Eye on the prize

Barry Rigal is well known as a contributor to Daily Bulletins at the world championships and at ACBL "nationals" and as a vugraph commentator at WBF and ACBL tournaments. His exploits as a player are less well known, but he is solid there as well.

The Rigal team went up against the Tony Forrester squad in the Power Rosenblum round of 64. Rigal was playing with JoAnna Stansby and Connie Goldberg-Joann Sprung, Danny Sprung-Paul Lewis.

At the halfway point, the Rigal team was ahead 82-49 against Forrester, Andrew Robson, David Bakhshi and Alexander Allfrey.

This deal was an early gainer for the Rigal squad.

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

This was the auction in the open room.

West	North	East	South
Stansby	Robson	Rigal	Forrester
	Pass	1ª	Pass
1NT	Pass	2¨	Pass
2ª	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

1NT was forcing for one round. North led a low club and declarer had nine tricks despite the bad breaks in three of the four suits.

The contract was the same at the other table, but this time a heart was led and the result was one off. That was 10 IMPs to Rigal.

On this deal, Rigal made a good guess to make his contract, but Forrester missed a chance to assure the contract's defeat.

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

West	North	East	South
Stansby	Robson	Rigal	Forrester
			Pass
Pass	1©	1ª	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	All Pass

Forrester led the ©5 to the 4, 10 and 6. Robson continued with the ©Q, then the king, indicating his liking for clubs. Rigal ruffed the third round of hearts with the ªQ, and Forrester threw the §J. The contract could not be defeated from that point. Rigal cashed the ªA then passed the ¨J through South. Rigal then cashed the ªK and played on diamonds.

Forrester could not ruff in until the fourth round of diamonds, and on that trick, Rigal pitched one of dummy's clubs. The defenders ended with one club, one spade and two hearts and Rigal scored up plus 140. As you can see, Forrester must pitch a diamond on the third round of hearts. He can then ruff in before Rigal can get a pitch and push a club through the king before it's too late.

Stansby and Rigal cooperated well to find the killing defense on this deal near the end of the first set.

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

West	North	East	South
Stansby	Robson	Rigal	Forrester
	1NT	Dble (1)	Pass
2§ (2)	Pass	2¨	2©
3¨	Pass	Pass	3©
All Pass

(1) Five or more of a minor, four or more of a major.
(2) Relay for the minor.

Stansby got off to the excellent lead of the ¨Q, switching to a the §9 when Rigal played the ¨2. Forrester won the §K and played a heart to the queen and king. A heart was returned to the ace, and Forrester ruffed a diamond to lead the ©9 to Rigal's jack. Rigal when played a spade to Stansby's ace and took the setting trick with a club ruff.
The second half started off with a 10-IMP gain for Rigal when Goldberg pulled the wrong card from the bid box, accidentally deflecting the defenders from their best line.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª K J 8 2 © Q 7 3 2 ¨ 6 3 § 9 6 5
ª Q 9 4 © A K 9 6 ¨ A 9 5 4 § K J		ª 5 3 © 8 4 ¨ Q 10 8 7 2 § A Q 10 4
	ª A 10 7 6 © J 10 5 ¨ K J § 8 7 3 2

West	North	East	South
Goldberg	Bakhshi	J. Sprung	Allfrey
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1NT	Pass	2§	Pass
2ª (!)	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Goldberg didn't realize until the deal was completed that she had bid 2ª instead of the 2© she thought she had pulled from the bid box. The 2ª bid kept Bakhshi from leading the suit, of course, and he started with a low heart. Goldberg to the ©A and played the §J to the queen, followed by the ¨Q, covered by the king and ace. When Allfrey got in with the ¨J, he could have defeated the contract by switching to spades, but he was never going to find that defense given the auction. Goldberg duly scored up plus 430.

At the other table, Sprung led a spade, dooming declarer to minus 50.

This deal was a huge gain for the Rigal team.

Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª J 9 7 2 © A K 10 3 ¨ K 10 7 § K 3
ª 10 4 © J 8 6 ¨ 6 4 3 § J 8 7 6 2		ª Q 8 5 3 © Q 7 4 ¨ Q 9 8 § 10 9 4
	ª A K 6 © 9 5 2 ¨ A J 5 2 § A Q 5

In the closed room, Danny Sprung played in 6NT, receiving the lead of a low club. He cashed two high spades, gratefully noting the fall of the 10, knocked out the ªQ and later guessed to play East for the ¨Q. The friendly diamond break saw him home for plus 1440.

This is what happened in the open room.

West	North	East	South
Goldberg	Bakhshi	J. Sprung	Allfrey
			1¨
Pass	1©	Pass	2NT
Pass	3© (1)	Pass	3NT
Pass	4¨	Pass	4ª
Pass	5NT (2)	Pass	6NT
All Pass

(1) Transfer, indicating 4-4 in the majors.
(2) Pick a slam.

Goldberg led the §8, so it wasn't clear who had length in clubs. Allfrey won the lead in hand with the ace, played a heart to the ace and a spade to the ace. He then played a diamond to dummy's 10. Sprung won the queen and returned a club. At that point, he needed a miracle in spades, and it was not forthcoming. Allfrey finished down two for a 17-IMP loss.

Forrester and Robson had a good auction on this deal to get 10 IMPs back.

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

In the open room, Goldberg opened 1NT and rebid 3NT after Sprung bid 3¨, a game-forcing bid showing length in the minors. With so much in the majors, Goldberg reasonably thought her high cards might be wasted opposite East's shortness.

North led a spade and the defenders took the first two tricks, but that was all. Plus 460 to Rigal.
At the other table:

West	North	East	South
Forrester		Robson
1NT	Pass	2ª	Pass
3§ (1)	Pass	3ª (2)	Pass
3NT	Pass	4ª	Pass
6¨	All Pass

(1) Maximum 1NT opener.
(2) Shortness.

Forrester also thought 3NT would be the best spot, but Robson insisted, so Forrester bid his best minor. With the §K conveniently located in the pocket and only a doubleton, the slam rolled home.