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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Wernie led the ¨7 to the king and ace, and Katz ran off with his nine tricks for plus 600.

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.

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

Wernie led the ªJ and Katz quickly cashed eight more winners for plus 400. Strafner and Simon had another dubious auction

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.

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