Christchurch pairs dominate Timaru open

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 21

Christchurch pairs dominate Timaru open

Players from Canterbury and Otago made up the bulk of this year’s entry for the Timaru Open Pairs,'

but the major prizes went to Christchurch. The winners were Mrs J. F. Thomas and J. D. Thomson whose success as regular patrons of local tournaments was deservedly popular. The runners up were two of this year’s trialists for the national women’s team, Mrs D. A. Brophy and Mrs J. Evitt. Third place was taken by M. Kun, who was thus the top Timaruvian, playing with J. Vryenhoek. The winners scored well on this hand dealt by North : 4 KQJ4 V 3 4 AQ9 4 A K J 7 5 W. E. 4972 4 63 V 9 6 V 10 4 2 4 .17 53 ♦ 10 4 2 4 Q 843 4 96 S. 4 A 10 8 5 V .185 2 ♦ KB6 4 10 2 After a crash-bang sequence the auction was soon over: W N. E. S. 14 2V 24 No 64 Al! pass Over the natural opening bid of one club. East’s jump overall of two hearts was a bit of a nuisance but it did not deter Mrs Thomas from showing hetspade suit.

This was enough (or Thomson to find an immediate raise to six spades, confident that his partner must hold at least an ace and a king to justify her bid. Against six spades, West led a heart to his partner’s queen and the suit was continual, forcing dummy to ruff. The king and queen

of spades were cashed and when both opponents followed suit, the way home was clear. The declarer made the ace and king of clubs then ruffed a club with the 10 of spades. Re-entering dummy via the queen of diamonds, another club was led and trumped with the ace of spades. When the queen of clubs fell, the jack was established. All that remained was to cross to dummy’s ace of diamonds, draw the last, trump with the jack of spades, and claim the last two tricks with the jack of clubs and king of diamonds. Al) in all it was a nicely played example of a dummy reversal.

When one is playing well all decisions seem to be right, and what is more the luck, too, comes one’s way.

South dealt, this hand, with neither side vulnerable: N. 4 QJ V A 10 9 ♦ A 96 2 4 Q 9 8 4 W. E. 4 l< 8 6 4 1054 2 9 K 65 * A K Q 10 7 4 ♦ KQJIO4 4 87 5 3 4A3 4 J 2 S 4 A 9 7 3 V QJ32 4 ■ 4 K 107 6 5 Many a North-South pair elected to play m three notrumps, doomed to fail after a diamond opening lead. North’s ace was forced out, and when the declarer tried to develop some tricks in clubs West took his ace. Four more rounds of diamonds then put the contract one down. When the winners held the North-South cards, the auction was: S. W. N. E. 14 Dble Redble No No 14 TNT No 44 No 54 All Pass It was a good decision to remove three no-trumps to four clubs, after which the partnership was always heading for an excellent result.

Against the final contract of five clubs, West led the king of diamonds. Mrs Thomas ruffed in hand in .order to gain a quick entry to lead a club towards dummy through the stronger of the opposing hands. Dummy’s queen of clubs won the second trick, and

a second round was Jed to the jack, king and ace. South ruffed the continuation of a diamond and led a heart, putting in North’s nine when West played low. Returning to hand with a third diamond ruff, she led another heart to dummy’s 10. The ace then dropped the king of hearts, so the declarer came to her hand with the ace of spades and cashed the established queen of hearts. On this North’s queen of spades was discarded, leaving the rest of the dummy high. Five clubs made with an .overtrick was a distinct improvement on the popular three no-trumps, one down.

Results in local tournaments these days are strongly influenced by the younger generation of bridge players who naturally have a more agressive and competitive outlook to the game. It is nice therefore to see that the older generation can still hold its own. At the recent Marlborough Open Tournament in Blenheim for example, ihe third session was won by two octogenarians, Mrs Z. Anderson and Mrs D. Scott, striking a blow for tradition and experience.

CONTRACT BRIDGE

By

J.R. Wignall