USA 1 vs Thailand

Segment 2

As the second session of the semi-final under way Thailand were in need of a good start so as to put some pressure on their opponents.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1©	Pass	2§*	Dbl
2¨	Pass	3¨	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Joe Grue, USA

East's use of Drury gave South the chance to double, although it is not entirely clear why he wanted to take it, and as a result East/West avoided the hesrt game. A club lead would almost certainly lead to the defeat of 3NT but South's bid was for take out and North lead a spade. Declarer won with the king, cashed the king of hearts and played a low heart. US supporters were willing him to put in the nine but he eventually went up with the ace. He then decided to simply clear the hearts, hoping there might be a way to endplay South to lead away from the king of diamonds. Careful defence made sure that did not happen, and the contract was one down, -50. Could Thailand start with a game swing?

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
	Pass	1¨	Pass
1©	Pass	1NT	Pass
2§*	Pass	2©	Pass
4©	All Pass

Four Hearts had no hope when North led the eight of clubs and declarer finished two down, -100 and 3 IMPs to USA I.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
			Pass
Pass	Pass	2§	Pass
2©*	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

South led a heart and declarer did not waste time, simply claiming nine tricks. East/West had done well to avoid the 5-3 heart fit and sure enough the auction in the other room was totally different:

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
			Pass
Pass	3§	Dbl	Pass
3ª	Pass	4©	All Pass

You could make a case for East to bid 3NT at either of his turns, however the question was could he make Four Hearts? South led the king of clubs and declarer won and made the reasonable but losing play of the king of hearts. However, South, who should have won this and played a club, gave declarer a chance by ducking. Now declarer can get home by playing a low spade and putting in the eight.. Not an easy play to find and when declarer missed it he was eventually one down, -100 and 12 IMPs to the USA. If declarer plays a low heart at trick two he can set up a winning position by leading either the queen or ten of spades.

Jaturong Yaempan, Thailand

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
	1ª	Pass	2¨
Pass	2ª	Pass	3§
Pass	3NT?	All Pass

What was North thinking of?
East led the ace of hearts and West played the nine, promising an odd number. When East played the king, West started unblocking, so that his partner took all five heart tricks for the defence.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
	1ª	2©	3¨
4©	Pass	Pass	4ª
All Pass

As at the other table, the players from Thailand fell in love with their hearts, although overcalling on the East hand is, shall we say, dubious.
South did well to bid Four Spades and was not troubled in the play, ruffing the second heart in dummy, cashing the ace of spades and eventually losing a trump and a diamond for +620 and another 12 USA I IMPs.

Neither team coped with the next deal:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
		Pass	1§
Pass	1¨	1ª	Pass
Pass	2©	Pass	3NT
Pass	4©	All Pass

One Diamond is a strange way to start proceedings on the North hand, and although he reversed and clearly showed a powerful red two suiter you can't help but feel that North should have bid more somewhere along the way. +510.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
		Pass	1§
Pass	1©	1ª	Dbl
Pass	3¨	Pass	3NT
Pass	4¨	Pass	4©
Pass	4ª	Pass	5§
Pass	5¨	Pass	5©
All Pass

This might make a good hand for one of those 'You be the Jury' type features, although it looks as if South should have jumped to Six Hearts at his final turn.
So a missed opportunity.

The only pair to bid the slam were from Israel:

West	North	East	South
Bjarnarson	Roll	Askgaard	Schneider
		Pass	1§
Pass	1©	1ª	Dbl
2ª	4NT	Pass	5¨
Pass	6©	All Pass

In making sure his side got to a slam I think North had the right idea, although you could compose hands where it was better to play in diamonds.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
			Pass
1¨	Pass	Pass	1©
1NT	All Pass

North led the tem of hearts and declarer won with the king and ducked a spade, South winning to return a heart. In dummy for the only time declarer tried a club to the king. North won and cashed the queen and tem of clubs. South had followed with the three, four and nine, but any suit preference inference was lost on North who played a spade, one down instead of three down.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
			Pass
1§	1¨	3§	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Brad Campbell, USA

North led the jack of diamonds and South put up the ace and switched to the queen of spades. If declarer had ducked smoothly he might have arrived at seven tricks with some help, but he won and played the jack of clubs. He finished down three, -300 and 5 IMPs to the USA team, looking in very good shape at this point. Finally something good happened for Thailand:

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
1§	Pass	1ª	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
3§	Pass	All Pass

West's clubs could have been weaker, so it was not absurd to pass with the East hand - but it gave Thailand a chance.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
1§	Pass	1ª	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
3§	Pass	3NT	All Pass

South led a heart and it was soon over, +490 and eight badly needed IMPs.

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
			2¨
Dbl	3¨	3ª	All Pass

East's 'Gruesome' bid met with a grizzly fate. South led the king of diamonds and switched to a heart for North. Back cam a diamond followed by three more rounds of hears. Declarer ruffed with the eight and South overruffed. A slight misplay later Declarer was down five, -250.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
			2¨
Dbl	3¨	All Pass

Declarer made tem tricks for +130 but lost 3 IMPs.

So far the set had been going well for the USA in terms of points scored but now the tide turned.

Session 2. Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.   ª J 9 3 © 10 4 ¨ J 8 5 3 § A 10 6 3 ª K Q 8 4 © K 7 3 2 ¨ 10 7 § J 8 5 ª 7 6 5 © Q J 8 ¨ K Q 9 6 4 2 § 7   ª A 10 2 © A 9 6 5 ¨ A § K Q 9 4 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
	Pass	Pass	1§
Pass	1¨	Pass	1©
Pass	3§	Pass	5§
All Pass

West led the tem of diamond and declarer won and crossed to dummy with a trump to play the ten of hearts. East did not split his honours, so West won and thinking his side needed spade tricks, switched to the king of spades. That was all the help declarer needed and he was able to ruff his losing hearts in dummy for +600.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
	Pass	2¨	Dbl
Pass	2NT	Pass	3§
All Pass

A sensible result that cost 10 IMPs.

Session 2. Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.   ª K 5 © Q 9 7 6 3 ¨ J 10 9 § J 10 6 ª 6 3 © A 10 4 ¨ Q 7 3 § K 9 8 7 3 ª Q 10 9 8 7 4 © 8 2 ¨ A 4 § 5 4 2   ª A J 2 © K J 5 ¨ K 8 6 5 2 § A Q

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mignocchi	Chitngamkurd	Grue	Trimanka
			1¨
Pass	1©	2ª	Dbl
Pass	3¨	Pass	3NT
All Pass

West led a club and declarer won and went after the hearts. When West won and cleared the clubs declarer only needed the spade finesse for nine tricks, +600.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sasibut	Wooldridge	Limsinsopon	Campbell
			1¨
2§	Pass	2ª	All Pass

West's amazing bid kept North/South quiet and although it looks as if declarer must lose three spades, one heart, one diamond and one or two clubs. However, South, with an awkward lead, selected the six of diamonds and when declarer put up the queen one loser had vanished. A later error by the defence allowed him to record +110. 12 IMPs to Thailand, who had managed to win the set 38-37 having trailed 35-1 after 7 boards.