On a roll
One of the hottest pairs in the Olympiad
have been Howard Weinstein and Steve Garner of the USA team
in the Open series. In the second set of USA's quarterfinal
match against Austria, Weinstein and Garner showed their value
to their team, bidding aggressively and, more importantly, landing
their contracts.
The first board played in the open room
(the match was on vugraph) was sign of what was to come.
Board 31. Dealer South. N/S
Vul. |
|
ª
Q J 7 3
© 10 7 4
2
¨ A K
§ 6 5 2 |
ª
A 2
© A K J 9
8 3
¨ 8 7 6 4
§ 9 |
|
ª
K 10 9 8
© Q 5
¨ 9 5 2
§ K Q 7 4 |
|
ª
6 5 4
© 6
¨ Q J 10
3
§ A J 10
8 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Strafner |
Garner |
Simon |
Weinstein |
|
|
|
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2© |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
Pass |
2NT (1) |
Dble |
3§ |
Pass |
Pass |
Dble |
All Pass |
(1) Expressing doubt about
where to play.
|
Weinstein's
balancing double at unfavorable vulnerability is aggressive,
but Garner was marked with some values on the auction.
The contract could have been defeated
easily, and probably should have been, but Michael Strafner
and Josef Simon erred in defense and Weinstein took full advantage.
Strafner led the ©A and switched to the
ªA and a spade to Simon's king. A spade back at that point would
have assured down one, but Simon opted for the forcing game,
playing the ©Q. Weinstein ruffed, but he still had to play carefully
to bring home the doubled contract.
Weinstein entered dummy with a diamond
and played a club from dummy. Simon split his honors and Weinstein
won the ace. He played another diamond to dummy and another
trump. Simon had to duck or Weinstein would have an easy road
to nine tricks.
Weinstein won the 10 and stopped to assess
his chances.
Weinstein could drive out the §K by playing
the 10, but Simon would be in control. He would simply lock
Weinstein in dummy with a spade, and the only way for declarer
to get to his hand would be to ruff with his last trump. Weinstein
would be able to cash a diamond, but Simon would win the last
two tricks for down one.
Weinstein worked out the right line of
play, however. He ruffed the ¨J, ruffed a heart, then played
a spade to dummy's jack. With two tricks to go, Weinstein was
in dummy with the ª7 and ©10. East held the §K 7. Weinstein
had the ¨Q and the §10. Weinstein could lead either major, catching
Simon in coup en passant. One way or the other, Weinstein could
score the §10 for nine tricks and plus 670.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Jacobs |
Kriftner |
Katz |
Wernie |
|
|
|
Pass |
1© |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
2© |
All Pass |
|
|
George Kriftner led the top diamonds,
and Jacobs could not avoid two more minor-suit losers, but he
made an overtrick for plus 140 and a 13-IMP swing to the USA.
There was more bad news for Austria when
the open room went back to the start of the sequence of boards.
Garner and Weinstein, who seemed to be getting to game - and
making it - on just about any two hands with a couple of face
cards, were right there again on this deal.
Board 18. Dealer East. N/S
Vul. |
|
ª
Q 9 7
© A K 2
¨ 9 8 7 3
2
§ Q 4 |
ª
K 8 3
© Q 9 7 4
¨ J 5 4
§ A K 10 |
|
ª
10 5 4 2
© 6 5 3
¨ K 6
§ 9 7 6 5 |
|
ª
A J 6
© J 10 8
¨ A Q 10
§ J 8 3
2 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Jacobs |
Kriftner |
Katz |
Wernie |
|
|
Pass |
1¨
(1) |
Dble |
1NT |
All Pass |
|
(1) Precision.
|
Kriftner's 1NT does not do justice to
a hand with 11 HCP and a five-card suit, and one can hardly
blame Sascha Wernie for passing. East led a low spade and Kriftner
ended with 10 tricks for plus 180.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Strafner |
Garner |
Simon |
Weinstein |
|
|
Pass |
1§ |
Dble |
Redble |
1ª |
Pass |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
By contrast, Garner liked his 11 high-card
points and five-card diamond suit, so he didn't settle for 1NT
at his second turn. Weinstein had an easy raise to game.
Simon led the ©3 to the jack and queen
(Strafner might have done better to duck this trick). Garner
won the ace and played a diamond to the 10. Strafner won the
¨J and returned a heart to Garner's king. When he played another
diamond and the king popped up on his left, Garner knew where
the ªK was. He won the ¨A, cashed the queen and played a low
spade from dummy. All Strafner could do was play his top clubs,
hoping partner had the queen. That was plus 600 and 9 IMPs to
USA.
This was the set for notrump contracts.
There were 32 contracts in the match - one at each table for
16 boards - and 20 of those contracts were notrump. At least
a couple more should have been in notrump. Interestingly, the
contracts were 1NT and 3NT. No one played 2NT.
The following deal was a push, but Austria
could just as easily have lost 10 IMPs by not playing game in
notrump.
Board 20. Dealer West. Both
Vul. |
|
ª
K 7 6
© J 4 3
¨ A K Q 7
§ Q 10 3 |
ª
10 9 8 4 2
© K 8 6 5
¨ 10 5
§ A 7 |
|
ª
J 5
© Q 10 9 7
2
¨ J 8
§ K 6 5 2 |
|
ª
A Q 3
© A
¨ 9 6 4 3
2
§ J 9 8
4 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Jacobs |
Kriftner |
Katz |
Wernie |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2§ |
Pass |
2¨ |
Pass |
3© |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
5¨ |
All Pass |
|
|
|
This contract could have been defeated
with a club lead (West gets a ruff on the third round of clubs),
but Katz started with the ªJ and it was over quickly. Plus 400.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Strafner |
Garner |
Simon |
Weinstein |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
|
Weinstein stuck with the formula, bidding
what he thought he partner could make. Garner won the heart
opening lead in dummy and started with the ¨9. If diamonds were
4-0 with all of them in the West hand, West might err by covering.
That was not a concern this time, and Garner had his nine tricks.
A routine push.
On this deal, Simon had a chance to join
the 3NT parade, but he made a poor decision that cost his side
a game swing.
Board 22. Dealer East. E/W
Vul. |
|
ª
J 5 3
© A 9 7
6 2
¨ K 10 9
§ 7 6 |
ª
A K 9 6 2
© Q 8
¨ 6 5 4
§ A 10 8 |
|
ª
Q
© J 5 3
¨ A J 3 2
§ K Q J 5
2 |
|
ª
10 8 7 4
© K 10 4
¨ Q 8 7
§ 9 4 3 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Jacobs |
Kriftner |
Katz |
Wernie |
|
|
1§ |
Pass |
1ª |
Pass |
1NT |
Pass |
2¨
(1) |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
(1) Checkback.
|
Wernie led the ¨7 to the king and ace,
and Katz ran off with his nine tricks for plus 600.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Strafner |
Garner |
Simon |
Weinstein |
|
|
1¨ |
Pass |
2§
(1) |
Pass |
3§ |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
4§ |
All Pass |
(1) Canape.
|
One wonders where Simon was going with
the 4§ bid. The other big question is what is wrong with 3NT?
Something is amiss when two hands with a combined 27 HCP and
stoppers in all suits grind to a halt in a partscore. Even 5§
would have had a chance. Anyway, Garner led the ©A and continued
with a heart to Weinstein's king. Strafner was soon claiming
for plus 130 and a 10-IMP loss.
Both declarers did well on the following
deal to bring home nine tricks in 3NT.
Board 24. Dealer West. None
Vul. |
|
ª
10 7
© Q 6 3
¨ 9
§ A Q 10
8 6 5 3 |
ª
5 4
© A 9 8 4
2
¨ Q 7 2
§ K 9 4 |
|
ª
A K J 8 2
© K J
¨ J 10 8 4
§ J 7 |
|
ª
Q 9 6 3
© 10 7 5
¨ A K 6 5
3
§ 2 |
The auction was the same at both tables.
West |
North |
East |
South |
Strafner |
Garner |
Simon |
Weinstein |
Jacobs |
Kriftner |
Katz |
Wernie |
Pass |
3§ |
3ª |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
In
the closed room, Kriftner led the ¨9
to the king, and Wernie switched to his club. Kriftner played
three rounds of the suit to George Jacobs' §K,
and Jacobs (surely without much hope of success), played a low
heart to the jack. Jacobs unblocked the ©K
and played another diamond. South won the ace and played a third
diamond, and Jacobs had an entry to his good hearts, and he
ended with five hearts, two spades, a diamond and a club.
Garner started with a heart, and Strafner
inserted the jack, no doubt expecting it to be covered. When
the ©J held, the first hurdle had been crossed. He played a
low diamond from dummy, ducked by Weinstein, and he cashed the
hearts. A diamond to dummy put Weinstein in and he switched
to a club. Garner took two club tricks and got out with a spade,
but Strafner had the timing. All he needed to do was to drive
out the ¨A for his ninth trick.
Austria picked up 7 IMPs when both pairs
went plus - Strafner-Simon in 3§, making four, and Kriftner-Wernie
in 3ª, making four.
On this deal, Strafner and Simon avoided
the cold 3NT, playing a touch-and-go 5¨ instead. Fortunately
for them, Simon was up to the task as declarer.
Board 30. Dealer East. None
Vul. |
|
ª
9 7 5
© K 8 6
4
¨ Q 9 2
§ 10 7 4 |
ª
K 4
© A 5
¨ K 6 5 3
§ A J 8 6
3 |
|
ª
Q 3
© Q J 9 3
¨ A 8 7 4
§ K Q 2 |
|
ª
A J 10 8 6 2
© 10 7 2
¨ J 10
§ 9 5 |
West |
North |
East |
South |
Jacobs |
Kriftner |
Katz |
Wernie |
|
|
1¨ |
1ª |
2ª |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3NT |
All Pass |
|
|
Wernie led the ªJ and Katz quickly cashed
eight more winners for plus 400. Strafner and Simon had another
dubious auction
West |
North |
East |
South |
Strafner |
Garner |
Simon |
Weinstein |
|
|
1© |
2ª |
Dble |
Pass |
3¨ |
Pass |
3ª |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4¨ |
Pass |
5¨ |
All Pass |
Perhaps Strafner was playing his partner
to have longer diamonds than was actually the case. The result,
in any case, was a tenuous contract that was in danger.
Weinstein led the §9, and Simon played
deceptively by rising with the ace. He played a diamond to his
ace and made the excellent play of a low spade from hand. It
was very difficult for Weinstein to work out that he must rise
with the ªA and play a heart. After all, Simon had bid 3NT.
Playing the high spade would give Simon a discard if he started
with three or more spades to the queen. After some thought,
Weinstein played the ª8, forcing the king. That was all Simon
needed. He cashed the ¨K and played a club to his hand. He cashed
the other high club, entered dummy with the ©A and discarded
his losing spade on the §J and Garner ruffed in with the master
trump. Simon lost only a heart from that point. It was well
played in a difficult contract to earn a push.
USA won the set to take an 83-45 lead
with 48 boards to play.
|