new zealand   v   Brazil    -    BB Round 1

A Bidder’s Game

by Mark Horton

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ A J 10 7 4 3 2 ♥ K Q ♦ 5 2 ♣ 7 5
♠ 9 8 ♥ 9 7 3 ♦ A Q 10 9 7 4 ♣ A 6		♠ 5 ♥ A 10 8 6 ♦ K J 8 3 ♣ K Q J 9
	♠ K Q 6 ♥ J 5 4 2 ♦ 6 ♣ 10 8 4 3 2

Open Room

The perfect fit delivers twelve tricks in diamonds, but it’s not easy to get to slam once North raises the ante with an intervention in spades.

The popular choice was a 4♠ overcall, but with a poor 7-2-2-2 distribution 3♠ looks good enough.

East was able to show he was playable in three suits, but that was not enough to persuade West to bid a slam. As you can see there was nothing to the play.

Closed Room

When West was not tempted to open the bidding, North was able to open 3♠. I confess I would have been tempted to punt 6♦ with the West cards, but then I have the benefit of seeing all four hands.

I’ll leave you to decide if South was pushing his luck with 5♠, but it worked well in terms of IMPs as there were only four tricks to lose, -500 but a gain of 3 IMPs.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ J ♥ K J 9 8 ♦ A 8 3 ♣ 9 6 4 3 2
♠ A 10 6 4 ♥ 2 ♦ Q J 2 ♣ A J 10 8 7		♠ 9 8 7 5 2 ♥ 7 5 4 3 ♦ K 6 5 ♣ Q
	♠ K Q 3 ♥ A Q 10 6 ♦ 10 9 7 4 ♣ K 5

Open Room

Although he was facing a passed partner, West was happy to get involved, and East backed his partner’s judgement with a jump to a game that required no more than a 2-2 trump break.

The 3-1 division meant the contract had to fail, -100.

Closed Room

Was there a case for West to double 2♥?

North was left in a comfortable spot. East led the queen of clubs, and when it held, switched to the nine of spades.

Declarer was allowed to win with the singleton jack and ended up with ten tricks, +170, and a couple of IMPs to Brazil.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ K J 9 8 6 4 ♥ A ♦ 5 4 3 2 ♣ 7 6
♠ 7 ♥ Q 9 8 7 6 ♦ J 7 ♣ K J 10 4 3		♠ A 10 5 3 ♥ K 10 4 2 ♦ A K 10 6 ♣ 2
	♠ Q 2 ♥ J 5 3 ♦ Q 9 8 ♣ A Q 9 8 5

Open Room

West’s 3♥ came in for some criticism on BBO, but the alternative of 2NT (assuming you are not going to pass) only works if it promises any two suits. Whatever the merits of the bid, it worked like a charm. On the lead of the ace of clubs, declarer was not hard pressed to record eleven tricks by playing on cross-ruff lines.

Closed Room

Perhaps East was dissuaded from going on to 4♥ by his 4-4-4-1 shape, but it cost 6 IMPs.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	♠ 9 ♥ 10 9 4 ♦ J 10 7 5 4 3 ♣ Q 8 4
♠ A 7 ♥ J 7 6 ♦ A 9 6 ♣ A 7 6 3 2		♠ 10 2 ♥ A Q 8 5 3 2 ♦ K ♣ K J 10 5
	♠ K Q J 8 6 5 4 3 ♥ K ♦ Q 8 2 ♣ 9

Open Room

East’s 5♣ bid was music to West’s ears and he drove on to the excellent slam.

South led the king of clubs. Declarer won with dummy’s ace and crossed to the king of diamonds. South might have given declarer pause for thought by dropping the queen, but as it was declarer continued with the jack of clubs, putting up the ace to discard a spade on the ace of diamonds before picking up the trumps via a finesse against North’s queen. Then a low heart from hand saw South win with the king, but declarer had the rest, +980.

Closed Room

South led the king of spades. Declarer won in dummy and ran the jack of hearts. South won, cashed the queen of spades and switched to the nine of clubs, which speeded play up, +450, but 10 IMPs to Brazil.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ 8 5 4 3 ♥ K 8 4 ♦ 10 8 7 3 ♣ 10 5
♠ A K 10 6 2 ♥ 3 ♦ A K Q 9 6 ♣ K 9		♠ Q J 7 ♥ A Q 7 ♦ J 5 ♣ A Q 7 6 2
	♠ 9 ♥ J 10 9 6 5 2 ♦ 4 2 ♣ J 8 4 3

Open Room

The Brazilians produced a smooth natural auction to the grand slam. The pointed jacks were just what West wanted to see, +1510.

Closed Room

1♣ was strong and 2♣ a natural positive response. As far as I can tell from the convention card, 2♦ was natural, and it appears to have made it impossible to locate the spade fit. In itself that was not a problem, but it led to an unconvincing auction that resulted in a loss of 10 IMPs.

Perhaps this would be a good deal for a ‘You be the Jury’ feature, with questions being raised about West’s failure to bid either 2♠ over 2♦ or 5♣ over 4♥.

Brazil’s generally superior bidding gave them a deserved 32-16 IMP win, 18-12 VP.