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Slam made: Team undefeated.

Two most consistent days at the Auckland Club’s Easter Teams saw the team of Steph and Tom Jacob and Kevin Hu and Jerry Chen go through the 9 rounds x 13 board match event unbeaten to win by over 18 vps. Those victories included two wins over the strong line-up of Michael Ware and Australian visitor, Mike Doecke (the Open Pairs winners) and Michael Cornell – Hugh McGann. This team were pipped for second place by Pam Livingston – Malcolm Mayer and Russell Wilson – Gary Chen.

 
  Tom Jacob, Jerry Chen, Kevin Hu and Steph Jacob

After 5 matches, the 28 team field was reduced to 12 teams and teams could play each other twice in the final two rounds despite the Swiss format.

The following board came from Round 6 on Easter Monday morning (also April Fools Day), the latter being a very inappropriate title as it was really well played by Tom Jacob.

 

(hand rotated)

1 was game forcing, showing four spades, as Tom and Steph play Walsh, where if you have less than a game forcing hand as responder you always respond one of your major before bidding diamonds. This enabled Tom (South) to rebid 3 showing a very good six card suit. Although Steph offered 3NT to play, Tom used Minorwood (4) and bid the slam when she showed two key cards.

West led 10. Plan the play. There is no bad trump break.

At the other table, the declarer drew trumps and played a heart to the 10. Tom did rather better.

With 9 in dummy, the lead looked like a doubleton, but that was not certain with leads through a bid suit. Tom won the ace and ruffed a spade with the 9 [just in case] and then drew trumps in three rounds. East discarded a spade and Tom threw a diamond from dummy. Tom played a fourth trump with West discarding 3, a second diamond being thrown from dummy  and East 8.

These cards remained:

Tom was fairly sure the spades were 6-2 from the initial lead. He could also now confidently place the A with West as East would have surely bid over 1 with QJ to six spades and the A. West’s 3 discard with opponents playing reverse count now indicated him having four hearts (2443 shape). 

 

Tom continued with the final trump, and West had to decide whether to discard a safe diamond [declarer's shape as being 1426 shape has been known to defenders since Tom ruffed a spade at trick 2], or an equally safe 2. West threw a diamond and Tom 9 from dummy.

He continued K and diamond to the ace and then cashed K with Tom and  West discarding a heart each. These cards remained:

Tom played a heart to the king, and when winning this West had to lead away from the J around to declarer’s 10. This wasn’t certain because East could have held originally Jx, but the maths does say that a particular card is more likely to be in the hand with the most cards in the suit, and discounting the A, West has three spaces for the J and East only two.

These were the 4 hands:

 

 

That was very well played and gained his team 13imps. Tom’s line was based on the fact that the opening lead was likely a doubleton and that therefore West held A since East would have bid with that spade suit and the A.

 

Somewhat wryly, he commented that this deal took rather more than the allotted time to play!

 

The Easter Intermediate Pairs was won by Carol Bearsley and Kerri McCrae and the 3A Walk In by Brad Johnston and Graeme Tuffnell.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

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