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Edging there slowly.

That can be one way of describing the New Zealand Open Team’s attempt to reach the top 8 knock-out stage in the current World Championships. Three narrow wins have seen them remain 7^th throughout the 7^th day of the round-robin qualifying. Tough going but they are still there:

New Zealand Results
Open			imps		vps		position
Italy			33-31		10.61		7
Hong Kong China			41-38		10.91		7
Ireland			55-49		11.76		7
Women
China			24-54		3.27		15
Denmark			26-50		4.26		15
Egypt			57-51		11.76		15
Mixed
Canada			19-45		3.91		19
China			18-52		2.69		20
Belgium			22-59		2.28		20

 

The following board was hugely significant in the victory over Italy.

 

2 was natural and game-forcing with 4 initiating cue-bidding. After showing his heart control, Ashley could do no more than sign-off in game but Michael was strong enough to raise to slam.

Q was a great “filler card” and Ashley had no trouble in making 12 tricks. The slam was bid and made at 16 of the 24 tables in the Open competition but not so at the other table in New Zealand’s match:

 

Somewhat conservatively, the Italian South could find no opening bid and then rather paid the price. Holding a 5-card spade suit on the side did not stop Matt Brown from opening a Weak 2 in hearts at favourable vulnerability. North had an easy take-out double and South a seemingly easy pass.

At two other tables, West made 5 and 6 tricks in 3x. Matt did better coming to 7 in his one-level lower contract. -100 sat very nicely with +1370 from the other table…+15 imps.

Matt was busy in the slam zone against Ireland. Firstly, he made a better guess of the location of a missing ace in 6 than his opponent (+14 IMPS) and then was faced with this in 6NT a few deals later:

Matt received the 6 lead. At the other table, the same contract was played by North with 3 lead.

With 7 red suit tricks, one either needs 4 spade tricks to go with the A or else 3 spade tricks and a successful club finesse.

Either way, on a major suit lead, it would seem one could cash the top three spades and when the news was good, then give up a spade to come to 12 tricks. That did not happen at the other table and New Zealand gained 17 imps. It is much harder on a club lead from East!

Imps flowed in and out though leaving New Zealand narrow victors for the third time on this day.

With 2 matches remaining, there is just 2.43 vps breathing space above 9^th placed  India. The Kiwi's final two matches are against Canada (16^th) and Netherlands (11^th).

There was not too much good news from our other two teams. On the last day,the Women face lowly Barbados and South Africa while the Mixed Team face tougher opposition in Italy and Argentina.

Richard Solomon

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