Tournament Stories

A Follow-Up Discussion - by Phillip Alder

In Tuesday's bulletin, I discussed the play in 3NT on this deal:

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

When Geoffrey Foster-Taylor read my article, he shot off an e-mail. He argued that after South wins the second heart trick and plays a spade to dummy's queen, he should play the nine or ten of clubs and, assuming East does not contribute the king, go up with the ace, to avoid the chance that West might get in with a singleton king to run his hearts.

When only low clubs appear, South plays a spade to the king and calls for the nine of clubs. If East plays low or the jack, declarer puts up his queen. That is the best line. Even when East has king-jack-fourth of clubs, the contract is safe if declarer works out who holds the king of diamonds. But note that if West has five hearts and the king of diamonds, declarer must be careful to unblock dummy's clubs. If he calls for the four of clubs at trick four, then, when South is next back in the dummy and leads the ten of clubs, East can defeat the contract by winning with his king and returning his last spade, West throwing a diamond. The clubs are blocked and declarer cannot untangle his nine tricks.

The Only Way - by Mark Horton

The way in which Bulletins are put together is changing. In times past, journalists from around the world would rush in to the Bulletin room with articles and we would be able to feature players from all over the world. Nowadays that happens infrequently at best, and even with three Editors it is simply impossible to report on every fine piece of play - there are only so many places you can be at one time.

Still, every once in a while we manage to locate a little gem, for example this deal from Round 8 of the Bermuda Bowl.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth	El Ahmady	Rodwell	Sadek
			Pass
Pass	1♠	Dbl	Rdbl
Pass	Pass	2♥	Pass
Pass	3NT	All Pass

When East decided to start with the ace of diamonds the appearance of East's queen was all the good news declarer needed. He won the heart switch with dummy's queen and played a diamond to his ten. He forced out the ace of diamonds and when East cashed the ace of hearts he claimed ten tricks and +630.

Checking the results in other matches I discovered that 3NT had been made every time it had been bid - except one. Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Dagher	Hamman	El Kourdy	Soloway
			Pass
Pass	1♠	Dbl	2♣
Pass	2♦	Pass	3♣
Pass	3NT	All Pass

East led the two of clubs and declarer played low from dummy, West winning with the queen. At this point there is only one card that will defeat the contract and Hani Dagher found it - the queen of diamonds!

With the diamonds unblocked East could cash out for one down when he gained the lead with the ace of hearts.

Count Your Way Through a Minefield - by Phillip Alder

Round 18 saw the first meeting between France and U.S.A.1 in the Venice Cup. The French won the match by 68-31 in imps, or 24-6 in vps. But Sue Picus gained 12 of those 31 imps by finding a safe way through the minefield on this deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Levin	d'Ovidio	Picus	Gaviard
Pass	1♠	2♣	4♠
5♣	Dble	All Pass

Daniele Gaviard led the ace of spades. Declarer ruffed and played a trump to dummy's ten. After winning with her jack, Catherine d'Ovidio returned the king of spades, ruffed by East. A diamond to the jack was followed by the queen of clubs, which was run when North played low. (Although North's double was revealing, she was marked with the king of clubs for her opening bid.) A club to the king and ace, the king of diamonds, and a diamond to the ace came next. When North followed throughout, her 5=2=3=3 (or perhaps 6=1=3=3) distribution became known. A low heart off the dummy to declarer's ace did not pick up an honor card, so East passed the ten of hearts. When that brought down the king, Picus claimed for plus 550.

In the other room, Benedicte Cronier ruffed the ace of spades, then played the ace and another club, going one down and giving U.S.A.1 12 imps. The only other declarer in the Venice Cup to win eleven tricks with clubs as trumps was Catharina Midskog from Sweden, but she was in six clubs! In each of the Seniors and Bermuda Bowls, three Easts made five clubs on the lead of the ace of spades: Pierre Adad (France), Masayuki Ino (Japan) and Zia (U.S.A.2); Eric Greco (U.S.A.2), Patrick Huang (Chinese Taipei) and Tom Jacob (New Zealand).

Make no Mistake by Mark Horton

I am currently working on a book that reveals the difference between the bridge master and the bridge amateur. Nothing fancy you understand, just simple points that the expert never misses.

Take a look at this deal from the fifth session of the Venice Cup Quarter finals:

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ J 4 3 2 ♥ J 8 7 ♦ A K 8 ♣ 8 6 4
♠ 9 ♥ Q 10 4 ♦ Q J 10 9 7 3 ♣ A 10 9		♠ A K 10 6 5 ♥ A K 6 3 ♦ 2 ♣ Q 7 2
	♠ Q 8 7 ♥ 9 5 2 ♦ 6 5 4 ♣ K J 5 3

West	North	East	South
Brunner	Auken	Goldenfield	von Arnim
	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♦	Pass	2♥	Pass
2NT	Pass	3NT	All Pass

In the other room Germany had recorded +140 in Two Hearts, so England would be off to a good start in their attempt to get back into the match if they could bring home 3NT.

North led the six of clubs and West took the jack with the ace and played a top diamond. North won and played a second club and declarer played low from dummy. Our amateur South, knowing that North had started with only three clubs, would almost certainly duck, ensuring two more tricks in the suit. Our expert - at least this one - looked further and took the trick with the king and returned a club. That put declarer in dummy and she was a vital entry short to establish and enjoy the diamonds. Of course, this deal may well feature in the defensive section of the book, but perhaps it should also be in the one about declarer play! If declarer simply puts up the queen of clubs at trick one the contract can never be defeated.

Transnational Endplay

Our first exhibit from the Transnational Teams sees a nice endplay from Ireland's Hugh McGann to bring home his game contract against a top Dutch team.

Round 6. Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ J 9 4 3 2 ♥ Q 10 6 2 ♦ 9 6 3 ♣ 10
♠ Q 7 5 ♥ A 8 7 5 4 3 ♦ 7 4 ♣ J 5		♠ A K 10 6 ♥ K J ♦ J 8 5 2 ♣ 6 3 2
	♠ 8 ♥ 9 ♦ A K Q 10 ♣ A K Q 9 8 7 4

West	North	East	South
Jansma	Hanlon	Verhees	McGann
-	-	1♣	Pass
2♦(i)	Pass	2♥(ii)	5♣
All Pass

(i) Multi-response
(ii) Pass or correct

McGann passed over the 1♣ opening but jumped to 5♣ at his next turn, giving up on an unlikely slam. Jan Jansma led ace and another heart, and McGann ruffed then drew a few rounds of trumps. Jansma pitched a diamond to help his partner with his discards, but this gave McGann the final clue to confirm that the distribution was as he already expected (East seemed to have a weak no trump with two hearts and three clubs, so should be 4-2-4-3). He cashed two top diamonds, seeing Jansma show out, then cashed the rest of the trumps. Louk Verhees had to keep two diamonds so was forced to come down to just one spade. McGann exited with his spade at trick eleven and Verhees had to win and lead into the ♦Q10 to give the contract. Had Verhees come down to a singleton low spade, Jansma would have been able to win the spade trick with his queen, but would then have had to give dummy the last two tricks with the ♠J and ♥Q. There was no escape after trick two. In the other room, East again opened 1♣ but South overcalled 5♣ immediately. The diamond lead did not challenge declarer, so McGann's good play was necessary just to flatten the board.