Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday are Teams days for everyone. That’s four 14 board matches per day, Swiss style. In the Open event, the top 6 qualify and in each of the others, the top 2 play a final. That makes it quite tough to qualify but everyone enjoys trying.

So, after two days and 8 rounds (4 to go), this is how the Kiwis are doing (or those in the upper positions in the competitions):

(Kiwis in bold)

Open (226 teams)

2.  Braun	Michael Whibley, Roger Lee, Liam Milne, Nye Griffiths, Kornel Lazar, Andy Hung	123.91
7. Ware	Michael Ware, GeO Tislevoll, Matthew Brown, Pete Hollands, Andrew Mill, Tony Nunn	109.69
12. Davies	Kate Davies, John Patterson, Murat Genc, Wayne Burrows	104.95
15. Badley	Duncan Badley, Paula Boughey, Alister Stuck, Andrew Tarbutt	103.97
20. Cartner	Linda Cartner, Jonathan Westoby, Fuxia Wen, Ian Berrington	101.81
25. Simpson	Sam and Jo Simpson, Jan Cormack, Grant Jarvis, Fred Whitaker	99.53

Seniors (36 teams)

4. Woodhall	Noel Woodhall, Andrew Janisz, Elli Urbach,Ferenc Budai	100.54
6. Palmer	Barry and Glenis Palmer, Neil Stuckey, Christine Wilson	97.76
9. Guy	Lindsay Guy, Steve Gray, Robyn Freeman- Greene, Dale Lacey	91.50

 

Intermediate (86 teams)

1. Hajmasi	Kinga Hajmasi, Andrew Michl, Jody and Barry Whale	112.83
4. Humphrey	Bill Humphrey, Paul Carson Wenmoth, Anna Chappell, Marilyn Kennedy	108.20
12. Snelling	Derek Snelling, Sally-Ann Murphy, Alison and John Ruddell	95.45
13. Deaker	Ann Deaker, Marilyn Copland, Erica Tie, Lyn Mould	95.33

Restricted (88 teams)

1. Bowers	Nicky Bowers, Joy Watkinson, Richard Stuart, Dave Garratt	114.77
8. Bannister	Jane O’Brien, Chris Hagen, Ian Bannister, Fran Martin	100.34
9. Kalma	Anna Kalma, Rochelle Van Heuven,Charlotte Jager, Tim Rigter	98.97
14. Chatterton	Dawn Simpson, Jeanette Chatterton, Suzette McIlroy, Junette McIntyre	94.54

(Novice 28 teams)

That’s 464 teams, or a lot of bridge players… and notice that Kiwis are leading the way in two of the five categories. Go Kiwis!

Now to an analysis of all 56 boards at all 464 tables. It’s OK…. Do not switch off! Just two boards at two tables! Two good pieces of declarer play.

Reaching 4 was not hard but making it was.

Gold Coast Teams Round 4

Board 17 North Deals None Vul	♠ 9 6 5 4 2 ♥ 3 ♦ A J 9 7 4 ♣ 4 3
♠ K ♥ Q 10 9 7 4 ♦ Q 10 5 ♣ A 8 6 2	N W   E S	♠ A J 10 3 ♥ A 8 6 5 ♦ K 8 3 ♣ Q 7
	♠ Q 8 7 ♥ K J 2 ♦ 6 2 ♣ K J 10 9 5

 

West	North	East	South
	Pass	1 NT	Pass
2 ♦	Pass	3 ♥	Pass
4 ♥	All pass

Do not draw trumps too soon.

After a weak no trump opening, West transfers and East makes a super-accept. Game reached with South leading the 6. There is a likely club loser, a certain trump loser (hopefully only one) and a difficult diamond situation. Also, there’s ruffing to be done in both hands… not easy.

The opening diamond goes to the 5,9 and K. You can probably anticipate the actual lie of the diamond suit. Play a spade to the king, heart to the ace, A discarding a diamond and then 10. Up comes the queen but discard your certain diamond loser on that. If South draws two rounds of trumps, you are fine. Say, though, South exits a diamond. Ruff, and play A and a second club. South can only exit a club which you ruff and play your J. South is powerless whether they ruff or discard. Only then , if they discard, do you play trumps. Thanks to Jonathan Westoby for the analysis.

Lose what you have to lose early.

John Skipper was in a lot of strife. A hugely competitive auction had pushed him to where he did not want to be, 5 as North. An initial club lead would have finished him off but that did not happen.

 

East led the K and switched to the J. Doubleton QJ or a 3-3 diamond break would be nice for John but as you can see, neither happened. He won the diamond in hand and played three rounds of spades. East won to continue diamonds. John won in hand and played 3 to the ace and ruffed dummy’s last heart before running all his remaining trumps throwing the remaining three clubs from dummy on the last three rounds of trumps. In the two card ending, John had the 3 and 5 in his hand. Dummy had Q7 and poor West…? He wanted to keep two diamonds and the K but John insisted that West discarded!

West threw the K and John played 5 and Q as his 10^th and 11^th winning tricks. That’s what everyone goes to the Gold Coast for, isn’t it?

See you in the morning with more news of the Kiwis. Click here for the full results so far.

Richard Solomon

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