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New Zealand featured in International Bridge Press Journalism Awards.

International Bridge Press Association makes several annual awards to both players who bid, play or defend exceptionally well and to the journalists who wrote up their fine performances. Covid has got in the way of the announcing of recent awards and they have only just announced the winners for the 2020 year.

New Zealand has representation both in the journalist and player category. The best bid hand was awarded to Matt Brown and Michael Whibley and making it a whole New Zealand award, the journalist was GeO Tislevoll. The deal came from the 2019 Asia Pacific Bridge Championships in Singapore.

We gave you yesterday the information that Michael Whibley had before he chose whether or not to bid slam and asked you what you would bid. We did not show you the full sequence yesterday because much of it was artificial.

This is the problem we gave you yesterday.   

 

Your sequence has been a little artificial up to this point but after partner’s 1 opening and your response which showed game interest in hearts with three- card support, your partner made a slam try showing 1 club along with a control, presumably the king, in diamonds. That control was their last bid, 5.

You have already shown a diamond and a spade control. What would you bid next and why?

Here then are the full four hands and the sequence of bids:

 

The first and the last bids were natural! 3 showed three hearts and game invitation. Matt Brown not only accepted the invitation but made a slam try. 3NT showed a singleton or void in clubs.

Michael’s 4 was a cue bid but denying first round control in clubs. 4 was to play if Michael chose to do so. However, he made one try for slam. Over 4, 4 would be Roman Key Card. Thus, 4NT showed a control in spades. 5 showed a diamond control and denied first round club control.

Up to this point, the bidding had all revolved around the heart suit being trumps. However, Michael, South, was not that fussed with his heart holding. His partner had bid strongly and he decided to try for slam. However, which slam? He decided to give his partner a choice by bidding 6. Michael knew his partner had club shortage, and a diamond control which presumably was the king. Possibly, therefore, Matt might prefer to play in 6 especially if his own hearts were not that powerful.

   
                                        Matt and Michael

Matt had good hearts but chose diamonds. 6 would have had no play if one opponent held Jxxx whereas 6 would be able to be made for just the loss of a club trick.

As you can see, the heart break was much kinder than that and as GeO ruefully pointed out, “Unfortunately, the hearts broke and the reward for their good bidding was a loss of two imps”!

The award was made to Matt and Michael for a “fine combination of the use of gadgets and common sense.”

GeO

 

As well as writing the article (above) for the Best Bid deal, GeO’s article about the Norwegian player, Christian Bakke, won the award for the Best Junior Deal of the Year. We will take a look at that deal and  play nomination by the now Hamilton based Irish player, Hugh McGann, and by Michael Whibley over the next few weeks.

There is a little piece of Matt and Michael in our hand for Monday, too.

 

1NT is 15-17 and the rest is what you would expect.

4 was led by West (3rds and 5ths). You cash your two club winners with South playing 8 and 10. West played 4 and then 3 indicating an even number of clubs. What now?

Richard Solomon

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