China Smeg - Yadlin

By Mark Horton

Once you have selected a match to cover the material you will be given to work with is in the lap of the Gods and the predilection of the Great Shuffler. After all, you cannot expect the players to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

With that in mind, let’s see how things developed in the first session of our featured match.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Shi	Ginossar	Zhang	Ozdil
		Pass	Pass
1♥	Pass	1NT	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♥	All Pass

North led the two of hearts and declarer took South’s king with the ace and played two more rounds, dummy discarding a club and South a spade. Declarer played a club and North went up with the ace and switched to a diamond, covered by the queen and king, declarer ruffing and playing a spade to the jack and queen.

South played back a diamond and declarer discarded a club. North could win, draw the last trump and play a club to South’s king, but declarer had the rest, +110. @Room:Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Kalish	Ming Dai	Podgur	Yang
		Pass	1♦*
Dble	1♥	1NT	Pass
Pass	2♦	Pass	Pass
2♥	3♦	Dble	All Pass

Do you think it would be correct to describe West’s ‘textbook’ double as old fashioned? When North took the push East applied the axe.

At this point you might expect a description of the play – well, I think West cashed the ace of hearts and continued with a heart to dummy’s king. Then declarer tried a club finesse that lost, won the club return, ruffed a heart and discarded a spade on the king of clubs. Obviously the contract is not going to make, the only issue being one or two down, but the score was posted as +870 – that’s an overtrick! As you may have guessed at some point one of the defenders revoked – but I have not as yet managed to discover exactly when.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Shi	Ginossar	Zhang	Ozdil
	Pass	1♣	Dble
1♦*	Dble	2♥	Pass
Pass	Dble	Pass	2♠
All Pass

I do not propose to dwell on South’s decision to double – you either love this style or hate it. The 4-3 spade fit played tolerably well. West led the queen of clubs to declarer’s king and he immediately played back a club. East won and played back a trump and declarer won in dummy and played a club. The contract was not in danger and declarer made ten tricks, +170.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Kalish	Ming Dai	Podgur	Yang
	Pass	Pass	1NT
Pass	2♣	Pass	2♠
Pass	4♠	All Pass

Here, with rather more at stake West led the three of hearts, East taking the ace and returning the ten, ruffed in dummy by declarer who ran the jack of clubs. West won with the queen and returned the suit, East winning with the ace and giving his partner a ruff, one down, -100 and 7 IMPs

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Shi	Ginossar	Zhang	Ozdil
		Pass	1♦
2♥	3NT	All Pass

East led the ten of hearts and West put up the ace and switched to the two of spades, giving declarer no chance of more than eight tricks, -100.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Kalish	Ming Dai	Podgur	Yang
		Pass	1♦
2♥	3NT	All Pass

This time West put the queen of hearts on his partner’s ten and declarer won with the jack. He played the eight of clubs to dummy’s queen, a diamond to hand and the ten of clubs, running it to East’s jack. Without pause for thought West cashed the ace of hearts and declarer could claim nine tricks, –400 and an unnecessary loss of 10 IMPs.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Shi	Ginossar	Zhang	Ozdil
	1♦	2♠	Dble
4♠	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

South led the five of spades and declarer won in hand and played a club to the ten and jack. Back came a heart to dummy’s ace and a club went to the nine and South’s ace . He cashed the king of diamonds and then played the six of spades. Declarer put in dummy’s seven and when that held he had secured the vital entry to be able to ruff a club and was still able to get back to dummy with the ace of spades to cash the winning clubs, +790.

The clue to the winning play in spades was perhaps North’s failure to return a spade at trick, although if he had started with ♠J9 his best chance of defeating the contract would be to defend as he did, hoping declarer would go wrong in the spade suit. @Room:Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Kalish	Ming Dai	Podgur	Yang
	1♦	1♠	Dble
2NT*	3♥	3♠	All Pass

South led a spade and declarer won in hand and played a diamond. South took the trick with the nine and played a second trump. Declarer won in dummy, unblocked the ace of hearts, ruffed a diamond, cashed the king of hearts and ruffed a heart. He came back to hand with a diamond ruff and drew the outstanding trump, +140, but a loss of 12 IMPs.

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

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Shi	Ginossar	Zhang	Ozdil
	1♣	Pass	1♠
Pass	2♠	All Pass

West’s opening salvo was the five of hearts, which ran to declarer’s king. He knocked out the ace of clubs and the defenders cashed two heart tricks. The 2-2 spade break meant declarer had the rest, +170.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Kalish	Ming Dai	Podgur	Yang
	1NT	All Pass

Two strange decisions combined to deliver a poor result. East led the two of diamonds and declarer won and tried to sneak a club past the ace. Unluckily it was in the West hand and the defenders were not slow to cash their diamond tricks and then switch to the queen of hearts, one down, –100 and a useful 7 IMP pickup at the end of the set.