Turkey Shoot USA

by Mark Horton

Yesterday’s opening match on VuGraph matched our hosts with the USA. Although almost half the boards were pushes and few IMPs changed hands there was plenty to savour, as the Turkish players played extremely well.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K 8 6 © J 10 9 2 ¨ 10 5 2 § K J 3
ª 10 5 © A K 5 4 ¨ Q 7 4 § 8 6 5 2		ª Q 7 © Q 8 ¨ A K J 9 3 § A Q 10 9
	ª A J 9 4 3 2 © 7 6 3 ¨ 8 6 § 7 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
	Pass	1¨	1ª
Dble*	2ª	Dble*	Pass
3¨	All Pass

East/West have more than enough high cards to warrant a game contract, but 3NT was clearly out of the question and game in either minor required a lot of luck in the club suit.

(Four Hearts is very easy to make, but the 4-2 fit – should that be called a ‘mini Moyse’ (Tacchi suggests a ‘Moysette’) – is not one that is explored too often!)

When South led the seven of clubs declarer was not hard pressed to record twelve tricks, +170.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
	Pass	1¨	3ª
Dble*	All Pass

South’s more buccaneering overcall was harshly dealt with as East was happy to pass his partner’s negative double. West led a club and declarer could make no more than his six trump tricks, three down, -500 and a nice 8 IMP start for Turkey.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª 5 2 © Q 10 8 2 ¨ Q 10 6 5 3 § 6 2
ª A K Q 10 6 © A K 9 ¨ 8 7 4 2 § 9		ª J 9 7 4 © J 7 5 4 ¨ A § A J 10 8
	ª 8 3 © 6 3 ¨ K J 9 § K Q 7 5 4 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
1ª	Pass	3NT*	Pass
4§	Pass	4©	Pass
4NT	Pass	5©	Pass
6©	Pass	6ª	All Pass

3NT promised any 1-4-4-4 shape with a fit for spades. Of course the singleton ace of diamonds was not ideal, for as David Burn pointed out on Bridgebase partner would tend to think that diamond honours were wasted – ¨KQ42 for example. Still, it is hard to find an alternative with the East hand.

Weinstein took quite a long time to bid over Five Hearts, and it occurred to me that perhaps Six Hearts might be the way to investigate for a Grand Slam, although you still can’t be certain that you will have 13 tricks even if partner delivers the queen of hearts – for example a trump lead may be awkward – when Bart Bramley, again on Bridgebase, suggested ‘maybe 6© here?’ and that was Weinstein eventually bid. Either we are getting better, or he is getting worse!

Of course, he had used a great deal of mental energy, and one can speculate on the cumulative effect of that over a long period of matches. His partner had no magic holding, so they stopped safely in the cold slam, +1430.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
1ª	Pass	2§*	Pass
2¨	Pass	2ª	Pass
3§*	Pass	4ª	Pass
5§*	Pass	5¨*	Pass
6ª	All Pass

Two Clubs was game forcing and West did well to go on when his partner bid Four Spades. When East showed a diamond control West had heard enough and flattened the board.

However, neither team could cope with the next slam opportunity:

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª 6 4 © 5 3 ¨ Q 9 6 3 § K 9 8 6 3
ª A K 9 5 2 © Q 9 8 ¨ K 4 § 10 5 4		ª Q 7 3 © A K J 4 2 ¨ A 8 5 2 § 2
	ª J 10 8 © 10 7 6 ¨ J 10 7 § A Q J 7

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
1ª	Pass	2©*	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Pass
4©	All Pass

Is this the type of deal that gives Two over One a bad reputation? When East revealed the double fit should West bid Four Diamonds, or would that suggest more than he actually held? Should East have made one more try?

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
1ª	Pass	2©*	Pass
4©	All Pass

An even shorter auction and the same unsatisfactory conclusion. Was the West hand, with fair heart support and decent controls really a minimum?

Perhaps both pairs should study the auction produced by Canada’s Linda Lee & Katie Thorpe in their match against Finland:

West	North	East	South
	Lee		Thorpe
1ª	Pass	2©*	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Pass
4ª	Pass	4NT*	Pass
5©	Pass	6ª	All Pass

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	ª Q 3 © 10 9 6 3 2 ¨ K 6 5 § K Q 4
ª 10 9 6 4 2 © K 8 7 ¨ Q 10 2 § 10 8		ª A K J 8 7 © A 4 ¨ J 9 4 3 § 9 5
	ª 5 © Q J 5 ¨ A 8 7 § A J 7 6 3 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
	Pass	1ª	2§
3©*	4§	All Pass

The American pair play transfer responses, hence West’s bid. He led the ten of spades – perhaps a count style card would be better – and East won and fatally tried to cash a second spade. Declarer ruffed, played a club to the king, a club to the ace and the queen of hearts.

In due course his losing diamond went away on the hearts, +130.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
	Pass	1ª	2§
3ª	4§	All Pass

West led the two of spades, third and fifth, and East won and switched to the four of diamonds. That put the defenders ahead in this particular race, so they scored +50 and Turkey had 5 deserved IMPs to move them ahead 16-0.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª Q 10 7 3 2 © Q J 8 ¨ 5 3 § A Q 10
ª A 8 4 © 7 ¨ K Q 10 7 6 § J 7 6 4		ª 9 6 5 © K 10 2 ¨ A J 9 2 § 9 5 2
	ª K J © A 9 6 5 4 3 ¨ 8 4 § K 8 3

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
		Pass	1©
Pass	1ª	Pass	2©
Pass	4©	All Pass

Four Hearts simply needed the trump suit to be kind. Not this time, and declarer was one down, -100

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
		Pass	1©
Pass	2¨*	Pass	2©
Dble	Redbl	3¨	All Pass

Two Diamonds was a good raise, and the redouble was possibly suggesting that it might be possible to penalise East/West. South did not have the kind of hand to justify a double, so East was left to play Three Diamonds. South led the king of spades, ducked, and continued with the jack. Declarer won and played a heart to the king and ace. South got out with a diamond and declarer eliminated the hearts while drawing trumps in the hope of some minor miracle, but nothing happened and he was two down, -200.

That gave the USA 7 IMPs, their biggest swing in the match.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª K 6 © A K J 8 6 3 2 ¨ J 7 § 10 6
ª J 10 7 4 3 © 10 7 5 ¨ 6 4 § 8 5 2		ª Q © Q 9 ¨ A K Q 5 3 § Q J 9 7 3
	ª A 9 8 5 2 © 4 ¨ 10 9 8 2 § A K 4

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
			1ª
Pass	2©*	2NT*	Pass
3§	4©	All Pass

East started with two top diamonds and switched to the queen of clubs. Declarer won in dummy and played a heart to the jack. That lost to the queen, but when the outstanding trumps divided 2-1 he was home, +420.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
			1ª
Pass	2§*	2¨	Pass
Pass	Dble*	Pass	2ª*
Pass	2NT*	Pass	3©*
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Two Diamonds is a makeable contract – but with South on lead only for North/South. Having missed an admittedly difficult chance North/South went on to try the nine trick game.

Declarer won the opening lead of the three of diamonds in hand, crossed to the king of clubs and played a heart to the jack. That meant he was one down, -50 and another 10 IMPs for Turkey.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª K J 10 4 © A 7 ¨ K Q 8 5 4 § J 6
ª Q © K 8 5 3 ¨ J 3 2 § 10 8 7 4 3		ª 8 7 6 5 3 © Q J 10 4 ¨ 9 § A Q 5
	ª A 9 2 © 9 6 2 ¨ A 10 7 6 § K 9 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
		Pass	Pass
Pass	1¨	Dble	Redbl
1©	Pass	2©	3¨
Pass	3ª	Pass	4§
Pass	4¨	Pass	5¨
All Pass

Levin did well to come in on the second round and when South bid Three Diamonds it was a while before North bid on, but once he did a game contract was bound to be reached. Declarer won the heart lead and played a diamond to the ace. He drew trumps and cashed the king of spades. When the queen surfaced he took three more rounds of the suit, discarding a heart and then exited with a heart. When East won and tried the five of clubs he put up the king, +400.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
		Pass	1§
Pass	1©	Pass	1ª
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Declarer ducked the heart lead, won the next one and played a diamond to the ace. Notice they both took into account a possible ¨J932 with West. Then he ran the diamonds and advanced the jack of spades, putting up dummy’s ace to good effect. He claimed ten tricks, +430 and 1IMP.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª A K 10 8 7 © K J 10 3 ¨ 4 § 9 4 2
ª Q 4 3 © 4 ¨ Q 10 9 8 7 3 § Q J 3		ª 9 © A 8 7 6 2 ¨ K 5 2 § A 8 7 5
	ª J 6 5 2 © Q 9 5 ¨ A J 6 § K 10 6

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Weinstein	Atabey	Levin	Kolata
	1ª	Dble	2NT*
4¨	4ª	5¨	Dble
All Pass

Only the lead of the ace of hearts will defeat Four Spades, so in that sense East/West did well to sacrifice. North cashed the ace of spades and found the brilliant switch to a diamond, the only genuine way to ensure a two trick defeat.

When South calmly played the six, declarer tried to generate some kind of trump coup ending by ruffing hearts in his hand, but it was not to be and he finished two down, -300.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Zorlu	Welland	Assael	Fallenius
	1ª	Dble	2©
3¨	Pass	Pass	3ª
All Pass

Three Spades was safe enough. East led the ace of hearts, threatening to hold the contract to nine tricks, but he switched to a diamond and declarer came to ten tricks, +170. That gave Turkey 4 IMPs and an overall win by 33-9 IMPs, 20-10 VP.

Any team that holds its opponents to less than an IMP a board is a force to be reckoned with, the more so when it is the mighty USA. Watch out for Turkey!