Dubious Logic

Tollemache Qualifier

As mentioned in last week's piece, Suffolk competed in the qualifier for the Tollemache Cup over the preceding weekend. The competition is the premier event for county bridge teams and keenly fought. It is tough for everyone but especially so for the smaller counties and upsets are rare, the event being dominated by the metropolitan associations and those that surround London. In recent years, departments of Wales have taken part (despite it being run by the English Bridge Union – think inclusivity akin to Eurovision) and these have almost been national squads.

Despite hopes fostered in past years and a good team morale, 2008 will not offer any consolation to Suffolk players as they finished last of nine in their qualifying group. In the past we have struggled to win well against weak teams and avoid being steamrollered by the stronger ones. This year there was a pattern of struggle but though there was no clutch of horrible defeats, victories of any shape were hard to come by.

Getting your pre-emption right is an art; we know that you can push them into contracts they would not otherwise reach yet many times it forces a guess and they guess wrong. The choice of attack met with different measures of success on this deal:

For Cambs and Hunt, south opened a weak two spades, usually a six card suit but permitted to be five at these, the pre-emptor's colours. That went round to east who tried a 15-18 no-trump. True, a maximum but with a single spade stop this left the way open for a heart contract should west have five. There matters rested and east made ten tricks for +180.

For Suffolk south passed as did west and north had a chance to make life difficult and he opened three clubs. As double would be take-out and with no certainty that west could keep the bidding open, east took his chances and bid three no-trump – also making ten tricks but +630 to the opponents.

It's hard to generalise here; all you can say that on the day one action worked better than the other.

Suffolk at the Tollemache qualifier 2008
Represented by:
P. Gemmell (Capt.) / P. Sutcliffe
J. Moore / D. Price
E. Lockhart / J. Green
J. Gobert / C. Chambers
R. Hanley / W. Tweddell
M. Sherer / E. Newman

Beat: Merseyside & Cheshire 17-3
Drew: Sussex 10-10
Lost: Somerset 8-12, Mid Wales 7-13, East Wales (Q2) 5-15, Hampshire & IOW 5-15, Nottinghamshire 4-16, Cambridgeshire & Huntingdonshire (Q1) 2-18

Published Saturday 6.Dec.2008