In the lead

Entering the second final session of the Mixed Pairs, Americans Becky Rogers and Jeff Meckstroth held a slim lead over Judi Radin and Zia Mahmood, also playing under the stars and stripes.

While both pairs avoided collapse, neither had the kind of monster set they would have liked to set them apart from their competitors. Both pairs were, however, still in contention with a session to play.

Rogers and Meckstroth started well against JoAnna and Lew Stansby, bidding a slam that, had the defense gotten off to the best opening lead, would have required some card reading by Meckstroth.

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

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth		Rogers
	Pass	1§	Pass
1©	Pass	2©	Pass
2ª (1)	Pass	3¨	Pass
3ª	Pass	4©	Pass
6©	All Pass

Described as a completely random game try.

Lew Stansby led a passive trump, and Meckstroth was claiming shortly after drawing trumps and losing the diamond finesse. Even a spade lead would have not defeated the contract so long as Meckstroth took the right view in clubs.

That was a good board, but the next one was not.

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

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth		Rogers
		Pass	1NT
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Rogers meant her double to show one minor or both majors, but they had not discussed what they were doing over a weak 1NT, which the Stansbys employ. Meckstroth, with a pretty good hand, was happy to sit for the double.

The opening lead of the ¨7 went to the 4, 5 and 9, and JoAnna played a club to dummy's 10. Rogers won the queen and returned a diamond. Meckstroth ducked, won the club continuation and cashed his diamonds upon getting in with the §A. Declarer had her seven tricks, however, and a fine score of plus 180.
Not long after that, a light opener by Rogers landed her in a game with no legitimate play.

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

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth		Rogers
		1©	Pass
2§	Pass	2©	Pass
3ª (1)	Pass	4©	All Pass

The East-West hands were ill fitting, but Rogers made the most of a bad situation. South led the ¨J, won in hand. Rogers played the §J to South's ace and won the diamond continuation in dummy. She took the right view in trumps, running the 8, but there was just too much work to do. As badly as the cards lay, Rogers did well to hold the contract to down one. In fact, when the board was scored she had tied a player who was one level lower in hearts.

On the next round, Meckstroth played skillfully to get the maximum number of tricks for his side in a notrump game.

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

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth		Rogers
	Pass	1ª	Pass
2§	Pass	2¨	Pass
2ª	Pass	3©	Pass
3NT	All Pass

North led a low heart to the 5, queen and 6. The heart return went to the jack, king and ace, and Meckstroth continued with the top spades from his hand, followed by the ¨9 to dummy's queen. When he cashed the ªK and got the bad news in that suit (North discarding the ©4), Meckstroth continued with the §Q to the king and ace. He cashed the ¨K, noting the fall of the jack, then followed with the §J and ©10. Meckstroth had all the information he needed (North was 2-3 in the majors, increasing the odds that he was 4-4 in the minors; with a five-card minor, North might have led the suit). Meckstroth played a diamond to dummy's 8, conceding his spade loser at the end for a excellent plus 660.

Board 21 was significant for the top two pairs at the end of the second final session: Elizabeth Hugon-Jean-Jacques Palau of France (No. 1) and Rogers-Meckstroth.

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª - © J 5 3 ¨ 10 4 3 § K Q 10 9 7 3 2
ª K J 9 8 4 3 2 © 8 ¨ A K 6 2 § 4		ª 6 5 © K 9 7 4 2 ¨ J 5 § A J 8 5
	ª A Q 10 7 © A Q 10 6 ¨ Q 9 8 7 § 6

For Palau, West, this deal was the first he and Hugon played. He landed in 4ª doubled, presumably after a club preempt by North. The §K went to the ace, and Palau ruffed a club, following with the top two diamonds from hand and a diamond ruff. On the third round of clubs from dummy, if South discards her ¨Q, West must go down. She would be sure of three trump tricks and a heart.

South was reluctant, however, to establish the diamond in declarer's hand by pitching the queen, so she let go a heart. Palau then ruffed his last diamond in dummy, ruffed a club to hand and exited with his singleton heart. Declarer won and played another heart. Palau ruffed with his ª8 (his ninth trick) and, holding the ª K J 9, could get out of his hand with any spade, confident that South was going to have to give him trick No. 10 forthwith. That was plus 590 and a great start to the day.

Meckstroth and Rogers played the deal against Sabine and Jens Auken, and Meckstroth also profited from a slip by a defender.

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth		Rogers
	3§	Pass	Pass
4ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

North started with the §K, taken by Meckstroth with the ace. He played a spade to his 9 and exited with the ©8 to South's 10. She cashed the ªA to remove dummy's last trump and was still on the way to down one when she played the ©A. Meckstroth ruffed, cashed the ªK and put South in with the ªQ.

Sabine Auken had to play up to dummy, but she could still have defeated the contract with a low heart return. Meckstroth could have discarded one losing diamond on the ©K, but he would still have a diamond trick to lose. South, apparently hoping partner had a diamond honor, exited in that suit, allowing Meckstroth to run it to dummy's jack. The other diamond loser went on the ©K and he, too, had plus 590.

Another aggressive bid by Rogers worked out badly for her side as she landed in another no-play game. This time, however, she didn't get out for down one.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª Q 8 3 © A K J 5 ¨ K 10 9 8 4 § 10
ª A K 9 6 © Q 8 6 4 ¨ 7 § A K Q 5		ª 10 5 © 10 9 7 3 ¨ A J 5 § J 9 6 3
	ª J 7 4 2 © 2 ¨ Q 6 3 2 § 8 7 4 2

West	North	East	South
Meckstroth		Rogers
			Pass
1§	Dble	1©	Pass
4¨	Pass	4©	All Pass

The contract can always be defeated two tricks if South starts with her singleton trump, but she started with a low spade. Rogers could have managed down one: ªA, spade ruff, club to dummy, spade ruff, then play on clubs or hearts. North makes four trump tricks but that's all. Rogers didn't enter the Mixed Pairs to settle for down one, and North didn't have to be so well-heeled in hearts, in which case she might have made her contract.

Accordingly, she won the spade lead in dummy, played a diamond to the ace, ruffed a diamond, played a club to her hand and ruffed her last diamond. She then played a low heart away from the now-doubleton ©Q. North won the jack, cashed the top two trumps and punched Rogers' last trump with a diamond. He was able to ruff the second round of clubs and cash a diamond winner for plus 200.