Groundhog Day

By Mark Horton

Bridge can often be linked to the movies and during the final qualifying session of the Mixed Pairs I could not help but recall a romantic comedy from the mid nineties.

How would you feel if today was the same as yesterday, and tomorrow would always be the same as today? In Groundhog Day, this nightmare becomes a reality for weatherman Phil Conners (Bill Murray). Phil, his producer Rita and their cameraman have travelled to report on the annual weather prediction by a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil in the town of Punxsutawney. Once the festivities are over, skeptical Phil Conners discovers that a freak snowstorm has prevented their return home to Pittsburgh. He returns to Punxsutawney and the next day, begins living Groundhog Day over, and over, and over... I started my day at the table occupied by Al Levy (the man behind the World Bridge Computer Championship) and his wife, Beverly.

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

West	North	East	South
Gromov	Levy	Gromova	Levy
			Pass
1♠	2♣	4♠	All Pass

North led the king of clubs, and followed it with the ace of South discarding the seven of hearts. Declarer ruffed the next club, unblocked the ace of diamonds and exited with a heart. North won that and tried a fourth club, but declarer could ruff and then ruff a heart which felled South’s ace (a second heart had been discarded on a club) + 420.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ K 10 2 ♥ A K Q J 6 5 ♦ K J 9 5 ♣ –
♠ A 7 4 ♥ 8 4 2 ♦ Q 3 ♣ A K 10 7 6		♠ J 8 3 ♥ 10 9 7 ♦ A 10 6 4 ♣ 5 4 3
	♠ Q 9 6 5 ♥ 3 ♦ 8 7 2 ♣ Q J 9 8 2

West	North	East	South
Gromov	Levy	Gromova	Levy
1♣*	Dble	1♦*	Pass
1♥	Dble	1NT	2♠
All Pass

With 240 tables in play it would be interesting to see how many players preferred double to a simple overcall of One Heart.

Here West’s rebid, in theory showing his better major after East’s response (0-7, not four clubs) gave North a chance to double for penalties and had South passed he would certainly have doubled for a third time. When South introduced the spade suit North considered raising, but realising South was unlikely to have a five-card suit he settled for a part score. West led the king of clubs and declarer ruffed in dummy and played four rounds of hearts, discarding all her diamonds. West ruffed with the four of spades and played ace of spades and a spade. Declarer won in dummy and played a heart. East ruffed with the jack of spades and that was overuffed by declarer who exited with the queen of clubs. West won and tried the queen of diamonds, covered by the king and ace. That left declarer with the last two tricks, for +140. Time to move on, and I spotted a table where one of the players was a World Champion. They were still playing the last board of the previous round:

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

West	North	East	South
Petrovic	Davis	Duic-Petric	Davies
		Pass	1NT
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♦
Pass	3♠*	Pass	4♥
All Pass

West led the three of spades and their was nothing to the play, declarer giving up two tricks at the end, +450.

I think this deal illustates very clearly several important elements of matchpoints. On a spade lead, declarer should win in dummy, cross to a top heart, unblock the clubs, cross to the remaining top heart and discard a diamond on the queen of clubs. Now you cash the remaining trump winners. Every once in a while there will be a position such as the one that existed here and you will make twelve tricks. An atypical omission for the double Venice Cup winner. With East on lead the defenders simply needed to cash their diamond winners to get a 72% score. How difficult is that? At Al Levy’s table he had dropped the queen of diamonds at trick one and when East switched he could execute the spade diamond squeeze for 12 tricks. If you give count then its important for West with ♦8764 to play the seven, not the six at trick one. I remained in my chair for the next two boards – but only then realised that I had already seen them before – and what is more I had another pair of Levy’s at the table, doubling the count of World Champions on view.

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

West	North	East	South
Levy	Davis	Levy	Davies
			Pass
1♠	2♣	Dble	Pass
2♥	3♣	3♠	Pass
4♠	All Pass

As before the defence started with three top clubs, declarer ruffing, South discarding two diamonds. Declarer cashed the ace of diamonds and played the ten of hearts. South won and tried a diamond, declarer pitching a heart and winning with dummy’s king. The jack of spades was cashed and when everyone followed the simple line would have been to ruff a diamond high and draw trumps, the losing hearts going on the established diamonds.

Declarer preferred to ruff a club, ruff a heart, ruff a diamond with the ten of spades and ruff a heart. Now he could play a diamond and catch South’s remaining trumps. Is it possible that North might have been 2-3-2-6 with the nine of spades – in which case this line of play would not have been a success?

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ K 10 2 ♥ A K Q J 6 5 ♦ K J 9 5 ♣ –
♠ A 7 4 ♥ 8 4 2 ♦ Q 3 ♣ A K 10 7 6		♠ J 8 3 ♥ 10 9 7 ♦ A 10 6 4 ♣ 5 4 3
	♠ Q 9 6 5 ♥ 3 ♦ 8 7 2 ♣ Q J 9 8 2

West	North	East	South
Levy	Davis	Levy	Davies
1♣	Dble	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♥	Pass	2NT
Pass	4♥	All Pass

Declarer covered the club lead with the jack and ruffed West’s king (the ace might be an effective false card here). He drew trumps in three rounds (discarding a club and a diamond) and passed the ten of spades. That was followed by the king of spades and a third spade putting West on play. He tried the queen of diamonds covered by the king and ace. Declarer ruffed the club return and played a low diamond. When East played low declarer could win with dummy’s eight and discard a diamond loser on the thirteenth spade, +650 and a massive 93%.

Okay, time to take in one more pair and I took my seat just in time to follow the first deal of the round. Perhaps by now you can work out which board was on the table?

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

West	North	East	South
Wolfarth	Martel	Senior	Martel
			Pass
1♠	2♣	3♣*	Pass
3♥	Pass	4♠	All Pass

North cashed two top clubs and switched to a trump. Declarer won and played dummy’s heart. South took the ace and played a second trump, but declarer could ruff one heart and discard the other on the king of diamonds.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ K 10 2 ♥ A K Q J 6 5 ♦ K J 9 5 ♣ –
♠ A 7 4 ♥ 8 4 2 ♦ Q 3 ♣ A K 10 7 6		♠ J 8 3 ♥ 10 9 7 ♦ A 10 6 4 ♣ 5 4 3
	♠ Q 9 6 5 ♥ 3 ♦ 8 7 2 ♣ Q J 9 8 2

West	North	East	South
Wolfarth	Martel	Senior	Martel
1♣	Dble	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♥	All Pass

East found the only lead that might hold declarer to nine tricks when she led a heart.

Declarer drew trumps and played on spades, the king, followed by the two. Not easy for East to play the jack on this trick! West had to duck the spade nine and declarer played a diamond. When West produced the queen declarer could claim ten tricks, +170 and an average. I’m cannot be certain that divine intervention was involved in these coincidences but I can tell you that all six pairs I watched play boards 11 & 12 made it to the final.