All News

Marion Hill. 

For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players..and others…even Internationals!

(Well, it is an international match which is featured!)

Missing Aces.

Today’s deal features the story of Marion Hill who died in December 2004, 20 years ago. Although born in Timaru and educated in Dunedin, Marion moved to Hawera shortly after her marriage. She joined the local club there in 1954 and was a Life Member of the club before moving back to Christchurch in 2000.

She struck up a very successful partnership with Frances Ewington. They won the New Zealand Pairs in 1969 (no all Women pair has won it since) and were members of the successful NZ Women’s team in the 1976 Far East Bridge Federation Championships in Auckland.

Today’s deal was a very significant one from that event in that it came against second placed Japan, the margin between the top two being just 3.34 vps.

 

The above was the rather unusual bidding. West sat very silent until South bid 6. West might have doubled a round earlier, holding 3 aces, though showed restraint. However, when  South bid 6, West could not resist. 

North explained 4 and 5 as ace-asking and replied showing 0 aces and 2 kings.

West led A with East following with 9 (natural count or encouragement) and South 5. Which card would you lead to trick 2?

Marion was described “as an astute player who did not suffer fools gladly.” She advised Junior players to stick to the basics and do them well. She played a basic Goren system, had “little patience for coaching but always jumped at the chance to play socially to sharpen her card play."

Marion and Frances had different styles in personality and bidding, Marion being “the chatty and venturesome one” while Frances was “more reserved and her restraint and control  tidied up awkward situations.”

It seemed doubtful that Frances, North, could “tidy up the awkward situation” created by Marion, South, on the featured deal.

Let’s look at the 4 hands and listen to Bruce Bell’s words in the Daily Bulletin covering the event where after the initial opening lead, it was stated that “sympathy for the defence must end”:

 

“West led A which held. Now, with (just) seven hearts and nine diamonds in sight, in a fashion which could only be compared to Russian Roulette with a couple of chambers loaded, West boldly played the A.”

KQ soon disappeared on dummy’s high spades and the slam was made. Not that one holds three side-suit aces against a freely-bid slam very often, there is a good argument for leading a trump at trick 1 even if it is a singleton, as surely that suit is solid. If West had to lead an ace, then leading the ace of one's shortest suit, spades, is a reasonable choice, though it had been bid by dummy. 

So, what had happened for Frances and Marion to get so high in the bidding? It seemed that Marion was so engrossed in her own nice hand that she did not notice her partner’s 1 opening bid! She had no support for diamonds or 4-card support for spades. So, from her point of view,  the board needed to be played in clubs.

She intended 4 as a pre-empt, albeit a rather strong one!

Marion loved weekend tournaments, dressing up into evening frocks and socialising after play. Through her love of such tournaments, she donated a trophy to the Central Districts Main Centre Pairs, which includes her name in the title, the event now being part of the Taranaki Congress in New Plymouth. 

She played in a regular Friday afternoon Rubber Bridge four who prided themselves on the fact that they only ever had one drink. Apparently, the strength of that drink was such that they would not pass any breath test!

I am sure Marion would have celebrated with one drink after she and Frances won the FEBF Championship.

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items