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 Rose Don- Michael Courtney (Don) and Nick Jacob – GeO Tislevoll and Ella Jacob (Jacob) were all in teams contesting the quarter-finals of the National Open Teams in Canberra: 4 x 16 board matches.

Don (also including Tania Lloyd- Hugh Grosvenor) played Peake (Andrew Peake – Liz Adams, Tony Nunn- Martin Bloom), trailed to a slam swing on the first board but led by 13 imps after set 1, 17 imps after set 2, and 69 imps after set 3. They lost the last set but had a comfortable enough winning margin 181.1-137 to progress to the semi-finals.

Jacob played Markey (Mike Doecke – Will Jenner- O’Shea, Phillip Markey- Justin Williams) and also trailed to a slam swing on Board 1 even though for Jacob, Jamie Thompson-Matt Smith did bid a small slam.

 

1 was 15+ Precision style. X committed the partnership to game with Doecke having no doubt his partner would have the top 3 clubs. He was not to be disappointed. At the other table and barring 2 missed slams, all other tables in the quarter-finals, the contract was 6.

That was 11 imps to Markey who led by 12 imps after 16 boards and by 28 imps at the half-way stage.  However, Markey were only 2 imps in front with 16 to play and 5 in the lead with 3 boards to play.

Then, Ella Jacob – Simon Hinge chose well to play a 6-2 heart fit instead of a non-making 3NT as was done at the other table..11 imps to Jacob which was followed by two flat boards…except the last board should have been but was not flat.

It looks like both pairs thought they needed a good result on the last board. GeO’s 1NT looked strong for the bid but his partner may have been balancing with less than or a minimum opener. The double looks aggressive while this time Nick did indeed have full value.

There were no problems for GeO after a heart lead and he made 10 comfortable tricks for +1000 as compared with a more normal 460 at the other table…11 more imps to Jacob who won the match 158.1-141. The double did not cost the match but it might so easily have done.

The reward for the 2 part-Kiwi teams is to play each other in the semi-final while the all- conquering Hans (Sartaj Hans, Sophie Ashton, Peter Gill, Andy Hung, Nabil Edgtton) take on Travis (Barbara Travis, Candice Ginsberg, Alan Watson, Rick Roeder, Kate McCallum, Axel Johannsson) in the other semi-final.

Richard Solomon

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