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Daily Bridge in New Zealand
Ruth Brucker
Neat play and bidding for first A Point victory.
Today’s hand featured in a tournament last Saturday at the Marlborough Bridge Club and forms part of an article submitted by one of the victors, Wellington’s John Patterson. John and his teammates, Kate Davies and Pam Dravitzki, have tasted success in Open tournaments many times but for John’s partner, Ruth Brucker,a Restricted Open player, this was a first. A first A Point win and to celebrate this a board well played by Ruth and an excellent bid on another board.
So, take a look at the slam Ruth had to play and decide how you would come to 12 tricks.
| North Deals None Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| 2 ♣ | 3 ♣ | 3 ♠ | |
| Pass | 4 NT | Pass | 5 ♦ |
| Pass | 5 ♥ | Pass | 5 ♠ |
| Pass | 6 ♠ | All pass |
5
showed 1 key card. 5
asked for the 
Q but 5 denied it. Undaunted, North bid on to slam.
West led 
K…and your plan is? The card dealer gave each defender at least 2 trumps.
Play Bridge with Ruth Brucker by John Patterson
"Recently, Ruth partnered John Patterson to contest the Marlborough Teams with Kate Davies and Pamela Dravitzki as teammates. This excursion to Blenheim, planned and booked 12 months previous, was greatly anticipated by us all. Ruth is an enthusiastic member of the bridge community and a regular volunteer at the Wellington Bridge Club. John and Ruth took the event very seriously and could be seen practising on club nights just prior to the event.
Our team was successful with Ruth achieving her first ever win in an A Point tournament, a very exciting outcome for us all. Ruth had a big hand in the winning of the tournament and her prowess can be evidenced in the following two boards.
| North Deals None Vul |
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| West | North | East | South |
| Ruth | |||
| 2 ♣ | 3 ♣ | 3 ♠ | |
| Pass | 4 NT | Pass | 5 ♦ |
| Pass | 5 ♥ | Pass | 5 ♠ |
| Pass | 6 ♠ | All pass |
Ruth laid the foundation for the slam with her 3 bid and then played it to perfection after receiving the K lead.
She took her A and played dummy’s two high trumps before playing dummy’s three high diamonds, discarding her losing club. Next came a diamond ruff to be followed by her two high hearts and a heart ruff with dummy’s 10. Dummy’s 5th diamond took care of Ruth’s other heart loser with West left to take their trump winner at their leisure since Ruth just had just trumps left. Note that any attempt to play diamonds before those top two trumps had been played would have met instant defeat with East ruffing the second round.
The second board showed Ruth’s good hand evaluation skills:
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| West | North | East | South |
| 1 NT | Pass | ||
| 2 ♣ | Pass | 2 ♠ | Pass |
| 4 ♠ | All pass |
Ruth’s 4 is very good hand evaluation as the opposition are known to have a 9+ card heart fit (no 2 bid from East) which will likely defeat 3NT. East was well pleased with dummy and proceeded to make two overtricks with a favourable club lead. Meanwhile, a heart lead would have defeated 3NT by one trick.
Well done, Ruth on your victory. You played very well all weekend with your success being well deserved.”
Ruth, Pam,Kate and John
Ruth and John also finished well, 9th,in the 44 pair 5A Pairs event.
TOO OBVIOUS?
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| West | North | East | South |
| 2 ♣ | ? |
Something to mull over during Easter, but not for long. The opponents open an Acol Game Forcing 2 and it is your turn. Only East-West are vulnerable and you are playing Pairs.
Have a Happy Easter whether you are at or away from the bridge table. We will be back on Tuesday.
Richard Solomon
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