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South Island Teams A Big Hit in Christchurch

 

Christchurch was the place to be last weekend for 192 bridge players, along with the many involved with the event’s organisation. A turn-out of 48 teams was a wonderful number and hopefully, all enjoyed the weekend.

There was a humungous amount of lovely food which added to the enjoyment of the participants who got to play 7 x 16 board matches over the two days. The bridge organisation went very smoothly too, thanks to the directors, Murray Wiggins and David Stephen, scorer Kevin Walker, and the friendly caddies, dealers and helpers. Thanks also to club manager, Susan Edwards, to Thea Mapletoft, and all those who helped Lizzie Thompson, the caterer.

The following are those who were the most successful at the table. Congratulations to:

 

                             

1st

Brown

 

Matt Brown, Michael Ware, Peter Newell, Martin Reid

   

109.3

   

2nd

Westoby

Jonathan Westoby, Malcolm Mayer, Tom Jacob, Brian Mace

 

97.47

   

3rd

Schumacher

Tim Schumacher, David Skipper, Leon Meier, John Davidson

 

95.35

   

4th

Tislevoll

Faith and GeO Tislevoll, Ashley Bach, Michael Cornell

   

91.83

   

5th

Solomon

Richard Solomon, Anna Kalma, Barry Palmer, Neil Stuckey

   

90.94

   

6th

Fisher

 

Blair Fisher, George Masters, Jo and Sam Simpson

   

89.19

   

7th

Davies

 

Kate Davies, John Patterson, Graham Stronach, Sandy McKirdy

 

84.03

   

Top Restricted

                         
 

Burford

Jim Burford, Bill Mecchia, Neville Newburn, Dorothy Bain

         
                             

Top Intermediates

                       
 

Hampton

Jo Hampton, Caroline Caseley, Tony Quinlivan, Sam Gurney

       

 

  2nd placed                                                    Top Restricted                                         Top Intermediates

Jonathan Westoby team SI Teams 2021.jpg    Jim Burford team.jpg   Jo Hampton team.jpg 
Tom Jacob, Brian Mace, Jonathan Westoby     Jim Burford, Neville Newburn, Bill Mecchia      Jo Hampton, Sam Gurney,
and Malcolm Mayer                                           and Dorothy Bain                                       Tony Quinlivan and Caroline Caseley

It is typical that when one asks the winners for a memorable hand, they produced two, one which cost them 4 imps (board not shown) and the other 17 imps! I suppose the latter was memorable because not many boards cost them that many imps! This board was a grave-yard for many:

 

 

 

East Deals
E-W Vul

9 7 6

Q 10 6 5

9 7 3

8 5 2

Q J 10 3 2

8 2

Q J 8 6 5 2

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

A K 8 5

K

K 10 4

Q J 7 6 3

 

4

A J 9 7 4 3

A

A K 10 9 4

 

 

 

West

North

East

South

Brad Johnston

Matt Brown

Feitong Chen

Michael Ware

 

 

1 ♣

Dbl

1 ♠

Pass

3 ♠

4 

4 ♠

5 

Pass

Pass

5 ♠

Pass

Pass

Dbl

All pass

 

 

 

 

Michael Ware started and finished with a double on his strong South hand but suffered a very quick -850 when only his two red aces scored tricks.

 

Meanwhile:

 

West              North            East                South

 

Martin Reid     Barbara Hutton Peter Newell  Lydia Turley

 

                                                     1Club-small 1                  1Heart-small

 

Pass 2                   Pass                 2Club-small                    2Heart-small

 

2Spade-small                    3Heart-small                    4Spade-small                     5Heart-small

 

X                      All Pass

 

1 14+ any shape            2 0-9 any shape

 

Martin Reid called his Spade-small10 opening lead as an “alarm clock” wake-up call for his partner to win and find a club switch (Peter Newell, East, could work out Martin had at least 5 spades and therefore was requesting a switch to the lowest suit.)

 

So, a club switch duly came though Peter’s 2Club-small bid was a wake-up call, too, for Lydia Turley, South, who played low when Peter exited a low club. Martin got his ruff but the remaining 11 tricks went to Lydia, + 650 to make a nice total of 1500 or 17 imps to Lydia’s team, an impressive haul against the eventual winners.

Matt Brown team S I Teams 2021.jpg
Victorious overall but not on the above hand. Martin Reid, Matt Brown,
Michael Ware and Peter Newell

A Good News Story

 

One of the good news stories of the week-end featured the young Christchurch player, Leon Meier. Aged 17 and having only learnt the game 18 months ago, he featured in the Schumacher team which finished in 3rd place. Indeed, only a cellphone violation and a wrongly entered score prevented them from ending as runners-up. Here is Leon taking positive action, twice, when it was required.

 

South Deals
E-W Vul

J 5 3

A 10 7 6 3

7 5 2

10 3

7 2

5 4

K Q 10 8

K Q 7 5 4

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

K Q 6

K J 8

A 9 6 4

A J 6

 

A 10 9 8 4

Q 9 2

J 3

9 8 2

 

 

 

West

North

East

South

Johnny Davidson

Matt Brown

Leon Meier

Michael Ware

 

 

 

Pass

Pass

1 NT

Pass

2 

Pass

Pass

Dbl

Pass

3 ♣

Pass

3 NT

All pass

 

It looks like a simple 3NT for East-West to bid and make. However, at the start of their match, Matt Brown, North, heard his opponents agree that over his strong no-trump opening, that double would show both minors.

So, Matt decided to test his opponents’ system by opening in 3rd seat not vulnerable with the weakest strong no-trump you have seen for a long time!

Michael Ware transferred to spades (2Heart-small). Matt did not want to hear his partner bid 3NT next time round as then an opponent’s double would have a rather different meaning. So, he passed 2Heart-small telling the world, well anyone at the table, that his first bid was a little questionable!

Leon doubled 2Heart-small and then bid 3NT in very unfamiliar territory for him. It is doubtful that he had had to overcome such a psyche before and impressed his opponents by the positive actions he took.

  3rd placed

Tim Schumacher team 2021.jpg
Tim Schumacher, Johnny Davidson, Leon Meier and David Skipper

Leon also took very positive action on this board:

 

East Deals
Both Vul

A K 9

K 5

10 9 5 2

A Q 10 5

Q 10 5 4 3

4 3 2

8 7

8 3 2

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

J 2

A Q J 10 9 8 6

A K J

J

 

8 7 6

7

Q 6 4 3

K 9 7 6 4

 

 

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

1 

Pass

Pass

Dbl

4 

All pass

 

Sitting East, Leon did not mess around when North made a pretty obvious take-out double. Leon “took it out” to game! His partner obliged with a doubleton diamond and the game was cold as long as Leon took a heart finesse, which he did. Indeed, a defensive slip gave him an overtrick. Only 12 East players bid and made 4Heart-small out of a field of 48.

More successes for sure are ahead for Leon. A great weekend’s bridge. Here’s hoping for the same at the next big bridge players’ gathering at New Plymouth for their “not so mini” Congress in early March.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

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