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Daily Bridge in New Zealand
Medal-taking Kiwis.
The Closing Ceremony at the World Championships took place last Sunday night local time. It was pleasing to see some Kiwis go up on stage to take their prizes.
In the one day BAM Teams (Board a Match or more commonly known as “point a board”..2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss), 3rd place went to Hollands, 3 Australians (Pete Hollands, Peter Gill, Charlie Lu) along with our own Leon Meier.
Leon between his team-mates, Peter Gill and Pete Hollands
The Pablo Lambardi Transnational Teams lasted for 6 days and was a pretty tough competition. Finishing 2nd in the A Final just 2.28 vps behind the winners were “Pero Bueno” with four Kiwis in the team even if two, Liam Milne and James Coutts, now represent Australia. The other Kiwis were Matthew Brown and Michael Whibley.
Had Michael been able to make 4
on the last deal of the week, they would have “taken gold”. Alas, there was just no way and the contract drifted 2 down. 2 boards earlier, this deal occurred:
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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1 ♣ |
1 |
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x |
4 |
Pass |
Pass |
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6 ♣ |
Pass |
Pass |
? |
South was James Coutts and the bidding was as above. Their opponents were Geir Helgemo and Tor Eivind Grude. What would now do with James’ hand?
The fortnight of bridge produced some wonderfully challenging competitive bidding at the 6-level. This was one such deal. James elected to bid 6
which was, of course, doubled. Was he right? Too right he was!
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Board 22 |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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1 ♣ |
1 |
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x |
4 |
Pass |
Pass |
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6 ♣ |
Pass |
Pass |
6 |
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Dbl |
All pass |
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Well, it was a close-run thing. Swap the K and 
A into the opposite hands and 6
would have had no chance of making even if South started with the A thus giving declarer a diamond discard on K. Yet, James could anticipate from West's negative double that the K was probably not well-placed for his side. So, with the spade finesse working and North holding the A, it did not matter whether or not the A was led. 6 made for +1370, as it did at the other table for Whibley-Brown.
Michael Whibley, James Coutts and Matt Brown, 2nd in the Pablo Lambardi Transnational Teams
(absent: Liam Milne)
James was thus declarer in 6x and all the defence could take was a club, a diamond and 2 spade tricks for +800. James played trumps correctly. That 11 imps in was the only significant swing in their 8-board match against the victorious Shourie team with Pero Bueno winning the head to head match 11-10 in imps, enough for a very commendable 2nd position.
Richard Solomon
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