When It rains It Pours

By Mark Horton

There was not much joy for the pair I decided to watch during the third session of the Mixed Pairs final.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ A J ♥ J 7 2 ♦ A 7 6 5 2 ♣ 10 5 2
♠ 10 8 5 2 ♥ 10 8 6 5 ♦ K 9 ♣ Q 9 8		♠ Q 7 6 4 ♥ A Q 4 3 ♦ Q 10 8 ♣ J 6
	♠ K 9 3 ♥ K 9 ♦ J 4 3 ♣ A K 7 4 3

West	North	East	South
Jacobs	Gromov	Auken	Gromova
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

West led the eight of hearts that ran to declarer’s nine. A spade to the jack saw East win and the defence cashed their heart tricks, West exiting with a spade. Declarer won with dummy’s ace and ducked a club, claiming eight tricks when she discovered the suit was breaking.

Going minus on this deal was bad news, worth only 20%.

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

West	North	East	South
Jacobs	Gromov	Auken	Gromova
		1♣	Pass
1♥	1♠	Dble*	Pass
2♠	Dble	Redble	Pass
3NT	All Pass

North led the queen of spades, and declarer won and ran the eight of hearts, North winning with the king. He cashed the king of spades and exited with the eight, South discarding the six of diamonds.

There was no compelling reason for declarer to guess the club suit, so like the vast majority declarer recorded +400.

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

West	North	East	South
Shah	Gromov	Deora	Gromova
			Pass
1♦	1♠	Dble*	Redble*
2♦	2♠	3♦	All Pass

This proved to be a terrible board for the Russian pair.

North led a heart and declarer won in hand and played a diamond to the ace and a diamond. Now if South had gone in with the king and switched to a spade the contract would have been defeated, but when she played low declarer could win and play on hearts, discarding his losing club. He lost three spades and a diamond, but conceding +110 was worth only 14%. Mind you, plus 100 would not have been much better, as many North/South pairs played in spades, generally making loads of tricks.

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

West	North	East	South
Shah	Gromov	Deora	Gromova
Pass	Pass	1♦*	2♦
Pass	3♦*	Pass	3♥
Pass	3♠	Pass	3NT
All Pass

When South made a natural overcall of the Precision-style opening, North’s Three Diamonds was forward going, and when South showed a heart stop North showed one in clubs, which was enough for South to go on to game. West led the seven of clubs and declarer simply took her tricks. It got our featured pair back to average on the round.

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

West	North	East	South
Cima	Gromov	Gemignani	Gromova
		Pass	1♠
1NT	2♠	Dble*	All Pass

This struck me as a very unlucky result for North/South. First West makes an ultra strong overcall of 1NT, then East produces a double that West can easily pass. The defenders made no mistakes, West leading a trump so declare had no chance of ruffing a diamond in dummy. Two down, -500 and a wretched score.

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

West	North	East	South
Cima	Gromov	Gemignani	Gromova
		1♠	Pass
Pass	1NT	All Pass

East led the king of spades and declarer ducked, won the heart switch in hand, played a diamond to the queen, a club to the ace and a diamond. That gave him an eventual 10 tricks and +180 but it was another poor result.