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.
| 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):
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!
