We have travelled around the world to Mount Maunganui, on the north coast of New Zealand’s North Island, the venue for the 2023 National Congress. We have arrived just in time for the final of the National Open Teams. On one side is CORNELL, a team containing six of the home nation’s finest. Their opponents, COUTTS, are a team of invaders from across the Tasman Sea, augmented by an American interloper. Played over 60 boards divided into five 12-board sets, it promises to be a thrilling contest.

As usual, we start with a couple of problems. Firstly, as Dealer with both sides vulnerable, you are East holding:

What, if anything, do you open?

Next, with neither side vulnerable, you are sitting in the East seat with:

What action, if any, do you take?

While you mull those over, we start our coverage late in the opening stanza, with both East players having to decide what to open on the first of this week’s problem hands.

James Coutts opened 1♠ and Michael Ware (left) got into the auction with a two-way 1NT overcall, showing either a balanced 15-18 or a weak hand with a long suit. Justin Mill’s double flushed Ware out, and he revealed his hand as weak with hearts. Malcolm Mayer had enough to pre-empt to the four-level, but he felt he had done enough when Mill then essayed 4♠.

Coutts had to lose two trump tricks in 4♠, but that was all. A comfortable E/W +650 for the Australians. Perhaps this South hand is a tad too good for a comic 1NT overcall. After a natural 3♥ overcall, might North not consider competing further over 4♠?

With the singleton ♣K of dubious value, Michael Cornell chose to open the East hand with a natural weak 2♠. Appreciating the playing strength despite the dearth of high cards, Adam Kaplan (right) ventured in with a 3♥ overcall, and Ashley Bach jumped to 4♠. After this start, it was clear for Mike Doecke to compete to the five-level. And, there was even better news for the overseas team, because it was far from obvious to whom the hand belonged, and neither of the Kiwis could find a reason to double.

Kaplan lost the obvious two tricks in each minor, but with undertricks at only 100 apiece, the American was laughing all the way to the bank. E/W +200 and 10 IMPs to COUTTS.

There was time for one more swing before the first stanza ended. Both East players were again in the hot seat, with the second of this week’s problems to answer.

Mike Doecke overcalled 4♠ after Ashley Bach’s 1♥ opening. Michael Cornell decided that he did not have quite enough to take action, so there matters ended. The favourable diamond position meant that the defenders could never get more than the ♦A and two club tricks. E/W -420.

Justin Mill (left) made his international debut in the Australian Schools team at the 2006 World Youth Championships. For nearly a decade, Mill was a regular member of various Australian youth teams. His career at that level culminated with a silver medal in the Junior Teams at the 2013 World Championships in Atlanta. He made his debut in the Australian Open Team at the 2017 Bermuda Bowl.

After the same start, James Coutts summoned up a double on the East hand. A double in this auction generally shows scattered values, so the spotlight now turned onto Mill in the West seat. He decided not to defend, and advanced with 4NT, showing two places to play. Coutts was happy with hearts.

The defence began with two top spades, declarer ruffing and leading a trump to the king to reveal the position in that suit. Mill took the marked trump finesse and then cashed the top clubs, dropping North’s Q-J doubleton. A diamond to the ace then enabled Mill to repeat the trump finesse. His losing diamond eventually went on dummy’s long club. E/W +480 and 14 IMPs to COUTTS. This late rally enabled COUTTS to win the opening stanza 36-13.

The second stanza opened with a bidding test for the N/S pairs.

Mike Doecke got into the auction with a featherweight 1♠ overcall, and Adam Kaplan used up another level of bidding with his raise. I would guess that Michael Cornell was not willing to risk bidding 3♦ in case his partner thought it was non-forcing, but his jump to the four-level used up even more valuable space. Perhaps Ashley Bach could have advanced with a 4♥ cue-bid but, with both opponents bidding and not holding a particularly inspiring collection himself, it was hard for him to envision a grand slam. So, Bach’s jump to slam seems reasonable. Unfortunately for the Kiwis, it was not enough. N/S +1390.

The Australians were given a free run, and made the hand look easy. Justin Mill reversed with 2♦ and James Coutts (right) set the suit with a forcing 3♣ continuation. Mill’s jump to 4♠ showed the void, and Coutts’ 5♥ cue-bid left Mill with an easy jump to the grand slam. N/S +2140 and 13 IMPs to COUTTS to open the second stanza.

However, it was not to be all one-way traffic

Martin Reid (left) has been a regular member of the New Zealand Open team since making his debut at the 1987 Bermuda Bowl in Jamaica.

On this deal, Coutts reached the obvious contract and Reid opened the ♠10. Capturing the ♠K with the ace, Coutts led the ♣10 to the king. East won with the ♣A, played the ♠J, which won, and then exited with a club to declarer’s jack.

Coutts now has eight winners, so he needs to find one extra trick from the red suits.  Playing on hearts essentially requires a 3-3 break, whereas diamonds will produce a third trick with either a winning finesse or a 3-2 split. So, Coutts played a heart to the ace and a diamond to his jack. West won with the ♦Q and returned a spade, on which Coutts had to find a discard from dummy. Releasing the low heart committed him to playing on diamonds and, when that suit failed to behave, he was one down. N/S -100.

Michael Cornell (right) is another extremely experienced international player. He made his debut in the Kiwi Open team way back in the 1972 World Team Olympiad. More than five decades on, he still remains a regular member of that team.

Ashley Bach did not open the South hand, which meant that Cornell played 3NT from the North hand at this table. Things were much more comfortable after East’s club lead. Cornell won in dummy, played a diamond to the ace, and continued with a second diamond. When East discarded, declarer rose with the king and continued with the ♦J.

Kaplan won with the ♦Q and switched to a heart, Cornell playing low. East won with the ♥Q, cashed the ♣A, and returned a second heart. Cornell won and played a fourth round of diamonds, setting up the thirteenth card in that suit. When hearts broke 3-3, he had nine tricks without even needing to find the ♠K onside. N/S +600 and 12 IMPs to CORNELL.

COUTTS won a close second stanza 27-24, and thus led by 26 IMPs (63-37) at the overnight break, with two of the five stanzas played.

We will be back soon with the best of the action from the second day of play in this final.