CHINA HONG KONG v EGYPT
by Ron Klinger
The excitement started on the very first board when a mini-1NT opening succumbed to a penalty auction:
| Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ A Q 7 2
♥ Q 6
♦ Q 9 3 2
♣ J 10 7 |
♠ J 9 8 4
♥ K 2
♦ J 4
♣ K 9 8 6 4 |  |
♠ K 6 3
♥ A 10 8 4
♦ A K 8 7
♣ 3 2 | | | ♠ 10 5
♥ J 9 7 5 3
♦ 10 6 5
♣ A Q 5 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abdelfatta | Ng Fy | Nabil | Mak KF
|
| | 1NT | Pass | 2♦
|
| Pass | 2♥ | Pass | Pass
|
| Dble | All Pass
| | |
East led the ♦A and switched to the ♣3 to the queen and king. Back came the ♦J for the queen and king, and East played another club. On the ♥3, West rose with the king and the defence scored their minor-suit ruffs to take the contract three down and +500 to Egypt. At the other table:
| West | North | East | South
|
| Leung | Noshy | Ng CC | Tawfik
|
| | Pass | 1♦ | Pass
|
| 1♠ | Pass | 1NT | All Pass
|
Lead: ♥5
Declarer made seven tricks for +90, but 9 IMPs to Egypt.
After the opponents bid 1NT – 2♥(transfer) – 2♠ – 3NT, what do you lead from:
| |
♠ Q 6 2
♥ A Q
♦ 8 7 6 4
♣ J 6 5 2 |
You can choose to be passive with a diamond lead oraggressive with a black-suit lead. Noshy for Egypt tried the aggressive club lead, which proved fatal as the opponents held:
♠ J 8
♥ J 9 8
♦ A K 2
♣ A Q 9 8 3 |
|
♠ A 9 7 5 3
♥ 7 5 3
♦ Q 10
♣ K 10 7 |
Declarer now had nine easy tricks for +600. At the other table, after the same start, East rebid 2NT, passed out. North started with the ♦8 and declarer went two down for –200, and 13 IMPs to China Hong Kong.
Here's another opportunity to play Youth Bridge. RHO opens 1♥. You are next to speak at unfavourable vulnerability with:
| |
♠ A J 8 7
♥ Q 7 6 3
♦ K J 8 6
♣ 4 |
What would you do?
Could it be that some of the bidding boxes do not have any 'Pass' cards? Despite the vulnerability, the length in opener's suit and lack of support for clubs, Ng Fy found a take-out double.
| Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ A J 8 7
♥ Q 7 6 3
♦ K J 8 6
♣ 4 |
♠ K 10 6 5
♥ A K 8 5 2
♦ Q 7 4
♣ 3 | |
♠ 9 4 3
♥ 10 4
♦ A 10 3
♣ A K Q 8 7 | | | ♠ Q 2
♥ J 9
♦ 9 5 2
♣ J 10 9 6 5 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abdelfatta | Ng Fy | Nabil | Mak KF
|
| 1♥ | Dble | Rdbl | 2♣
|
| Pass | Pass | Dble | Pass
|
| 2♠ | Pass | 3NT | All Pass
|
South led the ♣J. East won and played a second top club, pitching a heart from dummy. North's showing out was not good news for declarer; Result: –50. At the other table North/South were silent and East/West bid to 3NT via 1♥ –2♣ –2♥ –2NT –3NT –Pass. The lead was also the ♣J but, with less information from North, declarer went two down.
Ng Fy and Mak KF had a very nice auction to the cold slam on Board 15:
| Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 10 9 6
♥ 10 2
♦ A K 4 2
♣ A Q J |
♠ 8 7 5 4
♥ 7 6 4 3
♦ 10 8
♣ 8 6 3 | |
♠ A K J 2
♥ J 9 5
♦ 7 3
♣ 10 7 5 4 | | | ♠ 3
♥ A K Q 8
♦ Q J 9 6 5
♣ K 9 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abdelfatta | Ng Fy | Nabil | Mak KF
|
| | | | 1♦
|
| Pass | 1♠ | Pass | 2♥
|
| Pass | 3♦* | Pass | 3NT
|
| Pass | 4♣ | Pass | 4♥
|
| Pass | 4NT | Pass | 5♣
|
| Pass | 6♦ | All Pass
| |
*Forcing
Lead: ♣3 Result: +1370
At the other table N/S stopped in game via 1♦ – 1♠ – 2♦ – 3♣ –3♥ –3NT, for +690 and 12 IMPs to China Hong Kong.
Ng Fy and Mak KF bid accurately again on Board 17 to avoid a silly slam, a feat that eluded some of the other N/S pairs:
| Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ A 7 3 2
♥ K Q 3
♦ Q J 3 2
♣ K J |
♠ –
♥ J 10 9 8 7 4
♦ 9 7 4
♣ 10 8 7 2 | |
♠ Q 8 5 4
♥ 6 2
♦ A K 8
♣ 6 5 4 3 | | | ♠ K J 10 9 6
♥ A 5
♦ 10 6 5
♣ A Q 9 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Abdelfatta | Ng Fy | Nabil | Mak KF
|
| | 1♦ | Pass | 1♠
|
| Pass | 3♠ | Pass | 4♣
|
| Pass | 4♥ | Pass | 4♠
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Four Clubs showed first- or second-round control in clubs, 4♥ did likewise in hearts and simultaneously denied control in diamonds. South thus had an easy stop in 4♠.
At the other table Noshy/Tawfik bid 1NT– 2♥(transfer) – 3♠ – 4♠ – Pass, and picked up an overtrick IMP.
The final score was 51-43 and 16-14 VPs to China Hong Kong.
(Due to a brilliant piece of planning, we had two reporters covering this match. Ron's original script also included coverage of Boards 9 and 18, which were also featured in Stefan Back's article. You can find out what happened on these two deals there. Our apologies to Ron if the feel of his article has been damaged by the cuts made).
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