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A Big Bridge Weekend in Taranaki

The team of Moss Wylie- Wayne Burrows and Steve Baron – Matthew Brown had a comprehensive victory in the Teams event at the weekend’s Taranaki Bridge Congress. Although only finishing 5th out of 6 qualifiers on day 1 and needing a big win in the last round to qualify, they dominated the round-robin on Day 2.

1. Burrows

Moss Wylie- Wayne Burrows, Steve Baron – Matthew Brown

71.67

2. Jones

Barry Jones- Jenny Millington, Derek Evennett- Judy McLeod

58.72

3. Foidl

Gary Foidl- Brett Glass, Yuzhong Chen- Herman Yuan

55.36

4. Carter

Pat Carter- Julie Atkinson, Alister Stuck- Russell Wilson

53.94

5. Chen

Gary Chen- William Liu, Jeter Liu- George Sun

50.37

6. Whyte

Jan Whyte-Carolyn Yeomans, Robyn and Don Nightingale

25.16

Wylie won its first four matches averaging 16.38 and were mathematical with one round left. They lost their last match to Jones and could afford to be one of two teams to suffer with the following freak board:

round 5

Board 21
North Deals
N-S Vul
6 5 2
10 6 3 2
A Q
A Q J 3
A 9
9
8 5 4 3 2
K 10 6 5 4
 
N
W   E
S
 
A K Q J 8 7 4
K 10 9 6
9 2
 
K Q J 10 8 7 4 3
5
J 7
8 7

 

After North opened either 1Club-small or a weak 1NT, East would likely bid 4Heart-small. At five of the six tables, South competed with 4Spade-small. That ended the auction at three of the tables, though two East players competed to 5Heart-small. One was doubled though at the other table, North-South went on to 5Spade-small.

Much depended on the opening leads. In the Burrows – Jones match where the contracts were 5Spade-small by South and 4Heart-small by East, had both contracts been defeated, Burrows would have gained 4 imps though when they both made, they lost 17! Chen also lost 17 when their opponents, Carter, made 4Spade-small by South and 5Heart-smallx by East. The remaining match saw a flat 4Spade-small making.

4Spade-small by South cannot be beaten but 5Spade-small can with a diamond lead since West will soon regain the lead with the Spade-smallA and the defence will then take two red suit tricks. However, “in the real world” how can you look beyond the fateful heart lead? As long as the declarers cover with the Heart-small10, they will be safe (just a little matter of refusing the diamond finesse and taking the club one twice). However, if declarer plays low from dummy and East ducks, the defence would still have had a chance.

5Heart-small x required South not to lead either a spade or a diamond. 4Heart-small would also have been defeated had neither of these suits been led. Both declarers in hearts received the Spade-smallK lead to give East what he would not otherwise have, an entry to dummy to play a hopeful diamond…and life for East would soon become very sweet. One declarer made 11 and the other 12 tricks.

The above was not a good board for Jeter Liu and George Sun, who defended 5Heart-smallx..but the final result of the PMarion Hill Open Pairs was more to their liking:

1.

Jeter Liu -  George Sun

176.45

2.

Julie Atkinson – Pat Carter

172.61

3.

Grant Jarvis – Scott Smith

166.35

4.

Herman Yuan – Yuzhong Chen

165.65

5.

Christine Wilson – Glenis Palmer

165.61

 

Taranaki Intermediate – Junior Pairs

1.

Margaret and Neil Hearn

116.80

2.

Helen Kelly – Irene Taunt

116.40

3.

John De Bueger – John Holdom

112.20

4.

Theresa and Brian Needham

111.01

5.

Campbell Priest – Pamela Newson

108.37

 

Taranaki Swiss Pairs

1.

Grant Jarvis – Scott Smith

84.98

2.

Neil Stuckey – Glenis Palmer

82.67

3.

Reeve Pring – Campbell Priest

82.48

4

. Dean Sole – Pat D’Arcy

81.62

5.

Evelyn and Bob Hurley

75.43

 

A lot of Bridge was played during the three day week-end especially on the Sunday when those in the Teams final played 81 boards and others 74. There was the usual excellent Taranaki catering and an event VERYwell organized with Lorraine Stachurski directing.

Richard Solomon

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