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The "All Blacks" of Bridge

At about the time you are likely to read this feature, two of Canterbury’s best will be heading off to Korea to take part in this year’s Pacific Asia Bridge Championships. In August, they will represent New Zealand in the Venice Cup, the premier Women’s competition in Lyon, France.

The story has been the same in almost every year since Shirley Newton and Jenny Wilkinson first played for New Zealand. Their first appearance was in the 1989 World Championships in Perth but their first as a partnership was in Singapore in 1993. Theirs has been a great partnership story….and it is by no means finished yet. Being part of the team which reached the knock-out stages of the Women’s Olympiad in Poland last year was their best result yet.

A recent article in The Star newspaper in Christchurch had them as their front page feature with the following neat photo there too. They have also done a radio broadcast on Plains Radio while the Christchurch Mail is also running a photograph of them. This is all excellent publicity for our game.

The feature refers to them being “the All Blacks of Bridge”, “a ruthless and aggressive team” and very focused on what they are doing when representing New Zealand.

Jenny and Shirley have had many wonderful trips away but are certainly not just “takers”. They have given lots not just to bridge in Christchurch, especially in teaching, but also nationally by both having been on the Board of New Zealand Bridge. They are still both heavily involved in the producing of the teaching material which is on the New Zealand Bridge website for all to use.

A presentation was made to them by the Christchurch Bridge Club on ANZAC Day at the club’s 65^th Anniversary Tournament. The Club is organising a fund-raising afternoon for them at  the club at 1pm on Sunday 25^th June. Come along and support them.

No article on Shirley and Jenny would be complete without highlighting the fun side of their game. Shirley comments that they have had many laughs as they travelled the world in pursuit of bridge. Shirley recalls one particular bus ride through a “dubious neighbourhood in Tunisia”. “Someone pinched my bum. I turned around and it was the oldest most wrinkled old man. I elbowed Jenny and she turned around and just burst out laughing.”

I am sure all bridge players wish them and the rest of the team, which includes Christchurch’s Kris Wooles as npc, well in Korea and France. 

Local Tournament News

In local tournament news, Mary Buckland and Judith Edmond won the Ashburton Anniversary Pairs by a huge 12%. Jane and John Skipper had two much narrower wins, each by under 1% at Rangiora’s All Grades and Christchurch’s Easter Open Pairs. At Christchurch, they stayed on top despite a huge 71.81% last round from Michael Johnstone and Paula Gregory which took them to within 0.5% of Jane and John. The corresponding Intermediate Pairs winners were Lin and Chris Clark.

Teams winners at Easter in Christchurch were:

 Open. John Kruiniger – Mehboob Chiba, Paula Gregory – Michael Johnstone

Intermediate. Jo Sharp – Amber Newton, Caroline and Ann Casely

The Mid Canterbury Pairs at Ashburton was won by Michael Hume and Chris Bras. Akaroa had an impressive 26 tables for their Scenic Tournament which was won by Judy Thacker and Jenny Wilkinson. Finally, congratulations to all 8 pairs who won through the Inter-Provincial Trials to represent Canterbury in the national finals.

Hey, he's not my brother!

Finally, a grand-slam hand where the declarer, David Skipper, had a momentary slip muddling up his own brother, Daniel, with his partner for the night, Tim Schumacher. David had been playing weak no trump with Daniel all the previous weekend and forgot he was supposed to revert to a 15-17 variety with Tim. Opposite a 15-17 1NT opening, Tim steamrollered to 7 leaving David what he, Tim, thought would be a very straightforward task. David, West, was just a little short of what he should have:

 

 

At least David had 12 on top. He showed he did not need the diamond finesse for the 13^th.  He received a spade lead, cashed the other high spades and most importantly, the A. Next came A and 7 rounds of clubs. In the two card ending, South had to keep the K which meant baring his Q meaning David had no guess to take as his  own last two cards and tricks were the KJ. Imagine how many tricks he would have made if he really had held a strong 1NT opening.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

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