Good Result For Locals
Newcastle Herald
Friday January 29, 1999
A GREAT result for the Hunter Region ? the team of Michael Parfait, Chris Dibley, Mike Seldon, Louis Woo and Paul McGrath finished in 8th position in the Rydges field of the South West Pacific teams in Canberra to qualify for `the round of sixteen'.
They put up a good battle in the early stages of their match in the `round of sixteen' against the Australian representative team of Rothfield but were eventually overcome.
More on the Canberra Summer Festival of Bridge next week.
Bridge players seem to take a special delight in casting blame.
Would you like to participate in some stone throwing on the deal shown below. It comes from the 1999 National Swiss Pairs. Both sides were vulnerable and East was the dealer (hands rotated for convenience).
At one table the bidding proceeded thus: WESTNORTHEASTSOUTH ......3Cpass 3NT4D4NTpass 5Dpass6Call pass North, unfortunately for his side, kept the auction alive by putting in a 4D bid. East, very put out by North's bid, trotted out `old black'.
Of course, East's bidding transgressed all principles of preemptive bidding. He knew that but then again he wanted to play the contract. West was completely befuddled by the auction and thought for a very long time.
Perhaps due to her confusion when she did finally bid she gave the wrong `keycard Blackwood' response of 5D ? this promised one of four keycards. East bid 6C. There wasn't much else he could do really. Thirteen tricks rolled home when declarer played the spades correctly.
If you were South, piously blameless on this deal, who would you stone for this abysmal result? You have two choices, either your bubbling, stumbling but cat-like opponents or your energetic and overzealous partner.
But why choose, this is a bridge accuser's paradise ? a finger can be pointed at everyone except yourself. Isn't bridge just the perfect game!
NORTH ; Q k Q65 l AJT98653 ' J WEST ; A9542 k AK l KQ72 ' A4 EAST ; KT8 k J82 l 4 ' KQT962 SOUTH ; J763 k T9743 l VOID ' 8753
© 1999 Newcastle Herald