By Patrick Jourdain (Wales)

I had been asking the Bermuda Bowl's youngest-ever contestant, Augustin Madala, 15, (plus two months and 20 days when he played his first board in the BB) of Argentina for a good hand. He claimed there had been none in the Round Robin, but the moment we met, in Round 2 of the Transnational, the first two boards provided excellent copy. Unfortunately, it was before the duplimated hands began, so we have had to piece together the small pips. The first board was a well-bid slam by Madala and his partner, Pablo Ravenna, 27.

WTNT Round 2 Argentina vs Harper Board 1 Dealer North. Non-Vul.
	ª Q 10 9 7 3 © - ¨ 8 7 4 § K 10 8 7 2
ª 4 © A K J 9 6 ¨ Q J 9 § Q J 9 4		ª A K 6 5 © Q 10 7 5 ¨ A 5 3 § A 6
	ª J 8 2 © 8 4 3 2 ¨ K 10 6 2 § 5 3

West	North	East	South
Madala	Gidwani	Ravenna	Jourdain
	Pass	1NT	Pass
2¨	2ª	3©	Pass
3ª	Pass	4§	Pass
4NT	Pass	5¨	Pass
5ª	Pass	5NT	Pass
All Pass

The strong notrump was followed by a transfer and after the overcall a happy acceptance by East. Madala indicated his slam interest, Ravenna cue-bid, and West used Roman Keycard Blackwood. East's response showed 0 or 3 keycards and West, assuming three, asked for the queen of trumps. The response of 5NT showed the queen plus a king too high to cuebid. Madala knew this to be the king of spades, and he signed off in Six Hearts.

I led a spade. Ravenna won, crossed to a trump in dummy, and when they showed 4-0, tried the club finesse. That held, so next he took the diamond finesse. This lost, but later he threw one club on the spade king, ruffed the other losing club high, and claimed. This was worth 11 IMPs when our team-mates missed the slam.

The second deal was even more interesting:

WNTT Round 2 Harper vs Argentina Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vulnerable.
	ª K 9 4 © A 6 ¨ Q 10 6 5 3 § K J 4
ª Q 10 © Q 10 9 5 ¨ J § 9 8 7 6 3 2		ª J 6 5 3 © K 7 4 2 ¨ A 9 8 4 § 10
	ª A 8 7 2 © J 8 3 ¨ K 7 2 § A Q 5

West	North	East	South
Madala	Gidwani	Ravenna	Jourdain
		Pass	1§
Pass	1¨	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

Madala led his fourth highest heart. Ravenna won and returned a heart.

I won in dummy, led a diamond to the king and jack, and a diamond to the queen and ace. The defence cashed their hearts and exited with a club. I cashed the clubs and East was squeezed in spades and diamonds. 3NT made. (No swing. At the other table the defence did not get around to setting up their hearts in time.)

"Well played," said Madala generously, since the squeeze really played itself. I thought that maybe the defence could have beaten it by not cashing their hearts, but kept the thought to check later.

First let's go back to where West won the third heart and cashed the fourth, setting up the timing for the squeeze. West won the fourth round of the suit. Suppose he had switched instead to a club. I win and cash the clubs and the squeeze still works. East has to keep both diamonds and spades guarded and is forced to throw his last heart. I can then set up the fifth diamond. However, I think if West switches to a spade after the third trick the entry position for the squeeze-without-the-count is destroyed.

Now go back a further trick, to when East played the third heart. Suppose at that point he had played back the nine of diamonds. His diamond is set up before the hearts have been cashed. Madala pointed out, "You could win the diamond, return to hand with a club, and play the jack of hearts yourself," he said. West has to win the queen of hearts, but who wins the fourth heart?

If East can win the fourth heart and cash his diamond the game is easily down. But where WEST has the winning heart, as he did, then West must find the spade switch to break up the squeeze.

One way for the defence to beat the hand is for West to lead a middle heart and when his partner leads back the fourth highest unblock the other middle heart.

From Round 4 the top 15 matches had duplimated hands.

Here ia typical effort by Zia from Round 5:

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

West	North	East	South
	Rosenberg		Mahmood
2¨	Pass	2©	2ª
Pass	3¨	Pass	3©
Pass	3ª	Pass	4ª
All Pass

Zia Mahmood and Rosenberg Michael in action

West opened a Multi and Zia reached Four Spades. West found the best lead of a heart. East won and returned a heart. Now West switched to a low club won by dummy's king. Zia led the jack of trumps and East covered easily with the queen. Most people would now lay down another top trump, discover the bad news, and then try running diamonds. East ruffs the third round. Declarer must either lose a trump and a club or two clubs for one off. But Zia is not most people. That spade cover had been made so easily Zia sensed East might have four. He went back to the bidding. With 3 cards in both majors East might have pre-empted Three Hearts over his partner's Multi. Perhaps East was 4-2.

In the end Zia, as so often, backed his instinct and without cashing a second trump switched to diamonds. When East ruffed the third round Zia could be sure that West had no more trumps. He over-ruffed and led the queen of clubs from hand. West could not prevent Zia from ruffing his third club in dummy. He lost only two hearts and a club. Bravo!

At the time my team was in the top group and this deal from the same Round 5 match gave John Young an interesting defensive problem:

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

West	North	East	South
	Gidwani		Jourdain
	1§	Pass	1©
2ª	Pass	Pass	3NT
All Pass

West	North	East	South
Harper		Young
	1§	Pass	1¨
2ª	Dble	Pass	3©
Pass	4©	All Pass

In the Open Room I was in Three Notrumps from the South seat. On a diamond lead there were 13 easy tricks. In the Closed Room declarer faced a tough problem in the 4-3 heart fit. West, Ross Harper, led three rounds of spades. Declarer ruffed the third with the nine of hearts.

One suspects that at several tables East would over-ruff and then start thinking. Too late! Whatever you return South has the chance to use dummy entries to take the diamond finesse and then to finesse the eight of hearts, picking up the rest of the tricks.

But Young gave the matter some thought. If he was not to over-ruff, did it matter whether he discarded a diamond or a club?

Suppose first he discards a club. Declarer can take a couple of diamonds, test the trumps, and then play winning clubs. Two of South's diamonds disappear and when the fourth club is led, East is forced to split his trump honours. South discards his last diamond and comes to two trumps in hand at the end.

Have gone through this analysis, at trick three, Young, instead of over-ruffing, discarded a diamond from Kx.

Double dummy, declarer can still succeed by cashing one diamond, the jack of clubs, return to dummy with a trump and play winning clubs. Then the ending is effectively the same. But declarer played for East's holding in the minors to have been 3-3. East ruffed the second diamond, and came to another trump trick later.

Transnational Tale

In an event studded with World Champions there are many good stories waiting to be told. Here is one such involving one of the legends of French bridge, Henri Szwarc.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª A 2 © 10 9 4 3 ¨ J 8 2 § A 7 6 5
ª Q J 9 4 3 © 5 ¨ 9 7 3 § K 8 4 3		ª 8 6 © K Q J 8 7 ¨ K 10 5 4 § 10 2
	ª K 10 7 5 © A 6 2 ¨ A Q 6 § Q J 9

West	North	East	South
	Romik		Szwarc
			1NT
Pass	2§	2©	2ª
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West led his singleton heart and declarer put up dummy's ten and took the jack with the ace. The queen of clubs was covered by the king and ace and declarer took two more rounds of the suit. He then played a spade to the ace and exited with the seven of clubs, discarding a heart from his hand.

West took the trick and switched to the queen of spades. Declarer ducked that, so West tried a diamond for the ten and queen. Declarer cashed the king of spades to leave this position:

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

Now declarer exited with a heart to endplay East. Amusingly he could also have exited with the ten of spades, although that depended on West holding the nine of diamonds.Now declarer exited with a heart to endplay East. Amusingly he could also have exited with the ten of spades, although that depended on West holding the nine of diamonds.