Blogs

Attached the latest newsletter from the Waikato Bays region.

Jane Stearns is offering the "Nesting Pairs" course at the Putaruru Bridge Club to all partnerships in the Waikato area that are interested as well as Rotorua and Taupo. Full details of the course content and registration details are available on the South Waikato website

http://www.south-waikato.bridge-club.org/

If interested, please let Jane know by Friday 17 April janelawrence50@hotmail.com

Jane will be running her Bridge-It Jane's Nesting Pairs Course at the Putaruru Club from April to July. A fortnightly, one-hour seminar, one-hour practice series of seven is designed to promote partnership understanding and tournament success.

Partnerships need to register their interest by FRIDAY 17 APRIL. The course is aimed at intermediates wishing to raise their game. Very keen juniors may enjoy Seminars 1, 2, 3 and 5 and 6. Open players that have not covered the topics on offer are welcome to register.

The Edie Schwarz Jug competition played over seven rounds has been completed. This competition is an individual scratch competition with six out of seven scores counting. It is one of the main Wednesday Bridge contests and the saying goes that “cream comes to the top.”

It certainly was the case in this competition. Sonia Crawford was the winner without even having to play the final round with all six of her scores counting. She was able to withstand a spirited challenge from Ann Ring and win by 1.1 point.

Best six scores were-
1. Sonia Crawford 367.00 av. 61.47
2.Ann Ring 365.99 av. 61.00
3.Anne Beetham 355.58 av. 59.26

Edie Schwarz: Edie Schwarz

It is fitting that one of the Matamata Bridge Club’s most revered past members is remembered with a keenly contested trophy. Edie played at the club for many many years and a number of the present bridge players were taught the game by Edie Schwarz.

The 2015 Lessons kick off next week - Tuesday 14th April at 7pm at the Matamata clubrooms.

For those who have learnt in the last couple of years, revisiting lessons is a great way to bed in your knowledge.

Or if you know of anybody that would like to learn - get in touch with the tutor Judith Howard or email the bridge club at matamatabridge@gmail.com

Monday night at Matamata saw the room facing some interesting/exciting boards. In total there was something like a staggering 12 slams available over the course of the night ... one board in particular was very unusual Board 2:

board 2

Interesting in that there was a slam available in both directions ... The discussion on facebook from people in other clubs who had played the same boards centred around whether those playing in the spades contract would have been likely to play for the drop in spades (hoping that the spades were distributed 1 each in defence) or whether to lead up to the 10D in your hand and finesse the k??

What would you have done? Playing in 7Sx against Sonia and Rita - I went for the drop in spades which meant I went two light. Unlike Joanne and Jim who obviously finessed for a top board of the night which was 6s making 7. Unfortunately my efforts brought a bottom board to me and my poor partner Heather.

Incidentally - for those with a mathematical bent - David Skipper (Christchurch Open player) advises "The drop has a 52% chance of success and the finesse has a 48% chance". Therefore those who used statistical analysis in the likely outcome would have gone for the drop going one light . . .that made me feel a bit better:)

Following on the success of Raewyn Richards and Barbara Keys who came second at the first regional Junior Tournament of the year a couple of weeks ago in Cambridge ... We had several Matamata pairings competing in the Te Awamutu Restricted tournament over the weekend.

Michelle Liddle and Beth Vosper had a great morning with a second place in the morning and 6th place overall - just ahead of Rita Van Den Einden and Judith Howard who picked up the pace in their second session to win a session prize and come 7th overall. A great result especially for Michelle who has only learnt Bridge in the past year.

Want to learn rubber bridge? Now is your chance to learn locally...

Christine & Jenna Gibbons (past winners of the National Rubber Bridge competition) are guest speakers before the first round of the regional Dan Gifford Rubber competition.

Where: Matamata Bridge Club
When: Sunday 12th April
Time: seminar starts at 10am, first round starts at 11am or immediately after lunch.
Cost: Free with lunch provided

You can come to the seminar and not take part in the competition or vice versa... although it would be well worth putting your learning into practice.

Entries close on 5th April. To enter the competition, please enter your partnership with Karen Martelletti (kiwiitie@gmail.com or text 027 496 5547). When you enter, please indicate the following:

1. If you are attending the seminar at 10am
2. If you want to play your first round in Matamata

Cambridge Bridge Club is offering an innovative seminar for OPEN players wanting to develop their game. It is innovative because they are limiting it to six tables / 24 players and it is being targeted at open players still wanting to develop their game, for whom they believe there are fewer learning opportunities available in smaller clubs that mainly comprise junior and intermediate players. Cambridge are asking that players enter as a partnership so that learning can be put into practice afterwards.

After first offering entries to Cambridge Club members, they are now opening places up to other provincial Waikato Clubs (ie Matamata and Te Aroha). If you are interested you should get in quick because Cambridge will then open the seminar up to other larger Hamilton clubs who will no doubt hoover up all the remaining places!

Details about what Richard Solomon (NZ Bridge Development Manager, NZ Open Team member and Gold grandmaster) will be teaching can be found on the Cambridge club bridge website http://www.cambridge.bridge-club.org/node/926 and to enter click on the Events/Entries tab, then Club Calendar.

Cost is $20 per person. For more information you can contact Clare Coles at the Cambridge club on pccoles@clear.net.nz

The commentary is now up under the WAP 2015 tab.

Another good turnout in Cambridge of 17 tables for good bridge and a farewell to Ed Roggeveen who will be departing our shores for an overseas jaunt.

Overall winners today were Ian and Cynthia Clayton with Matamata pairs: Lynette Morgan and Ian Bond and Lesley Quilty and Sonia Crawford coming second and third respectively.

Tim Rigter and George Sherrell had a great morning session and ended the day as top non-open pair.

The team of Michael Courtney, Rose Don, Anisia Shami and Owen Camp won the North Island Teams at Tauranga over the weekend of March 14th-15th. Michael, from Sydney, recently won a place in the Australian Open team and has been to a number of New Zealand tournaments in recent years. Rose is from Hamilton and has in the past represented New Zealand in Women’s events. Anisia and Owen are from Auckland. This certainly is their biggest achievement so far at the bridge table.

This team won the six round qualifying Swiss and won all three matches in the final to win by 7.06vps ahead of the two teams vying for places in the New Zealand Open Team. Indeed, they won 8 of the 9 matches they played. We will in a future report show some hands from the winners.

In the meantime, here are two hands from the final stages which demonstrate that opening light with both majors is often a winning tactic. The first one also shows that a hand with 19 high card points cannot always defeat a 5 level contract. Indeed, anyone who thought they could would find they conceded a doubled overtrick! Dealer North, Nil Vul.

	T83 QT 875 87652
542 AJ74 AJ9643		AKQ97 98652 T T3
	J6 K3 KQ2 AKQJ94

South	West	North	East
-	-	Pass	1
X	2	Pass	2
3	4	5	Pass
Pass	5

In theory, Owen and Anisia did well to push their opponents to the 5 level though despite having only 19 high card points, 12 tricks East-West were easy. While on a non A lead, 5 doubled goes four light, it was not obvious for East-West to defend at the 5 level. Only three of the eight tables played in a major game by East-West, most of the rest playing in a low level minor contract, indicating that the bidding did not go anything like the above.
The opening bid on the second hand should have been made on a 10 count though the opening side were to have an ugly decision to make later in the bidding (Dealer South and EW Vulnerable):

	QJ83 A985 3 KQ52
754 KJ76 KJ987 7		KT AQT6542 JT94
	A962 QT432 A863

7 of the 8 auctions reached the 5 level though five of them ground to a halt at 5doubled by East after an auction like:

South	West	North	East
1	Pass	2NT	3
4	5	X

2NT = game force, heart agreement

Should South stand the double? If they do, they had better make an inspired lead. A heart (declarer inserts the jack from dummy) or any spade or A just will not do…-750. Three tried a heart and one the A. The fifth lead is rather mysteriously described as K though the declarer was East! So, maybe South did find a miracle low lead.

Respecting one’s vulnerable opponents might have decent hands would have been a good idea but alas the one table in 5 failed to make the 11 tricks while the pair in 6, and doubled for their trouble, conceded 500. As you can see, not all those at the top get such distributional deals right. However, it does seem a good idea for South to get the ball rolling first in hand.

Did you see the best contract North – South? There is one making slam…6played by North. The club loser disappears on the fifth heart. Bidding and making that would give any bridge player a real buzz!