Quiet please, Maestro at work

by Marc Smith

There are plenty of world class players here in Beijing this week, and even a few living legends, so there is every chance that during the two weeks of this championship we will be treated to some spectacular plays. In Sunday’s head-to-head match between the two favorites in the Open Series Group D, England vs USA, multiple World Champion Jeff Meckstroth treated the gallery to a performance worthy of Pavarotti…

On a deal that saw most N/S pairs floundering in a failing partscore, it will come as no surprise to hear that Meckstroth/Rodwell were in game. For mere mortals, the saying goes that ‘when you have eight tricks in 3NT there are usually nine to be found’. Meckstroth began with rather less than the eight you and I usually need…

Game All. Dealer East. IMPs
	♠ K J 9 6 5 2 ♥ 8 7 6 ♦ 9 ♣ A K 8
♠ A Q 8 7 ♥ 10 5 4 2 ♦ A 2 ♣ Q 3 2		♠ 10 4 3 ♥ Q 3 ♦ J 10 7 6 4 ♣ J 9 4
	♠ - ♥ A K J 9 ♦ K Q 8 5 3 ♣ 10 7 6 3

Meckstroth’s opponents were the Hackett twins, Justin and Jason, so hardly a pair of chimps just off the banana boat.

West led a heart, the unbid suit, to queen and king, and now declarer had five top tricks plus one by force in diamonds. He crossed to a top club and led dummy’s ♦9, covered all around. We can all see now that a club is the best exit, but that’s hardly obvious and the heart continuation is understandable, hoping to find partner with the nine.

With four heart tricks in the bag, declarer now established his long club with two more rounds of that suit. West won the ♣Q and got out with a third round of hearts and declarer cashed his rounded-suit winners.

As this was happening, East had one last chance to defeat the contract. That he missed it is understandable, as I’m sure you will agree. This was the position when declarer cashed his long club…

	♠ K J 9 6 5 ♥ - ♦ - ♣ -
♠ A Q 8 7 ♥- ♦ 2 ♣ -		♠ 10 4 ♥ - ♦ J 7 6 ♣ -
	♠ - ♥ - ♦ K 8 5 3 ♣ 10

When declarer now cashed his club, East discarded the ♠4. What could be more normal?

Declarer now played a low diamond, won with the ♦6, and East exited with his last spade. Or, at least, he tried to. Unfortunately, his last spade was the TEN and not the four. When the spade ten rode around to dummy, Meckstroth simply called for dummy’s nine, allowing East to win the trick and forcing him to lead away from his ♦J at trick 12.

Bridge is all about taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes, and although E/W here hardly did anything that could be described as stupid, they erred just sufficiently for Meckstroth to capitalize. Could you ask for a better illustration of a great champion?