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Michael Ware, Jan Cormack, Pamela Livingston and Leon Meier.

Sad ending to Mixed Trial.

The New Zealand Mixed Trial ended two sessions early yesterday in unfortunate circumstances when ill health prevented Jan Cormack from continuing. At that point, Ware (Michael Ware- Pam Livingston, Jan Cormack- Leon Meier led Berrington (Ian Berrington – Fuxia Wen, Graeme Tuffnell- Jan Alabaster) by the slimmest of margins, the 0.1 earned on the carry-forward. Ware conceded making Berrington the winner.

However, because 3 members of their team were already going to Denmark in different teams, Berrington won the right to be our representatives in China at the PABF. Liz and Blair Fisher were selected as third pair for that team. Meanwhile, both pairs in the Ware team were selected to play in the Mixed event in Denmark, along with Lysandra Zheng and Tim Pan.

The final set offered both teams opportunities some of which were not taken. What would your choice of lead be here?

 

The auctions at both tables were identical except Jan Alabaster, West, chose not to overcall. This made the successful defence harder to find. However, when both West players led a spade, the defence was over:

 

If one was not going to lead a spade, then probably a club would have been a more likely choice than declarer’s suit. The heart lead and then spade switch would have given the South players no chance no matter which spade play they made on the first round of the suit. The declarers had to lose to K and the second round of spades would see the contract defeated by two tricks.

The defence, though, was more successful here:

 

 

The opening lead was 3 won in dummy. Jan Cormack played a spade to the king, a heart to dummy’s other honour and a second spade which Jan Alabaster won with her ace. With clubs breaking for declarer, the defence had to conjure up something quickly.

Jan Alabaster found the switch to K to be followed by 10 covered by Q and won by Graeme Tuffnell’s ace. He continued with 6. Although declarer could deduce that East held J (from West’s 10 play), she could not tell whether West had an initial doubleton diamond.

To succeed, declarer had to discard from dummy allowing her 9 to win. However, she elected to ruff in dummy and hope the defender who had the remaining trump held three clubs….not so on this day. So, the contract was beaten by one trick (West ruffed the third round of clubs) while in the other room, Ian Berrington’s decision to bid 3NT instead of 4 as the final bid of the otherwise same auction proved a great decision. After a heart lead, he took a comfortable 6 clubs, 2 hearts and a spade for 12 very useful imps for his side.

The end of the trial was not what anyone wanted. A disappointing end to 4 exciting days of bridge. Thanks to Murray Wiggins for directing and the helpers, Grant Jarvis and Barry Palmer along with vugraph operators, Zachary Yan and Lysandra Zheng. Yes, that is the same Lysandra who is going to both China and Denmark to play and whose tremendous enthusiasm for the game was shown with her willingness to help after being knocked out of the quarter-finals of this trial.

We have in recent months unearthed some great bridge talent for the future.

Richard Solomon

I believe Jan Cormack’s condition is not serious. I am sure all readers wish her a speedy recovery.

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