Dealer: E Vul: Nil
NORTH
♠ K
♥ KQ983
♦ KJ98
♣ K32
WEST EAST
♠ 107643 ♠ AQJ85
♥ 2 ♥ 102
♦ AQ43 ♦ 1062
♣ A87 ♣ 864
SOUTH
♠ 92
♥ AJ654
♦ 75
♣ QJ105
It has been a stellar week for Warwick Milne and Janny Sipple. They not only won the local heat of the Australia-Wide Novice Pairs but also claimed first place East/West on Friday, with scores of 64.0% on both days. On Board 14 on Monday they were the only North/South pair to achieve the par score of 420 for 4H, which required ten tricks to be won.
Spare a thought for East, who chose to lead the Ace of spades, thereby dropping North’s singleton King. That was pleasing but East now knew that a spade would be trumped. What else to led from the pile of rubbish left? A diamond would have been the most helpful to declarer. As the cards lie, a trump would do no harm. Declarer would win and play another round of trumps and then set up three club tricks. That would give declarer five heart tricks, a spade trumped and three clubs. The tenth trick would come when a low diamond from dummy (South) was led. West cannot then stop North’s King from winning for the tenth trick.
One other North pair won eleven tricks, but had bid only 3H for a score of 200. Another pair was pushed to 5H when East/West found their spade fit and bid as high as 4S. The notes accompanying the hands for the Novice event praised any player who bid 1S over North’s opening bid of 1H. This was a pure gamble, but paid dividends when partner also held five spades and some useful cards in the minor suits.
Results, Monday, 26/05/25 (4-table Howell – Aust-Wide Novice Pairs): W. Milne J. Sipple (64.9) 1; J. Cumming P. Cumming (60.7) 2. Seniors 2 & 1/2-table Howell (P. Kelly D. Moran (54.2) 1eq; T. Hinde P. Campbell (54.2) 1 eq. Friday, 30/05/25 (5-table Mitchell): N/S N. Collins M. Simpson (58.8) 1; J. Smith L. Munson (56.7) 2. E/W Milne J. Sipple (64.2) 1; D. Moran N. McGinness (57.5) 2.
