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ANZAC from Wellington

or from your own homes as this year’s Wellington ANZAC Congress had to be on-line for obvious reasons. There were good numbers wanting to play too especially on ANZAC Day with 114 pairs taking part in the Swiss Pairs.

Firstly, a lead to dwell on….

What’s your lead to 7NT with the following?

 

 

4NT looks like it is quantitative …. or at least West seems to have thought so! Maybe not East!

Back though to the Open Provincial Pairs on Saturday with 48 pairs and the top five being:

 

1	Liz	Fisher		Blair	Fisher	60.14
2	Matt	Brown		Leon	Meier	56.91
3	Alan	Grant		Anthony	Ker	55.25
4	Matt	Blakeley		Paul	Freeland	55.11
5	Graeme	Tuffnell		Ian	Berrington	54.58

 

 

Another great result for Liz and Blair who are in fine form, winning by a huge margin. 

 

Meanwhile, there were 26 pairs in the Intermediate competition with these the most successful:

						%
1	Kevin	Birch		Takayo	Yangisawa	59.25
2	Julie	Bunnell		Laura	Griffin	58.92
3	Ken	Dixon		David	Scarborough	56.58
4	Vivienne	Turner		Megan	Turner	56.42
5	Adrienne	Reid		Ilona	West	56.08

 

The 4 team Intermediate Teams was won by 14 vps by Andrew Hudson, Lee McDonald, Sandie Lepper and Lee Miller.

Fast forward to Monday and the Swiss Pairs….with that huge field, here are the top 10:

							vps
1	Malcolm	Mayer		Michael	Ware		91.36
2	Alan	Grant		Anthony	Ker		87.01
3	John	Wang		Gary	Chen		85.25
4	Russell	Dive		Russell	Wilson		80.73
5	Blair	Fisher		Liz	Fisher		77.01
6	Morgan	Booker		Zheng	Zhang		76.08
7	Kinga	Hajmasi		Candice	Smith		76.03
8	Dennis	Apperley		Brian	Cleaver		75.72
9	Fuxia	Wen		Ian	Berrington		74.69
10	Matt	Blakeley		Paul	Freeland		74.10

 

42 teams contested the 2 day Provincial Teams but only 4 qualified for the round-robin final on Day 2. The winners were the most consistent team there with three wins:

vps

1

Brad

Johnston

Glenn

Coutts

Jeff

Miller

Graeme

Stout

45.59

2

Michael

Whibley

Moss

Wylie

Leon

Meier

Matt

Brown

37.96

3

Pam

Livingston

Jan

Alabaster

Tina

McVeigh

Graeme

Tuffnell

23.25

4

Lynda

Rigler

Peter

Delahunty

Pat

D'Arcy

Graeme

Norman

19.71

 

 

Lots of l

Lots of bridge with the following perhaps being the most extraordinary board:

 

This was at a significant stage being in the last round of the qualifying Swiss in the Open Teams event.

The majority settled in 6 especially in an auction where North managed a 1 overcall. Ace ask would reveal one is missing and those who as East got to bid hearts first were wise not to gamble on which one it was.

However, after a strong no trump opening, one East did not ask any questions:

                        West                          East
                       Carson                     Humphrey 
                       1NT                            7
                       Pass

South soon put Bill Humphrey out of his misery. Bill would have done better to transfer as South would never double 2, though maybe South could double 7,Lightner style, for dummy’s first bid suit to be led, albeit an artificial suit.

The Lightner double did not help the top qualifiers as had Pam Livingston, South, doubled, that would surely have asked for a heart lead:

                        West                          East

                        Yuzhong                    Karen
                       Chen                          Harris
                         1                             1
                         1NT                          4NT
                         6NT                         7NT
                         Pass

So, Pam had to pass and hope her partner was inspired…but with nothing much to go on, Jan Alabaster chose what seemed like a very safe J. Safe but – 1520 was the result.

The overall winners came to grief when the “bid one more after Key Card” proved unsuccessful:

                        West                          East

                        Jeff Miller                Graeme Stout
                       1NT                            3    (slam try)
                       4NT                            5     (0 or 3 key cards)
                       5                             5     HQ
                       6NT                            7
                       Pass  
The “executioner” was Murray McMillan.

 
One unlucky board for Jeff and Graeme 
but overall a great performance

However, the stakes were highest when Jacky Lo and Gina Hsu held the East-West cards: 
                      West                           East

                        Lo                                Hsu 
                        1                               1
                       1NT                             4    aces
                       4                               5    kings 
                       5NT                            7NT
South doubled and Jacky had not much to lose by redoubling. Their opponents may or may not have been playing Lightner doubles but North opted for the same safe J lead. There could have been an overtrick had the rules allowed but +2280 was a pretty decent score to take back to one’s teammates!

A nice weekend for all, very ably directed and scored by Caroline Wiggins and Kevin Walker. 

                    "Everybody’s Talking”

          and we’ve got the goods….a rather nice hand. 

 

         What to bid?

Richard Solomon

 

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