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Two Contrasting Test Matches

While the Zone 6 countries fought for the Zone’s places at the Bermuda Bowl/ Venice Cup, both New Zealand teams played 64 board test matches against Australia. The first 12 boards saw the Australian Ladies win 36-21 while in the Open match, Australia led 30-26.

This unusual slam provided 10 imps for the New Zealand Open Team:

 

2 was a poor weak 2 but there was no stopping Peter Newell. West led the K and Martin Reid was able to set up dummy’s diamond suit for spade discards to make his slam.

Our Ladies team had a day to forget but there was one bright moment in the first set:

 

Glenis Palmer would not have enjoyed playing 3 but was saved by East’s 4 call which ended the strange auction. This contract went 4 down (+400) and was nicely complimented by Steph Jacob (East) getting to play and make 2x in the other room (+670), presumably after her partner opened a Multi 2. The result was 14 imps to New Zealand.

Shirley Newton, Candice Ginsberg (Australia) and Jenny Wilkinson in action in Korea.

The second set could not have been more contrasting with our Open Team winning 43-10  but our Ladies losing 13-61. For the Ladies, it was a series of games made at one table and either not or not bid at the other but success can come in unusual ways as this board from the Open match demonstrated:

 

It looks like when Whibley-Brown were North- South that Michael Whibley did not double West’s 1 opener (no great double). East’s 1 bid ended any interest North-South had in the hand as West ended in 2 which went a quiet but significant 2 down for +100.

In the other room, Martin Reid opened 1 (9-13 with diamonds) which ended his partner’s interest in the bidding. The opposition found their spade fit, finishing two down doubled in 4 for +300 and 9 imps to New Zealand.

In the third set, the New Zealand Open Team increased their lead by winning 27-17.

 

East-West have 24 high card points, nice spade middle cards and West has a very nice 5 card diamond suit…but the cards lay extremely badly for East-West. The Australian West became declarer in 3NT and did not enjoy the experience, going 4 down. In the other room, the Australian South player opened the bidding at the 2 level, either showing hearts or the majors and Whibley-Brown did not have suitable hands to take any action. South played in 2 going 2 down conceding 100. That was 11 very useful imps to New Zealand.

Our Ladies restored a little pride in winning their 3^rd set 19-9 but a 19-44 loss in the fourth set demonstrated this was not their day, well beaten 66-150 by a much better team on the day.

Going into the last set, our Open Team led 96-57, 39 imps up with 16 boards to play. Comfortable? Maybe. 39 imps became 19 when Australia picked up 2 game swings on the first two boards. Nothing much happened for a few boards, certainly nothing good for New Zealand and when a third game swing went Australia’s way, the lead was just 11 imps.

With three boards left, the Australians led by a solitary imp as another game swing came their way. What do you do when you have game values, three card support for partner’s 5 card spade suit but a pretty nice 8 card club suit on the side, headed by the ace and the king? Do you play 4 or 5?

 

Peter Newell (North) followed the maxim that you never put down an 8 card suit as dummy which is not the trump suit and played 5. With trumps breaking, the lie of the spade suit only affected whether he would make an overtrick. He did. The Australians ran into trouble in 4 failing by two tricks to give New Zealand 11 priceless imps.

Only two imps changed hands on the last two boards so that New Zealand won 117-109. “Never in doubt” a relieved captain, Derek Evennett, was heard to say! A nice end to temper the disappointment of the Open Team missing out on a medal in the main event.

What have they in common...and who is the odd one out?

A break from action at the table as we look at two members of the New Zealand Ladies team,Linda Cartner and Steph Jacob.    What have they in common? Their first grandchild. Louis Jacob was born while Steph was playing in Seoul. Linda has just a little longer to wait for the birth of her first grandchild. Steph just cannot wait to get back to Auckland for the first cuddle. Rumour has it that Louis' parents, Nick Jacob and Ella Pattison, have already taken the (not Louis') first steps into teaching him to bid.

And who is the odd one out? We are talking grandchildren, of course. With Linda about to become one, all bar one of the New Zealand Women's Team are or will very soon become grandmothers...except for one. Who is that?

I know Susan Humphries would murder me if I did not tell you the answer straightaway.

I have!

 

I hope you have enjoyed these reports on the happenings in Seoul. We will be back when three New Zealand teams go to France for the Bermuda Bowl/Venice Cup events in August.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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