It Was Never Going To Be Easy

Confidence in our Open Team would have been “sky high” after the defeat of France. The next hurdle, Spain, had just won over USA in the Phase of 16. So, while Spain is not a country right at the top of the bridge ladder, they were not going to be easybeats.

The first of the 6 x 16 board stanzas did not go too well for New Zealand. The main problem was in 2 3NT contracts, one in each direction, made by Spain but not by New Zealand. To rub it in, both games were vulnerable. That was 25 imps to Spain. New Zealand got 7 back on the following deal though trailed 20-41 after 16 boards.

 

 

The importance of going down by as few tricks as possible was demonstrated here. It looks like Michael Whibley (East) either opened or overcalled 1NT after which his partner transferred him to spades. 2 is an ugly contract made worse by adverse vulnerability. The lead recorded was 4 (we tell our beginners not to underlead aces!) . It looks like an awful lead for Michael but somehow he managed 7 tricks for one down.

Meanwhile, Michael Cornell (North) reached 3NT on a combined 22 hcp. He received the 9 lead from East and with West unable to get on lead was able to come to 9 tricks for +400. Again the vulnerability did not favour New Zealand but at least it was 7 imps in.

The second set went better with New Zealand winning it 34-20 reducing the Spanish lead to 7 imps. The first four boards of the set produced 28 imps to New Zealand without reply. Board 18 produced the most:

 

It looks from some of the boards that the Spanish players like to bid but this time they bid too much. Whibley-Brown may have bid to 3 which looks certain to make on the N/S cards . Perhaps West opened 3 in 3^rd seat and was raised by his partner to the 4 level. Either North doubled for take-out or South for penalties. The end result was 4 x by West. Michael Whibley (North) made the standard and perfect for the defence in such cases lead of his trump. The defence were then able to take 3 diamond tricks, K and one in each major for +500.

Meanwhile Cornell- Bach got to defend South’s 1NT contract in the other room. Ashley (West) led his long suit. South can come to 7 tricks by virtue of a very lucky heart position but it looks like declarer tried the spade finesse when he won the lead and when that lost went one down for 12 imps to New Zealand.

Unfortunately, a game swing later in the set went Spain’s way but New Zealand were fighting hard.

Nothing, though, went right for New Zealand in the final set of the day which Spain won 43-6. On Board 6,the Spanish East-West were one of only two out of 8 in the Open event to bid to 4 and while the Dutch pair went down, the Spanish player made an overtrick!

 

 

Michael Ware (South) led the 2 against 4. With 2 spades and a diamond to lose, it looks like all depends on the play in the heart suit. Whatever the order of the cards played, it looks like East made an extremely good guess (maybe fearing a ruff?) and would have been delighted by the fall of the king. At that point, the overtrick was salt in the wounds. Michael Whibley played in 3 and made nine tricks.

Let’s hope for a better day tomorrow. Three sets still to go and still very much to play for. In the other quarter-finals, Monaco and Netherlands lead Canada and England while Poland and Sweden are all square.  

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

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