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Day 2 in Buenos Aires

A very damp day in Buenos Aires when the lucky players were those staying in the playing area.

Pride of place on this day went to our Mixed Team who won 4 out of 5 matches and sit in 3^rd place at the end of the day. They were miserly with imps in conceding just 1 in 2 of their wins and finished with a big win over the hosts.

Our Open team lost to England but thrashed bottom placed Pakistan to finish the day still out of the qualifying positions. Remember, the Open teams need to finish in the top 8 while the other sections see 16 teams advance to the knock-out stage.

Our Women had 2 wins and a draw to remain in 13^th place though bad losses to France and Sweden saw the Seniors drop to 17^th. The Trans-Tasman battle there was just one by those across the Tasman.

Open			NZ vp	position		Mixed		NZ vp	position
Opening position				12th					6th
England		13-38	4.08			India	24.18	12.18
Pakistan		61-6	19.61			Italy	23-39	4.95
Bye			12			Brazil	47-1	19.86
						South Africa	14.-1	14.28
						Argentina	51-22	17.68
Closing Position				10th					3rd
Women				13th		Seniors			5th
England		15.-15	10.00			France	11.-55	0.76
Sweden		2.-15	6.03			Denmark	11.-3	11.7
Spain		32-26	12.01			Sweden	12.-37	3.45
Mexico		37-18	15.37			Australia	27-33	7.59
Closing Position				13th					17th

 

Two deals today from Day 1. We see Pat Carter and Julie Atkinson  from our Mixed Team take advantage of a declarer slip to earn imps 10 imps to reduce the deficit in their loss to Sweden. Over to their captain, Peter Newell:

 

 

“After 3 matches the Mixed had started with 2 wins and a draw and with the 10 imps we won on this board we were very briefly in the lead overall.

In the Closed Room, Liz and Blair Fisher were in 5 and Liz played it carefully and made her contract.

Against 5, Julie Atkinson, West, led her 6  and declarer played Q and Patrick Carter ducked smoothly. Declarer then cashed the A and would have been pleased to see the queen fall. At this point declarer has enough tricks by drawing trumps as long as hearts break or the diamond finesse is onside. Declarer cashed the K and now slipped and gave the defenders a chance by taking the diamond finesse. Julie ruffed, underled her AK of  to Patrick’s Q for a second diamond ruff and earn 10 imps.”

     

Julie would have been smiling..and a little relieved 
when her partner proced Q. Patrick may have been a little
surprised but he knew what to do. 

And for light relief..well, eventually. How would you handle this interesting collection:

 

Not what you pick up every day. 1 promises at least 2 clubs.

Would 5 really be Exclusion Key Card? What would the trump suit be? How to find one’s best fit? There may be better approaches but GeO Tislevoll for the NZ Open Team ended the auction very quickly with probably the biggest jump of the week. Yes, he jumped to 7! Partner will surely provide a spade or two and if he has the wrong ace, they might try to cash A. There were plenty of mights and maybes. GeO’s partner, Leon Meier, is still looking for a spade but he was much better in the ace department:

 

There was nothing to the play as the spade and diamond breaks were both kind. 7 seems the better spot as a spade can be ruffed. In New Zealand’s Open section, all bar one country bid a grand-slam, 9 in 7 and 5 in 7. In the other section, 5 more played 7, 9 again in 7 and one very knowledgeable pair in 7NT. Again, one pair were in small slam.

 
nice one, GeO. 

The right way is the successful way and all those in grand were indeed happy.

Richard Solomon

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