Open Swiss Teams Championship
Because it relates to an imminent opportunity, we begin today with the news that all past and present members of the Capital Bridge Club are invited to a free three-hour game beginning at 12.30 pm tomorrow (21 August). The venue is "The Henry" Retirement Village at 94 Fullagar Crescent Higgins. The invitation continues
“(Use the lift or the stairs to the lower level)
This is an excellent venue with disable access, large playing room and plenty of lighting. There is a coffee shop on the ground floor serving light meals and coffee. Payment is by card only and all food and drink must be consumed in the cafe. Under the rules of the Home’s Public Liability Insurance, no drink or food can be taken down to the room, only bottled water.
This Club has been established, with the help of the Capital and Jamison Bridge Clubs, to cater for those who would like a daytime session in the Belconnen area. As with most other day sessions in Canberra, it is not an ABF affiliated club and no masterpoints will be awarded. However, we do have a dealing machine on loan from Capital.
Please take this opportunity to see the new venue and have a pleasant afternoon.
We ask that you email me if you are coming so that we can be sure that we have enough tables etc. You may come without a partner if you let me know.
We will give further information about how to register for future sessions, payments etc. when you come on Monday.
We have a Web Site and by clicking on the link below, you will be able to access hand records and scores by following the link at the bottom.
https://jeremydaw.github.io/pages/bridge-henry/
Please come and join us
Enid Rushforth
0484088342”
Today's deal was the last but one of 224 played at each of 58 tables in the eight-round open Swiss teams championship at the 2023 Coffs Coast Gold Congress and 28 in the concurrent intermediate teams championship.
Canberrans Christy Geromboux and Sebastian Yuen, whose recent record as a partnership includes gold medals in the mixed pairs at the autumn nationals in Adelaide and silver medals as part of the ACT open team at the interstate championships, kindly provided me with a comprehensive account, on which what follows is closely based, of what transpired in their match. They were respectively EW in the diagrammed auction. North's 2♣ opposite South's first-seat Standard-ish 1NT was garbage-Stayman (planning to pass whichever of South's systemically available 2♦, 2♥ or 2♠ replies eventuated) and East's double was lead-directing. South's redouble, likewise showing playable club length, was followed by three variously more or less justifiable Passes.
Against 2♣ redoubled, which was double-dummy unbeatable for a potential NS table-score of 560, East led ♥9 showing "T9(x+) or shortage". Winning with ♥Q declarer led a club towards dummy, and after some thought won with ♣8. Next came low to ♥K and then ♠3 towards dummy, ducked to West's ♠Q.
After West exited with a third round of hearts, declarer called for dummy's ♦A and could have remained on track for the eight needed NS tricks by next cashing ♠A. When ♦6 was instead selected, West won and led another diamond. That allowed East to discard ♠K as dummy trumped. Able to score only one more trump trick declarer then conceded one down for 200 to EW
Meanwhile, at the other table, East entered the auction with 3♣ which Geromboux-Yuen's NSW teammates, David Hudson and Liam Milne, penalty-doubled and took three down, amassing seven tricks for +500 and a 12-IMP pick up. Four down was possible.
By far the most common contract in both tournaments was 3♦ in which NS can and usually did exactly succeed. There are links on the ABF home page to detailed Congress results and to six recommendable daily bulletins.
The above-described outcome converted what would otherwise have been an eight-IMP loss against the runaway gold-medallists to a four-IMP victory. That small margin disappointingly did not suffice to keep the team in the second place into which a big round-seven win against the eventual runners-up had catapulted it or even on the podium. The top victory-point totals were 127.91, 111,79, 111.64, their 109.22 and100.99. That both pairs contributed significantly to that nevertheless fine result is evidenced by their pair rankings The Sydneysiders finished sixth of 119 on +101.3; the Canberrans fourteenth on +69.1.
Already in Marakech for the 46th world championships which officially begin there today and end on 2 September are the following Australian six-player selected teams: open (Bermuda Bowl) - Paul Dalley, Robert Fruewirth, John Paul Gosney, Tony Leibowitz, Tony Nunn and Jamie Thompson; women's (Venice Cup) - Nazife Bashar, Helena Dawson, Kinga Moses, Jenny Thompson, Avril Zets and Catherine Zhang; seniors (d'Orsi Trophy) - David Beauchamp, Stephen Burgess, Avi Kanetkar, Robert Krochmalik, Paul Lavings and Gabi Lorentz; mixed - (Wuhan Cup) - Sophie Ashton, Renee Cooper, Phil Markey, Ben Thompson, Lauren Travis and David Wiltshire. Their respective non-playing captains are David Fryda, Peter Buchen, John Mcilraith and Mike Doecke. Visit www.bridgetv.com.au and/or bridgebase.com for details of and links to each day's online bid-by-bid card-by-card with some expert commentary.