Intermediate Tournament in Matamata

We had a quality field turn up in Matamata on Sunday from as far North as Auckland and South to New Plymouth.

Winners with a great afternoon session and a pretty decent morning one as well were Waikato pair John Little and Graham Saunders

Intermediate winners

Second place went to Rochelle van Heuven and Tim Rigter of Te Aroha.

Intermediate runners up

Intermediate: The top pairs from the Morning session square off against each other at the start of session 2. Te Aroha's Rochelle van Heuven and Tim Rigter vs Cambridge's Vicky Jacobsen and Jenny Oxley.

The hand of the day came courtesy of Board 11 in session 2...

Dealer south none vulnerable.

	AJ Q763 Q2 KQJ65
K643 AKJT9742 A		Q9875 85 764 964
	T2 AKJT942 8743

With shape and favourable vulnerability for both sides, many in the field were pushed into slam. While 6 by South shouldn't make according to the makeables - this would only have been with a spade lead - but this would have been an unusual lead from West who was sitting there with a shed load of diamonds and singleton A of Clubs.

Most south's would open a preemptive 3 or even 4. We suspect that nobody looked for the E-W spade fit with West eventually overcalling 5. North with 15 points and looking an 11 card fit in hearts easily calls 5. West, understandably has fallen in love with their hand and calls onto slam much to the dismay of East with their 2 mere points. The lucky ones get doubled by North and make their contract. The unlucky ones get outgunned by North bidding 6 and the really unlucky ones then go and double North-South who then make their slam!