Open Teams R9 - England v Turkey

Too many Slams

by Marc Horton

Relations between England and Turkey go back to the early 16th Century, when the first strong contacts developed as trading interests in England sought new market outlets in the East. Tulips and coffee were particularly popular imports, and coffee drinking became a fashionable craze in the 17th century.

The establishment of coffee houses in London as centers for news and gossip, and their subsequent development into meeting places for those interested in scientific or political questions, was an important aspect of English intellectual life.

Later, other Turkish imports became popular, notably the hamam (Turkish baths) and lokum (Turkish delight). In these days of fast food the donner kebab has established itself on the high street.

Having enjoyed so many bounteous gifts, one might have expected England to reciprocate with the donation of a few IMPs, but the only thing they had in mind was defeating one of their main rivals for a qualification spot.

This was not a match for the faint hearted – the great shuffler had gone into overdrive and delivered a testing set of deals.

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

Open Room

Four Diamonds promised club support, but left North/South with a little more room to manoeuvre. They used it to good advantage, and brushed a side their opponent’s activity to quickly reach the cold grand slam, +2210.

Closed Room

Given a free run, South used Exclusion Blackwood and that told him all he need to know – no swing.

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

Open Room

The scientists might not approve of the way East/West reached their grand slam, but from West’s point of view he could be just about 100% certain that his partner held significant values, which had to include the ace of diamonds.

Declarer won the club lead in dummy, cashed a top trump and then played on diamonds, +2210.

Closed Room

At this table South got both his suits into the game and then came again on the next round. That interfered with East/West’s Blackwood auction to the extent that East was not prepared to go beyond Six Spades.

He could presumably be sure that his partner held three aces, but was not prepared to gamble on the diamond situation. +1460 gave England 13 IMPs.

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

Open Room

East felt his exceptional distribution justified another bid, and as things went he might have been proved right. Peter Crouch, commentating on BBO, suggested that double would describe a hand that was interested in bidding on, and that would have worked well here. Even with no agreement, a double would clearly show an unusual hand, almost certainly two suited.

South led the six of spades and declarer put up dummy’s ace, discarding the king of diamonds and played a club for the queen, king and ace. South switched to the two of diamonds and declarer ruffed and played a trump to South’s ace. He ruffed the diamond return, and ruffed a club with the seven of hearts. North overuffed and returned a spade, and living with his decision at trick one declarer discarded a club, allowing South to score the king of spades for two down, -500.

Two points: if declarer had guessed to finesse in spades at trick one he would have been in a position to make the contract. Secondly, there was no need to discard on the spade. Declarer has enough entries to ruff and establish a long club via the ruffing finesse.

Closed Room

West’s emaciated opening bid is all the rage, although I confess it is not my cup of tea.

North led the ace of diamonds and switched to the queen of clubs. When that was ducked he exited with a diamond. Declarer ruffed and ruffed a club. North overruffed and the defenders still had the ace of trumps to come, down one for a loss of 9 IMPs.

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

Open Room

Old fashioned notions that you overcalled for the lead have little substance in the modern game. I thought West did quite well to bid on over Four Spades – making what S J Simon might have called a ‘master bid’ giving full weight to his spade support and the queen of clubs, but one very important card was missing from the East/West hands, namely ‘Black Maria’ – the queen of spades.

When South cashed the ace of clubs at trick one I suspect declarer had a shrewd idea where the lady was located and he soon conceded one down, -100.

Closed Room

East’s decision to dispense with science resulted in a push. I might get John Carruthers to use the hand in Bridge Magazine and see how many of the panel agrees with his choice.

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

Open Room

North’s first round pass and subsequent re-entry into the auction sounded a warning note that East chose to ignore.

North cashed the ace of clubs – not best – and switched to a diamond, South taking the ace and returning the two. Declarer won with the king and played the jack of spades, covered by the king and ace. He cashed the queen of spades and played another spade, ruffing with the seven when South produced the ten. North overuffed and declarer had to lose the queen of diamonds and two more trump tricks for two down, -500.

Let’s rewind to the point where South follows to the third spade.

If declarer decides to place North with all the remaining trumps he can afford to ruff the third spade high. Say North discards a club. Declarer ruffs a club and plays a spade, discarding his last diamond. North can ruff, but declarer ruffs the diamond exit and plays his last club. Whatever North does declarer must score two more tricks to escape for one down.

Closed Room

David Gold avoided the potentially fatal lead of the ace of clubs, preferring to cut down potential ruffs by leading the two of hearts. Well done indeed!

South discarded the ten of clubs and declarer, on winning with the four, exited with a thoughtful jack of clubs. North now found two essential plays – first he went up with the ace of clubs and second he exited with the only card in his hand to ensure the defeat of the contract, the queen of hearts!

Declarer won in hand and played a spade to the ace, a diamond to the king and should now exit with the jack of spades. However, he ruffed a club and then played a spade to North’s king. He ducked the ten of hearts and North exited with a club. South won with the queen and continued with the king. There was nothing declarer could do and he was two down, -500 and a flat board.

The IBPA will be announcing their awards for 2008 later this week, but David Gold has surely staked an early claim for 2009.

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

Open Room

From North’s decision to bid Five Hearts one might infer that Four Clubs promised both majors, but if South had bid Five Spades over it then North would have bid Six Diamonds.

East led the king of clubs and declarer won in dummy, unblocked the ace of diamonds, played a trump to hand, ruffed a diamond, played a second trump and cashed the king of diamonds discarding a spade.

This was the moment of truth. Did East’s preempt include the king of spades? If it did not was there any chance that West had no more than three spades?

Whatever you make of that the reality was that declarer finessed the queen of spades and West won and exited with a trump so the contract was two down, -100.

There were alternative lines of play, but let’s concentrate on the one adopted at the table. I hope declarer will forgive me, but I think he may have misjudged the situation.

If you presume that East has seven clubs for his preempt (agreed this is not 100% certain) then the three red cards you have seen from East leave him with three spades. So, there is no need to finesse, you simply win the ace of spades, ruff a spade, ruff a diamond, draw the last trump and exit with a spade, expecting the king to fall. That it happens to be West who produces it does not detract from the +980 you record.

Closed Room

I have to say I don’t think much of Four Hearts, which must be a candidate for the underbid of the tournament. Declarer may have feared a swing as he easily made twelve tricks by ruffing a couple of spades, and he was right, but it was his side that picked up 11 IMPs.

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

Open Room

South led the ten of diamonds and North took the ace, cashed the ace of hearts and played the eight of diamonds. Declarer won, drew trumps ending in hand and played the jack of clubs. The bidding and play had pretty much marked South with the ace, and when he put it up declarer claimed +620.

Closed Room

East’s failure to overcall One Spade cost his side dear as West had no reason to protect. Two Hearts drifted two down for –100, but that was another11 IMPs for England.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ K J 8 ♥ K Q 9 2 ♦ J ♣ A K 8 6 2
♠ 9 7 ♥ 10 6 5 4 ♦ A 9 8 7 ♣ 10 9 7		♠ A 5 4 ♥ 8 7 ♦ Q 10 6 5 4 2 ♣ 5 4
	♠ Q 10 6 3 2 ♥ A J 3 ♦ K 3 ♣ Q J 3

Open Room

West’s jump to Four Hearts promised diamond support. Six Spades had a serious defect – well two serious defects actually . West cashed his defect at trick one and declarer conceded the other defect to East, -100.

Closed Room

That simple auction delivered another 13 IMPs to England.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 3 ♥ 6 5 3 2 ♦ K 8 7 6 2 ♣ 9 8
♠ 10 7 5 4 ♥ K J 8 7 4 ♦ Q ♣ J 3 2		♠ Q 6 2 ♥ A Q 10 ♦ A 9 5 ♣ A 7 6 4
	♠ A K J 8 ♥ 9 ♦ J 10 4 3 ♣ K Q 10 5

Open Room

I can’t quite decide about the merit of East’s double – can you? Not that South’s double was exactly guilt edged.

North led the nine of spades and South won the jack, then cashed the ace and king, North discarding the two of diamonds. When South continued with a fourth spade declarer had a chance to demonstrate his not inconsiderable card playing skills.

He won with the ten of spades, North electing to discard a club as declarer got rid of one of dummy’s diamonds. Declarer drew trumps, discarding a club, to reach this ending:

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

Declarer played his last trump, discarding the nine of diamonds and South was in serious trouble. A club would allow declarer to duck a club, so he discarded the ten of diamonds. Now declarer crossed to the ace of diamonds and played a low club. South could go up with an honour, but was then endplayed to lead into the split tenace. That was nine tricks, -200.

Closed Room

North led the nine of clubs and declarer put up dummy’s ace and returned the suit. South won, cashed another club, and when North discarded the nine of spades he cashed the king of spades and exited with a club. There was nothing declarer could do to avoid two down, -200 and a rare flat board.

The English teams aggressive bidding, matched by some top class defense and declarer play had, despite the odd inevitable error, given them a vital victory, 58-18 IMPs, 24-6 VP.