They're Racing in Verona

By Mark Horton

The final of the World Open Pairs Championship – the ultimate matchpoint test, 142 boards where every trick counts, kicked off yesterday. It would be easy enough to include all 26 deals from the first session, as most of them contained a point of interest – but after all that tends to be the rule, rather than the exception, when this form of scoring is in use.

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

West	North	East	South
Bompis	Yadlin	Sainte Marie	Yadlin
	Pass	1♦	Pass
2♣	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

You would certainly like to play a slam on the East/West cards – although some pairs who reached Six Diamonds went down when West was declarer and North led a heart, as they took a finesse and were defeated by the 4-1 trump break.

6NT is the top spot, especially since on this layout you can survive despite the bad diamond break. The French pair made no move towards slam – I must ask the co-ordinator if Three Diamonds by West would have been forcing. It gave E/W 44%.

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

West	North	East	South
Jason	Martel	Justin	Stansby
			Pass
1♣	1♠	1NT	2♥
Dble	Pass	3♣	Pass
Pass	3♥	All Pass

The American pair were having a terrible time – they were rooted at the bottom for most of the session. I will leave you to consider the merits of South’s entry into the auction (although one of the VuGraph commentators suggested that North should not have bid One Spade!).

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

West	North	East	South
Jason	Martel	Justin	Stansby
Pass	2♦*	Pass	3NT
All Pass

A classic deal with the battle surrounding the number of tricks declarer could arrive at in 3NT. The Americans had done well in the auction as, slightly surprisingly, North was usually the declarer and it was easy for East to lead a club. Trying to be safe West led the eight of hearts. After long thought East cashed out, but conceding ten tricks was worth only 11% – an average round.

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

West	North	East	South
Duboin	Christiansen	Bocchi	Auken
	1NT	Pass	2♣
2♦	Pass*	Pass	2♥*
Pass	2♠	Pass	2NT*
Pass	4♠	All Pass

The Danish pair had dominated the qualifying session, but they were making a slow start and they scored badly on this deal when they reached a normal game.

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

West	North	East	South
Townsend	Weinstein	Gold	Levin
Pass	Pass	1♥	Pass
1NT	All Pass

North led a low diamond and South took his honours and played a third round. Declarer crossed to the ace of clubs and played a club. When South produced the queen declarer elected to duck and that resulted in seven tricks for +90 and a zero.

If declarer had taken his clubs and finessed in spades he would have scored 73%.

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

West	North	East	South
Cronier	Herbst	Chemla	Herbst
	Pass	1♥	Pass
1♠	Pass	2♦	Pass
2NT	All Pass

As you would expect, a significant number of pairs reached the spade game, but it went a begging at this table. Many players would simply raise spades at their second turn but, in the French system, raising without four-card support in this position is forbidden by the ‘Code Penal’.

North led a club and declarer won at once with the ace, played a diamond to the queen, a spade to the queen, the nine of hearts to the ace, a spade to the king and ace and a diamond. North, who had discarded a club, ducked, won the next diamond and cashed his winners – to his partner’s discomfort. Declarer emerged with nine tricks, salvaging 29% from the wreckage. The VuGraph audience were treated to a rare sight, when Meckwell were in opposition.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 2 ♥ – ♦ A J 8 7 5 3 ♣ A K J 5 4
♠ K J 10 8 6 5 4 ♥ K 7 6 ♦ 10 ♣ 8 2		♠ 7 3 ♥ 10 8 5 4 3 ♦ K Q ♣ 10 9 7 6
	♠ A Q ♥ A Q J 9 2 ♦ 9 6 4 2 ♣ Q 3

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Meckstroth	Simson	Johnson
			1NT
3♠	4♠	Pass	5♥
Pass	5♠	Pass	6♦
All Pass

Meckstroth took the bull by the horns and drove to slam over West’s preempt. Right he was as +1370 was quickly recorded. Did South consider the possibility of bidding 6NT? That would have delivered 89% as opposed to the actual 54% recorded.

Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.
	♠ A K 3 2 ♥ K 8 6 4 3 ♦ 10 9 7 ♣ 10
♠ J 8 6 ♥ – ♦ A K Q J 8 5 3 ♣ Q 7 4		♠ Q 9 7 4 ♥ Q J 7 ♦ 6 ♣ 9 8 5 3 2
	♠ 10 5 ♥ A 10 9 5 2 ♦ 4 2 ♣ A K J 6

West	North	East	South
Rodwell	Meckstroth	Simson	Johnson
1♦	1♥	Pass	4♥
All Pass

The only interest here was in West’s choice of opening bid. A gambling 3NT would have made life interesting, but Rodwell’s more pedestrian choice of One Diamond saw North/South reach their cold game. It was worth 47%, so it was ‘Meck by a neck’ on the round.