How Green The Valley, How High The Peake

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday August 15, 2007

Ron Klinger

Murray Green - Andrew Peake have had an outstanding record over the past twelve months. It was a great surprise then to see them knocked out of the Open Butler Trials after Stage 1. Prior to that they had come second in the Victor Champion Cup as members of the NOBLE team and will be representing Australia in the Bermuda Bowl in Shanghai later this year.

In the last round of the VCC OzOne (Stephen Burgess - Ishmael Del'Monte, Paul Marston - Michael Prescott) faced the NOBLE quartet of Terry Brown - Avi Kanetkar and Murray Green - Andrew Peake. NOBLE won 42 Imps to 21, 20-10 in Victory Points. Much of the margin was due to the more enterprising bidding of Green - Peake. Witness today's deals:Bd. 7: South dealer : Both vulnerable

NORTH

At the other table North-South played 3H for +140. Here it went:

West North East South

--- --- --- 1S

Pass 1NT Pass 2H

Pass 2S Pass 4H

Pass Pass Pass

Lead: C4: three - ace - H5

It seems odd that South bids a nonforcing 2H, receives mere preference and next moment bids game. Still, who can argue with success? After ruffing the opening lead, Peake led the S3 and West rose with the SK. He continued with the C5: jack - queen - H6.

The next spade went to the queen and ace and East played a third club, ruffed with the HQ. Peake cashed the HA and HK, followed by the SJ. East ruffed, but was out of clubs. Peake could win the diamond exit in dummy, cash the HJ to draw East's last trump and return to the DA for the rest of the spade winners. That was worth +620 and +10 Imps.

Datum: N-S 160.

Bd. 9: North dealer : E-W vulnerable

At the other table North-South were in 2S for +170. At this table the bidding went this way:

West North East South

--- Pass Pass 1S

2H 3S Pass 4S

Pass Pass Pass

Lead: HK

South took the HA, drew trumps in two rounds and claimed ten tricks, +420 and +6 Imps. The deal is an excellent example of the power of the ten-card trump fit. Datum: N-S 350.

You need not be a cannibal to get fed up with your bridge partner.

Tomorrow's problem:

Teams: West dealer : Both vulnerable

West North East South

Pass 1NT (1) Pass ?

(1) 12-14 balanced

What would you do as South with:

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

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