The NICKO

Almost four hundred teams entered the English Bridge Union's National Inter-Club Knock-Out – more usually known by its handy acronym, NICKO. It is the most popular of the EBU tournaments, part, no doubt, because many clubs pay the entry to be represented, but also because the simple short match format is familiar and allows mid-week fixtures. Ipswich and Kesgrave were quickly reduced from three teams to one – these twenty-four board encounters can easily be turned on a single decision - but their 'A' team kept going and reached the quarter-finals.

By this time with just eight teams left, the match had been extended to thirty-two deals but only approaches middle distance and it was bound to be nip and tuck against Southampton Bridge Club. So it proved, Ipswich and Kesgrave up after the first two quarters, then suffering a reverse to trail by a few IMPs going into the last set of eight. Again the teams traded blows – in fact during the whole match the average swing on each deal was virtually 7 IMPs. The last quarter was tied and when the dust settled Southampton had it by those seven IMPs – just one of those swingy deals. But congratulations to the Ipswich team; Maria Allnutt, Debby Sutcliffe, Peter Gemmell and Peter Sutcliffe, occasionally assisted by Jim Gobert and myself, they can take pride in getting their club farther in the NICKO than ever before.

The last deal, number 32, against Southampton saw a useful pickup for Ipswich, alas it proved not enough:

EW Game,
Dealer West
  • A
  • 873
  • J97542
  • 984
  • KQ653
  • K1094
  • AK
  • 52
N
W
E
S
  • 10874
  • A52
  • Q108
  • KQ10
  • J92
  • QJ6
  • 63
  • AJ763

Both East-West pairs bid 1♠ – 3♠; 4♠ and both received a diamond lead. The declarers won, played a club to the king and ace and got a second diamond from South. Crossing to the club king, a spade was led to the king and ace. So far the same at both tables. For Ipswich Peter Gemmell now switched to a heart and declarer could not make the game, destined to lose another trump and a heart. The other North however, saw no danger in continuing a club when in with the trump ace. West ruffed and laid down her other top spade. Discovering she had a trump loser, she conceded that leaving South end-played; a club would see a ruff in dummy, West's two losing hearts going on that trick and the diamond queen, while a heart lead allowed declarer to pick up that suit.

Peter's play of a heart was carefully calculated at a late and taut stage of the match. True, a diamond would work as well on the actual hand, but had South's trumps been slightly weaker, say ♠J62, then he would have been unable to ruff the diamond and unable to allow the extra entry (the same end-play would have occurred).

Published Saturday 16.Jul.2005