Christchurch teams dominate national trials

Press, 24 April 1979, Page 17

Christchurch teams dominate national trials

The Easter trials for the New Zealand open team resulted in a comfortable win for the Christchurch four of R. P. Kerr. F. P. S. Lu. J. R. Wignail and K. G. Wooles. With 20 victorypoints at stake in each match, they went into their last game holding a 23point lead over their nearest rivals, so already had the event won. The first three have all played for New Zealand many times in the past, but for Wooles. one of the most promising of the younger players, it will be

his first experience of international bridge. The team, augmented by a third pair. P. H. Marston (Christchurch) and G. M. Sims (Auckland), who could well have been the best partnership over the Easter week-end, will tour four Australian States in May and also play a long match against Australia in Sydney.

Simultaneously with the open trials, the preliminary trials were held to aid the selectors in choosing a women’s team for the Far East Bridge Federation championships in Tokyo in November. At the conclusion of the 14-pair round-robin, four partnerships were invited to take part in the final trial in September. These were Mrs J. Cormack and Mrs L. Rotherham (Auckland) who scored 170 out of a possible

260 victory points; Mrs 8. Heard and Mrs L. Ward (Auckland) 144; Mrs D. Gravis and Mrs H. Goldstone (Wellington) 138; and Mrs V. Bell and Mrs N. Mather (Christchurch) 136. it is fair to say there was general sympathy for iwo pairs who were not invited, Miss S. Duncan (Wellington) and Mrs M. Quayle (Hastings) who

finished on 140 victory points, and Mrs J. Kinsella and Mrs Thomson on 136. Of the many hands played over the four days one of the most instructive was- this, dealt by South with neither side vulnerable. N. A 10832 V J 9 ♦ A Q 6 3 A A KJ W. E. A KJ96 A 54 V KQB6S ¥AIO 43 2 ♦ .15 ♦ 109 8 7 A 9 3 A 10 8 S AA Q 7 V 7 ♦ K 42 A Q 7 6 5 4 2 The bidding at one table was typical of the style of bridge over the week-end. rather conventional and very cut-throat: S. W. N. E. !♦ IV Dble 3 V 4A No 5A All Pass ; Since an opening bid of I one club would have shown a minimum of 16 high-card points, South was forced Lo fall back upon the omnibus Precision Club opening bid of one diamond, promising no particular holding in that suit. When West overcalled one heart, North made a negative double, inviting his partner to clarify his hand and promising a holding of four poorish spades (with a good spade suit he would have called it naturally). East made a daring raise to three hearts aiming to disrupt his opponents’ auction as much as possible but the dealer, never one to be I shut out, ventured four

clubs. North, feeling hr had something in reserve raised to five.

The. opening lead of the king of hearts held the first trick but South ruffed the continuation and drew trumps with the ace and king. Then he played off the ace, king and queen of diamonds, noting that his left-hand opponent showed out.

The contract now appeared to hinge on finding the king of spades in the East hand but the declarer spotted an additional chance.

Having eliminated clubs and diamonds from the West hand, he led the 10 of spades from dummy and when East produced the four, South put on his seven, allowing West to win the trick cheaply with the jack but leaving him with an impossible, choice of continuations.

A heart lead at this stage ■would enable the declarer to ruff on the table as he discarded his losing queen of spades. West therefore continued with a low spade and South still made two tricks in the suit.

The end play was foolproof for had East held the spade jack and covered the 10, South would have played his queen, allowing West to win the trick with the king.

Now, however, the latter would have had to lead away from the vital nine of spades, allowing South again to win two tricks in the suit.

As with many instances of imaginative declarer nlav, the defenders had lost their opportunity early in the piece. North’s opening lead of the king of hearts was correct but East should overtake with his ace to lead a spade through South’s strong holding. When the declarer plays low West will win but will have plenty of exit cards in clubs or diamonds and the end play will no longer work.

The results on the NorthSouth cards were somehow typical of the week-end’s bridge — like the curate’s egg. good only in parts. Three declarers made final contracts of five clubs, one went a quiet two-down in five diamonds, and two reached the hopeless spot o: four spades — down no fewer than four tricks.