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Our National Congress.

A week of bridge has just ended at Bay Park Tauranga. Hopefully, it was a happy time for all who participated, whether they were playing in the Novice Pairs or the final of New Zealand Teams, whether one was playing or part of the staff or many volunteers who made the week happen.

Part of the joy of a National Congress is that we attract players from out of New Zealand. We always welcome many from Australia. It was splendid as well to welcome Daniela Von Arnim, a very accomplished German player and several players from the Shanghai area of China. Daniela was victorious in the New Zealand Pairs Plate and  reached the final of the New Zealand Open Teams. The Chinese team of Hu Maoyuan, Gu Zhenhuan, Wang Weimin and Liu Wiqian reached the semi-final of that event while Ke Jin, Jiang Si Xian and Sheng Yu Xiong were in a team knocked out at the Round of 16 stage. 

There was joy and frustration, good and bad luck for many, drama, controversy, as per usual in such an event.

While we celebrate the main winners, every event is important and that is reflected by the photos today.  

   Restricted Pairs winners, Anne and Leo Sim from Howick.

 

 
   Intermediate Pairs winners,  Joy Zeng and Monica Cheng from Auckland.

Today’s deal, from the Final and Plate of the New Zealand Open Pairs, may not be the most sensational of the week but carries a big lesson about opening leads. Your hand may not be sensational but take a look at the bidding:

 

2 was Multi-Coloured, this one being a 2-way Multi, either a Weak 2 in a Major or 20-22 balanced. What would you lead?

When South bid 4, you could be forgiven for thinking your partner had a Weak 2 in hearts and with the vulnerability favourable might have wondered whether East-West has a reasonable sacrifice in 5. However, with no shortage and a decent looking diamond suit, you decide to pass and defend. That decision is certainly vindicated when suddenly the contract becomes 4x. Maybe all is not what one imagined. Partner seems and  did have the big hand…and indeed had the full 22 count!

Time then to relax and take one’s tricks? The most passive of leads looks like 10. What a big price was paid for that innocuous lead.

 

 

The lead was certainly very unlucky for the defence but the equally passive heart or aggressive A lead could have produced the same disastrous outcome.

North-South made 10 tricks with their combined 13 hcp. J won the opening lead, to be followed by the cashing of K and then a heart led by South. East won to play K. Declarer won, ruffed a heart, cashed A discarding a heart from hand and and returned to hand with a diamond ruff. A second round of trumps followed…and it was all over: 4x making for the loss of just one trump and two hearts.

As you can see, the defence’s diamond points were all wasted while East’s spade holding made this an extremely poor 22-count. Indeed, several declarers failed in their 4 contract where there were 4 inescapable losers. Only 3 declarers found 3NT which slithers home with 9 top tricks after a spade lead.

The best lead at trick 1 is....

The lesson is clear. With so few hcps in the declarer and dummy hands, the only way extra tricks can be developed by the declarer is by ruffing tricks in dummy. South was very lucky their dummy produced two trumps and just one small heart. Yet, such dummies do appear…and when they do, the defence will regret their failure to lead a trump.

So, congratulations to Glenis Palmer who did find a spade lead against 4 x. With J not scoring a trick and declarer unable to ruff a heart in dummy, that was +500 and an almost complete top in the NZ Pairs Final.

A heart lead and trump switch (or indeed a diamond lead) will beat 4x by one trick though could not save the pair who doubled 3 while not even a trump lead could save the pair who doubled 2.

Many times a low level doubled contract will make or score extra tricks from the failure of the defence to lead a trump at trick 1. Naturally, there will be times when the trump lead costs a trick but I suspect that is in the minority of cases.

Winners of Congress events (in chronological order) were:

NZ Junior Pairs                          Jessie Pelenato – Bridget O’Brien

Novice Pairs                             Nikki Baguley – Jo Craig 
NZ Intermediate Pairs              Joy Zeng - Monica Cheng

Congress Pairs                          Nabil Edgtton – Tony Nunn

NZ Open Pairs                           James Coutts – Liam Milne

NZ Restricted Open Pairs         Anne and Leo Sim

Congress Open M’point

      Swiss Pairs                           Nabil Edgtton – Tony Nunn

Congress Int/Junior M’Point
     Swiss Pairs                            John Weijermars – Anna Li 
 
Anna Li and John Weijermars, winners of  Congress Intermediate/Junior Matchpoint Swiss Pairs                    
NZ Restricted Open Teams       Graham Young – Shirley Bain, Mike Newton-
                                                     Simon Eminson

NZ Intermediate Teams            Leanne Curry- Megan Jolly, Kim Thomas-
                                                      Kevin Grundy

NZ Junior Teams                       Heather Sharp – Luda Watts, Lynn Ryan -
                                                    Diann Voice

National Rubber Bridge           Malcolm Mayer – Tom Jacob
NZ Senior Swiss Pairs              Marie Milsum – Alison Beer
NZ Intermediate Swiss Pairs  Jacinda Manconi – David Hay
NZ Open Swiss Pairs               Herman Yuan – Andrew Liu
NZ Restr. Open Swiss Pairs     Bridget Hannaway -  Tony Quinlivan
Congress Open Teams             Michael Ware – Jack James, Nick Jacob-
                                                    Leon Meier
Congress Rest. Open Teams   Rob Armstrong – Mereanna Cullen,
                                                    Graham Stern – Alan Parkes
Congress Senior Teams           Debbie McLeod – Brian Cleaver, Alan Grant -
                                                    Richard Solomon
Congress Int/Jun. Teams       Martin Berry – Judy Parkinson,
                                                    Shawn Adriel – Al – Darias Werder
New Zealand Open Teams     Michael Cornell – Ashley Bach, Tony Nunn -
                                                   Nabil Edgtton, Peter Newell – Martin Reid

Richard Solomon

 

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