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Peter Newell, Malcolm Mayer, Michael Ware and Martin Reid, Open Teams winners. 

ANZAC in Wellington.

ANZAC Weekend meant as usual four days of bridge at the Wellington Bridge Club, Swiss Pairs, Pairs and finally two days of Teams. These were the most successful players:

	Congress Swiss Pairs			56 pairs	vps
1	Anthony Ker		Kathy Ker		100.15
2	Max Morrison		Tony Quinlivan		95.69
3	Jan Alabaster		Graeme Tuffnell		95.53
	Congress Provincial Pairs				34 pairs %
1	Gary Chen		William Liu		178.66
2	Max Morrison		Tony Quinlivan		173.77
3	Fuxia Wen		Ian Berrington		169.50
	Congress Intermediate Pairs				22 pairs
1	Alan Jennings		Jeffry Craanen		123.64
2	Andrew Cushnie		Martyn Rew		122.95
3	Susan Brown		Denise Barnett		116.14
	Congress Junior Pairs				8 pairs
1	Paul Brinkman		Karen Hutchins		132.14
2	Robyn Ridgway		Ginny Williams		122.42
3	Deidre Evans		Sue Gray		107.34
	Congress Provincial Teams				26 teams				vps
1	Peter Newell		Martin Reid		Malcolm Mayer		Michael Ware		115.46
2	Johnny Davidson		Ashley Bach		Ramon Quennell		Leon Meier		93.78
3	Kate Davies		John Patterson		Colin Carryer		Sandra Calvert		92.83
	Congress Intermediate Teams				6 teams
1	Dennis McKinlay		Sandy Broadhurst		Lindy Thomson		Stephanie Smith		59.78
2	Pauline Edwards		Lee McDonald		Cheryl Scott		Andrew Hudson		55.80
3	Ann Verboeket		Rachel Patrick		Vicki Boffa		Eileen Queree		50.77

The Pairs round of the weekend came in the Junior Pairs with Paul Brinkman and Karen Hutchins amassing 73.81% in the second session.

        
        in the Swiss Pairs                                       part of the winning Intermediate Teams winners                                                                          

 

A great effort as Tony and Max were second in both the     Paul Brinkman and Karen Hutchins, Junior Pairs 
Swiss and Open Pairs.                                                         winners, by a large margin. 
(also in the pictures is Nan Weihipeihana, Wellington Club Vice President who presented the prizes....and who took some wonderful photos, as well as helping behind the scenes. Thanks, Nan.)

5 huge wins (the smallest being 16.03) for Newell in the Open Teams were interrupted by a small loss to Wen (Fuxia Wen – Ian Berrington, Gary Chen – William Liu).

A couple of questions for you. Firstly, would you bid as South here:

 

 

                                                             You are playing Teams. 

Then, what  now would your next bid as North be with the following?

 

1 showed 4+ clubs with 2 being a limit raise or better with clubs.

North was Malcolm Mayer and he had no more than “a limit raise” but when his partner showed a slam try with spade control (likely a void because of his own spade length), he rather liked his minor suit aces and second round heart control.

He bid 6 and Malcolm and Michael reached a good minor-suit slam on a remarkably low combined 21 hcp.

 

The slam needed either no diamond loser or if there was, one of two favourable club views (singleton king with West or singleton jack with East) though you would have to choose which one to play for. A good time to bid this slam with Michael making 13 tricks when there were good breaks in both minors.

They were the only pair to bid this slam. Indeed, of the 26 North-South pairs 12 failed either to bid game in a minor or exact an 800 penalty from 4x. Michael and Malcolm’s opposition only reached 5. A triumph for opening a natural 1, perhaps. 

Malcolm alone found the winning lead on this board, ably helped by his partner:

 

Would you as South overcall 2? It was certainly a good idea when the bidding proceeded as above. Michael Ware did overcall 2. Malcolm could see no future in leading a spade and tried 10 with the club lay-out being perfect for North-South. Malcolm and Michael were the only North-South pair to record a plus score. Whoever said doubleton leads were not a good idea!

Of the other 25 tables, at 18 of them, a spade was led by North against a heart contract, once even against 6. The other tables saw North-South gain a cheap sacrifice by playing in spades.

Richard Solomon

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