Mixed Pairs Qualifying Session One

The first session of the Mixed Pairs Qualifying stage got under way remarkably promptly yesterday morning. With so many pairs to choose from it was a pure guess where the best action would take place. Alas, through no fault of the players, I managed to pick a particularly dull series of deals. Hopefully, my co-editor, who was watching a different part of the movement, will have more to report.

I started by watching a few deals at the table where Sweden's Magnus Lindkvist was partnering Terri Weigkricht of Austria then moved on to watch Pablo Lambardi of Argentina and Venezuela's Padma Daryanani.

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

West	North	East	South
D'Orsi	Lambardi	Daryanani	Gerard
			Pass
1©	Pass	2¨	Pass
2©	Pass	4©	All Pass

WBF Past-President Ernesto D'Orsi and current Vice-President Joan Gerard had a standard auction to 4©. Lambardi led the ace of clubs and didn't very much like what he saw. He switched to a diamond for the jack and king, D'Orsi dropping the ten. Daryanani switched back to clubs and D'Orsi won in hand and led a diamond to the nine. The nine of hearts was covered by jack and queen. Crossing to dummy to take a second heart finesse risked defeat if North had ducked the heart king so D'Orsi settled for cashing the ace of trumps and had to concede a trick to the king; +620.

Board 4 was a dull 4© contract for E/W, making an overtrick.

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

West	North	East	South
Bates	Lambardi	Klar	Daryanani
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1©	Pass	1ª	2¨
3©	All Pass

No doubt there would be a few pairs who reached the heart game on this one but Roger Bates/Robin Klar stopped safely in 3©. Lambardi led the jack of diamonds to the ace and a low diamond was returned to declarer's king. Bates cashed the top hearts then played four rounds of spades to pitch two club losers.

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

West	North	East	South
Bates	Lambardi	Klar	Daryanani
		1¨	2ª
Dble	3ª	Pass	Pass
Dble	Pass	4¨	All Pass

The partscore battle ended in 4¨, with Daryanani leading the ace of spades. Lambardi dropped the king on that and the switch was to a heart, ducked to the jack. With the hearts in danger of being established, Lambardi switched to a low club for the king and ace. Klar played a diamond to the queen then played the §J to establish a discard for a spade loser. From here she could ruff one spade, draw trumps then pitch the other; +130.

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

West	North	East	South
Maas	Lindkvist	Glabbeek	Weigkricht
			1¨
Pass	1©	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Lindkvist's 1© response was fairly safe in the canapé style where his partner might have five hearts but was unlikely to hold a four-card suit. The lead was a heart to the queen and ace and Weigkricht played a diamond to the ace then ran the §Q to the king. The heart continuation went to the ten and king and a third heart was played. Weigkricht took the percentage play in the diamond suit, running the jack, so the Dutch defenders came to a long heart; +600.

Daryanani opened 1¨ and Lambardi responded 3NT. The lead was again a heart, the queen from Beth Palmer. Lambardi won the ace and played a low diamond to the nine from Steve Robinson and ace. The club finesse lost and a heart returned to the king and ace. The hearts were cleared and Lambardi led the ¨J off the table. When Robinson followed low, Lambardi thought for a while but finally ran it to the doubleton queen; +600.

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

West	North	East	South
Maas	Lindkvist	Glabbeek	Weigkricht
1§	Pass	1©	Dble
Rdbl	1ª	3NT	All Pass

Weigkricht led a spade to the jack and king and Hedwig van Glabbeek led a diamond to the king then cashed three hearts, crossed to a top club and cashed the fourth heart. She tried the clubs next and when they did not divide evenly settled for nine tricks; +400.

Robinson opened 1¨ on the West cards so that South did not hold the right suits to get involved. Robinson rebid 1NT and was raised to game. Played this way up the ninth trick could not be given on the lead but it didn't matter. Lambardi led a club to dummy's queen and Robinson played a diamond to the king then back to the ten and jack. Daryanani exited passively with a club and Robinson won in hand to play a third diamond. Daryanani won and exited with a diamond to the nine. Robinson cashed the hearts and had to decide whether to settle for nine tricks by crossing to the §A or play a spade up for the overtrick. On the third and fourth diamonds, Lambardi had thrown first the ª3 (reverse) then the ª9. That looked like or AH9x and Robinson tried a spade up, giving the last four tricks to Daryanani (he had pitched a spade himself from dummy, of course to keep the two aces); two down for -100. A good card, the nine of spades, as the ª4 would have been much less tempting to declarer.

Boards 9 and 10 were dull at my tables but there was some action on Board 11.

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

West	North	East	South
Chen	Lindkvist	Sun	Weigkricht
			1ª
2¨	2ª	Dble	Pass
3¨	3ª	Pass	Pass
4¨	Dble	All Pass

The strong Chinese pair bid just once too often in competition. Chen was perhaps a little unlucky to find Sun with only a singleton diamond. With his maximum hand and nothing in spades, Lindkvist had a clear matchpoint double and duly made it. He led a spade and Weigkricht took two of those and switched to a club. Chen rose with the ace and cashed two heart tricks, throwing a club. Now he too a diamond finesse and Lindkvist won and played king then queen of clubs. Chen ruffed but there was still a second diamond to lose; -300.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 9 4 3 © 10 8 3 ¨ A 3 § A 5 3 2
ª A 8 2 © Q 9 6 4 ¨ K J § K J 10 7		ª K 7 © K 7 5 2 ¨ Q 8 7 4 § Q 9 8
	ª J 10 6 5 © A J ¨ 10 9 6 5 2 § 6 4

Chen opened a 13-15 no trump and Sun used Stayman then invited with a raise to 3©. Chen passed 3hx. The heart game can be defeated if South gets a club ruff, otherwise its fate is decided by declarer's heart play. But Lindkvist led a low heart and Weigkricht won the ace and returned the ©J, after which there were no further problems; +170.