It can only get better from here

by Phillip Alder

As you will have gathered if you read yesterday's article about the first session of the men's individual, there was some poor play witnessed. But that article did not give the worst. So that we can be confident in the knowledge that it can only get better, here are the two strangest deals that I saw. And I will mercifully leave the protagonists unnamed.

Board 17. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ A J 9 8 ♥ 3 ♦ A J 10 5 2 ♣ K 9 5
		♠ 4 2 ♥ A 6 5 2 ♦ K 9 7 4 3 ♣ 10 8

Your partner leads the spade king. What are your thoughts? Now to the horror movie.

Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul.
	♠ A K Q J 4 ♥ Q 7 5 4 ♦ 8 ♣ K 10 8
♠ 10 8 5 2 ♥ K 8 ♦ A K J 2		♠ 9 ♥ A J ♦ Q 10 7 5 4 3
	♠ 7 6 3 ♥ 10 9 6 3 2 ♦ 9 6 ♣ 4 3 2

Two Clubs showed the majors. After that, neither East nor West seemed worried about 3NT doubled. You would assume that North cashed his five spade tricks for down one. But no. After three rounds of them, he shifted to a low heart! West, the declarer, ran his eight red-suit winners, bringing everyone down to two cards. North tried to recover by blanking his club king, but West dropped it to get home with an irrelevant overtrick. Minus 950 was, of course, a zero for North-South; plus 200 would have been worth 15. The points went back on the very next board when East and West bid with too much imagination.

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	♠ Q J 10 ♥ Q J 9 7 6 4 ♦ ♣ 10 9 4 3
♠ A 9 ♥ 10 3 2 ♦ A K J 5 3 ♣ Q 8 7		♠ 7 5 2 ♥ 8 ♦ Q 9 7 6 4 ♣ A K J 6
	♠ K 8 6 4 3 ♥ A K 5 ♦ 10 8 2 ♣ 5 2

This ungainly contract went down only three tricks, but that was still a top for North-South. It had been just another average round, 16 points to each side! Finally, back to the defensive problem given earlier.I have rotated the hands to make South the declarer.

Board 17. Dealer West. None Vul.
	♠ A J 9 8 ♥ 3 ♦ A J 10 5 2 ♣ K 9 5
♠ K Q 10 7 6 3 ♥ K J 10 9 4 ♦ ♣ 7 6		♠ 4 2 ♥ A 6 5 2 ♦ K 9 7 4 3 ♣ 10 8
	♠ 5 ♥ Q 8 7 ♦ Q 8 6 ♣ A Q J 4 3 2

West	North	East	South
1♠	Pass	1NT	2♣
2♥	2♠	3♥	Pass
4♥	5♣	Dble	Pass
Pass	Pass

About the only cautious action during this auction was North's pass over One Spade. When West raised to Four Hearts, North gave him a quick glance, trying to decide what was going on. Everyone was bidding aggressively and he had 13 high-card points.Eventually North bid Five Clubs, which East doubled. West led the spade king. Declarer won with dummy's ace and called for the singleton heart. To defeat the contract, East had to win with his ace and give his partner a diamond ruff. But when East played low, it was all over. West won and shifted to a trump, but declarer drew two rounds and established dummy's diamonds. Plus 550 was worth 15 matchpoints; minus 100 would have given East-West 11.