• STAFFORDSHIRE WIN THE DAWES INTER-COUNTIES LEAGUE
• AFFILIATED CLUBS DIRECTORY
• BEARN FINAL RESULTS
• STAFFS. CUP REPORT

Editorial

To end this season's Bulletins, I have carried out a short survey of the affiliated Clubs, which I hope will be useful to all.

On your noticeboard, you will probably have an E.B.U. master points ranking list for Staffordshire. You will notice the strangely inverted ratio of life masters to national masters; we will start the season with twice as many life masters than national masters! This surely reflects the sorry case that there are few up-and-coming young players in the County.

However, this season has thrown up one potential Bridge genius: Joe Fawcett, at twenty-one, has already attracted the attention of many top players, not only from our County, but from other Counties too. You have probably already seen him in partnership with the likes of Mike Airey, Graham Link and Phil Topley. Joe has natural ability at Bridge, and has the flair and imagination that only great players possess. I confidently predict that next season you will hear much more about him.

DAWES REPORT

Staffordshire first team got off' to a good start in last years Dawes League with a convincing win over Warwickshire. From then, they never looked back and went or to win all their matches to finish with a score of seventy out of a possible eighty-four.

The team varied and was chosen from the following players:
A. Bloxham (Captain), D. Beavon, R. Beech, D. Davies G. Davies, D. Downs, J. Fawcett, L. Kendall, P. Leese, G. Link, R. Martin, J. Riley, P. Topley, P. Tottenham, and Mrs. J. Wellsbury.

However a spade was led and even though dummy was void, it was the only lead to defeat the contract. Declarer ruffed in dummy and played a trump. East ducked and declarer could no longer make the contract. He tried to cash three clubs, West ruffed and East beamed!

RESULTS

BEARN FINAL

After six months of qualifying rounds, 28 pairs competed in the Bearn Semi-final, held in April. With a bonus if £12 for first and £8 to second place, it was worth playing for more than just an above average score. The money went to Les Kendall and Jim Riley, with Arthur Bloxham and Geoff Davies a close second. Fourteen pairs went to into the May Day final. The clubs represented were: Chasetown (4 qualifiers for the final), Newcastle (2), Tettenhall (2), Wolverhampton (2),Stafford (2), Alsager (1) and Newport (1).

The full result was as follows:

1. B. Nickolls + P. Brereton (Newport)
2. Mr & Mrs Slyde (Tettenhall)
3. Mrs Rowley + J. Brandon (Newcastle)
4. I. Slater + B. Cooke (Stafford)
5. G. Davies + A. Bloxham (Stafford)
6. R. Keane + J. Morgan (Wolverhampton)
7. L. Kendall + J. Riley (Chasetown)
8. Mrs Stanley + Mrs Green (Tettenhall)
9. C. Barnard + I. Pendlebury (Newcastle)
10. Mrs Derry + Mrs Watterson (Chasetown)
11. A. Ash more + Mrs Williams (Chasetown)
12. R. Beech + D. Beavon (Wolverhampton)
13. Mr & Mrs Edwards (Alsager)
14. Mr & Mrs Tabbernor (Chasetown)

Congratulations to Paul Brereton and Brian Nicholls for their success; congratulations also to all the pairs, as it is no mean achievement to get to the final of this event.

STAFFORDSHIRE CUP FINAL

The Staffordshire Cup Knockout teams was won by R. Beech, D, Beavon, G. Link, P. Topley and J. Fawcett who beat A. Bloxham's team (G. Davies, D. Sartain and D. Downs) by 72 imps. One one hand, Phil Topley brought home a tricky two spade contract.

A club was led to the king, ace, small and a club returned to the queen. A diamond was led with the intention of finessing, but when the nine appeared, he played the ace and led a trump to the knave and one back to the king, ace. A heart was led to the king and a diamond returned to the king. Declarer led the queen of hearts to the ace and a trump was led. Now Phil crossed to the jack of hearts, cashed a club and made his last trump en passant.

This led to a gain of five imps as in the other room an adventurous contract of 3NT was reached. This failed by two tricks.

After the fifth set, Beavon and Beech were late getting back to the table and we were informed that they were still trying to work out the score on the last board! The score turned out to be +1750. This came from a contract of 3NT redoubled with two overtricks! This was a gain of 15imps and Arthur Bloxham's team conceded.

The winners will now play in the Pachabo up with the winners of similar events in other Counties.

CHELTENHAM CONGRESS

A number of SCBA members attended the Golden Valley Hotel venue, and there were plenty of success stories. The Peter Westbrook Trophy (secondary teams Final) went to Paul and Rita Braddock, Les Kendall and Roger Turner. The same team were also third in the Mixed Teams Championship. Joe Fawcett and Mike Airey (playing with a Warks. Pair), were runners-up in the main teams Final. They also finished creditable 7th in the Pairs Final.

DAWES LEAGUE 1983/84

Dawes Match. April 24th, 1983. Jean Wellsbury

It is very pleasing to report that the first team began the 1983/84 season in the same form that enabled them to win the trophy last year. They beat their arch-rivals Warwickshire 9-3. Unfortunately, the second team had the tables turned and lost 2-10. My partner and I were very lucky indeed on this hand. I was sitting in the West seat holding the following:

Knowing my partner had values, and suspecting North to be very short of spades, I decided to risk the singleton diamond and was dismayed to see, the dummy -

Declarer won with the ace of diamonds and then played ace and another heart. My partner won this with the king. My dismay turned to relief when he continued with the jack of hearts and then ace and king of spades to take the game one off. My diamond lead had given declarer the means to make a vulnerable game, the four hands being:

NEVER TAKE A RESULT FOR GRANTED IN BRIDGE Harold Goodwin

That's a lesson that a Newcastle teamed learned on the 12th April. Hubert Phillips - Round 3 - Harold Goodwin's team (Roy Martin, Ray Stubbs, Monique Swale) versus Christopher Pope's Team (a strong team from S. Wirral). After 25 boards Goodwin's team are 2610 up - 5 boards to play - aggregate scoring - looks impregnable????

Match lost by 440. How could we lose this match?

1. Bad luck? Yes partly. If the last 5 boards had been normal hands there was no way the opposition could pull back such a deficit.
2. Superb play by the opposition? Yes partly. They had nothing to lose - boards 26 and 29 were freak hands but they made the most of them and took the right view in bidding and play.
3. Our own inexperience? Yes partly. This is a fairly newly-formed team but we will learn from this. Put yourself in the opposition's place - should six diamonds have been bid by us on board 27?

SCBA AFFILIATED CLUBS

Here is a shortform alphabetical guide to the Clubs which are affiliated to Staffordshire All Clubs welcome new members or visitors. In the majority of cases, just turn up to play (if you have a partner), but if in doubt, give the Secretary a phone call.

Next Bulletin will be issued as soon as the County calendar is available - sometime in September. Any articles for next year will be appreciated.!

Editor: Les Kendall, 19 Oldbury Street, Wednesbury, West Midlands