Little Fish are Sweet

With every match dealing at the table we have had to shelve our plans to cover every board in the qualifying rounds of the McConnell. Our roving reporters will be watching out for sensational deals, but there were none on offer in the encounter we chose to watch in Round 1 that involved teams from France and China.

However, just because big numbers are not involved does not mean the hands will be dull and three part-score deals had points of interest.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sun Ming	Varen	Wang Hong Li	Hugon
			Pass
Pass	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	2ª	All Pass

Rather than mention her diamonds North preferred to repeat her spades, but on this deal Two Spades was always going to be the final contract.

East led the three of hearts and declarer went up with the ace and played the two of spades for the jack, queen and king. East played a second heart, covered by the jack and king and declarer ruffed. She played the three of diamonds and East correctly went up with the king, West playing the seven. It is not clear why East did not simply play another diamond, ensuring a ruff and the defeat of the contract, but when she exited with a spade declarer could draw trumps and play on diamonds to ensure eight tricks.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Rossard	Sun	Faivre	Wang
			Pass
Pass	1ª	Pass	1NT
Pass	2ª	All Pass

The same opening lead, and play to trick one, but at trick two declarer tried a club to the king and ace. East decided to exit with a spade so declarer won with the queen, cashed the ace and exited with a spade to East's king. At this point East has eight cards left in her hand and she unfortunately selected the only one to allow the contract to make, namely the seven of spades. Declarer could win and play on diamonds - no swing.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sun Ming	Varen	Wang Hong Li	Hugon
Pass	Pass	1¨*	Pass
1©	Pass	1ª	All Pass

One Spade did not prove to be a testing contract. South led a heart and declarer won and played a spade to the jack and queen. South played a second heart and declarer won and played a two top clubs and ruffed a club. Now eight tricks were assured, +110.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Rossard	Sun	Faivre	Wang
Pass	Pass	1NT	Pass
2¨*	Pass	2©	Pass
2NT	Pass	3©	All Pass

West was facing a 15-17 no-trump, so with a fair five card suit it was not ridiculous to go in search of a possibly thin vulnerable game. South found the excellent trump lead and declarer won and fatally played a diamond. That went to South's eight and she played a second trump. Declarer won and played a diamond and it looked reasonably clear for North to go up with the king hoping to hold the trick and be able to play a third trump. When she played the ten East's jack forced South to win and declarer could not be prevented from ruffing a diamond , ensuring that the contract would be made. 1 IMP to the French squad.

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Sun Ming	Varen	Wang Hong Li	Hugon
		Pass	1§
Pass	1ª	Pass	2ª
All Pass

East led the king of diamonds and switched to a heart. Declarer put up the ace and finessed the jack of spades. East won and played the two of diamonds, ruffed in dummy. Declarer played the king of clubs and West took the ace and tried the king of hearts. Declarer ruffed and played the jack of diamonds, covered by East and ruffed and overuffed. West exited with a club and declarer had nine tricks, +140.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Rossard	Sun	Faivre	Wang
		Pass	1¨*
Pass	1ª	Pass	2ª
3§	3¨	Pass	3ª
All Pass

West's put her head on the block with her delayed entry into the auction, and if the guillotine had been able to fall she would have been severely punished, as best defence holds declarer to just five tricks. However it was her lucky day, as North felt she had to investigate the possibility of South having real diamonds, which is not a view your Editor agrees with.

East led the jack of clubs and when declarer put up the king West ducked. Declarer played dummy's diamond and West took the ace and switched to the king of hearts. That was taken by the ace and declarer ruffed a heart, ruffed adiamond and played the jack of hearts. West ruffed with the ten of spades and declarer overuufed with the jack and played a diamond. At this point the contract can be made by ruffing with the queen and then playing two rounds of spades, as West will have to give dummy two club tricks, but declarer ruffed with the seven of spades and was overuffed by the eight. West cashed the ace of clubs and exited with a club, ruffed by East with the king of spades. With four cards remaining, three hearts and a diamond, East was odds on to defeat the contract, as a heart will ensure a trump trick for West. Incredibly she played her diamond, and declarer made no mistake, ruffing in dummy with the queen of spades, cashing a winning club and then playing dummy's heart to pick up West's trumps.