Felixstowe Congress - Pairs
The Annual Suffolk Congress at Felixstowe once again proved a success for local players. I have noticed that there seems to be some inherent advantage for players in their own counties event. It is indeed rare to see 'foreign' players dominating the Essex event at Clacton or the Norfolk congress despite similar participants. I will feature the pairs event this week with hands from the teams (if I can garner some) to follow.
This year the Championship pairs was won by Claude Stokes and Phillip Edwards from Frinton and Colchester but who both play for Suffolk. After prompting I managed to get a hand from them:
| ♠ AQ1073 | |||
| ♥ J1082 | |||
| ♦ A74 | |||
| ♣ 3 | |||
| ♠ 65 | ♠ KJ982 | ||
| ♥ Q97543 | ♥ K | ||
| ♦ QJ | ♦ K108 | ||
| ♣ 862 | ♣ J954 | ||
| ♠ 4 | |||
| ♥ A6 | |||
| ♦ 96532 | |||
| ♣ AKQ107 | |||
Claude and Phillip play the Precision System of bidding where the opening bid of a Club is reserved for hands of 16 or more high card points (HCP). The opening bid of One Diamond, therefore, is used on hands that would have opened a minor playing a natural system and was the choice on the South hand above. Opposite the opening limited to 11-15 HCP North was able to show the 5-4 shape in the majors then raise Two No-Trump to Three. The six of Spades lead appeared to give nothing away and leave declarer with only six tricks on view.
Claude won the Ace of Spades immediately and played the Knave of Hearts to the King and Ace. Sensing, no doubt, that players usually do not cover the first of touching honours, the six of Hearts was played to the eight and a Spade discard. With East now favourite by 12-7 (the numbers of non-Hearts in the respective hands) to hold long clubs, the Ten of Clubs was finessed and the rest of the suit cashed up. East parted with a Diamond on the last Club to leave:
| ♠ Q10 | |||
| ♥ --- | |||
| ♦ A74 | |||
| ♣ --- | |||
| ♠ 5 | ♠ KJ9 | ||
| ♥ Q9 | ♥ --- | ||
| ♦ QJ | ♦ K10 | ||
| ♣ --- | ♣ --- | ||
| ♠ --- | |||
| ♥ --- | |||
| ♦ 96532 | |||
| ♣ --- | |||
Remarkably declarer has not lost a trick and the Ace of Diamonds gave him the contract but East rather lamely kept the King. Given the Two No-Trump response did he really expect declarer to hold the Queen in addition to the 13 HCP already played? Or that declarer should have taken a desperate Club finesse with two entries and a Diamond Suit to establish? The result was that after cashing a Spade the lead had to be given to dummy for the rest of the tricks. I would have thought that merely making Three No-Trump would have been triumph enough but the overtricks must have been icing on the cake. Claude reports that this result was a near 'top' heavens knows what the best North South score was.
The Suffolk pair achieved a superb score but only just kept out Margaret Curtis and Paul Spencer from Essex playing together for the first time. I managed to persuade them to volunteer an example of their form:
| ♠ J4 | ♠ Q8 | ||
| ♥ Q6 | ♥ AJ72 | ||
| ♦ Q8543 | ♦ AJ6 | ||
| ♣ AKQ7 | ♣ J542 |
| Curtis | Spencer | ||
| 1♦ | 1♥ | ||
| 2♣ | 2♠* | ||
| 3♦ | Pass |
The Two Spade bid was conventional and forcing by agreement, being the fourth suit. The Three Diamond response denied the ability to bid No-Trump and Paul Spencer backed his judgement that despite the high combined strength, 27 HCP, there was no game available. Indeed, as the diamonds were 4-1, Margaret needed the Heart King on-side to make even this humble contract. As it was they experienced that most cherished of events, entering the only plus score on the travelling score-slip.
Amidst the fine print of the English Bridge Union's nationwide Master Point 'League' tables there was a fine Suffolk representation: Congratulations to Steve Downes in the Star Master category and Barbara Carey, Colin Bamberger and Alan Day who almost completed a clean sweep in the Regional Master awards finishing first, second and fourth respectively.
Published week beginning Monday 10.Oct.1988