NEWSLETTER AUSTRALIAN BRIDGE FEDERATION INC. EDITOR: Stephen Lester NO. 125 MAY 2007 Approved for Print Post S65001/00163 ABN 70 053 651 666 National Teams decided What are the odds? he Hakoah Club in Sydney hosted both the Open Tand Women’s Playoffs and the Seniors’ Playoffs. The Open and Women’s Playoffs were held from March 22 – 26. The Open Final was between CHADWICK, NPC Ted Chadwick, Andrew Peake, Murray Green, Pauline Gumby, Warren Lazer, Bruce Neill, Richard Jedrychowski and NAGY, Zolly Nagy, Bob Richman, Tony Nunn, Sartaj Hans, Peter Gill and Paul Gosney. This resulted in the narrowest of wins for CHADWICK, 121 – 120 IMPs in a match that was tight until the end. The Women’s Final pitted WILLCOX, NPC Martin Willcox, Paula Schroor, Rena Kaplan, Candice he following story evolves in three stages: Stage Feitelson, Cathy Mill, Elizabeth Havas, Barbara TI - 1978. The Australia-Wide Pairs is played Travis against BOURKE, Margaret Bourke, Dagmar throughout Australia. NS winners are Paul Sherman Neumann, Felicity Beale, Diana Smart, Therese Tully - Don Clilverd of Randwick, with EW winners Jesse and Sue Lusk. At the halfway mark, with BOURKE Fiegert - Neil McDonald of Coonabarabran. Neither leading by 67 – 27 IMPs, pundits would have predicted pair has heard of the other. an easy win for BOURKE. But WILLCOX rallied, and Stage II - mid-2006. After a serious accident, Paul Sher- went on to record a 68 – 4 scoreline in the third stanza, man, unable to work, leaves Sydney to move to a small and eventually run out winners by 125 – 103 IMPs. country property near Coonabarabran. At great odds, he The Seniors’ Playoff was held from April 19 – 23, and happens to buy the house owned by Jesse’s parents at resulted in a final between HAUGHIE, Bill Haughie, the time of the 1978 Australia-Wide Pairs, just before David Lilley, John Lester, Gabi Lorentz, Ron Klinger, Jesse’s mother sold it to her brother. Her nephew was Zolly Nagy and CHADWICK, Ted Chadwick, Martin the vendor who eventually sold it to Paul. Bloom, Ted Griffin, Mike Hughes, Barbara McDonald Stage III. A very special birthday party was arranged and Alan Walsh. HAUGHIE started slowly, but by the for Jesse, who turned 90 on March 20. Coonabarabran second stanza had built up a sizeable lead, and went Bridge Club invited her to attend a formal luncheon, on to win by 176.1 to 114 IMPs. and she and I finally met, 29 years after the 1978 Aus- tralia-Wide Pairs, with me now the new owner of her A combination of trips for the first- and second- family home. The photograph shows me presenting placed teams include the Zone 7 Championships Jesse with a complimentary copy of Australian Bridge, in Christchurch, from May 9 – 12, the World which carried an article about this coincidence. Championships in Shanghai, China from 29 September – 13 October, and the PABF Championships in For the record, Jesse drove herself to the club (although Bandung, Indonesia, from 4 – 13 June. she was surrendering her driver’s licence the next day) and is as fit as a fiddle, with a razor-sharp mind. She There will also an Under-26 Youth Team at the PABF, has been a tower of strength for the local club for dec- comprised of Griff Ware, Nye Griffiths, Adam & Nabil ades, and is held in the highest esteem by every member Edgtton, Peter Hollands and Andy Hung. of the club. We all hope we can repeat the luncheon to A schedule of Vugraph matches held during the Z7C celebrate her turning 100 in 10 years’ time! will be available on Bridge Base. Paul Sherman Two part story: the path to representation in Women’s bridge This is a continuation of Tim Bourke’s account of the BOURKE soon scored up +50 for a total of 11 IMPs. 2007 National Women’s Teams Final in Canberra, one Then came: of the major vehicles for PQP allocation. The goal for South deals, NS vulnerable many of the contending teams is participation - and l --- success - in the Women’s playoffs. kA K J 3 j n the second set, while 73 IMPs changed hands, the 8 7 4 i net result was to increase BOURKE’S lead by a soli- K J 10 9 6 2 I l 8 7 5 l Q 10 9 6 4 2 tary IMP to 12. The high turnover of IMPs continued kQ 5 k10 8 6 4 in the third stanza, with the score on the first 13 boards jJ 10 6 2 j A 32 IMPs each. The next two deals were crucial: iQ 8 5 3 iA 4 East deals, all vulnerable l A K J 3 l K 7 k9 7 2 kQ 8 jK Q 9 5 3 jA J 9 6 3 i7 iQ J 9 3 Closed Room l A 10 8 l 9 6 5 3 West North East South kK 10 6 kA J 5 2 Creet Tully Bird Lusk j8 7 5 j 10 4 1j i10 7 6 5 iA 8 4 Pass 2i 2l Pass l Q J 4 2 Pass 3k Pass 3NT k9 7 4 3 All Pass jK Q 2 iK 2 Open Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Neumann M-White Bourke Snashall Creet Tully Bird Lusk 1j 1NT Pass Pass 2i 2l Pass Pass Dbl Pass Pass Pass Dbl All Pass Rdbl Pass 2k Pass Pass Dbl All Pass In the Closed Room, Tully bid a sensible 3k, not wanting to risk defending a two-level contract when Open Room the opponents were almost certain to have a nine-card West North East South fit. When a spade was led against the inevitable 3NT, Neumann M’ray-White Bourke Snashall Lusk took lQ with the ace and led a club to the jack Pass 1NT and ace. The spade return was won with the king and Pass 3NT All Pass dummy entered with kK to lead a diamond. As jA In both rooms, the CREET pairs were at the lower end appeared and kQ was doubleton, declarer had nine of their respective 1NT ranges; 9 - 12 in the Closed tricks for a useful +600. Room and 12 - 14 in the Open Room. The upshot, In the Open Room, although a two-trick set seemed even after the mini-notrump opener was able to show inevitable, this would still have been an 8 IMP drop 4-4 in the majors, was two poor contracts made worse for the defending side. Alas for CREET, the defence when Bird, understandably, failed to find the double lost a trick to emerge with only +100 and a loss of 11 dummy play for six tricks and finished up conceding IMPs. The score at the end of the quarter was BOURKE a 500-point penalty. 128, CREET 95. This would have mattered little if 3NT had succeeded While it is difficult to pick up a deficit of 33 IMPs in in the other room. However, after the passive dia- any match, the fact that CREET was trailing the most mond lead was won in hand, Snashall led a low club capped women’s team in the country made it all the to the queen, which Bourke ducked. Next, Snashall harder. In the end it proved too difficult and the final turned her attention to spades but, unfortunately for scoreline was BOURKE 157, CREET 104. her, when Neumann took lA she shifted to kK and Tim Bourke 12 The second part of the story unfolds at the scene of the womens’ playoffs in Sydney, as told by Barbara Travis. Index s we commenced the Women’s Playoffs, our Articles Of Interest & Information Anon-playing captain, Martin Willcox, had one National Teams Decided 1 instruction for the team – finish first in the qualifying What are the odds? 1 rounds so we would have choice of opponent in the Copy deadline 6 A plague of bidding boxes 8 semi finals. Clearly the bridge gods did not know of our Obituary: Carole Rothfield 11 intention and had in mind a totally different scenario, Book Reviews 16, 18, 20 since we eventually qualified in fourth place: Congress dates and Results 22 Letter to the Editor 22 1. BOURKE: Margaret Bourke – Dagmar Neumann, From the Management Committee 22 Sue Lusk – Therese Tully, Events Calendar 22 Felicity Beale – Diana Smart Major Tournament Reports 2. MOSES: Kinga Moses – Nafi Bashar, The path to representation in Women’s bridge 2 Inez Glanger – Marcia Scudder, Linda King - Kim Neale Regular Features 3. CREET: Karen Creet – Sheila Bird, Coaching Cathy at Contract 12 Julia Hoffman – Jenny Thompson, Bridge into the 21st Century 14 Sally Murray-White – Helen Snashall 4. WILLCOX: Rena Kaplan – Paula Schroor, Candice Feitelson – Cathy Mill, lead, I couldn’t double 7i as that would ask for a Elizabeth Havas – Barbara Travis spade lead. However, we cashed both aces to take the The regulations gave first-placed BOURKE choice contract down two. of opponent from the third- and fourth-placed teams I wasn’t playing well during the qualifying: here is an only. They chose to play CREET, leaving MOSES and example: WILLCOX to play for the other place in the final. l A K 5 2 From the Qualifying: kJ 6 3 l J 10 jJ 9 5 kA 10 8 7 3 i10 8 5 jQ 6 3 l 7 4 3 l Q 9 8 i9 5 3 kQ 10 7 5 2 k9 8 4 l K 2 l A Q 9 8 6 j7 j K 10 8 3 kK Q 6 k4 iK Q J 9 i7 6 2 jK 10 7 2 j J 9 l J 10 6 iQ 10 6 4 iA K J 7 2 kA K l 7 5 4 3 jA Q 6 4 2 kJ 9 5 2 iA 4 3 jA 8 5 4 West North East South i8 Havas Travis West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1j Havas Travis Pass 1l Pass 3NT Pass 1l Pass All Pass 2i Pass 4k Pass West led iK, followed by iQ, and iJ was won by my 4NT Pass 5j Pass ace.