Suffolk Mixed Pairs
It may be moving towards the quiet season but it doesn't mean to say it's closed completely. In fact it seems now that bridge is much more of all the year round activity, rather than confined to the cooler months. Partly this is the growing trend of mixing vacations and leisure experience with some bridge, partly the increasing number of events spilling out into summer.
There is always the English Bridge Union Summer Festival in Brighton of course – this year the two weekends are 10th-12th August for the Swiss pairs and the 17th-19th for the teams. Earlier in the month Suffolk players have an attraction closer to home, a Green Pointed Swiss Pairs on Sunday the 5th August at the Ipswich Corn Exchange (entries accepted on the day, call first, details below)
As you can also see from the recent results attached, it has been a busy time for local players generally. I am always happy to receive news and advertise Suffolk events – and hands too for that matter. One such came from the winners of the Mixed Pairs. After a modest first session, Jane and Andrew Moore knew they needed a few big scores if they were going to retain the title they had won the previous year when this bidding problem came along.
- A842
- A93
- AK5
- AQ8
- K5
- KQJ10752
- J4
- 54
| J. Moore | A. Moore | ||
| 2NT | 4♣* | ||
| 4♦* | 7♥ | ||
| 7NT | |||
Andrew's decision to start with a Gerber four clubs concentrated on the most important issue of the hand – how many aces partner held. It left minor details less well catered for; first it would be the balanced hand exposed as dummy, second, the responses were not as agreed between the partners as they might be. He correctly divined the scale in use and confidently bid a grand slam – even then, no certainty – and the final decision shifted to Jane. With her hand seemingly offering no prospect of an extra trick in a trump suit and the potential exposure of the club queen, she opted for the higher scoring no-trump slam.
This looks rich for my blood – which is why you won't see my name troubling the top of pair scores – but I think the protection of the minor honour is important. Had West held Kxx KQJ10xxx x xx then though ruffing out the spade for a possible 3-3 break is an extra chance, on a club lead you have to choose between that and the finesse at trick one. In practice a diamond was selected, the knave won and they had a score it was hard to better and lift for an excellent second half.
Suffolk Green Pointed Swiss Pairs
Sunday the 5th August at the Ipswich Corn Exchange 1:00pm
Entry is £38 per pair – EBU standard rate.
Contact Peter Sutcliffe 01473 254285
| The Ringer Cup 2001 (Mixed Pairs) | |
| 1 Jane & Andrew Moore | 60.29% |
| 2 Mary Durcan / Mike Cheese | 58.23% |
| 3 Pauline Hanson / Michael Sherer | 58.15% |
| The Seniors Pairs 2001 | |
| 1 Mike Sherer / Mike Malin | 67.01% |
| 2 Jannette Wynne / Chris Hinchcliff | 66.27% |
| 3 George Moody / Colin Bamberger | 61.94% |
| The last named pair were winners of the veterans prize | |
| Ipswich Hospitals' Swiss Teams 2001 | |
| 1 Peter Markwell, Alan Day, Joan Spearing, Barbara Barker | 97 VP |
| 2 Sue Flin, Graham Beeton, Rosemarie Mascall, Norman Denny | 91 VP |
| 3 David Spall, Angela Gemmell, Marion Wyndham-Lewis, Ashley Marchant | 85 VP |
Published Saturday 4.Aug.2001