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JAPAN SETS THE PACE IN ROUND ROBIN 2

In the second Round Robin, the leading teams start off by playing those at the bottom. So, there is the likelihood of some big scores. The New Zealand Open Team got to play the bottom team of all…but only scored 12vp!

No panic….the bottom team was the bye! It is arguable as to whether having three matches off in a row (bye in the last round of Round Robin 1, no play in the last slot of Day 4 and then another bye) is necessarily a good thing. At least the team will be refreshed.

However, our Ladies went straight into action against Korea 1 and came out with a good result: 40-14 (16.38) which took them up to 5^th place above Japan. It was a match when opening leads and or continuations  were crucial:

What’s your choice as West holding  :  J76   A742   98   9743 after this auction:

West	North	East	South
	1	Pass	1NT
Pass	3	Pass	3NT
All Pass

 

A spade is certainly the best but anything other than a heart is fine as this was the lay-out:

 

Glenis Palmer received a small heart, knocked out the A and made 9 tricks. Susan Humphries led 9 which prompted Steph Jacob to try her Q with wonderful success…down 1 and 10 imps to New Zealand.

Our Ladies carried on the good work in their next match against Japan, winning 42-24 (14.85) to cement 5^th place. We had a little good fortune on Board 8.

Japan played in quite a reasonable 4 contract but this came unstuck early when Susan Humphries switched to a club after leading A. Steph Jacob (South) ruffed and cashed K and played a third spade. Susan ruffed with her A (her only trump higher than dummy) and gave Steph a second club ruff for down 2. Jenny Wilkinson tried 3NT as West and escaped the fatal spade lead. North led a club with six discards being too tough for South as after cashing the clubs, Jenny managed three diamond tricks for 10 imps to New Zealand.

Board 14 cost our Ladies team 10 valuable imps. Although the Japanese found strong defence, there was still an answer:

 

West, who had overcalled in spades, led the K and continued spades, ruffed by South. Q scored trick 2 with the K forcing out the ace on the next round. West continued spades, again ruffed by South who had just one trump left in each hand, 10 in dummy, J in hand. Had diamonds behaved, the contract would make with an overtrick. However, when South played a diamond to the ace and then 10, covered by the jack and the ace, South was down, beaten by West’s last trump with there still being a diamond loser.

A neat safety play would be for South to duck the J. There is then nothing East can do to prevent declarer making the rest of the tricks. Try it. Another diamond has to be ruffed by West with dummy over-ruffing. On a club return, declarer draws trumps and claims. Since West had overcalled, East could not have any more spades.

While they were earning 12 for the bye, our Open Team lost their overall lead to Japan who scored 20 off Kuwait. In match 2, they got 20 more off Korea 2 though New Zealand matched them with a 20.0 win over Kuwait (82-6). The Kuwaitis tried small slam four times and each one failed, with the Kiwis safely in game every time.

In their third and last match of the day, our Ladies lost narrowly, 19-20 (9.67) to 4^th placed Indonesia. The cards were relatively flat. There was just one major swing each way. The Indonesian pair found a good 3NT despite holding a 4-4 heart fit. Both contracts had 4 losers but that was 10 imps out. However, the Indonesians missed, maybe being talked out of, what seemed like a routine 4 game and the imps came back to New Zealand.

At the end of the day, New Zealand were 5^th, 10.7 vps ahead of Japan but over 24 vps behind 4^th placed Indonesia and 33vps short of a medal position with 8 matches left.

One match left for our Open Team, against China Macau with New Zealand winning 54-16 (18.17). The two biggest swings (13 imps each) came when Martin Reid led more positively against a 4 contract than his opponent (there were 4 quick tricks to be taken now or never) and when Whibley-Brown bid the following cold slam:

 

Opposite a 3 opener, their might be a little doubt as to whether a hand with 4 aces and 2 queens would head slamwards (though it is a pre-empt at adverse vulnerability). Opposite a 4 opener, there could only be one ending. Yet, even with the K missing, it is hard to believe that 6 would be any worse than a successful finesse. This time, no finesse was required even on the dangerous diamond lead.

New Zealand had scored 20,14.64 and 18.17 to go with their bye. Yet, they had lost their lead to Japan who had scored two 20’s, 15.06 and 19.99. New Zealand can feel well satisfied to have stayed in touch:

1. Japan	263.29
2. New Zealand	254.12
3. Chinese Taipei	243.99
4. China	240.26
5. Indonesia	223.46
6. India	219.22

 

Saturday sees New Zealand play Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Our Ladies have it really tough as they play the top three (Australia, Chinese Taipei and then China). ..the chance to prove themselves.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

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