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Greetings from the Winterless North once again.

A lot has been happening here tournament wise and we have had some incredible results including the 5A Swiss Pairs tournament in Kerikeri held last weekend which was won by two Intermediate players.

Sue Hunt and Sue Skarupsky sat at table 1 for most of the day and at the end emerged as the winners by just over half a VP. Congratulations to both for a solid day’s Bridge. Here they are with the Sponsor for the Day, Sally Cottle, from Quail Ridge in Kerikeri and Bob Brown from the Kerikeri Club.

  Sue Hunt, Sally Cottle,Sue Skarupsky and Bob Brown.

In late July we had the Kerikeri New World 5A tournament which was won by Aucklanders Leslie and Russell Watt. This tournament is very generously sponsored by New World and the winners each receive $200: definitely a tournament worth travelling for.

 
  Russell and Leslie Watt

A Problem with the Over 90's

Kerikeri Bridge Club has long had a policy of allowing over 90 year olds free playing – no table money!  Lloyd Purdie has enjoyed a couple of years of free bridge playing, sometimes playing twice a week.  Another member, Ken Alderton, turned 90 a year or so ago and enjoyed the same privilege.  However, the Bridge Club’s finances have taken a dive over the last few months with three other members having had their 90^th birthdays.  None of these nonogenarians look anything like their age and they still achieve some good results at the bridge table.  At the tournament mentioned above Lloyd, playing with his wife Arlene (just a young mid 80’s) won both sessions and came 3^rd overall. 

Lloyd Purdie

Lloyd and Arlene started their bridge in Dargaville and Lloyd was the first President of Dargaville Bridge Club when it  was inaugurated in 1976.  They subsequently bought a furniture business introducing carpet and floorcoverings to Kerikeri and shifted there in 1981. Lloyd continued working on small jobs after he sold the business until he was 82. Lloyd was in Japan at the end of World War 2 in the occupation force. He spent a wonderful year in the Pipe Band! 

             Lloyd and Arlene Purdie.

He and Arlene have attended many a National Congress enjoying Rotorua as a venue from its inception there, and during  the last 4 years have enjoyed the Teams section at the Gold Coast .Lloyd likes to reminisce with the fact that in 1980 he was in the winning Open team from Dargaville for the Northland trophy, whilst in 1984 he was in the winning Intermediate team from Kerikeri.

Impaired hearing has spoilt the social side of his life, but he enjoys mainly good health at 92 years of age, and still loves the game, attending most sessions at Kerikeri and tournaments in surrounding areas.

      One Tournament: One Success

Paihia hosted an 8B Open and 5B Intermediate/Junior late August which was well attended and again produced some interesting results.

Junior winners were Dave Winslow and Chris Williams who were playing in their very first Tournament.  Intermediate winners were Neil and Margaret Hearn from Dargaville, and Open winners were myself and Neil Ruddell from Whangarei.

 
   Chris Williams, Roger Topliss (representing Paihia) and Dave Winslow, Junior winners at their first
  tournament.

   
    Roger Topliss with Margaret and Neil Hearn, Intermediate winners.

September 8th saw the Craigs Investment Pairs held in Whangarei. The winners of this were Paul Carson Wenmoth and Bill Humphrey.    

Very "False Preference"                   

There was an interesting hand on the day, one that I got myself into all sorts of trouble.

 

I sat West. I knew partner's 3 was a Weak Jump but could not stop myself from introducing my longest suit, even at the 4 level. Then, North's doubles started!

What a disaster. 5 light for -1400. At least it wasn’t Teams!
You would not be chastising yourself, Tania, had East produced 6 diamonds instead of 6 clubs! It is not very often one gives preference to partner with a void! Would North had continued passing had you passed 3? 3NT by North-South looks makeable. Alas, the vulnerability is wrong for East-West once the doubles start. 

Anyway that’s it from me for now. Hope to catch up with everyone at Congress.

             

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