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the late Dougal McLean.

And do not play the same contract as your teammates!

As was stated yesterday, it was Wellington who came up as the top region in last weekend’s Interprovincial Championships at the Auckland Bridge Club. Whereas in 2017 when they also won the Dougal McLean Trophy but failed to win any of the four categories, this time, their Open and Intermediate teams had most emphatic wins.

The Open team of Nigel Kearney- Karl Hayes and Alan Grant- Anthony Ker, which recorded a 12-0-win rate and averaged 13.85, finished over 44vps ahead of second placed Canterbury. For the Intermediates, Simon Louisson- Turei Haronga, Margaret and Graeme Dick actually lost three matches but averaged 14.17vps per match and finished 25.17vps ahead, again of Canterbury.

We featured a grand-slam from Day 1 where it took Sam and James Coutts just 4 bids to reach 7NT. They do it a little more scientifically in the Intermediate event as Margaret and Graeme Dick demonstrated:

 

2 was a negative or waiting. 2 was natural but not always hearts and forced the 2 response. 3 (known as the “Grue Shift”) confirmed a single-suited heart hand with 3 confirming heart support and slam interest.

4 was a “flow cue” showing the A or K and A or K but denying both  A or K. 4 was a version of Key card where with hearts as trumps, 4 asks, thus giving more room for the replies. 4NT followed by 6 showed 3 key cards and the Q… and thus the grand was reached. Well bid..and obviously a lot of practice to put the above series of bids into action successfully.

They were the only Intermediate pair to reach grand slam.

   Simon Louisson, Turei Haronga, Margaret and Graeme Dick

“Broken Hearted”

The Wellington Open team knew to steer clear of the heart suit in their round 2 match against Central Districts. Unfortunately for their opponents, they headed for the same contract at both tables!

 

 

The problem for Central Districts was that West’s double showed both majors. East gave preference and when West tried to make it harder for the opposition with their pushy 2 bid, Anthony Ker, South gave up any thoughts of wanting to play any contract, let alone hearts. DealMaster Pro has 2 by East-West making but in reality, this contract drifted down 1..+50 to Wellington.

Meanwhile, Matthew Bristow also opened a strong club as South…but he got to the wheel when he rather wished he had not!

West              North             East                South

                                                                        1

1                    Pass                Pass               2

All Pass

2started badly for Matthew as West led two high spades followed by a spade ruff…and what with West’s three trump tricks, the contract drifted down three for 8 very useful imps to Wellington who had defended 2 at both tables!

  The all conquering Wellington Open team, Anthony Ker, Alan Grant, Karl Hayes and Nigel Kearney

THIRD TIME LUCKY?
These next two hands have a certain similarity. We often see written up players who do something unusual and who pull off the spectacular. Rarely do we see the other side..where the spectacular goes rather wrong. The piece of advice at the end of this part may be the best advice to follow.

So, it’s your lead as West to a pretty normal sequence, holding  K953  654  T763  KQ:

West              North             East                South

                        Pass                Pass                1NT  (12-15)

Pass                2                   Pass                2

Pass                2NT                Pass                3NT

All Pass

and your choice is?

Then, you are again on lead to 3NT with the following hand:

 QT953         K54   KQ   J53. An artificial sequence tells you that dummy has a Precision Club opening (nothing else) and that declarer has specifically 5422 shape (five spades, four hearts) and a positive response but no great hand. Your lead?

and while you are searching for spectacular or unspectacular opening leads, try this one:

West              North             East                South

1                   1                1NT                3NT

Pass                Pass                x                      All Pass

Your West hand is (and no correspondence, please, about the merits of opening this hand. I am sure there are merits, somewhere!)

 984               KQ42           KJ976        6

Your lead? 

So, back to the first problem. You are playing Teams and thus want to beat 3NT. Our West decided to attack and aimed to find their partner with lots of club tricks. With the lead of K asking partner to unblock honours, West started with Q, looking, hoping for reverse encouragement from her partner. This is what she saw as West:

 

East played 2 to trick 1 and declarer 3 (have you got that warm glow feeling inside yet? 2 encouraging! Yes!). So, next came K and you awaited AJxxx in partner’s hand. Half right. That was the holding but not in your partner’s hand!

Declarer, Anthony Ker, is a cunning player and awaited to see what would come from a seemingly aggressive opening lead. He was not home yet as he would have to overtake the third round of diamonds. Thus, he still only had 8 tricks. However, on the run of the clubs, West completed a miserable defence by throwing a small diamond… and Anthony had his 9 tricks and 9 very nice imps for Wellington.

So, declarer is 5422 and you only have two diamonds. Was it time to attack that suit against 3NT? Our defender, holding KQ doubleton, decided to start with Q. Diamonds was not your partner’s suit, however: