Front runners

After reading the Sunday headline in the Daily Bulletin, Zia Mahmood was wondering whether he is about to become classified as one of the "best players never to win a world championship."

Certainly he is one of the best players in the world - and he's working on the world championship part in the Mixed Pairs with Judi Radin, owner of four world titles.

After two qualifying sessions, Zia and Radin were leading and well on their way to qualifying for the final.
Zia joked that he had presented Radin with four pages of system notes, only to have her toss out three of them. Despite the fact that they had only about 10 minutes of discussion (according to Zia, anyway), they were rolling along on the strength of aggressive card play and a bit of luck.

This deal, on the second round, served up the old reliable plus 200 for the first-round leaders.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Radin
	Pass	Pass	1ª
Pass	2ª	3¨	Dble
3©	Dble	All Pass

Zia led a low spade to Radin's ace, and she followed with the §A, a club to Zia's king and a club ruff. Another spade put Zia in, and he continued with a fourth round of clubs. West ruffed with the ©A. He then played the ¨K and ruffed when Radin covered, a spade ruff followed, then another diamond ruff and a claim. The damage was done, however.

On this deal , Zia made a thoughtful play to help his partner on defense.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Radin
	Pass	1§	Dble
1ª	2¨	Pass	Pass
2©	Pass	2ª	All Pass

Zia started with a low diamond, taken in dummy with the ace. Declarer cashed the top clubs, discarding a diamond, and could have done much better by taking the heart finesse, but he ruffed a club and exited with his diamond. Zia, noting the fall of Radin's ¨K at trick one, diagnosed the layout and rose with the ¨Q to put a trump on the table. Radin inserted the 9, which declarer won with the 10. Stuck in his hand, declarer played the ©A and ©Q. Radin won and cashed the ªA, followed by the ªQ, eliminating dummy's trumps. Declarer lost three hearts, one diamond and a spade for plus 110 and a fine score for Zia and Radin.

The opponents - Ann Raymond of New York in particular -- were a bit tougher on the following deal. Raymond was East.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Radin
			Pass
Pass	2§	5©	Pass
Pass	5ª	All Pass

Zia speculated that he might have overcome the five-level preempt had he bid 5NT when the auction got back to him, but that takes nothing away from Raymond's enterprising tactics. North-South, of course, are cold for slam in either black suit.

Zia got even on the next deal, also using hearts to jam the auction.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	ª J 7 6 © Q J 8 6 5 3 ¨ 3 § 6 5 2
ª Q 5 3 © A ¨ A K Q 6 4 § A K 9 4		ª K 10 8 2 © K 9 ¨ 10 9 7 5 2 § J 10
	ª A 9 4 © 10 7 4 2 ¨ J 8 § Q 8 7 3

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Radin
1¨	3©	Pass	4©
Dble	Pass	4ª	All Pass

As you can see, slam in diamonds or spades is a maker. East, however, took a curious view in spades, playing low to the 8 after winning the opening heart lead in dummy. Minus 650 was a very good score for Zia and Radin.
The two ended the first day of play in the Mixed Pairs with an average of 63.8%. All they needed in the third qualifying session was to stay in their seats.

They did more than that, despite some indifferent results, and were leading the field going into the final three sessions.

On Board 1, declarer had more than one way to succeed in 3NT, but Zia took away one of them with another thoughtful defensive play.

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

North opened a strong 1NT and was raised to game by South. Radin led the ©5 to the jack and queen, and Zia returned the 9, overtaken by Radin with the 10 as declarer ducked. When Radin continued with the ©8 to the ace, Zia discarded the ªJ, trying to conceal his possession of the queen to deflect declarer from one of his winning lines of play.

As you can see, declarer could have made the contract by playing Zia for the key cards in diamonds or by playing a spade from dummy, going up with the ace and ducking if Zia followed low - or playing low if Zia put in the queen. That was far from clear, however, and there was an established heart suit looming in the East hand. North cashed four rounds of clubs, giving Zia his chance to get rid of his second spade honor.

In the end, North simply cashed the ¨A, going quietly off one.

The following deal shows Zia at his best, working out the correct line of play in a difficult slam.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª 10 9 8 5 4 © A J 10 ¨ J 10 8 2 § 7
ª A Q 7 6 © K 4 2 ¨ K 7 6 3 § J 5		ª K 3 2 © 7 3 ¨ A 4 § A K Q 10 8 4
	ª J © Q 9 8 6 5 ¨ Q 9 5 § 9 6 3 2

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Radin
		1§	Pass
1¨	Pass	3§	Pass
4§	Pass	4¨	Pass
4NT	Pass	5¨	Pass
6NT	All Pass

Zia's 4§ was forcing, and after the cuebid of 4¨ by Radin, Zia asked for key cards with 4NT, bidding the aggressive slam when Radin showed three.

There would be no story if North had led a club, a diamond or a low spade, but he started the defense with the ª10, which went to the 2, jack and ace. Zia thought about his next play for a long time before putting the ª6 on the table. North followed low, giving Zia brief pause again, but he finally decided to let it ride. That was trick number 12 and Zia had the unlikely slam and just about all the matchpoints.

It would not have mattered if North had covered the ª6. Zia would win the king, then run his winners, arriving at this end position:

	ª 9 4 © A J ¨ --- § ---
ª Q 7 © K ¨ 7 § ---		ª 3 © 7 3 ¨ --- § 8
	ª --- © Q 9 8 ¨ Q § ---

On East's last club, Zia discards his low diamond (South's play is immaterial) and North is caught in a strip-squeeze. He cannot discard a spade or Zia will claim 12 tricks with the queen and 7. So North must discard his ©J, whereupon Zia sticks him in with the ace to lead into the spade tenace at the end.

Radin, who had not paid much attention to the play, commented: "I'm still not sure what went on."