NEWSLETTER AUSTRALIAN BRIDGE FEDERATION INC. EDITORS: David & Sue Lusk NO. 93 JANUARY 2002 Approved for Print Post S65001/00163 ABN 70 053 651 666 Opinion President’s Report Moving the World Championships to Paris at such short The Management Committee extends their best wishes notice was always likely to create logistical problems for the New Year to all members. I particularly thank and many of the players who found themselves lodged those hard working members who contribute to their clubs some considerable distance from the venue were no all year round. I know that all clubs are grateful for this doubt understanding about the lengthy travel time support. The considerable number of ABF helpers are also associated with getting in to compete. thanked profusely. However, the use of cards designed in ‘symmetrical’ style I appreciate I am addressing the converted, but I ask yet was another matter altogether, one which had nothing to again for each member to attempt to sign up at least one do with relocating the event. new member in 2002. Our ability to cope with innovation given an additional 32,000 members would be very greatly Confronted with totally unfamiliar centre spots and much improved. I hope it will be possible for all of you to play in smaller corner spots than is normal, the competitors were an ABF event in 2002. provided with an unnecessary obstacle for which they were largely unprepared. It is not surprising that the A recent Ethics advice I was sent states “Always maintain frequency of revokes and other problems associated with a courteous attitude to everyone; partner, opponents, mis-sorting hands reached epidemic proportions. Director.....”. Now I add ABF Officials. After complaints from players and captains, the cards were replaced but the relief was short-lived and the Keith McDonald symmetrical cards returned on the next round. ABF President Whilst the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge provide no specification as to face design, some commonsense 2001 Grand National Open Teams should be applied when selecting cards for any event, World Championship or otherwise. 48 teams competed in the 2001 Grand National Open Teams at the Hakoah Club, Bondi, in Sydney. The format If it becomes WBF policy to use such cards, then one is five rounds of knock-out matches on Friday and would presume that future teams will be in a position to Saturday, with the two undefeated teams going straight practise using them. A more sensible approach would to the 48-board semis on Sunday afternoon. The K-O surely be to scrap them for all time. losers go into a Swiss teams. At the end of the Swiss, the two leaders play in a 20-board repechage on Sunday David Lusk morning against the two losing quarter-finalists for the other two semi-final berths. When all eight Sydney teams were knocked out by the end of Round 3 on Friday night, there was much joy and good-natured ribbing from the teams from the other states. The two undefeated teams to go to the semi-finals were: Adelaide 2: Joe Haffer – Phil Markey, Nic Croft – Luke Matthews (The first two had already won the Spring National Open Teams.) Melbourne 1: Cathy Chua – Simon Hinge, Chris Hughes – Ben Thompson, Rob Fruewirth (Fruewirth was unable to come to Sydney.) 1 At the end of the Swiss, two Sydney teams emerged to From Qualifying Round 6: enter the repechage: Board: 9 Sydney 1: Val Cummings – Matt Mullamphy, Peter Dealer: N North Newman – Matthew Thomson, Kieran Dyke – Ron Vul: EW « 104 Klinger (This team had won the GNOT in 1999 and 2000.) ª 94 Sydney 3: Bruce Neill – Andrew Peake, Ted Griffin © AK9865 – Mike Hughes, Barbara McDonald – Alan Walsh West ¨ 643 East (Neill became ill and took no part in the final stages. « 87652 « 9 The team then played in various partnerships. Peake ª 2 ª 10865 had already won the SNOT.) © 73 © J102 ¨ AKJ72 South ¨ Q10985 In the repechage Sydney 3 met Perth 2 (Peter Reynolds « AKQJ3 – Nigel Rosendorff, Henry Christie – Ron Cooper; ª AKQJ73 Reynolds was also a SNOT winner.) and won 27-24, © Q4 while Sydney 1 met Adelaide 1 Peter Chan – Roger ¨ — Januszke, Greg Sargent – John Hewitt and won 33-28. At our table our opponents bid successfully: In the 48-board semi-finals, Sydney 1 beat Melbourne 1, West North East South 149-48 and Sydney 3 beat Adelaide 2, 122-101. Pass Pass 2¨ Pass 3© Pass 3ª It was to be an all-Sydney final after all, held on Monday Pass 4© Pass 7ª at the Double Bay Bridge Centre. All Pass I felt that it would not hurt to bid 5NT (trump ask) over How’s your slam bidding? For most pairs, this is the weakest 4© and then bid 7ª when partner shows two honours. part of their bidding. One of my theories is that slams can win or lose teams matches, particularly long ones, and top This is another possible sequence: pairs owe it to themselves to devote significant attention to West North East South this part of the game. You can check how you and your Pass Pass 2¨ partner would have managed on these deals. Pass 3© Pass 4¨1 Pass 4«2 Pass 5¨3 Pass 5©4 Pass 7ª Index All Pass Articles Of Interest & Information ABF Calendar 13 1. RKCB on diamonds © ABF News 9 2. 2 key cards, no Q ABF Press Releases 15 3. Asking bid in clubs ABF Website 22 4. No ace or king of clubs Contact Details 5 The deal is also an excellent example of the Kabel 3NT Copy Deadline 21 opening (for specific aces): Country Congress Calendar 14 West North East South Dr. George McCutcheon - An Obituary 8 Pass Pass 3NT1 Youth News 10 Pass 4©2 Pass 4NT 3 Major Tournament Reports & Results Pass 5©4 Pass 7ª The 2001 Grand National Open Teams 1 All Pass The 2001 SNOT 4 The 2001 Venice Cup 6 1. ‘Which aces do you have, if any?’ The Open Team in Paris 8 2. ©A only. (4¨ = no ace, and 5¨ = ¨A) Tournament Results 22 3. ‘Which kings, if any?’ 4. ©K only Regular Features Bidding into the 21st Century 12 With neither side vulnerable, you hold: Book & Software Reviews 16 «84 ªQ ©7653 ¨AQ10963 Coaching Cathy at Contract 20 Letters to the Editors 13 The bidding starts (Qualifying Round 6): Opinion 1 West North East South President’s Report 1 Pass The Director’s Chair 10 2«1 ? 1. Weak two 2 Why is this game so hard? One of the reasons is that we heart loser and no miracles occurred. 16 IMPs to Sydney are point-bound. Instead of looking at shape we focus more 1 who won the first quarter 61-10. on the high card points, to our detriment. Any time you have 10+ cards in two suits you should be anxious to take action. Sydney 1 won the second set 36 to 21 to lead by 66 The 6-4 pattern has considerable playing strength: ‘With 6- IMPs at the halfway point. Sydney 3 struck back in the 4, bid more,’ says the tip. third set, 55-19 to trail by 30 with 16 boards to play. The next three slams arose in the final set: Board: 11 Dealer: S North Board: 52 Vul: Nil « 84 Vul: All ª Q West bids first. © 7653 West East West ¨ AQ10963 East « KQ82 « A7543 « Q109752 « J3 ª KQ5 ª A1094 ª J8 ª AK1097 © Q105 © AK © K1098 © AQJ42 ¨ A65 ¨ Q10 ¨ 4 South ¨ K There was no interference bidding and neither team « AK6 reached the laydown 7«. +1460 at both tables. No swing. ª 65432 © — Next: ¨ J8752 Board 56 Of course, if South has opened a multi-2ª (hearts and a Vul: Nil minor) then North can safely jump to 5¨, Pass or Correct. West bids first. After Pass by South and 2« by West, few would criticise West East a pass by North but as the cards lie, you have just passed « AKQ83 « J109762 a hand which can make slam. ª 107 ª AKQ2 © A1086 © 2 ¨ ¨ At our table North-South were quiet and we bid 2« : 3ª, A2 86 4ª for +420 when the defence did not find the path to « four tricks. In fact, with their 24 HCP and double fit, E- Again neither side found the laydown 7 . © W cannot make any game. 5 can be defeated swiftly. Last board: A heart lead and a heart ruff for North or a diamond ruff Board: 64 « for South will doom 4 and three rounds of spades will Dealer: W North ª ¨ destroy 4 even without cashing the A first. If East Vul: EW « AKQ5 ¨ discards the K on the third spade ruffed by North, a ª A7 diamond gives the defence their fourth trick. © AKJ7 West ¨ AK3 East So with 24 HCP and three potential trump suits, E-W « 874 « 109 can make no game while with only 16 HCP and only one ª Q842 ª K10 ¨ trump suit, 5 is cold for N-S on any trump division and © Q542 © 10863 6¨ is a reasonable slam to reach. Clubs 1-1 = 52%. As ¨ 64 South ¨ J10752 Marty Bergen would say, Points, Schmoints. « J632 ª J9653 There were four critical slam decisions in the final. This © 9 was in Set 1. ¨ Q98 Dealer: W Both North-Souths started with a strong opening, Vul: All negative reply, stronger hand by North, second negative. West East At our table Dyke rebid 2NT game-force and I « A9 « K87 transferred with 3© and rebid 3« over 3ª.