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Here we are again, and apologies for producing this a little late. I can only blame, well, myself.

The tournament season is now in full swing, so quite a few results for you. First name for this month is definitely Susan. Back in February, David O'Shaughnessy dragged new father Chris Wilson out of semi-retirement to win the Orewa 8B. The Howick 8B Swiss Pairs produced a rare rhyming pair of winners in James Yang and John Wang, and Auckland's Thursday Corbans Salver was an alliterative triumph for Amelia Herbert and Anisia Shami.

Over the bridge to East Coast Bays, where Val Gardiner dragged GeO Tislevoll to victory in the Open 3A, with Sue Belin and Sandra Large taking out the 5B. The Auckland Easter Tournament became the Susan Humphries and Michael Whibley show: the two paired up to win the Open Pairs, and then played with their respective international partners Steph Jacob and Matthew Brown to win the Open Teams (my instinctively gentlemanly nature prevents me from querying Steph's qualification to play in a team named "The Young Ones"). More about Susan H shortly.

 

Susan Humphries with Liam Milne...westward bound....see below

Yet another Susan, Burslem this time, won the 8B Pairs with Robyn Chalmers, and the old firm of Andrew Tarbutt and Steve Boughey took the Monday 3A Pairs. Into April, and it is pleasing to see the Junior only tournaments becoming well established at Howick, with Margaret Thurston and Deirdre Johnston making their mark. Finally, Hibiscus Coast was the scene for a triumph for mother and daughter Carol Richardson and Andi Boughey in the Open.

And now couple of hands for you to smile or wince over according to taste. First, a hand that I held at the Auckland Easter Teams.

 

My esteemed partner in the North seat, ex-Professor Chris Ackerley, became declarer in the relatively routine contract of 3NT, and Mike Cornell as East made the relatively routine lead of a small heart. As I tabled my splendid collection, Mike drily remarked "That's a 4 king good dummy".

Second, a twin tale of woe from a teams match at Akarana a couple of weeks ago - the full hand this time. As one of the protagonists was my alter ego Biritch the Russian Blue, the story needs repeating.

 

 

At both tables, East opened 1, and South bid 2 showing a good hand with  and a minor suit. Many uncomplimentary things might be said of Biritch, who was in the West seat, but shyness is not one of them, and so he duly bid 4. This came round again to South, who had forgotten that he (yes, it was a "he")  had already shown a good hand with  and a minor suit, and tried 5. This was not scheduled to be a great success, and East ventured a double. 13 tricks later, this had conceded 2000 for the -7 doubled and vulnerable; Biritch groomed his whiskers and purred gently in that irritating way of his. Come the score up: "Board 18?" asks Biritch - "Minus 2000" say team mates - "Flat Board" says Biritch, and stops purring. Probably one of the less common ways of scoring a flat board.

Beginners lessons are well under way at many clubs in the region, and the Auckland Club is recording a weekly attendance of about 10 tables. Students seem to be enjoying themselves, judging by this picture, and I know that the tutor most certainly is. Long may it continue.

And on a slightly happy/sad note, we bid a sort of farewell to Susan Humphries, who is off to Australia to start her new life with partner Liam Milne. As Richard Solomon has said elsewhere, Susan has given a huge amount of time and energy to bridge in New Zealand, both in her individual career as an international and especially in her contributions to the development of youth bridge. We shall not let Susan depart so easily, and indeed she will be playing with regular partner Steph Jacob for the NZ Womens' Team in Poland later this year. Best wishes to Susan and Liam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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