All News

Loveblock New Zealand Wide Pairs.

A Franklin Win.

Lynne Geursen and Grant Jarvis of the Franklin Bridge Club took line honours in last Friday night’s Loveblock New Zealand Wide Pairs which was contested at 51 clubs throughout the country. Two further heats were run though one club played the wrong boards and another had technical issues which could not be overcome.

These were the prize-winners in the various categories. Each of the following players will receive a pack containing two bottles of Loveblock wine.

Overall					Club		Club	Across the
							Score	field score
							%	%
1	Lynne Geursen		Grant Jarvis		Franklin		73.84	73.50
2	Jeanne Wardill		Graeme Cheater		Waikanae		71.15	70.61
3	Vincelle Marvin		Frank Roach		Gisborne		65.42	69.11
4	Christine Wood		Sally Shaw		Whakatane		66.20	69.05
5	Anthea Black		Naciye Bagci		Levin		72.84	68.84
Restricted Open
1	Sue Whitten		Greg Whitten		Hastings		63.69	68.29
2	Dennis Norman		Stuart Tuffley		Oamaru		67.88	66.51
Intermediate
1	Brian McCandless		Jill McChlery		Te Anau		68.75	66.10
2	Robyn Hellier		Yvonne Braithwaite		Gore		69.50	65.47
Junior
1	Lysandra Zheng		Tim Pan		Howick		66.44	62.69
2	Heugh Kelly		Sue Nicholls		Warkworth		62.7	60.96
Novice
1	Anthony Julian		John Bouwman		Franklin		48.84	53.21
Nearest 50%
	Neil Burrell		Christine Holdaway		Picton		54.86	50.03

 

Jeanne Wardill and Graeme Cheater can consider themselves unlucky to post such a high score and still be beaten overall by nearly 3%.

Of the top 10 scores, there were 4 in both directions (though the top 2 were East-West) while the other two played in Howell movements. So, congratulations to the all- Intermediate pairing of Vincelle Marvin and Frank Roach who topped the North-South field. As was stated in the booklet, pairs can only win one prize: hence the “hand-downs” of some prizes.

Altogether, there were 856 pairs taking part in the 51 heats. The largest heats took place at Christchurch (19.5 tables), Waikanae (15), South Wairarapa/Masterton (14) Kairangi (13), Mt Albert, Royle Epsom and Wellington (12), Oamaru and Upper Hutt (11)  Feilding, Franklin, Howick/Papatoetoe, Nelson, Picton/Marlborough, Taradale, Te Awamutu/Waitomo and Winton (10 each).

Thanks to all clubs who ran heats, large and small, and to all those involved in their organisation. Also, thanks to the scoring team of Jan Spaans, Bob Fearn and Michael Neels who ensured that 49 of the 51 clubs had their scores recorded before midnight on the Friday evening. We anticipate that the event will raise around $14,000 for the New Zealand Bridge Foundation.

Among those I noticed taking part was 101 years young Arch Jelley who scored a very respectable 58.42% at Mt Albert.

One key factor in any round of Pairs is scoring as many overtricks as possible. Lynne Geursen and Grant Jarvis, who have played in this event at Franklin in all its 26 years, showed this on Board 3. They missed a very good small slam but Grant ensured they picked up an 80% board by making all 13 tricks as follows:

Grant (West) won the 3 lead in dummy and ruffed a club in his hand. Next came a diamond to the Q and a second club ruff with 10. A diamond to the ace was followed by a diamond ruff with J and then a heart to the ace and a second diamond ruff with K. He could now play his remaining small spade to dummy drawing   trumps with dummy’s AQ9 before enjoying the 13^th diamond at trick 13.

Basically, Grant completed a dummy reversal in ruffing 2 clubs and 2 diamonds in his hand and drawing trumps with dummy’s trumps. The timing of his entries to dummy would have been important had a trump been led at trick 1. Ruff the clubs first and do not cash A early, using that as one of his entries to dummy. The moral is that declarer should not even draw one round of trumps, though 13 tricks can still be made. 

 
A 73% round brings a smile 
to Grant's face. 

Making all 13 tricks was an 80% board which suggests many did not play this on a cross-ruff. Making 12 tricks was still worth 65% while just making 11 tricks was only a 40% board. Even though the small slam is a good one, you did not have to bid it to score well on the board. Making the overtricks was all important.

Richard Solomon

Go Back View All News Items