Eye on the prize - Part 2

At the halfway point of their Power Rosenblum match in the round of 64, the Barry Rigal team held a useful 37-IMP lead against the squad captained by Tony Forrester. You take nothing for granted, of course, in any match, but that goes double when you have another 28 boards to play against a formidable pair like Forrester and Andrew Robson.

Indeed, Forrester won the third set 42-30 to enter the final quarter down by 25, not insurmountable by any means.

Rigal, playing with JoAnna Stansby, was regretting having missed a key inference on this deal, which cost the team 5 IMPs in the third set.

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

West	North	East	South
Rigal		Stansby
			Pass
Pass	1NT	2¨ (1)	Pass
2©	All Pass

(1) One major.

Forrester led the ¨A and switched to the ªK, taken by Rigal in dummy. He played a club to the jack and ace and won the spade return in hand. He realized later that he had enough information at that point to have made his contract, but he went wrong, playing heart to the king, losing to the ace. Forrester then received his spade ruff and the defenders still had the ©J and ©Q to come. That was down one and a 6-IMP loss since East-West played in a spade partial at the other table, making an overtrick.

Rigal realized that he could have made the contract for a 1-IMP loss and that he had the clues he needed to find the correct line. Since North by inference had the ¨K to go with his ace and had shown up with the §A and the ªK, he could not have the ©A as well. That would have put him outside his 1NT opening range.

Rigal's correct line, then, is to run the ©8 at trick five (it doesn't help for Forrester to cover with the 9), losing to the jack. Robson can give Forrester his spade ruff, but Rigal can later play the ©K, pinning the queen and bringing home the awkward contract for plus 110.

Entering the final quarter, the Rigal team was hoping for a set of flat board. They got anything but.

Paul Lewis and Danny Sprung, in the open room, started well against David Bakhshi and Alexander Allfrey.

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

West	North	East	South
Sprung	Allfrey	Lewis	Bakhshi
	Pass	1ª	Pass
2¨	Pass	2©	Pass
3¨	Pass	4¨ (1)	Pass
5§ (2)	Pass	6¨	All Pass

(1) Roman Key Card Blackwood
(2) Two keys plus the trump queen.

There was never going to be anything to the play, but the opening lead would have repercussions for the Forrester team. Allfrey started with a low spade, allowing Sprung to take all the tricks for plus 940. At the other table, Joann Sprung, playing with Connie Goldberg, started with a low club, holding declarer to to12 tricks.
A couple of pushes followed, then the Rigal team gained 2 IMPs on overtricks on a 3NT contract played at both tables.

Forrester gained 8 IMPs, however, when Lewis and Danny Sprung allowed Bakhshi to make an overtrick in 2ª while Forrester and Robson were plus 200 against a spade contract in the other room. That was 8 IMPs to Forrester, now down 20.

Rigal gained another overtrick IMP when Danny Sprung made 12 tricks in 5§, while Joann and Goldberg held declarer to 11 tricks in the same contract.

Boards 26 and 27 were significant losses for Rigal - and they both involved doubles.

Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª - © Q 8 7 5 ¨ 10 9 8 § J 8 5 4 3 2
ª 9 8 © 9 6 ¨ Q 6 5 4 § A K 9 7 6		ª A J 7 6 4 2 © A K 10 4 3 2 ¨ J § -
	ª K Q 10 5 3 © J ¨ A K 7 3 2 § Q 10

West	North	East	South
Sprung	Allfrey	Lewis	Bakhshi
		1ª	Pass
1NT	Pass	3©	Pass
3NT	Pass	4©	Pass
4ª	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

Bakhshi's double seems entirely normal with his trump holding behind declarer - plus the top two diamonds. The defenders might have beaten Lewis three tricks, but they were not unhappy with plus 500. At the other table, Goldberg inexplicably passed, collecting only plus 200. That was 7 IMPs to Forrester.

The next board was an even bigger loss.

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª K Q 8 6 5 © J 9 3 ¨ K § K 8 7 3
ª 9 4 3 © K Q 6 2 ¨ 10 8 6 3 § 9 2		ª 7 © 8 7 5 4 ¨ A Q J 9 7 5 2 § 5
	ª A J 10 2 © A 10 ¨ 4 § A Q J 10 6 4

West	North	East	South
Sprung	Allfrey	Lewis	Bakhshi
			1§
Pass	1ª	3¨	4¨
5¨	5ª	All Pass

Bakhshi's 4¨ bid should have given Allfrey enough impetus to bid the cold slam, but it didn't happen, and he was annoyed at the possibility of an 11-IMP loss should Joann Sprung and Goldberg bid it at the other table.

The auction was much the same in the closed room, but when West bid 5¨, Joann doubled. There were only three tricks for the defense, however, and plus 100 was decidedly disappointing. That was 9 IMPs to Forrester, now within 5 IMPs.

Forrester gained another IMP on the next board to get to within 4.

Since Forrester gained 4 IMPs on the last deal, the next-to-last deal provided the winning margin for Rigal.

Board 29. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª A 10 8 7 © 10 4 ¨ A Q 9 2 § Q 4 3
ª 5 © A K Q J 6 2 ¨ 6 5 § A K 8 7		ª K Q 4 3 © 8 7 5 ¨ J 7 4 3 § 10 9
	ª J 9 6 2 © 9 3 ¨ K 10 8 § J 6 5 2

West	North	East	South
Sprung	Allfrey	Lewis	Bakhshi
	1¨	Pass	1ª
4©	All Pass

Allfrey led the ªA, then switched to the ¨2. Bakshi won the ¨K and, unable to diagnose Allfrey's plan, switched to a club. That was all Sprung needed to get home with the overtrick that decided the match. He won the §A, cashed two trumps, then ruffed a club and pitched his other club loser and diamond loser on the top spades.

At the other table, Joann Sprung led the ªA, but she allowed for no slips by the defense when she cashed the ¨A and played a second diamond to her partner's king. That was minus 420 and a 1-IMP gain in match whose final score was 121-120.