the ace would be a reasonable play if Jane then suffered a club ruff with say doubleton king and had the additional benefit of being very successful on the actual lay-out.
John and Jane Skipper
The match continues on-line this coming Saturday afternoon, a further 28 boards, for kibitzers at 1.30pm taking into account the 30 minute kibitzer time delay.
Richard Solomon
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