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Ian and Lynette take out WAP3 at Waikato
Ian & LynetteThe results from the third heat of the Waikato Area Pairs held at the Waikato Bridge Club on 19th April are available on this site as is the overall ladder.
Ian Bond and Lynette Morgan won the day just pipping Sonia Crawford and Lesley Quilty. Two sections of nine tables enjoined battle for the day. Nick Whitten was the director and has picked out some boards of interest below:
Session 1 Board 8
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AKQJ6
64
T976
Q8This demonstrates the oddity of matchpoint bridge, where small score differences can have a major impact.
At teams this hand would be pretty inconsequential unless one NS pair missed the obvious NT game, or an East player got too frisky bidding his hearts, conceding 500 or 800. But at matchpoints a lot depends on what East does after partner leads a heart to South’s 3NT, East having bid hearts.
East can achieve 65% of the matchpoints by simply cashing the first three tricks, giving up any chance of beating the contract. Those who led a third heart, hoping to get in with the AD before declarer had nine tricks, missed out badly as declarer had 11 black-suit tricks to run. There was a 30% MP difference between -430 and -460 for East-West.
One East who did get frisky bidding his hearts had a lucky break when 4H doubled only went down 2. North can do better than that by leading a trump when he wins the first spade trick, and another when in with second spade. That way declarer will have four spade losers plus one in each other suit to go down four for -800.
Session 1 Board 9
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6S was a popular contract with this hand and nearly always successful although declarers probably didn’t feel that optimistic at the first sight of dummy. Both North and South were probably eyeing their singleton diamond and adding on points for a ruffing value which doesn’t exist.
Twelve tricks are easily made if East plays low when North leads the JC; he must play the KC to prevent declarer making three club tricks (he can’t be prevented from making two).
The winning line for declarer, against any defence, is to not lead clubs at all, but after drawing trumps, lead three rounds of hearts. East wins with the JH and has only clubs and diamonds left. A club lead allows declarer to make three tricks in the suit and a diamond lead allows a club to be discarded from one hand (it doesn’t matter which one) while it is trumped in the other.
Session 1 Board 17
What do you bid if partner opens 3C and RHO passes (both vul)?
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One could hardly criticise “pass” except perhaps for lack of imagination. One tried 3NT with the view the opposition might find the wrong lead and he could scramble at least 8 tricks (it would be 9 as it happened because partner held an 8-card suit)
However his opponent was never going to find the wrong lead holding H AKQJxx plus the AD and doubled. Our hero was about to rescue himself into 4C when RH opponent came in with a 4S bid (maybe there was some confusion as to what the double showed?)
Session 1 Board 4
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The lesson in this hand is not to get excited with good 3-card trump support with a completely flat hand. The bidding would go South 1H (assuming he plays weak 1NT) North 1S South 1NT North 3NT, that contract making easily, sometimes with an overtrick.
A number of Norths played in 4S instead. East leads his singleton and West either returns the suit or leads his own singleton. Either way the defenders make the first 6 tricks on a cross-ruff and declarer still has to lose a heart trick.
Session 1 Board 13
Do you open this hand as dealer North with both sides vulnerable?
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It looks pretty ugly with the bare King and no long suits (and even worse if your methods demand you open 1H with that shape).
Ironically those who open make it more likely the opponents find their spade fit.
East can overcall 1S (although he doesn’t have points enough to open) and EW can make at least 2S or 3S if he makes the correct play in spades by leading a small spade from West, not the jack.
If North passes so will East and South and West faces a similar problem to the one initially encountered by North.
Do you open in 4th position with this hand?
Although it is the winning option to open and supported by the “rule of 15” (count your HCP plus spade cards and open with 15 or more) one must have reservations opening such a flat and quack-laden hand.
A passed in hand was worth 75% of the matchpoints for North-South
Anna and JacobThe morning session saw Section A with Lynette Morgan and Ian Bond top N/S and Lesley Chubb and Judy Butler (fresh from their win at Waihi yesterday) top E/W. In Section B Richard Fletcher and Lucie Armstrong topped the E/W list whilst top of the room were the non-open pairing of Anna and Jacob Kalma.
We had a special visitor with us for the day. Nicole, one of the top directors in the UK, was kibitzing her parents, Allan and Denise Barclay.
Introduced during the lunch break was a new feature for the WAPS.
Grandmaster Question Time proved a popular slot with players giving the panel of experts their boards for discussion. Jenny Millington chaired the panel with Malcolm Smith and a special guest appearance by Barry Jones.
Top tips from the Grandmasters:
1. Red v Green - if you get robbed of a freely bid game you MUST DOUBLE (unless you bid on) No matter how many 50s you get it won't be enough.
2. Players do not penalty double enough. Barry urged, "More Blood on the Carpet" (even if some of it is your own!)
3. Competing against strong opening bids (eg Precision 1C) to bid with good shape not points. An example was S in Board 2 from the morning session - RHO opens 1C (16+).
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Bid spades or any bid which shows 2 or 3 suits if you have one available in your system.
4. How high to push? "5-level belongs to the opponents"
5. Penalty doubling - don't be put off - Barry told the story of a Platinum Goldmaster finding himself doubled by a little old lady opponent.
PGM: Do you know who I am?
LOL: Do you know how many trumps I have?
The afternoon session saw Lesley Quilty and Sonia Crawford topping the N/S list in Section A, with Linda Sloan and Morna Kerr turning in a stunning 67.97% to top the room. In Section B, Di Emms and Jane Stearns topped the N/S field with Olive Davis and Mary Ronke who had done stirling work in the kitchen all day topping the E/W pairs.
A very tight finish saw Anna and Jacob Kalma take the best non-open pair finishing in joint 5th. Di Emms and Jane Stearns came 3rd, with another stellar outing for Matamatma with Sonia Crawford and Lesley Quilty runners-up and the winners by a whisker were Ian Bond and Lynette Morgan.
The next heat takes place on Sunday 7 June at the Te Aroha Bridge Club. Please support Te Aroha, they are small in member numbers but big in heart and need the support of the wider Waikato Region to fill their rooms for the heat. Grandmaster Question Time will return with Jenny Millington once more in the chair with Ian and Cynthia Clayton, the defending WAP champions making up the panel of experts.
See you there!
Jane Stearns
WAP Manager
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