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More Kiwi Victories in the Trans-Tasman Competition.

Although the leaders in this event, NZ Cornell, suffered quite a large defeat in the latest round of matches in the Trans-Tasman competition, the Kiwis still retain a healthy lead in this event after the latest round last Friday. Six New Zealand teams recorded victories, mainly quite healthy ones, with only 2 losing. Nevertheless, NZ Cornell still retain the overall lead.

The overall score is New Zealand 553.85  Australia 406.15 with the top 8 teams being:

	Round 6		B/FWD		Latest		Opponent		Current Score
					result
1		NZ Cornell	81.39		6.72		Aus Seniors		88.11
2		NZ Terry	64.20		12.03		Aus Ewart		76.23
3		NZ Skipper	55.58		19.85		Aus Youth		75.43
4		NZ Carter	55.19		19.34		Aus Mixed		74.53
5		NZ Livingston	59.8		14.18		Aus Women		73.98
6		Aus Seniors	60.54		13.28		NZ Cornell		73.82
7		Aus Mixed	71.64		0.66		NZ Carter		72.30
8		NZ Fisher	52.67		15.56		Aus Tobin		68.23

 

How do you fancy your chances in the following 4 or even 5 contract?

 

 

Your opponents have done their best to make it awkward with a weak jump and then a pre-emptive raise to the 4-level. With the minimum length of 1 openings being extremely short these days, it was small wonder that South declared in 4. Indeed, it would seem one needs the same well-placed cards in both 4 and 5 to make with at least one loser in each major suit.

So, West leads a small diamond to 4 at trick 1….what’s your best chance?

4 North-Souths played in 3NT, two in 5 and one in 4. Most of the rest recorded plus scores from being in part-score or beating the opponents’ diamond partials.

These were the 4 hands:

 

Three of the four declarers failed in 3NT when the heart finesse failed. After receiving a diamond lead, they could take it before or after running their club winners: it was failing either way! The fourth declarer got lucky and recorded + 400.

5 should also be defeated. After a diamond lead, declarer can win and draw trumps. To be successful, they need to play a spade towards the Q and hope East does not find the heart switch.

Sam Simpson was given that chance when West led a spade at trick 1. East won and continued spades. Sam took full advantage. He drew trumps, played A and ruffed a diamond and then played a third round of spades to dummy’s ace. Next came 9 from dummy and when East played low, so did Sam. West won but was end-played: contract made.

The other declarer took a strange line after a diamond lead and went one down. After the initial spade lead losing to K and spade continuation, South could have played for hearts 3-3 with K on-side potentially losing just one trick in each major. That line was not the successful one on this occasion.

Back though to 4 where John Skipper received an unhelpful diamond lead. He won in dummy and took an unsuccessful heart finesse. There would seem to be no hope if West had continued diamonds but the spade switch gave him a chance. K won the trick and then East played K. John could not come to 10 tricks by discarding. So, he ruffed and exited a low heart from hand.

He needed trumps 3-3 as he had 2 certain trump losers along with K. West continued a third round of diamonds. John could ruff with 9 in dummy and play a spade to his Q before drawing the defence’s last 2 trumps with A and enjoying 5 rounds of clubs and A at the end to come to 10 tricks.

There are two more rounds left of this competition, the next round on Tuesday September 3^rd.

Richard Solomon

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