All News

Day 1 at this year's World Championships in Marrakech, Morroco saw all three New Zealand teams in action. Our Open, Women and Mixed Teams are playing 3 matches of 16 boards per day over 8 days, 23 matches in all. 

 
Our Women's Team: Andi Boughey, Carol Richardson, Pam Livingston, Christine & Jenna Gibbons, 
Jan Alabaster along with npc Kris Wooles

Day 1 saw all three New Zealand teams record wins, two each for the Open and Women’s teams and one big one for our Mixed team. These are the scores:

Open			imps		vps		position
Panama			76-33		18.44		3
Poland			49-39		12.80		3
Switzerland			29-37		7.71		6
Women
USA 2			39-37		10.61		12
Chinese Taipei			25-21		11.20		9
India			29-36		7.97		9
Mixed
Chinese Taipei			34-48		6.25		18=
Germany			o7-40		2.83		23
Tunisia			97-3		20.00		16

 

After a large win against unfancied Panama, the Open team put in good performances against two strong European teams. Switzerland are the multi-national professional team captained by Pierre Zimmerman. There were two double-figure swings each way in that match and New Zealand were leading until the last board when Bach-Cornell bid an excellent 6 slam. Look at the East-West cards:

There is a certain heart loser but that is all….unless North held QT7 … and they did, leaving that small loss by 8 imps as the Swiss pair were a level lower. They will be luckier on other days.

A hard start for the Mixed Team though they would have ended the day in good spirits after crushing Tunisia. As their npc, GeO Tislevoll, explained:

"The mixed team did not get many VPs in the two first matches against pretty strong teams, but then again, the Mixed series is quite strong now with many top open players playing in an increasingly popular event. 

 

In the third match NZ faced weaker opponents, Tunisia, but as we all know, over 16 boards it is never that easy, but they totally dominated the match and won 97-3 (IMPs) for 20-0 VPs and are just below average after three matches. 

 

Here is a nice grand slam bid by Barry Jones and Jenny Millington, a grand bid by only three pairs of 24, and some pairs in every series bid only to game!

 

 

 

Barry opened 1NT and Jenny's 2 was a transfer to clubs. Barry super accepted (showed support) with his 2NT. 4 was a splinter, and via Key Card Blackwood  and specific King ask (West showed the K), they reached the excellent 7 contract.”

It was a shame some of the 97 imps gained in this match could not have been transferred to the other two matches.

 

Our Women got off to a solid start. It is always satisfying beating any USA team.

Against Chinese Taipei, Carol Richardson (East) was on lead to 6:

 

If only Andi Boughey (West) had been on lead, there would be no story as the A would have been led at trick 1 and New Zealand would have been gaining imps. However, declarer won the 2 lead with the A and played a diamond to the ace and then 4 rounds of hearts, with Andi having to follow to the first three rounds. Andi ruffed with 10 but declarer over-ruffed and ruffed a club back to the South hand before playing a 5^th heart. Whether Andi ruffed with K or not, North’s Q was discarded and Chinese Taipei brought home a very lucky slam and 10 imps in when Jan Alabaster-Pam Livingston played a safe 4 making 11 tricks at the other table.

Revenge came 4 boards later.

 

As npc, Kris Wooles, observed: “This is a classic case where a cavalier pre-empt drove their opponents to a game (which could be defeated) and provided the clues for the declarer to make.

East led their 2 top hearts followed by K. Pam could win, ruff the third round of hearts in the South hand and then draw trumps. She described picking the club break as easy thanks to the pre-empt. (West had shown up with at least 3 hearts, 6 diamonds and had shown two spades.)

That was 10 imps in when 2 made one overtrick at the other table.”

NZ Chef de mission and Open npc, Jonathan Westoby, relaxes in 
advance of the bridge at Jardin Majorelle, re-established by Yves Saint
Laurent in the 1980s and which contain his ashes. 

Day 2 sees the Open Team take on mid-table India, Belgium and Egypt. Our Women play Canada including Pamela Nisbet, Hong Kong China and Germany. The Mixed Team play Poland, India and Morocco.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Go Back View All News Items