Congress and Tournament and one Local Success.

As we’re coming to the close of another year, it’s a good time to look back and reflect on how well it has gone. But before I rip into lauding achievements, a simple play problem for you to ponder:

 

Play 7 from North on the 6 lead, West contributing the J on the first round.

Now onto the prize list – a bit longer than usual due to some “minor” get-together in Hamilton. Otago/Southland experienced a lot of good success this year at Congress, with people placing well throughout the week (O/S players in bold):

1^st Youth Teams:             Ella Pattison – Cesca McGrath, Bradley Johnston – Jamie Thompson

1^st Rubber Bridge:         Moss Wylie – Bruce Batchelor

1^st NZ Pairs Plate:         Graeme Stout – Jeff Miller

2^nd NZ Pairs plate:        Kate Davies – Anne Somerville

Congratulations also to Murat Genç – John Patterson, Russell Dive – Moss Wylie and Glenn Coutts – Sam Coutts who made the NZ Pairs Final.

                                                                                                                    

Sam Coutts looks happy with life in the NZ                                              Jeff Miller and Graeme Stout who performed very well

Pairs final. It is the kibbitzer, Brad Johnston,                                           in the qualifying Swiss of the New Zealand Teams.

who looks worried!

On to the NZ Teams, I think by now everyone knows about James Coutts’ team's [Liam Milne – Tony Nunn, Michael Courtney – Rosie Don, Nick Jacob – James Coutts] spectacular run, averaging nearly 17 VPs a match in the qualifying and comfortably winning the Finals. The only other team with Otago/Southland members to make it out of the qualifying was probably the youngest team in the event: Sam Coutts – Glenn Coutts – Sam Bailey – Vicki Bouton – Bradley Johnston, who reached the Quarter Finals.

Graeme Stout and Jeff Miller can also be happy with their 2^nd place for the datum prize, with a steady 1.47 IMPs a board average.

The Point-a-Board Teams was taken out by Anne Somerville – Kate Davies, John Patterson – Murat Genç, a full 2 points ahead of Ker. Phillip Hensman – Frances Sheehy, Ernie Sutton – Anne McGregor finished third in the NZ Seniors Teams, and Anne Somerville continued her fantastic Congress by placing second in the Open Swiss Pairs with Kate Davies.

Congress Point A Board winners,(from left) Anne Somerville,Murat Genc, Kate Davies, NZ Bridge Board Member Allan Morris, presenting the prizes and John Patterson.

Babich Successes

Another place where Otago/Southland can hold their head high was the Babich New Zealand Wide Pairs. Taieri’s 17 tables was one of the highest table counts for the event, with players coming from as far as Balclutha to support the heat. James Coutts – Ellena Moskovsky couldn’t quite replicate their success of 2^nd from two years ago when they only placed 15^th, but that was still the highest placing pair from Otago/Southland. Well done also to Anne Cosgrove – Marilyn Jackson who placed 17^th from the Winton heat.

Local Tournaments should also be celebrated:

Otago/Southland Congress Pairs: Open 1^st Greg Buzzard – Bruce Batchelor

                                                                2^nd Ernie Sutton – Phillip Hensman;

Intermediate                                            1^st Jenny Pryde – Marion Furneaux 2^nd Sue Wilson – Sue Dwyer

Winton Open Pairs:                                 1^st Carol Scott – Sue Scott 2^nd Ross Sherwood – Keri Sherwood

Balclutha Open Pairs:                             1^st Sam Bailey – Sam Coutts 2^nd Donna Ruwhiu – Kristen Collins

Wanaka Intermediate Pairs:                    1^st Sheryl Strudwick – Barbara Waterworth

                                                               2^nd Ken Roberts – Georgie Roberts

Central Otago Pairs:                               1^st Tony Winters – Paul Tomlinson

Central Otago Teams:                             1^st Ernie Sutton – Anne McGregor, Bradley Johnston – Lindsay Glover

[Apologies runners-up from Central – the listed results seem  not be whole and complete, I wouldn’t want to misstate who placed where]

After looking at both national and local tournaments, it seems only fair to finish with a piece of success from the Otago Bridge Club. If you don’t recognise the hand above, that’s because you weren’t playing recently in the Open Division.

Hopefully you've had a chance to think about how you would play the hand from the start of the article. When you did, you may have decided to cross to dummy and take a trump finesse, playing West for QJx (and East to have led from a singleton).

 

Sadly that doesn’t work on this hand, as Otago’s Stewart Kerr had found the spectacular under-lead of the trump queen as the only way to give declarer a losing option on this hand. Sometimes it takes a bit of flair and some courage to make a lead like that, particularly given that they can so often blow up spectacularly! That was not the case here though, and  Stewart was duly rewarded with what would be a top board even in the Babich.

North would probably endorse the well-used saying of Board 13 being "unlucky for some". What a great opening lead, though, Stewart, deserving the success it achieved.

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