People came from the Central West Southern Highlands, Central Coast, Sydney, Blue Mountains, Canberra and Tumut as well as from our local club.

Pairs: First, John Brockwell and Chris Stead (Canberra); Second, Ian McKinnon and Virginia Dressler (Central Coast); Third, Janet Clarke and Di Coats (Central Coast); Best local pair, Rosemary Hummelshoj and Lloyd Cleaver; Restricted winners, Diana Whiteley and Dorothy Woodside (Orange); Novice winners, Gayle Calvert and Steve English (Blue Mountains).

Teams: First, Chris Bayliss, Catherine Chown, Patricia Phillips, Eric Lindh (Bowral); Second, David Priol, Peter Lameks, Tammy Schwarz, Alan Schwarz (Blue Mountains); Third, Jennifer Hector, Terry Bossomaier, Peter Reed, Michele Kerin (Local, Dubbo/Wellington); Best local team, Graham Daniel, Liz Scorer, Rosemary Hummelshoj, Lloyd Cleaver; Intermediate winners, Pamela Stuart-Brown, Coleen Street, Ian and Jan Maclean (Local, Leura); Restricted winners, Diana Whiteley, Dorothy Woodside, Margaret Munson, Kathie Mills (Orange).

NOW, one hand from the congress. We were playing against the eventual winners in the teams competition and it was clear that we were not doing very well.

Then we played the following board where we were North/South (dealer West, vulnerable East/West):

East/West easily bid to 4S but we pushed on to 5C which wasn’t doubled.

On the face of it East/West should be able to make 11 tricks but the problem is that East cannot ever get over to make diamond tricks in West and, therefore, can make 10 tricks only.

This is what happened at the other table where our partners were left to play in 4S. We can only make seven tricks (i.e. four off).

 It would have been a very different story if we had been doubled where it would have been -800 instead of -200. This board made for a reasonably respectable score for the round even though we were beaten.