| 1st World Mind Sports Games | Page 4 | Bulletin 12 - Thursday 16 October 2008 |
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SEMI FINALS - SET 3 The Swingometer by Mark Horton So far the deals in the semi finals have generally been full of swing potential – here are just a few from the third session.
Open Room
The Chinese pair stayed out of the decent slam that would almost certainly have made. As a theoretical aside I would mention that some pairs play that the double of a splinter bid asks for the lead of the suit under or over the splinter – an interesting idea. It would also be reasonable to assign some meaning to East’s direct bid of Four Spades. For instance would a pass, whilst denying a first-round club control (with which she would redouble) suggest no other controls but good spades? Declarer took twelve tricks, +480. Closed Room
I am not a fan of North’s double, but you pays your money and you takes your choice. West made no move at all towards a slam and that may have persuaded South that she had a profitable sacrifice. In a sense she was right – but it was her opponents who were on the right side of the bargain. West cashed the king of diamonds, followed it with the ace and then switched to the jack of spades. East took the ace and returned the six of hearts and West won, cashed the queen of diamonds and played a fourth diamond, promoting a trump trick for East – an excellent +800 and 8 IMPs to the USA.
Open Room
With her ‘Eau de Cologne’ distribution (4711) North did not fancy 3NT (it makes on a low spade lead, but goes down if West leads a heart) and removed to what she hoped would be a playable game. East led the six of hearts (she was never going to find a spade lead) and declarer won and advanced the jack of diamonds, putting up dummy’s ace when East discarded. She pitched a spade on the second round of clubs and could ruff two hearts in dummy for +400. Closed Room
With the spade suit eliminated, West led the queen of hearts. Declarer put up dummy’s ace and led the two of diamonds. When East discarded the two of clubs West was allowed to win with the king and she played back the seven of hearts. East took the king and played a third heart and West cashed out for one down, +50 and 10 IMPs. Meanwhile, England were piling up the points against Turkey – this same deal proving to be the latter’s only bright spot amidst a sea of English IMPs. Open Room
East led the two of clubs and declarer won with dummy’s ace, cashed the ace of diamonds and then the queen of clubs, pitching her spade for +400. Closed Room
East policy of wait and see paid a massive dividend – there were only three tricks to lose and +710 gave her side 15 IMPs. To redress the balance, here is one of the many English gains. As they have done on so many of the deals they outbid their opponents:
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Declarer had to lose three aces, +420. Closed Room
On a heart lead this contract had absolutely no chance and was swiftly two down, -100 and 11 IMPs to England. In the Open Germany also misbid to 3NT – but only lost 5 IMPs when England got no higher than Two Spades.
Open Room
Declarer ruffed the opening heart lead, crossed to the king of clubs, unblocked the ace of spades and played a club to the ace, +1370. Closed Room
West led the two of diamonds and declarer won with the nine, cashed the king of clubs and played a club to the…..jack. Bravo! No doubt she was influenced by West’s failure to lead a trump against a Grand Slam, but it was still a brave play – not matched by such luminaries as England’s Sandqvist or Norway’s Helgemo. It gave China +2140 and 13 IMPs.
Open Room
East led his spade and West won and returned the six, East ruffing the cashing the ace of clubs and continuing with the queen (perhaps the nine is more subtle). Declarer cashed the ace and king of hearts, crossed to the ace of spades, ruffed a club and when the jack did not appear he had reached this position:
Because declarer had not unblocked the jack of hearts he could not play for the show up squeeze that was possible, but he simply ran the ten of diamonds to record +620. Closed Room
Play developed along similar lines, but after cashing the king of hearts North tried a spade to the ace. East ruffed that for one down and when declarer got the diamonds wrong he was two down, -200 and 13 English IMPs.
Open Room
North led the seven of spades and ignoring the rule of eleven declarer ran it to his king, eventually recording ten tricks, +460. Closed Room
Such is David Gold’s skill that the commentators though he had a fair chance of getting the spade suit right. There were no heroics on the opening lead, South opting to cash the ace of clubs and then switching to the five of hearts. Declarer won in dummy, cashed three rounds of trumps, cashed the king of clubs and ruffed a club to reach this position:
Declarer had some clues, but they were evidently inconclusive. He crossed to the queen of diamonds, ruffed a heart, played a top spade from his hand and was one down, -100 for 10 German IMPs. Had he made it he would have been a contender – maybe certainty – for hand of the year. (More to the point your reporter would have been in pocket!) |
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