New Zealand Open Teams – Nearly All the Way.

This year’s New Zealand Teams featured a number of strong Australian teams, even one mainly Argentina based and the usual strong local subjects. However, one team featuring a strong up-and-coming young pair, a new arrival in New Zealand and a strong mixed NZ Open pair, with more than a little help from top international, GeO Tislevoll, surprised many people by their run deep into the knock-out stages. Over the next two days, we will tell their story.  

…but first, it is your bid:

 

2D is a Multi 2, subsequently revealed as 20-22 balanced. Your 2 is a pass or correct weak relay. What now?

 

The Fraser Hoskin team was Jeremy Fraser Hoskin and Jack James, GeO Tislevoll and Geeske Joel and John Patterson and Kate Davies.  Their achievement in reaching the final of the New Zealand Open Teams was a journey full of tension, excitement and team work.

Qualifying from the Swiss (no easy feat especially this time with only 8 qualifiers), as is often the case came with some good fortune mixed with some good skill.  On the skill front Jeremy and Jack were one of only 7 pairs in the qualifying to bid 7 on the following board:

Qualifying round Board 47

 

Auction:

          North                 South

                                      1NT

          2                       2

          3                       3

          4                       4NT

          5                       5NT  

          7                     Pass

Having found out about all the key cards 5NT showed 2 kings one being the K and one other.  7 was bid with confidence. Unfortunately the grand slam was bid by the opposition for a flat board. 

Kate and John had a few 6 slams that they enjoyed over the course of the event as follows:

 

Qualifying board 9 on day 2

 

 

West  North East    South

  1       2       3       

Pass    3       X          4NT   

Pass    5      Pass    6      

All Pass

3 was a waiting bid denied 6^th spade, or a diamond hold so implied a club card and tolerance.  Faced with this, Kate judged well to try for slam.  Spades behaved and 12 tricks were made.

Be happy when the wind is blowing your way. The team were the 8^th qualifier after a tight last match and had a whole 0.18 vp to spare.

 
John and Kate

 

Quarter Final versus Stern (Won by 40.58 IMPS)

The Stern team finished 2^nd in the qualifying round and selected us after the top qualifiers picked the Braithwaite team.  Kate and John performed very well in the quarter finals and finished top of the datums.  The match was played in good spirit and was a good tussle. 

Who’s the boss?

At one stage John mis-defended failing to give Kate two ruffs to defeat a part score contract.  At the end of the hand, Kate advised John that he just needed to do what he was told (by the play of the cards) not what he thought.  John’s screen mate twigged and asked if we were married and on receiving confirmation, laughing he advised his wife’s favourite saying is “when I want your opinion, I’ll tell you”.  It was nice having screens as you could enjoy such moments away from your partner.

A hand that worked well for Kate and John was another club slam:

Quarter Final Board 4

 

West  North East    South

2¹     Pass    2¹     2

2NT     Pass    5       Pass

6       Pass    Pass    Pass

¹ Multi sequence

 

A great slam played by West if you can but unbeatable on the day with the A well placed.  That was 13 imps in with game bid at the other table.

 

Going into the last stanza the difference was 0.58 imps.  The last stanza was won by the 40 imps with the Cornell team waiting for us in the semi-final.  Needless to say, we were overjoyed with the win. 

A Man in Form

We will continue with the story of the semi-final and final tomorrow.

In the meantime, congratulations to GeO Tislevoll whose team has just won the OpenTeams at the just completed Gold Coast Congress. GeO teamed up with some members of the team who won The New Zealand Open Teams, his own partner, Nick Jacob, Liam Milne and James Coutts.

Their team, which also included Tony Nunn and Paul Dalley, were top qualifiers, 22 vps ahead of 3^rd, beat Neill 119-66 in the 48- board semi-final and Haffner 148-122 in the same length final after leading by 55 imps at the three- quarter mark.

In addition, GeO and Nick were top qualifiers their direction in the Bobby Richman Pairs and then finished 4^th in the A final of the event.

Richard Solomon

 

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