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DAY 4 - ONE GREAT COMEBACK

This day featured one great Kiwi comeback, nearly 100 imps shared with the host Chinese and then a bit of a reality check from the table-topping Americans. Hang in for the ride!

Opponents	Imp Score	NZ VPs
Egypt	43-27	14.42
China	40-59	4.94
USA 1	19-68	0.62

 Round 12 v Egypt

New Zealand started badly against Egypt including a board which could have required the same guess in 3NT where Brad and Nik played as in 6 where the Egyptians played. With diamonds K6 opposite AJ9842, a heart lead which Brad received meant he had to take the diamond finesse to make 9 tricks. Unfortunately, the lead at the other table gave the declarer 12 easy tricks for 9 imps out.

Thus, at the half-way point in the match, Egypt led 26-0. Watch, though, for the comeback.

In just about every match, E/W bid on to 5 and played there, sometimes doubled for down 1 (that was the fate of Zachary and Vincent). The Egyptians decided to double Nik in 4. Nik may have wondered why as there were no bad breaks, no club ruff but 10 tricks for 10 very useful imps in.

Then, for a change, a game swing went our Bridge Jacks’ way as Zachary scrambled home in 3NT…12 more imps.

The last 4 boards featured 3 North-South slams, all bid by Brad and Nik. The first seemed routine but Egypt missed it. A 32 hcp 6NT requiring one out of two finesses was then bid and made at both tables but then came a cold 6 which Nik and Brad were the only pair in the Junior field of 22 teams to bid:

 

What a valuable club singleton and partial spade fit. Every one of the 21 hcp pulled its weight in what ended as a very comfortable 12 tricks. Well bid.

Thus, the final 7 boards had seen New Zealand win 43-1 to record a great come-back victory.

Round 13 v China

The following board featured 113 imps changing hands in the 11 matches. It is not often a pair concedes 1100 in a freely (well, kind of) bid game only to gain 12 imps. Such a fate befell Vincent and Zachary, East-West below:

 

A lot of the damage was done by a non-vulnerable 3 pre-empt from North. A Columbian pair ended -2800 in 4xx while at the 22 tables, there were2 x 800’s, 5 1100s and 2 1700s. Vincent and Zachary bowed out in 3NT, 4 down doubled for -1100 but the Chinese East-West seemed to have a “bidding argument” which ended finally at 5, about which Nik, South, had plenty to say! 6down doubled and 1700 would have made Vincent and Zachary quite relieved in the score-up. Great teammates.

Vincent and Zachary proving that -1100 need not be a bad score.

Thus, a high-scoring match with China just having the edge.

Round 14 v USA 1.

The match started with Nik picking up a hand all Rubber Bridge players dream of holding…and when Brad owned up to holding A and Q, they were in grand slam (7)…squaring the board.

 

 

Is Brad reflecting and thinking "I wish had a hand like yours, partner!"

Unfortunately, the rest of the match was a struggle. This typified what happened:

 

The American South’s either inability or decision not to open the South hand with a weak 2 in hearts soon paid big dividends. After his partner opened 1, Zachary overcalled a fairly standard (though with a poorish suit) 1 and the reopening double from North was not great news when South passed it. 5 lead went to North’s K then A (South discarding a diamond). Two top spades and diamonds, two ruffs and A saw Zachary down very quickly. He lost two further trumps to be 3 down -800. That he was not the only East to suffer this fate was small comfort. Meanwhile, Brad toiled away in 3NT and was two down with 14 imps going to USA 1.

New Zealand start Day 5 back in 21^st place just below Canada with 19^th probably as high as they can realistically hope to finish. They will be giving their all when the day starts with a match against 8^th placed Australia, live on BBO at 2.00pm New Zealand time.

Richard Solomon

 

 

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