Plenty of action

by Brent Manley

After one day of play in the qualifying rounds of the Open series, USA was at the top of Group D and Turkey was close behind in third place.

Things started slowly, but fireworks are likely whenever Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell are at the table. The first big boom was on the fourth deal of the set.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ A K J 4 ♥ 6 3 ♦ 5 4 3 ♣ A K 4 2
♠ 7 2 ♥ A 2 ♦ A K Q 9 8 6 2 ♣ 6 3		♠ Q 6 5 3 ♥ Q 10 8 5 ♦ J ♣ Q 10 9 5
	♠ 10 9 8 ♥ K J 9 7 4 ♦ 10 7 ♣ J 8 7

There were five unavoidable losers, so Hakan Goksu was one off for minus 100.

At the other table, the level was the same, but the contract was different – and doubled.

Kandemir followed suit, but on the fourth round of diamonds, he erred by discarding the ♥3. At that point, Rodwell could have made the contract, but he did not read the situation. Instead of pitching hearts and retaining the guarded black queens, he discarded two clubs from dummy and had to concede one down after running the diamonds. Kandemir can always defeat the contract by simply holding his second heart and waiting with the ♠A and ♣A K. That was 3 IMPs to Turkey. The Americans got 5 IMPs back on the next deal when Kandemir and Suleyman Kolata got much too high in the bidding.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 ♥ K J 8 7 3 ♦ 10 7 6 4 ♣ K 9 5
♠ K J 10 8 5 ♥ 9 6 4 ♦ K 9 3 ♣ 6 4		♠ 7 4 3 ♥ Q 10 ♦ Q J 8 ♣ A Q 10 7 3
	♠ A Q 6 2 ♥ A 5 2 ♦ A 5 2 ♣ J 8 2

At the other table, East-West (Goksu and Bedir) played a calm 2♠, making eight tricks for plus 110.

Rodwell’s 1♥ bid showed spades, so Meckstroth started with a low spade. Declarer put in the queen, taken by Rodwell with the king. Rodwell played a club through declarer’s king and took a club ruff. The defenders still had two diamond tricks to come. That was minus 300 in a voluntarily bid game.

A slip by the Turkish defenders gave USA another swing on the next deal.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	♠ A J 7 6 4 3 ♥ Q 7 ♦ K 5 ♣ 10 7 5
♠ K Q 2 ♥ K 4 3 ♦ Q 7 ♣ K Q J 6 3		♠ 10 8 5 ♥ A J 10 8 5 ♦ 10 8 3 ♣ 9 2
	♠ 9 ♥ 9 6 2 ♦ A J 9 6 4 2 ♣ A 8 4

Goksu started with the ♣K. Hamman won and played a low heart from hand at trick two. Goksu won the ♥K, but instead of switching to a trump, which would have doomed the contract, he cashed two clubs and played the ♠K. Hamman won in dummy and played the ♥Q. East won the ace and switched to a trump. Hamman inserted the ♦9, picking up the queen. He ruffed a spade to hand, ruffed the heart loser in dummy and was soon claiming plus 110.

The Americans were leading 18-15 when they suffered setbacks on consecutive deals.

Board 28. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ 10 7 ♥ A K 6 ♦ A J 10 4 2 ♣ K J 3
♠ Q 8 4 2 ♥ Q 10 8 5 ♦ Q 8 ♣ A 10 7		♠ A K J 5 ♥ 9 4 ♦ K 9 6 ♣ 8 6 4 2
	♠ 9 6 3 ♥ J 7 3 2 ♦ 7 5 3 ♣ Q 9 5

Kandemir had a nice hand for his 1NT opener. Unfortunately for him, he had only five tricks. He could not avoid two down for minus 200. No matter, his teammates at the other table had him covered.

Bob Hamman had nowhere to run after Bedir redoubled for business over Chris Compton’s card-showing double of the weak 1NT. Compton might have run to 2♦, which goes one down on competent defense. He braved the redouble, however, and paid the price.

Compton started with a low diamond, taken by Goksu in hand with the 8. All he had to do from there was play back the ♦Q to establish his seventh trick for plus 560 and an 8-IMP swing. More IMPs went to Turkey on the next deal.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ J 3 ♥ K J 8 ♦ K 9 7 6 4 3 ♣ 8 3
♠ K 10 ♥ A Q 9 4 2 ♦ A 8 2 ♣ 9 7 6		♠ A 8 6 ♥ 10 6 5 3 ♦ Q 10 ♣ K J 5 4
	♠ Q 9 7 5 4 2 ♥ 7 ♦ J 5 ♣ A Q 10 2

Goksu started with a low club to the king and ace. Hamman played a heart at trick two. West played the ace and continued with a heart. Hamman inserted the jack, pitching a club, then cashed the ♥K, pitching another club. He played a low spade to his 9 and West’s 10. The ♦A was cashed and the defenders had two more trump tricks coming, but Hamman still recorded plus 110.

North’s 2♣ showed diamonds, so South started with the ♦J against 4♥ doubled. Meckstroth rose with the ace, played a spade to his ace and took a losing heart finesse. The defenders did not have difficulty taking two hearts, three clubs and a diamond for plus 800 and a 12-IMP gain on their way to a 39-21 victory.