The Red Mist

By Mark Horton

It may just have been a trick of the light, but it seemed to me that I was surrounded by a sea of Red cards when I watched the second session of the final of the Mixed pairs.

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

West	North	East	South
Kowalski	Rosenblum	Miszewska	Panina
	1♣*	1♥	1♠
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♦
Dble	All Pass

There was nothing to the play, the defenders starting with three rounds of hearts, West ruffing and in due course they made three more trump tricks, one down, -100.

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

West	North	East	South
Kowalski	Rosenblum	Miszewska	Panina
		Pass	Pass
1♦	1♠	Dble	Redble
2♥	Dble*	Pass	2♠
All Pass

I wonder if South was tempted to pass out her partner’s double in search of the magic 200? Had she done so declarer would have been a favourite to record +670.

Two Spades was a simple affair, declarer losing two diamonds, a club, a diamond ruff and a trump.

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

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Rosenblum	Granovetter	Panina
			1♦
1♠	Pass	1NT	Pass
2♥	2NT*	4♥	Dble
All Pass

North’s second-round action showed clubs and diamond support. With five-card trump support it was difficult for East not to bid game, despite the apparently poor location of the queen of diamonds.

North led the six of diamonds and you can understand given the auction why declarer rejected the finesse, although had he taken it he would have been able bring home the doubled game. (Only a heart lead defeats the contract for certain.) After winning with the ace declarer took the spade finesse and cashed the ace and king. South ruffed, cashed the ace and king of hearts and tried the ace of clubs. Declarer could ruff, but he was a trick short, having to lose a club at the end, down one, -100.

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

West	North	East	South
Hamman	Rosenblum	Granovetter	Panina
1♣	1♦	2♠	Pass
Pass	Dble	All Pass

I have never cared much for the style that allows East to make a weak jump on this type of hand. You may beg to differ, but it certainly came a cropper on this deal.

South led the queen of diamonds and declarer won with dummy’s ace and played the king of clubs. South won and switched to a heart. North won with the king, cashed the king of diamonds and played a diamond for South to ruff. Back came a heart and North won and played another diamond. South could ruff that and still had a couple of trump tricks to come, +500.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ 2 ♥ A K Q 8 ♦ 9 8 4 ♣ K Q J 4 2
♠ A 8 5 ♥ 5 3 2 ♦ K 10 6 3 2 ♣ 8 6		♠ K 10 9 7 6 4 3 ♥ 6 ♦ J 5 ♣ A 10 5
	♠ Q J ♥ J 10 9 7 4 ♦ A Q 7 ♣ 9 7 3

West	North	East	South
Kasle	Rosenblum	Quinn	Panina
	2♣*	2♠	3♦*
3♠	4♥	4♠	Dble
All Pass

As an aside, whenever I see Gaylor Kasle for some reason I have long since forgotten I bring to mind Gaylord Ravenal the gambler played by Howard Keel in the musical Showboat.

North’s opening bid might have been based on a weak two in diamonds, hence South’s bid of Three Diamonds, pass or correct. With trumps 2-1 and the diamonds well placed there was no defence, -790.

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

West	North	East	South
Kasle	Rosenblum	Quinn	Panina
		2♠	Pass
3♠	Dble	Pass	3NT
Pass	4♦	Pass	4♥
All Pass

It was déjà vu all over again for Kasle as he raised his partner’s suit. There was nothing to the play, the defenders scoring the ace of spades. For my money South was worth another bid once North showed the red suits.

I thought that was it for this session, but when I went to collect the hand records The players were still hard at work, so I grabbed a seat nearest the door.

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

West	North	East	South
Berkowitz	Wolpert	Wei-Sender	Ryman
	1♣*	Pass	1♦*
1♥	Dble	3♥	4♥
Pass	4♠	Pass	6♠
All Pass

Declarer won the heart lead and embarked on a cross ruff, ruffing three clubs in dummy, and three hearts in hand. He could then give up a trump trick and claim the rest, +1430. That excellent result was almost matched by the next one:

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

West	North	East	South
Berkowitz	Wolpert	Wei-Sender	Ryman
		1NT	Dble*
3NT	All Pass

South had shown a major and a minor and kicked off with the jack of diamonds. When declarer ducked, South switched to a low heart. North won and returned the ten to dummy’s ace. Declarer can get home if she leads a diamond towards the king, but when she chose to play on the black suits she could take no more than eight tricks.