Good Result In Monaco
Newcastle Herald
Friday November 14, 2003
THE World Championships, the Bermuda Bowl, the Venice Cup and the Seniors Bowl are currently being played in Monaco.
The Australian open team of Ishmael Del Monte, Robert Frueworth, Theo Antov, Al Simpson, Matthew Thompson and Bobby Richman did well to finish sixth out of 22 teams in the round robin of the Bermuda Bowl. This qualified them for the quarter-finals.
Italy, top qualifier and top seed, chose to play Australia in the quarter-final. Italy won comfortably but Australia were not disgraced, winning two and drawing another of the six segments.
The Australian women's team finished well down the list after the round robin of the Venice Cup, and in the Seniors Bowl Australia finished seventh out of 15 teams.
Australia may have expected to do better in the Seniors. However, the recent death of Jim Borin (see ABF website for an obituary), originally in the Seniors team, introduced an unpractised partnership into the team.
In the Bermuda Bowl Australia got a good result on the deal shown in the round robin match against China.
At one table Robert Frueworth, sitting South, landed in 4H doubled. When West led the trump jack, Frueworth was able to wrap up 11 tricks for +990.
At the other table the Chinese South was also in 4H but not doubled.
Antov got off to the best lead of the club eight. As the cards lie the contract can always be made if declarer sets about ruffing a spade. However, this play is not so obvious.
Declarer won in dummy and led a trump. Simpson hopped up with the ace while declarer unblocked the six. Next, Simpson led back a club. Again declarer won in dummy and was in a position to really pressure the defence.
On a third round of clubs East must ruff and declarer over-ruffs with the seven. West must refuse to win with the heart ten otherwise declarer will have the heart five as an entry to dummy to enjoy those clubs.
The defence was not tested when declarer led a trump. Australia collected 100 to go with the 990.
© 2003 Newcastle Herald