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WELL, I NEVER…..

Could we really reach the semi- finals of the Bermuda Bowl? “In your dreams” would have been the answer for many years. Yet, when you have three pairs all playing top Bridge, dreams have a way of becoming reality. Watch.

Set 4

New Zealand started the day 10 imps behind one of the world’s top countries. After two boards, we were ahead. Cornell—Bach bid to the 5 which made despite a 4-0 trump break (J874) and an annoying 4-2 break in another key suit. Netherlands bid to 3NT where there were nine top tricks….once New Zealand had taken their five top spade tricks first..11 imps to New Zealand.

Then, a part-score went to Netherlands but we regained the lead thanks to an excellently played 3NT by GeO Tislevoll:

 

 

Sitting North, he received a low spade lead. He won to play K and a second diamond to the jack and East’s queen. Back came another low spade…and prospects looked grim with plenty of outside entries for East to cash their spades.

Yet, East did not enjoy it when GeO cashed three rounds of clubs, squeezing East in three suits. East let go his two lowest hearts, the best he could do as West had a kind of heart stopper…but GeO had now two tricks in each major, AK and three club tricks for +400 and 10 imps for New Zealand.

Unfortunately, on Board 29, Michael Ware got caught in 1x while Michael Cornell played 2 in the other room. Playing the same suit at each table is not usually a recipe for success….and Michael Ware went for -500 and his namesake one down….12 annoying imps to Netherlands who finished the set  5 imps better off than at the start and now led by 15 imps.

Set 5                                                                                                   

Netherlands doubled their lead in the first 6 boards of the set which included a pretty good 6 slam missed by Whibley-Brown. However, Ware-Tislevoll stayed wisely at the game level a few boards later. There were two inevitable losers and the slam bid at the other table failed…11 imps in.

Then 12 more came in with both Matt Brown and Michael Whibley doing extremely well at trick one on Board 13.

 

5 can be beaten on an esoteric low spade lead from West but otherwise is a fine contract. GeO Tislevoll (North) got to play 2 and made two overtricks on a club lead. +170 did not feel a very good result. Step up Michael Whibley and Matt Brown. They were defending 4 and had doubled it. If you double such a contract, you had better beat it! Only one suit will do that…and Michael Whibley found it, 2. Had Matt Brown won his ace and returned a spade, declarer could still get one ruff and an entry to dummy. Not though when Matt ducked the spade at trick one. Declarer could get two ruffs but would still have three losers in his own hand…along with at least one trump.

If declarer tried their diamond at trick 2, Michael could win and play a second spade for Matthew to take out both trumps from dummy. The end result was down 2, +500 and 12 imps to New Zealand.

Alas on the last board of the set, Michael Whibley could not make a difficult 5 contract which was made at the other table..and the 12 imps were returned. New Zealand had won the set by just one imp and now trailed by 14 imps. That progression would be fine if there were 15 more sets but alas, there was only one!

Set 6

15 imps is just two large swings… and they came and the match turned on Boards 23 and 24 half way through the set.

 The contract and lead were identical at both tables, 4 by West on a high diamond lead. I have no details but I presume Matt Brown won the diamond continuation and played A and a second spade. North was not the danger hand and Matt could take a losing club finesse,though the club finesse did not lose! He could afford losing a club to North. Thus, CA, club ruff, draw the remaining trump finishing in dummy and claim an overtrick.

At the other table  Michael Cornell (South) must have gained the lead early in the play to lead a heart as the defence took a trick in each suit to earn New Zealand 13 imps. 

 

Whibley-Brown looked for slam but pulled up short at 5. The Netherlands East-West went a level higher. As long as Ashley Bach did not lead a diamond, there were two unavoidable losers. He led a club and the slam duly went one down for 11 very very useful imps.

There was nothing too significant in the remaining boards…and New Zealand emerged with a surprisingly comfortable 18 imp win, 194-176. Dreams had become reality. Yet, why should they stop here?

Celebrations all round. New Zealand's finest international result ever. Let the music carry on....

In the other Open matches, France and USA 2 had relatively easy wins over China and Sweden though Bulgaria stunned USA 1 with a last set come-back to knock-out the Americans.

It’s France next….and we all know who came out on top in Poland last year. Keep watching….

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

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