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APBF 25  Day 4…a “Grand” day.

An average day for our four teams with only our Senior team in contention for medals. They recorded wins over China (14.42) and the leaders, Japan (11.87) but lost (7.84) to Chinese Taipei.  New Zealand remain in 4^th place but only 7.75vps behind Japan with Australia and Indonesia in between.

Our Open Team started the day in 5^th place, had moderate losses to Indonesia (8.42) and Korea (6.28) before recording their second big win over India (16.55) but finished with a high-scoring loss to Thailand (32-75imps 1.24). This leaves the Kiwis in 10^th place though the top 10 are quite tight with the leaders, Chinese Taipei on 183.39 and New Zealand 154.26.

Our Ladies had three tight matches along with a bye. They beat Chinese Taipei (10.33) but lost to lowly placed Thailand (9.34) before holding the leaders China to a 16 imp loss (5.58).

New Zealand are 5^th in the 9 team field on 143.18 but 4^th placed Australia are 33.07vps ahead of them.

Our Mixed Team started the day in 6^th place out of 10 but after losing to Indonesia (6.28), they stayed 8^th for the rest of the day losing to Chinese Taipei (7.29) and China (1.83) before recoding a small win over the Philippines (11.28). New Zealand are on 122.95 with Japan, 5^th on 144.59, seemingly as high as they can possibly reach.
                      Our Mixed Team

   
Ian Berrington, Fuxia Wen, Jan Alabaster, Graeme Tuffnell (playing captain) 
Liz and Blair Fisher

These two deals came from the Mixed Team’s loss to Indonesia.

 

The opposition do not just sit there when one has slam opportunities as the above bidding demonstrates. Jan Alabaster bid 4NT showing the minors. Graeme says he was wondering which slam he would bid when West took another bid to 6. He was very tempted to bid on to grand but could not be sure that the partnership held A or had one loser elsewhere. So, he “took the money” , quite a profitable 7 down doubled, +1700. Unfortunately, at the other table, East-West bid to 7NT which needed a successful club finesse. I am sure Graeme and Jan would have accepted +1400 and +100 from the other table, had the club finesse failed! That was 11imps to Indonesia.

For our Seniors, Malcolm Mayer and Brian Mace also defended 6x against China. Brian, West cashed K and then played AK10 to cut down ruffs in dummy. Declarer won in dummy to play a heart with Malcolm Mayer, East, taking A to play J, with both South and West playing low as declarer ruffed in dummy. A second heart went to Brian’s K. Unfortunately, Brian thought his partner held K and therefore cashed A, thus costing the defence one trick…+1400.

Brian had the count of the diamond suit from trick 1 and only needed to play top diamonds to ensure seven off. Six off meant a 1IMP pick up with 6 making 6 in the other room. Hard work!

 

 

Jan’s 3 was a Jacoby game-force. 3 was a minimum hand with a side-suit singleton or void (any suit), clarified in clubs by Graeme’s next 4 bid. 4 asked further with 4 showing a void club. Key Card followed with Graeme showing 2 with the Q. South then produced a Lightner double, hoping their partner would find a diamond lead.

However, the initial 3 bid by Jan confused matters since a Lightner Double often suggests the lead of dummy’s first bid suit. North therefore led a club even though the 3 bid was not natural and a relieved Graeme could draw trumps, cash A and claim 13 tricks.

At the other table, Liz Fisher, South, had doubled a 5 bid in mid auction. Thus,  Blair led a diamond to the doubled grand and beat the slam for 18 imps to New Zealand. The right contract was 7NT as the 5-0 diamond break is exposed by cashing A. On another day, the break will be 4-1 and then the declarers would wish they were in 7 unless they were good guessers!

 
   Blair and Liz Fisher

In the same Seniors match (Seniors and Mixed played the same boards but different boards from the Ladies and Open events), Brian and Malcolm did get to grand slam despite opposition intervention on the following:

 

 

2was forcing, showing clubs with 4 being Minorwood. 4 showed the three key cards Brian held. With 6 clubs opposite a natural 1 opener, Malcolm did not bother to ask for the Q. Brian did not hold the expected Q (his 3NT was natural and showed 15-17 hcp) though his doubleton heart was just as useful. That was 13 imps to New Zealand when the Chinese stopped in small slam.

Richard Solomon

 

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