Junior Jousting

As most of you will know, there was too small an entry to justify holding a separate Junior Teams event here so the juniors played in the Rosenblum Qualifying instead. The most successful of the junior teams was the English team, BYRNE, which finished fifth in Group A. Our first board comes from their match with the Italian team PAGANI, most of whom won the European Youth Team Championships a few weeks ago.

	ª A 10 © K 9 2 ¨ A K 10 3 § K J 7 2
ª 9 3 © J 8 6 5 4 ¨ 9 5 2 § A Q 8		ª K Q 6 4 2 © A 10 7 3 ¨ Q J § 10 4
	ª J 8 7 5 © Q ¨ 8 7 6 5 § 9 6 5 3

West	North	East	South
	Morris		Byrne
	1§	1ª	3§
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Michael Byrne's 3§ raise was pre-emptive and perhaps Alex Morris's conversion to 3NT was a little optimistic. Of course, South could have been a little stronger, but 3NT still rated to be a poor spot. Still, the play's the thing, as they say.

East led the two of spades to declarer's ten. Morris cashed the top diamonds and the fall of the queen and jack offered some slim prospects of success. Morris played two more rounds of diamonds to get to dummy, East throwing a club and an encouraging heart and West a heart. When declarer's next move was to lead a low club off the table, West went in with the ace but, rather than clear the spades, followed his partner's signal by switching to a heart. East won the ©A and returned the ©10. Morris won the king of hearts, cashed the ace of spades and exited with the ©9. West had to win the heart and could cash one more but then had to lead away from the queen of clubs at trick twelve; nine tricks. The Italian N/S pair played a club partscore for +130.

The defence could have done a little better on that one but Byrne/Morris came up against a much hotter defence on this next deal against the LAMBARDI team from Argentina.

	ª K Q 10 9 4 © J ¨ A J 9 8 § 10 7 2
ª 7 6 © Q 10 8 7 5 4 3 ¨ 6 3 § 9 4		ª J 3 © A K 9 2 ¨ K Q 4 § Q J 8 3
	ª A 8 5 2 © 6 ¨ 10 7 5 2 § A K 6 5

West	North	East	South
Camberos	Morris	Lambardi	Byrne
		1NT	Pass
2¨	2©	3©	4ª
All Pass

Two Diamonds was a transfer and 2© take-out of hearts. The opening lead was the nine of clubs to the ten, jack and king. Byrne drew trumps in two rounds then led the two of clubs to the queen and ace. Next came a club to the seven and eight. Seeing that he was in danger of being endplayed, Lambardi underled the ace-king of hearts at this point. Camberos wasted no time in returning a diamond and declarer had to duck. But now Lambardi could get out with his low club and wait for declarer to play on diamonds; one down.

In the other room, the English E/W pair competed to 5©. This was not doubled but was three down for -150.

'It's Bridge Jim but not as we know it'

Jan Jansma was probably surprised to discover that he had made no less than eight tricks more than his counterpart at the other table.

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

West	North	East	South
	Verhees		Jansma
			1NT
2ª	3§*	Pass	3¨*
Pass	3ª*	Pass	3NT

West led the ace of spades and continued the suit. Declarer obviously needed to find one of the minor suit queens and his first move was a diamond to the ace, followed by a club to the ace. A second diamond meant one chance had gone but declarer still had a string to his bow and he played a second club. Considering it unlikely that West would have played the nine from §94 (East had followed with the two and three of clubs) he put up the king and was rewarded by the fall of the queen.

When declarer, now assured of nine tricks cashed his clubs West decided to blank his king of hearts, while East threw a spade, so declarer was able to give up a diamond and make two overtricks, +460.

After a similar sequence at the other table and gainst the same contract, West led the jack of hearts. Afriad of letting East in for an obviously fatal spade switch declarer put up the ace, cashed the top diamonds and then ran the ten of clubs. West won, cashed the king of hearts, put his partner in with the nine of hearts and collected the remaining tricks when his partner played a spade, just six down, -300.

An Everyday Hand

By Sam Leckie

In a great match between Gromov and Schwartz in the Power Rosenblum qualifying this deal took the award as the most spectacular:

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

West	North	East	South
Zia	Gromov	Rosenberg	Petrunin
		1NT	Pass
2¨*	Pass	2©	Pass
Pass	Dble	Redble	Pass
3§	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

When Zia asked Gromov what South's third pass meant he was told that South was happy to play in that contract, (a bit of an understatement perhaps). Zia realised that if South was happy he wasn't and he retreated to his real five card suit. North led a small club and Zia called for dumm'y ace! Now he could not be prevented from making eleven tricks for a score of +1070.

'Just an ordinary everyday hand playing with Zia' Rosenberg said to me later.

Duck Soup

By Barry Rigal

My favourite play hand of the tournament is not a complex deal but, as it produced a 17 IMP swing I guess that it may be more complex than it appears.
Holding the following two hands you reach 6NT. East passes, you open 1NT and LHO, a Canadian junior, jumps to 3§ with both sides vulnerable. Partner just blasts 6NT.

	ª 10 5 3 © A Q 4 ¨ K Q 5 § A Q 5 3
	ª 10 5 3 © A Q 4 ¨ K Q 5 § A Q 5 3

There are only ten top tricks, assuming the club finesse to be onside, but there is play in all four suits for one more. On the ¨J lead you should win in dummy, cash the ace of spades and cross to the queen of hearts to take the spade finesse, on which West pitches a club. Now the key play is to duck the first club. East pitches a spade and you win the club return. Now you cash the king of spades and, on the surface, have to decide whether West is more likely to be 1-4-1-7 or 1-1-4-7. The lead of the jack of diamonds has, however, allowed you to pick up a diamond shortage with West.

So you cash the king of hearts, on which West pitches a club, and now you are double dummy.

Crossing to the ace of hearts squeezes West in the minors and you pick up 17 IMPs because in the other room declarer forgot to duck the first club and now his timing was messed up.