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Big Winners from Down Under.

21^st HCL International, the most prestigious tournament in India has been won by an Australasian team, Team Wham, which consisted of Australians, Sartaj Hans and Andy Hung and our own Matt Brown and Michael Whibley. In winning this event, the team have pocketed a cool US$ 50,000. The event was held from 14^th through to 22nd September in New Delhi.

The Gold Team event started with a 10 round qualifying with Team Wham scraping in 15^th out of 16 qualifiers. There were 51 teams in all. Then, it became knock-out. They beat two pro- Indian teams in the Round of 16 and quarter -finals and faced a strong Norwegian team, Boye Brogeland, Christian Baake, Thomas Charlsen, Martin Andresen in the semi-finals.

In the final, they played a mainly USA-Canadian team, Shourie John Kranyak, Vince Demuy, Gavin Wolpert, Rajath Shourie, John Hurd and Kevin Bathurst. Along with the four Norwegians, Whibley-Brown will be playing against Hurd and Bathurst in the Open World Championships in Buenos Aires next month, as this pair will be in the USA team.  

The final consisted of 4 x 14 board sets. Shourie had a 6 imp carry-forward which increased to 8 by the half-way mark. The third set went to Wham 29-5 thanks mainly to a failed slam from the Americans and a doubled part-score making.

Nothing much changed in the first half of the fourth set, the score being 5-5 after 8 boards. However, Whibley-Brown failed in a vulnerable 3NT made at the other table and suddenly a lead of 16 had reduced to a lead of just 5 imps with 6 boards to play. It was then Michael and Matt to the rescue.

 

 

A lot of bidding but Michael Whibley could envisage his partner would be extremely short in hearts along with at least 10 cards in the minors and therefore presumably most of his high-card points in diamonds.

Bathurst led 10 and dummy did not disappoint. Michael won A, cashed one high club and took a losing diamond finesse. Hurd returned Q ruffed in dummy. Then followed a spade ruff, a second heart ruff and a second spade ruff, with Q. K, then a diamond to dummy and then 10 drawing North’s last trump. Michael could then enjoy his remaining diamond tricks to secure 12 tricks in all: a neat 22hcp small slam. 

At the other table, Sartaj ,South, started with a Weak 2, raised by Andy to 3, pre-emptively,  before East doubled and West too bid 4NT. However, Demuy, East, satisfied himself with 5. After the same lead, he drew trumps, lost to K and claimed 11 tricks, only being able to ruff one spade in the East hand.

That was 13 imps to Wham whose lead was back up to a more comfortable 18. There were no double figure swings to follow, though there was still one curious board which we will examine tomorrow. The final imp score was 117-98.

 

Andy, Matt, Sartaj and Michael, one very happy team. 

However, at the finish, it was a fabulous victory for Team Wham who finished the week a lot wealthier after a great week of bridge. No doubt, the other teams will be keeping an eye on Matt and Michael in Buenos Aires. That event starts on October 22^nd.

Richard Solomon

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