Rosenblum Cup - Round 7
by Brian Senior
Round 7 of the Rosenblum qualification phase saw a key match-up between Nick Nickell’s multi-world championship winning squad and the Anglo-American team captained by Tony Forrester.
| Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 3
♥ Q J 10 6 3
♦ K 6
♣ Q 9 7 6 |
♠ J 5 4
♥ 9 7
♦ Q 10 7 2
♣ K J 4 2 |  |
♠ A 10 9 8 2
♥ A K 5 4 2
♦ 8
♣ 8 5 | | | ♠ K 7 6
♥ 8
♦ A J 9 5 4 3
♣ A 10 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hamman | Moss | Soloway | Forrester
|
| | | | 1♦
|
| Pass | 1♥ | 1♠ | 2♦
|
| 2♠ | 3♦ | 3♥ | Pass
|
| 3♠ | Pass | Pass | 4♦
|
| All Pass
| | | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Townsend | Rodwell | Gold | Meckstroth
|
| | | | 1♦
|
| Pass | 1♥ | 1♠ | 2♦
|
| 2♠ | 2NT | Pass | 3♣
|
| Pass | 3♦ | 3♥ | Pass
|
| 3♠ | All Pass
| | |
A complex auction saw David Gold declare 3♠, a perfectly reasonable spot but for the five-one heart break. Jeff Meckstroth led his singleton heart to the nine, ten and ace and Gold led a club, judging correctly to put up the king. Next he led a low diamond off the table and Eric Rodwell hopped up with the king to lead a trump through. That was ducked to the king and a spade came back to queen and ace. Gold tried to cash the king of hearts now but it was ruffed and Meckstroth played ace and another club. Gold ruffed but had three losing hearts and only one trump left in dummy; two down for –200.
Paul Soloway also reached 3♠ but Forrester went on to 4♦, where he played. Bob Hamman led the nine of hearts to the ten and king and Soloway switched to his trump to the nine, ten and king. Forrester led the queen of hearts, ruffing out the ace, then tried the ♠K, ducked, and a spade to the queen and ace. Back came a heart, on which he threw the ten of clubs as Hamman ruffed. It didn’t matter what Hamman did now, he was only due one more trick; down one for –50 and 6 IMPs to NICKELL.
| Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 9 7 5
♥ A Q J 9 4
♦ K
♣ K 9 2 |
♠ –
♥ 6 2
♦ A J 10 8 6 5 4
♣ J 8 6 4 | |
♠ 6 4 3
♥ K 8 7 3
♦ 7 3 2
♣ A Q 3 | | | ♠ A K J 10 8 2
♥ 10 5
♦ Q 9
♣ 10 7 5 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hamman | Moss | Soloway | Forrester |
|
| Townsend | Rodwell | Gold | Meckstroth
|
| 3♦ | Dble | 4♦ | 4♠
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Both Souths declared 4♠ but on different opening leads. Hamman led the six of hearts and Forrester finessed to the king. Now it seems that West is a big favourite to hold the ace of diamonds, in which case a diamond switch for a club through would defeat the contract, unless West held eight diamonds. But Soloway returned a heart, hoping to give partner a ruff. There were a couple of reasons why that plan was unsuccessful. Forrester drew trumps and had three discards on dummy’s hearts; +650.
Tom Townsend cashed the ace of diamonds at trick one, took a look at dummy, and switched to a club. Meckstroth played low, holding his club losers to two, but there was no way to avoid the losing heart finesse; down one for –100 and 13 IMPs to FORRESTER.
| Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ A 10
♥ A 9 6
♦ A 9 8 4 3
♣ A 8 7 |
♠ Q 9 5 3
♥ Q 10 5 4
♦ K
♣ 6 4 3 2 | |
♠ K 6
♥ K 2
♦ Q J 10 7 6 2
♣ K Q J | | | ♠ J 8 7 4 2
♥ J 8 7 3
♦ 5
♣ 10 9 5 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hamman | Moss | Soloway | Forrester
|
| | | 1NT | Pass
|
| 2♣ | 2♦ | Dble | All Pass
|
| West | North | East | South
|
| Townsend | Rodwell | Gold | Meckstroth
|
| | | 1NT | All Pass
| | | |
Both Easts opened 1NT. Townsend was happy to let that go as West, and Gold played there on a spade lead to the ten and king. Gold played a diamond to the king and ace and Rodwell returned the suit, Gold winning the queen. He played the queen of clubs to Rodwell’s ace, won the club return and tried the king of hearts. That was ducked, so Gold cashed his minor-suit winners then played a heart to the ten and ace and Rodwell had to give dummy the ♥Q at the end for an eighth trick; +120.
In the other room, Hamman decided to look for a major-suit fit and Moss made a fairly horrible overcall of 2♦, a contract about which Soloway was happy to express an opinion. Soloway led the king of clubs, ducked, followed by the ♣J to the ace. Moss exited with a club to the queen and now Soloway switched to the king of spades, Hamman having followed two, four, six, suggesting that he had equal interest in both majors. Moss won the ♠A and exited with the ten to Hamman’s queen. He ducked the heart switch to the king and won the next heart with the ace. Moss exited with his last heart and Soloway had to ruff and play a low diamond to the king and ace. Moss exited with the ♦9 and had to come to the eight at the end for down three; –500 and 9 IMPs to NICKELL.
| Board 7. Dealer South. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A 9 3
♥ A J 10 6
♦ K 9 4 2
♣ 10 4 |
♠ Q 8 7
♥ 8 7
♦ Q 5
♣ A K Q J 9 6 | |
♠ K J 10 6 5 4
♥ 5 4 2
♦ 10 3
♣ 7 3 | | | ♠ 2
♥ K Q 9 3
♦ A J 8 7 6
♣ 8 5 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hamman | Moss | Soloway | Forrester
|
| | | | Pass
|
| 2♣ | Dble | 2♠ | 4♥
|
| 4♠ | Pass | Pass | 5♦
|
| Pass | 5♥ | All Pass
| |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Townsend | Rodwell | Gold | Meckstroth
|
| | | | Pass
|
| 1NT | Pass | 2♥ | Dble
|
| 2♠ | Pass | 2NT | 3♦
|
| Pass | 4♥ | 4♠ | Dble
|
| All Pass
| | | |
Mike Moss doubled the natural 2♣ and Soloway introduced his spades, over which Forrester jumped to the heart game. When Moss did not double 4♠, Forrester introduced his longer diamond suit but Moss put him back to 5♥. With two top clubs to lose this one came down to the diamond position. Hamman led three rounds of clubs and Forrester ruffed high in dummy, drew trumps and led a diamond to the king followed by a diamond to the ace; +650.
Tom Townsend’s slightly off-centre 1NT opening made for a different auction. Rodwell did not have sufficient distribution to come in with the North cards but Meckstroth was able to make a rather risky double of the 2♥ transfer and now Rodwell had a clear 4♥ call. Gold saved in 4♠, and Meckstroth doubled. There were five top losers and Meckwell had no problem in taking them; –500 but 4 IMPs to FORRESTER.
| Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul. |
| | ♠ K Q J 3
♥ 10 7 5
♦ 10 2
♣ 8 6 5 4 |
♠ A 5
♥ J 8 3 2
♦ A 6 4 3
♣ K Q 10 | |
♠ 10 9 8 2
♥ 4
♦ K J
♣ A J 9 7 3 2 | | | ♠ 7 6 4
♥ A K Q 9 6
♦ Q 9 8 7 5
♣ – |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hamman | Moss | Soloway | Forrester |
| 1NT | Pass | 2♣ | 2♥
|
| Pass | Pass | 3♣ | Pass
|
| 3♥ | Pass | 4♣ | Pass
|
| 5♣ | All Pass
| | |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Townsend | Rodwell | Gold | Meckstroth
|
| 1♥ | Pass | 1♠ | 2♦
|
| Pass | Pass | Dble | Pass
|
| 2♠ | All Pass
| | |
Hamman/Soloway did well to bid to the club game. Only an opening club lead might defeat 5♣ but, for some reason, Forrester didn’t find it. (I suppose that in fantasy land a low heart lead would have been interesting, but if the defender is allowed to find that lead, then declarer should be allowed to put up dummy’s jack.) Moss could lead a club when in with a spade, but it was too late; +400.
Townsend/Gold never mentioned clubs – unless your methods permit East to bid 3♣ over 2♦ to show this handtype, the rather ugly outcome is perhaps understandable. Meckstroth cashed the ace of hearts and continued with a low one, which caught Gold, who played low from dummy and had to ruff in hand. He led a club to dummy, Meckstroth discarding a diamond, ruffed a heart, crossed to the ace of diamonds and ruffed another heart as Rodwell discarded a club when a diamond would have been better, cashed the king of diamonds to bring the total up to six tricks, then tried a low club. Meckstroth ruffed that and there was only the ace of trumps to come; down one for –50 and 10 IMPs to NICKELL.
| Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul. |
| | ♠ A J 10 9
♥ K Q 9
♦ K 9 6
♣ Q 7 4 |
♠ K 6 2
♥ J 7 5 2
♦ J 10 8 2
♣ K J | |
♠ –
♥ A 6
♦ A 7 5 4 3
♣ A 10 9 8 6 2 | | | ♠ Q 8 7 5 4 3
♥ 10 8 4 3
♦ Q
♣ 5 3 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Hamman | Moss | Soloway | Forrester |
| Pass | 1NT | 2NT | Pass
|
| 4♦ | Pass | 5♦ | All Pass
|
| West | North | East | South
|
| Townsend | Rodwell | Gold | Meckstroth
|
| Pass | 1NT | 3♣ | All Pass
|
Gold overcalled 3♣ and played there. On the auction it was routine to get the trumps right so Gold made eleven tricks for +150.
Soloway showed the minor two-suiter and Hamman liked his club cards and four-card diamond support sufficiently to jump to 4♦. Soloway had a bit to spare so went on to game, where he won the heart lead and played ace and another diamond then ruffed out the club; +400 and 6 IMPs to NICKELL.
There was a slam swing to NICKELL on Board 13 but that deal features in a separate article by Mark Horton. It gave NICKELL 13 IMPs when it could have been 12 to FORRESTER, and helped NICKELL to a 48-23 IMP, 21-9 VP victory. At the end of the second day, NICKELL lay second in their group and were looking reasonably comfortable, while FORRESTER lay fourth and had plenty of work to do. |
