bermuda bowl final session 3

Norway v USA 1

by Mark Horton

There was time before play started in the Open Room to ask the Norwegians about the strange 6♥ contract they had reached on the first deal of the previous set. Had Geir pulled out the wrong bidding card?

No, South had offered a choice of contracts and North had misjudged the situation.

The set started well for USA 1.

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

Open Room

1NT 15-17

North judged to make no move towards game and right he was as on a spade lead declarer is held to seven tricks. Trying to defeat 1NT, West led the two of spades. Declarer won with the jack and played the jack of diamonds. East took the ace and went back to spades. West cashed four tricks in the suit and then tried a low club - the only hope of defeating 1NT.

When it was South who produced the queen, declarer claimed the rest, +120.

Closed Room

1NT (14)15-17

As you might expect, the more aggressive Norwegian’s pressed on to game. West led a thoughtful ace of spades and must have been pleased when one of the combinations he was hoping for appeared in dummy.

If dummy had held two low spades and declarer ♠KJx, then West’s next play would have been important as he would had to guess which red ace East held. On the other hand, dummy might have had ♠Kxx and declarer ♠Jx. The critical case is probably where dummy has ♠Kxxx and declarer ♠Jx. Then the spade pips become important.

Whatever, a low spade set up West’s suit and the contract was two down, -100 and 6 IMPs to USA 1.

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

Open Room

4♥ requires some luck in both trumps and clubs. One suit obliged, but the other did not.

Declarer won the opening lead of the jack of diamonds in dummy perforce and played a heart to the king. When that lost to the ace, declarer was booked for two down, -200.

Closed Room

West did very well in the play, as he slipped a spade past South’s ace and started hearts by leading a low one from his hand, coming to eleven tricks, +150 and 8 IMPs to USA 1.

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

Open Room

South gave considerable though to bidding over 3NT – 4♦ was one possibility – but eventually decided to call it a day.

East led the jack of spades and declarer was soon claiming all the tricks, +720.

Closed Room

4♦ Slam try with spades
5♣ Cuebid Rdbl First-round control
6♦ Cuebid

The Norwegian pair made no mistake, +1430 and 12 IMPs.

The VuGraph operator observed that Zia was still reading the Bulletin (he had not been able to finish it during the previous set) and had two pages to go. Perhaps we should ask him to proofread it!

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

Open Room

South led the three of clubs, North taking the ace and switching to the ten of diamonds. Declarer won in hand, drew trumps and played the nine of diamonds, covered by the queen and king. A diamond to hand and a club to the king gave declarer the rest, +680.

Closed Room

East led the king of hearts and continued with the queen, declarer ruffing in dummy and playing a diamond to the ten and ace. East played the ten of hearts and declarer ruffed with the seven, West overruffing with the ten and playing back a spade. Declarer won in hand, ruffed a heart with the ace of spades, ruffed a diamond and drew trumps. He was two down.

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

Open Room

South led the two of clubs. Declarer won in hand and played the king of diamonds. South won and played the three of clubs, declarer winning with dummy’s queen and playing the queen of hearts. South won with the king and was careful to play the ten of clubs. Declarer won with dummy’s ace and played a heart to the ten and South’s ace.

North won the next club and played the queen of spades, so declarer had to go one down, -50.

Closed Room

South cashed two top hearts and then switched to the five of clubs. (As is so often the case, the best move was to get rid of the singleton ace of trumps first.)

Declarer won in hand with the king and could have got home by cashing two more clubs and one heart before exiting with a trump to the king and ace, leaving South endplayed.

However, he played the king of diamonds, and South won and exited with a heart.

Declarer won in dummy and played a diamond to the jack, two down, -300 when South showed out, another 6 IMPs for Norway.

Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ J 9 3 ♥ A J 3 2 ♦ 9 4 3 ♣ K Q 2
♠ K 8 2 ♥ 10 9 6 ♦ K 7 5 2 ♣ J 10 3		♠ A 10 7 6 5 4 ♥ 7 4 ♦ A J 8 6 ♣ 4
	♠ Q ♥ K Q 8 5 ♦ Q 10 ♣ A 9 8 7 6 5

Open Room

Helness decided to pay a waiting game, but having backed in he was not afraid to show his second suit, and West gave his partner a chance for glory by jumping to game.

South led the king of hearts, and when that held, he switched to the ace of clubs and a club, declarer ruffing and playing back a heart, taken by South, who played a third heart, ruffed by declarer.

If declarer was confident South was 6-4, there was a chance he might bring off a coup now by picking up the trumps and then taking the winning view in diamonds.

A spade went to the queen and king, and we confidently waited for declarer to take a spade finesse.

He did finesse – but in diamonds, playing one to the jack. South took the queen and played a club. Declarer ruffed and tried the ace of spades – two down, -200.

Closed Room

There was nothing to the play, +420 and 6 IMPs to Norway, now leading by 7 IMPs.