AUSTRALIA v NEW ZEALAND
The Grudge Match
- by Ron Klinger
Australia and New Zealand are traditional rivals (but if NZ are playing someone else. Australia barracks for New Zealand). Australia picked up 3 Imps when New Zealand played no-trumps in both rooms on Board 1, both failing by one trick. New Zealand took the lead after Board 2:
| Board 2 Dealer East: N-S Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 7 6
♥ 7 3
♦ K 8 4 3
♣ J 10 6 5 |
♠ Q J 5
♥ K Q 10 9
♦ Q 7
♣ A 7 4 2 |  |
♠ A K 4 3
♥ 8 6 5
♦ A 9 5 2
♣ 8 3 | | | ♠ 10 8 2
♥ A J 4 2
♦ J 10 6
♣ K Q 9 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Krochmalik | Whibley | Williams | Rew
|
| Fisher | Ware | Whyte | Geromboux
|
| | | 1NT | Pass
|
| 2♣ | Pass | 2♠ | Pass
|
| 3NT | All Pass
|
Whyte brought home 3NT after the ♣K lead. At the other the lead was the ♣K, ducked in dummy and encouraged by North. The ♣Q was taken by the ace, followed by the ♥K. South took the ♥A and continued clubs. East pitched a diamond and on the fourth club, a heart. Now he was unable to take two heart finesses against South’s ♥J and the contract was one down after North exited with a spade. 10 Imps to New Zealand.
Those were the last significant NZ Imps for a long time. On Board 8 NZ reached 6♠ one off, while Australia stopped at the five-level and made six.
| Dealer West: None Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 6 5
♥ 10 3
♦ A Q 10 5 4
♣ J 10 8 |
♠ A 9 8 7 4
♥ A Q 8 5
♦ J 7 6
♣ 6 | |
♠ K J 3 2
♥ 2
♦ K 3 2
♣ A K Q 9 5 | | | ♠ 10
♥ K J 9 7 6 4
♦ 9 8
♣ 7 4 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Krochmalik | Whibley | Williams | Rew
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 3♥ | Pass
|
| 4♠ | Pass | 5♣ | Pass
|
| 5♠ | All pass
|
North led the ♣J and declarer took the ace, cashed ♠A, ♠K and ran the clubs, discarding three diamonds. If North ruffed the fourth club, he was endplayed, and if he did not, declarer would play the fifth club. Australia +480.
| West | North | East | South
|
| Fisher | Ware | Whyte | Geromboux
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 2NT | Pass
|
| 4♠ | Pass | 4NT | Pass
|
| 5♥ | Pass | 6♠ | All pass
|
Here the ♦A was led. That might have encouraged declarer to pick the spade position, but it did not happen, so one down and 11 Imps to Australia.
On Board 10 Geromboux – Ware did well to stop low:
| Dealer East: All Vul. |
| | ♠ K 10
♥ 10 7 4 3 2
♦ J
♣ A J 10 4 3 |
♠ 8 7
♥ K J 9 5
♦ Q 9 7 6 2
♣ 6 2 | |
♠ 7 6
♥ 7 6
♦ A 10 8 5
♣ 9 7 5 | | | ♠ Q 9 5 2
♥ A Q 8
♦ K 4 3
♣ K Q 8 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Fisher | Ware | Whyte | Geromboux
|
| | | Pass | 1♣
|
| Pass | 1♥ | 1NT* | Dble
|
| 2♦ | 3♣ | All Pass
|
Declarer has a spade, a diamond and two hearts to lose, but that is all, so North-South +110. At the other table:
| West | North | East | South
|
| Krochmalik | Whibley | Williams | Rew
|
| | | Pass | 1♣
|
| Pass | 1♥ | Dble | 1NT
|
| 2♦ | Dble | Pass | 2♥
|
| Pass | 4♥ | All Pass
|
The lead was the ♦A and declarer finished three down for –300 and 9 Imps to Australia.
Ware-Geromboux did well again on Board 12 when they pushed East-West too high:
| Dealer West: N-S Vul. |
| | ♠ K Q 5 2
♥ 5 2
♦ K Q 10 8 6
♣ 6 3 |
♠ A 9 6
♥ 10 8 7 4
♦ 3
♣ A K Q J 7 | |
♠ J 3
♥ A Q J 6 3
♦ J 9 5
♣ 10 9 5 | | | ♠ 10 8 7 4
♥ K 9
♦ A 7 4 2
♣ 8 4 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Fisher | Ware | Whyte | Geromboux
|
| 1♣ | 2♣* | 2♥ | 3♠
|
| 4♥ | 4♠ | 5♥ | All Pass
|
<*font face="arial" color="#C01616" size="3">♦s and ♠s and not 3♥s
Declarer lost one spade, one heart and the ♦A for one down. After a diamond lead, it would not be tough to take 4♠ two down (and three down is possible in theory), so that this was not a great save. At the other table:
| West | North | East | South
|
| Krochmalik | Whibley | Williams | Rew
|
| 1♣ | 1♦ | 1♥ | 3♦
|
| 4♥ | All Pass
|
Declarer lost the same tricks for +420 and +10 Imps. Australia led by 61-11. Australia won another 12 Imps on Board 13 when the NZ declarer was one off in 5♣ and the Australian declarer in the same contract made an overtrick. Then came a double game swing to Australia on Board 14
| Dealer East: None Vul. |
| | ♠ 9 6
♥ K 10 6 4 3
♦ 9 8 7 5
♣ 6 3 |
♠ 5
♥ 7 2
♦ A 10 6 4
♣ A J 9 5 4 2 | |
♠ A Q J 8 3 2
♥ 9
♦ Q 3
♣ K Q 10 7 | | | ♠ K 10 7 4
♥ A Q J 8 5
♦ K J 2
♣ 8 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Krochmalik | Whibley | Williams | Rew
|
| | | 1♠ | 2♥
|
| Dble | 4♥ | 4♠ | All Pass
|
The ♣8 was led, but declarer played ♠A, ♠Q and lost just two spades and a heart for +420. At the other table:
| West | North | East | South
|
| Fisher | Ware | Whyte | Geromboux
|
| | | 1♠ | 2♥
|
| Pass | 3♥ | 3♠ | 4♥
|
| Dble | All Pass
|
The lead was the ♠5 to the ace and East shifted to the ♦Q, king, ace. When West returned a diamond, South’s contract succeeded for +590 and 14 Imps to Australia.
New Zealand finally returned to the scoresheet when they picked up 8 Imps for defeating contracts at both tables on Board 15. In cricket the commentators often say, ‘That was the shot of the session. To me, Board 16 was the play of the session, even though the Australian declarer lost Imps on the board:
| Dealer West: E-W Vul. |
| | ♠ 5 3
♥ 6
♦ 8 6 4
♣ K Q J 10 8 7 2 |
♠ A Q 9 6
♥ 9 7
♦ A Q J
♣ A 9 6 5 | |
♠ J 8
♥ A K 8 4 3 2
♦ 10 5 2
♣ 4 3 | | | ♠ K 10 7 4 2
♥ Q J 10 5
♦ K 9 7 3
♣ |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Fisher | Ware | Whyte | Geromboux
|
| 1♣ | Pass | 1♥ | 1♠
|
| 1NT | Pass | 3♥ | Pass
|
| 4♥ | All Pass
|
Lead: ♠2. Declarer lost just two trump tricks for +650. At the other table:
| West | North | East | South
|
| Krochmalik | Whibley | Williams | Rew
|
| 1♣ | Pass | 1♥ | 1NT
|
| Dble | 2♣ | 2♥ | Pass
|
| 3NT | All Pass
|
Lead: ♣K
South pitched a spade and declarer took the ♣A. Had he ducked, South might have had some problems on the next club or two. West then ducked a heart to South’s 10 and the ♥Q came back. Declarer took the king and continued with the ♥A and a fourth heart. South won and exited with the ♦7, won by West’s queen. Declarer had taken four tricks and this was the position:
| | ♠ 5 3
♥
♦ 8 6
♣ Q J 10 |
♠ A Q 9 6
♥
♦ A J
♣ 9 | |
♠ J 8
♥ 8 4
♦ 10 5
♣ 4 | | | ♠ K 10 4 2
♥
♦ K 9 7
♣ |
Krochmalik now played the ♦A, followed by the ♦J. South won and could cash his other diamond, but then had to give dummy the lead in spades. It would not have helped South to duck the diamond. Declarer can play a spade to the eight or the jack to succeed. +600 to Australia.
New Zealand won 2 Imps on the board and picked up 13 Imps on the last two boards to leave a scoreline of Australia 87 NZ 34, 25-5 in VPs.
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