GCBA NEWSLETTER Season 2016-17 June 2017
PROGRAMME The NICKO GCBA Results This month we have - In the third and fourth th The NICKO is the EBU’s Jun 5 : Summer Teams th National Inter-Club Knock Out sessions of the Spring (Swiss) Jun 12 : Summer Pairs th and it was started in 1989; the Pairs we had exactly 8 tables Jun 19 : Summer Teams and then 7 tables. In the Jun 26th : Summer Pairs earliest record of the Cheltenham team is in 1995 absence of the erstwhile leaders, the next pair – Roy For the Summer Teams, you when Graham Cornell, Paul Denning, Diana Nettleton, Collard & Val Constable – held need to turn up as a foursome. on to the lead they had over Efforts are being made to Derek Rue, Patrick Shields and Keith Stanley reached the the field to win by just 4 VPs, arrange a stand-by pair, but ahead of John Councer & with no success yet. national final, but lost to Southampton. In 2007 a similar Mark Rogers. team lost the final to The final session of the Spring BRIDGE IN JUNE Manchester. The one success Teams was won by John we have had is when the In Italy (Montecatini) for two Atthey & Paul Denning, Martin Cheltenham team (Richard weeks in June there is the McWilliams & Toby Roberts, Butland, Richard Chamberlain, European Open (teams and ahead of Patrick Shields and Paul Denning, Derek Rue, pairs). Richard Chamberlain & three from Bristol. Over the Patrick Shields and Keith Patrick Shields will be playing four sessions (8 points for a Stanley) got knocked out in the the Seniors Teams and the win, down in twos) we have first round but went on to win Seniors Pairs, while Paul top with 18 points the team of the NICKO Plate in 1999. Denning (with three from Hill & Wearmouth, Rogers & Garry Watson has won the Wales) will be playing in the Waggett followed by the NICKO five times, playing for Open Teams. winners of this last session Coventry Bridge Club. equal with the Constables’ All through the period, there will About 300 teams enter from team on 16. Patrick Shields be the chance to watch top across England, and played in three different teams players using the BBO Cheltenham often has more and collected 20 points, but (bridgebase.com) facilities. You than five. In the past, other that doesn’t count! don’t even need to have an Gloucestershire clubs have put account on BBO to watch, and forward teams also. Matches The AGM Pairs had 20 pairs you can come in through a are mostly 24 boards and playing and the winners were browser on a PC, or with the arranged to suit the teams; Malcolm Green & Mike Lewis Bridgebase applet on a smart entries usually close in ahead of Peter Swales & Anne phone or a tablet. Bridge will September. You should Swannell. The event was take place roughly 1000-2000 stratified and section prizes th consider forming a team. hrs each day from 10 June also went to Megan Davis & th through to the 24 June. In this year’s competition the Jean Whiting, and to Andrew County has two teams in the Bull & James Hastie. BRIDGE OUTSIDE last sixteen : the team of Joe GLOUCESTERSHIRE Angseesing & Roger Jackson, In the Swiss Teams at the new Tony Hill & Alan Wearmouth Avon County Green Point You can also obtain a good have to play a Manchester weekend, the top team of 50 game of bridge in various team. The team of Richard (winning with a match to neighbouring counties in Butland & Paul Denning, spare) was Joe & Wendy coming months; in planning Richard Chamberlain & Patrick Angseesing and Tony Hill ahead you might look at Shields have to play Janet de (with Martin Garvey). Botton’s TGR team. Two other 10-11 June has the Oxford- clubs (Manchester and Welwyn shire Congress taking place Garden City) also have two in Woodstock. teams in the last sixteen. 22-23 July is the Green Point Swiss weekend at Did you know that the internet shows us that the GCBA is also Ross-on-Wye, run jointly by Greater Cleveland Boating Association GCBA and HCBA. Georgia Children’s Book Award Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires Greater China Business Association and many more Page 1 Contributions welcome - to Patrick Shields, [email protected] Check out the GCBA web site at www.gcba.org.uk GCBA NEWSLETTER Season 2016-17 June 2017
GCBA Squad Crockfords R4 Spring Fours Once a month the GCBA runs a This hand offered declarer a The team with three county practice session for the top end dilemma in a recent Crockfords players plus Filip Kurbalija from of the county team, involving 18 match .. Cardiff did respectably in this boards of play and then a (EBU’s strongest) competition, discussion. This hand proved AJ97 reaching the last 12 before troublesome last time ... QJ losing their second life A big KJ3 gain came on this when we T865 . AT94 played against a team KQJ8 8542 T6 consisting of a sponsor and B 29 65 A83 T97652 DLR : N three bridge professionals. . QT6 96 Q742 . KQ32 VUL: all . 6 J32 KQ7 J942 B 8 T982 A2 964 KQ3 DLR W AQJ62 AKQ7 98 K4 VUL:none . 5 . AKJ7 . 8543 AT85 Q AK9765 . J875 A3 AKQ7654 B 21 J T753 7 DLR :N KT JT432 The bidding at both tables was . AT84 VUL:ns . K962 . 92 1N(strong)-P-3N-end and the lead was a heart, West ducking T84 The West hand is stronger than at both tables. Declarer won 3 we are used to, but as long as this and now had eight top 98543 you can show it to partner you tricks. . QJ73 will end in 3N and the play The heart suit was wide open, The bidding started (East-West becomes the issue, on the K and this worried declarer (but only) with 1-2-2 and now lead. that fact wasn’t so clear to the West made the key decision to First step is for declarer to defence yet). There are eight emphasise the heart suit at the count tricks, and there are six top tricks, and the ninth will expense of the clubs. Since the on top, with more possible from have to come from diamonds system in use was 2/1-GF, the spades and from clubs (and just as there isn’t time to lose a club 2 bid had committed the side occasionally from diamonds). trick to set one up there. to game and he could comfortably bid 3. Without 2 which to tackle first? It might be Three lines are possible : one is being a game force, it would right to try two top diamond to make an immediate diamond have been a jump shift on the first, but when nothing useful choice and hope if it fails that first round, or 3. at this point – happens one should play the opponents don’t continue neither of which is as spades before clubs as (a) club hearts. A second is to cash the comfortable. doesn’t generate enough tricks, spades and hope then to judge and (b) playing clubs might better what to do, And the third The East hand is looking generate an extra winner for is to exit in hearts letting them respectable now. The heart the defence. cash four tricks and giving you support is limited but it is an South might hold up once but a squeeze / diamond-guess honour (often better than two still has to win the A early. If position at the end. small) and the rest of the hand the defence now cash hearts (is Both declarers chose the early is AK-K-K. So East perked up that best?) declarer knows that diamond play, hoping for a with a 4. cue bid and now the 7 and .7 can be spared, defensive error and they both West was off to the races. Ace- and so has two easy discards. lost to the queen and the asking confirmed one loser, so When the lead is regained, and defence cashed out. he settled for 6 (making). declarer cashes the last Cashing the spades first would In the other room, the scientific diamond, North is stuck – as a have seen East discard a heart discard of either black suit gives Bulgarians had a strong-club and a diamond. Would this relay auction to discover they declarer the ninth trick in that help you get the diamonds suit. So you expect everyone had a 4-4 club fit and good right? You might exit in hearts values, and they settled in 6.. to make, but the result of 3N= now (safely) and try to judge was only found at three of the The defence to this was the end position. That would be straightforward and our team six tables. We will keep my favourite. practising! I hope you got it gained 14 imps in a match in right. which they won all four stanzas.
Page 2 Contributions welcome - to Patrick Shields, [email protected] Check out the GCBA web site at www.gcba.org.uk