difficulties

by Brian Senior

This deal created difficulties for all the East/West pairs in the three finals, with only two of the six pairs managing to achieve a sensible result.

Board 66. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ 5 ♥ K 5 ♦ K J 10 9 5 4 ♣ 9 8 4 3
♠ 2 ♥ Q 10 2 ♦ A Q 7 6 ♣ A K 7 6 2		♠ A K J 6 4 ♥ J 9 7 6 3 ♦ – ♣ Q J 5
	♠ Q 10 9 8 7 3 ♥ A 8 4 ♦ 8 3 2 ♣ 10

USA 1 v Norway (BB)

West	North	East	South
Brogeland	Rosenberg	Saelendsminde	Zia
		1♠	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♥	Pass
2NT	Pass	3♣	Pass
3♦	Pass	3♥	Pass
3♠	Pass	4♥	Pass
6♣	All Pass

I wonder if either Bermuda Bowl pair saw both partners on the same wavelength? Both West made a game-forcing two-over-one response to the opening bid, so could bid 2NT at their second turn, and both Easts showed their club support. Three diamonds was the most economical forward move on the West hand, and here the paths divided. Ulf Tundal doubled 3♦, so George Jacobs could redouble to show the first-round control. Ralph Katz showed his three-card heart support and Jacobs signed-off in 4♥. When Katz moved with 4NT, Jacobs jumped to 6♣ to confirm the void. At the other table there was no double by North, so Erik Saelensminde bid out his shape with 3♥ then, I guess, took 3♠ to be a cuebid for hearts and signed-off in 4♥, but Boye Brogeland assumed better hearts in his partner’s hand and jumped to the club slam.

Tundal led his singleton spade and Katz, seeing that desperate measures were called for, finessed the jack in the hope of getting two heart discards on the top spades. That lost to the queen and Glenn Groetheim cashed the ace of hearts but could not read his partner’s five as encouraging, so switched to the ten of trumps. Katz won in dummy and took a heart pitch on the ace of spades, but Tundal ruffed that and returned a trump. Katz won in hand and played the queen of hearts to Tundal’s king. With the hearts established, Tundal was powerless now and Katz had the rest; three down for –150.

That hardly looked to be a triumph for East/West and Katz/Jacobs would have been impressed to discover that they had gained IMPs for their efforts. In the other room, Michael Rosenberg led a trump. Brogeland won in dummy and led a low heart. Zia went up with the ace of hearts and returned a diamond. Brogeland rose with the ace of diamonds and led a spade to the jack and queen. A diamond through saw the nine force a ruff from dummy, and Brogeland tried to cash a spade for a heart discard. That was ruffed and Rosenberg played the king of diamonds, ruffed with dummy’s last trump. Brogeland took a discard on the ♠K now and that too was ruffed. The contract was five down for –250 and 3 IMPs to USA1.

USA 2 v Indonesia (SB)

West	North	East	South
Sacul	Baze	Sawiruddin	Sontag
		1♠	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♥	Pass
2NT	Pass	3♣	Pass
3♦	Pass	3♠	Pass
3NT	All Pass

Lew Stansby and Bart Bramley started in the same way, but Stansby cuebid 4♦ over 3♥ and Bramley liked his hand enough to co-operate with a return cuebid of 4♠. Stansby checked on key cards, then signed off in 6♣. Henky Lasut led the singleton spade and the contract went three down after similar play to that at Katz’s table.

After the familiar start, Munawar Sawiruddin rebid the strong five-card spade suit rather than the weak five-card heart suit at his fourth turn. That dampened Denny Sacul’s enthusiasm considerably and he settled for 3NT, ending the auction. Grant Baze led a club. Sacul won in dummy and played a heart to the queen and king, won the spade return, and knocked out the ace of hearts; 11 tricks for +460 and 12 IMPs to Indonesia.

USA 1 v Germany (VC)

West	North	East	South
Meyers	Auken	v Arnim	Levin
		1♠	Pass
2♣	2♦	2♥	3♦
Dble	All Pass

Anja Alberti did not have a forcing 2NT available, so used fourth-suit instead, feeling that she was too strong simply to jump to 3NT. When Mirja Schraverus-Meuer rebid her hearts, Alberti raised quietly to game. JoAnna Stansby led a diamond. Schraverus-Meuer went up with the ace, throwing a spade, and played a heart to the jack and ace. Stansby returned a heart to Debbie Rosenberg’s king, and she played a spade. Declarer won with the ace, drew the last trump, and threw her remaining spade losers on the clubs; +450.

Sabine Auken was the only North to overcall, knowing that Daniela von Arnim could not get over-excited as she was limited by her opponents’ game-forcing auction. Von Arnim raised to 3♦ and Jill Meyers made a penalty double, which ended the auction.

Jill Levin led a top spade, then switched to a heart, which Auken won in dummy. She ruffed a spade, cashed the ♥K, then played a club, which Levin won with the jack. Levin played another heart, which Auken ruffed and now it was plain-sailing for declarer. Auken ruffed a club in dummy and led a spade. Meyers could have ruffed high and played a trump, but Auken would still have had one more ruff in dummy and nine tricks in all. Meyers instead threw a top club and Auken ruffed, then ruffed another club in dummy. She took another spade ruff, exited with her last club, and had to make a diamond at the end; nine tricks for +670 and 15 IMPs to Germany.