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You need some good hands no matter how good you are.

Clare Coles and Kevin Whyte of Cambridge were in the wrong place when they played the final of the National Rubber Bridge tournament against Christchurch’s Stuart Grant and Tony Quinlivan. They should have borrowed the North-South cards played at the Hamilton Bridge Club where South had two 2 openings in the 24 boards played on the same evening.

As it was, they struggled with the “meagre pickings” they were dealt with Stuart and Tony winning after 28 boards by 3,300 points. While Stuart and Tony were in Christchurch, Clare was in Cambridge and Kevin, who has spent November touring the South Island, was in Nelson. The match was played on BBO.

                            So, which is the player?

     Clare Coles looks extremely happy and relaxed but what about the scrutineer, Michael Neels?
   Did he know that Clare and Kevin were about to be dealt such terrible hands for much of the match?

First blood went to the Cambridge pair but it was only a part-score. By the end of Board 3, Stuart and Tony had the first rubber under their belt…and so it continued. Board 8 saw Kevin and Clare avoid conceding another rubber but it cost them 800 in 3x. It is a moot rubber tactic as to whether one should sacrifice to save a rubber. When the sacrifice costs 800, the answer must be “no”. That second rubber was completed by board 10 with Stuart and Tony’s lead already 2400. The third rubber was over by board 14, a lead of 3420.

Time for a cup of tea break!

 

Kevin and Clare did what they could as you can see by the desperation opening on Board 15. However, once more, their opposition bid quickly to game. The lead was 9. Two rounds of trumps were followed by an unsuccessful heart finesse and when the defence took two club tricks, they smelt some hope. However, a second heart from South was won by the ace with East’s diamond loser disappearing.

Then followed a heart ruff and a club ruff which brought very good news for the declarer. The remaining trump was drawn and and Tony's remaining clubs were high, making 10 tricks and another game to the Christchurch pair.
   Fighting Back

that's Kevin Whyte, enjoying himself at the Nelson Bridge Club

The worm did move slightly although not actually any great turn. Kevin, who took over 20 boards to be declarer, and Clare bid and made their first game on board 21 and three boards later had a rubber under their belt. The deficit was only 3560 (we know of a pair who conceded almost all that score recently on one deal!) and by board 27, the Cambridge pair had their second rubber..only 2600 behind with three boards remaining.

However, 5x by Kevin went 3 down doubled on board 28…and, that as they say, was that!

Intermediates win National Title
                     All Concentration

 
 that's the title winners, Tony Quinlivan and Stuart Grant. Surely, there were a few smiles after
the completion of board 28?

Congratulations to Tony and to Stuart on their win. They are still Intermediate players and represented Canterbury in that grade in the recent Inter Provincial Championships. They have knocked out several Open pairs on their way to the title and are living proof that this event is not just the territory of strong Open players. You need some reasonably good hands, a reasonable share of good fortune and some basic understanding of the rules and tactics of Rubber Bridge…. and the trophy and the decent slab of prize-money could be yours.

Thanks to the competitors

The final, as all the matches in the final stages, was played in tremendously good spirit. It is a credit to all the players in this most difficult of years, that the National Rubber Bridge competition was able to be completed. All bar one of seven matches in the final stages was played on BBO with scrutineers present to ensure fair play. Thanks to Tony Hinkley, John Kruiniger and Michael Neels who fulfilled that role in the final and to all the others who gave of their time in the quarter and semi-final stages.

Next year, we hope the event will be held face to face. We hope to see many more than the 100 ish entries nationwide this year…and we hope some of those will be Intermediate and Junior players, one pair of whom could follow in Stuart and Tony’s footsteps.

Richard Solomon

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