All News

Wrong but Right.

That’s the theme behind today’s hand from the first day of the Teams event at the Gold Coast Congress. Can you envisage you can indeed be wrong but ultimately be right? Today’s hand follows up yesterday’s theme as it features another Gambling 3NT opener:

 

3NT is a long- running solid minor suit with no outside ace or king, though in 3^rd seat, you are allowed to take the odd liberty. You run to 4, pass or correct to the diamond suit you know your partner has. How are you now feeling? It’s your bid or turn to pass. What’s it to be?

It does look as though your partner’s minor is diamonds since they would hardly be “solid” missing both Q or J if that was their suit. East-West seem strong and distributional. As well as the whole diamond suit, an apt choice of  phrase, you have honours which may produce one or two tricks. So, why is it wrong to sacrifice in 7 when you can beat 6?
Let’s return to that phrase above “the whole diamond suit” because you know that your partner is looking at seven diamonds but your partner does not know you are looking at six of them! No problem, you might think but look who is on lead to 6….and guess what they would lead?

 

They would do wonderfully well to lead their singleton spade. However, it would from North’s point of view, be much more sensible to “cash” their diamond winner first. As you can see, that allows the club loser in the East hand to disappear…and for the contract to make.

So, conceding 500 in 7, better than even the 650 or 680 that those who did not reach slam scored, was really worthwhile. It was a lot better than conceding -1430. In the 144 table Open event, 16 pairs sacrificed in 7 while a major suit small slam was bid and made 27 times.

 This game never ceases to surprise.

                               It's all smiles for Kiwis at the Gold Coast

       
Marsha Woodbury     Jan Cormack and Pamela Nisbet    Di and Hugh McAllister

There are a large number of teams taking part in the various three day Teams qualifying events:

Open                          144
Under 1500mp             42
Intermediate                 52
Restricted                     74
Novice                          24
           

For the Kiwis after Day 1 in the Open, Matt Brown leads the way in the 4^th placed Ziggy team while the following are also in the top 20:

14^th                 Paula Gregory, Michael Johnstone, Greg Buzzard, Harry Shepherd
18^th                 Matthew Thomson, Hugh McGann, Michael Ware, Brian Mace, Tom Jacob
20^th                 Ken Yule, Grant Jarvis, Pamela Nisbet, Jan Cormack

Under 1500
11^th                 Patricia Bloy, Naomi Hannah-Brown
12^th                 Julian Herbert, Jane O’Brien

Intermediate
4^th                   Margie Robbie, Brad Tattersfield, Jan and Jenni Borren

 

Restricted
8^th                   Viv Hurst, Jo Hampton, Caroline Caseley, Linda White
9^th                   Sue Skarupsky, Marilyn Kennedy, Anna Chappell, Sue Hunt
10^th                 Emma Russell, Bigi Cameron, Aaron Starr, David Scarborough

Four more matches on Day 2, Wednesday.

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items