Grinding It Out

By Brent Manley

The World Open Pairs is a gruelling affair. Even for the pairs who don’t have to play all 13 sessions; it is still an endurance contest.

Before they started play in the third final session of the Open Pairs, Jeff Meckstroth said to his partner, “Have fun, Perry.” At that point, Meckstroth and Perry Johnson were leading. After having less fun than they would have liked, the two had dropped out of the lead but were still in contention with two sessions to play. They got off to a slow start, in no small measure because of bad luck. After five rounds, they needed a 97% score on the tenth board to bring their average per board to 44.4%. This deal was their first.

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

West	North	East	South
Johnson		Meckstroth
	Pass	1♠	Pass
1NT	Pass	2♦	Pass
3♥	All Pass

They did well to stop in 3♥ – several pairs, to their regret, bid game – but, after the lead of the ♣J from North, Plus 140 for 53% was the best score they could achieve. As you can see, 5♦ is cold, but only three pairs in the field of 72 bid it. About the same number scored Plus 150 in diamond partials.

On the next deal, their opponents bid 7♠, a laydown contract that was a 23% score for Meckstroth and Johnson. On the deal after that, Johnson had to guess well at trick one to avoid a near-disastrous round.

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

West	North	East	South
Johnson		Meckstroth
1♠	Pass	2♠	All Pass

North started with a low spade. Johnson considered his play for a bit before going up with dummy’s king – essential to their score. When the king held, Johnson played a diamond to the queen, cashed the ♦A and ruffed a diamond in dummy. He eventually lost two spades and two hearts for Plus 140 and 57%. Had he ducked at trick one, the defenders would have played another two rounds of trumps, depriving Johnson of a diamond ruff. The resulting Plus 110 would have been a 14% score.

On the next two deals – on VuGraph – Meckstroth and Johnson again scored poorly when an opponent managed Plus 620 in 4♥ (many pairs went down) for 30%, then Meckstroth got off to the wrong lead against 4♠, resulting in Minus 480 (27%) instead of minus 450 (51%). The following deal was a tough one for Meckstroth and Johnson.

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

West	North	East	South
Johnson		Meckstroth
	Pass	Pass	Pass
1♥	Dble	3♥	3♠
All Pass

With diamonds going 3-3, 4♥ was cold – and Johnson might have bid it, even after (or perhaps because of, considering the promised minimum of four trumps) Meckstroth’s weak raise to 3♥. When Johnson passed 3♠, Meckstroth could do no more, having described his hand already. Johnson started with the ♣Q, taken by South with the ace. A trump was led to Johnson’s ace, and he cashed the ♦A and played a diamond to Meckstroth’s king. Johnson ruffed the club return and gave Meckstroth a diamond ruff. They still had the ♥A coming, but Plus 100 scored only 9%.

Fortunately for Meckstroth and Johnson, they got even on the next deal.

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

West	North	East	South
Johnson		Meckstroth
		Pass	1♣
1♠	2♥	2♠	2NT
Pass	4♣	Pass	4♥
Pass	6♣	Pass	6♥
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

The club slam – which obviously terrified South – was headed for Minus 200, so the double of 6♥ was necessary for Meckstroth and Johnson to keep their 97% score from slipping to 84%.

On the next round, Johnson played 3NT, and as long as the defenders made no errors, his limit was 11 tricks, but it still scored only 51%. The Americans earned a good score on the next deal of the round simply by taking their tricks. This time, in the Howell movement, they were North/South.

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

West	North	East	South
	Meckstroth		Johnson
1♣	Pass	1♦	Pass
1NT	All Pass

1♣ was strong and artificial. 1NT showed 17-18.

Meckstroth started with a low heart, which went to declarer’s 9. A club to the 10 and queen was followed by a low spade from Johnson, ducked by declarer. Meckstroth took the ♠K and returned the 7. Declarer played another club and the defense took two more tricks for Minus 120 and 57%. There was more bad news on round seven, but the tide turned on round eight.

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

West	North	East	South
	Meckstroth		Johnson
			1NT
Pass	2♦	Pass	2♥
Pass	2NT	Pass	4♥
All Pass

West started with a low spade, and Johnson ducked the ♠J, winning the continuation with the ace. He played a heart to the king, the ♥Q and a heart to the ace, ruffing a spade low in dummy. Johnson cashed the ♥J, pitching a diamond from hand, then claimed, giving up a diamond at the end for Plus 650 and 76% of the matchpoints. Had East/West taken all the tricks to which they were entitled, the Americans would have had only 30% on the board.

Meckstroth earned another good result on the next deal.

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

West	North	East	South
	Meckstroth		Johnson
Pass	1NT	Pass	2♦
Pass	2♥	All Pass

East started with the ♣J, which was ducked to Meckstroth’s king. He played the ♥A and overtook the ♥10 with the jack, then cashed the ♥K and called for dummy’s ♦J. West ducked, and East took the ♦A, getting out with a club to partner’s ace. The ♠9 came back, covered by Meckstroth with the 10 and taken by East with the jack. East thought about his next play for a long time before exiting with a diamond. West could have prevented an overtrick by playing low, but he put up the queen. Now Meckstroth could discard both of dummy’s losing spades on good diamonds. Plus 140 was worth 67%.

The next round was against Tomasz Gotard and Josef Piekarek, who had been in the lead in the final and who ended the third session in seventh place.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	♠ J 10 5 ♥ 10 7 3 ♦ K 7 6 5 ♣ 10 5 4
♠ K Q ♥ K J 8 ♦ 10 4 3 2 ♣ A K Q 2		♠ 9 8 7 4 3 2 ♥ 9 6 4 ♦ 9 8 ♣ J 3
	♠ A 6 ♥ A Q 5 2 ♦ A Q J ♣ 9 8 7 6

West	North	East	South
	Meckstroth		Johnson
	Pass	Pass	1♣
Pass	1♦	2♠	Dble
Redble	3♦	Pass	Pass
4♠	All Pass

The defenders have five tricks against 4♠, but they have to take them early. Johnson started with the ♣9, and Gotard took full advantage. He won the club in hand, went to dummy with another club, tossed a losing diamond on the third round of clubs and another when Meckstroth ruffed in with the ♠10. There was no way to defeat the contract at that point, and Gotard finished with 10 tricks for Plus 420, a 90% score.

They gave almost all of it back on the next deal.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 6 ♥ 8 ♦ A Q J 4 2 ♣ A 9 7 5 4
♠ K J 10 8 5 3 2 ♥ A 9 6 ♦ 10 6 ♣ 10		♠ A 4 ♥ Q 7 3 2 ♦ 8 7 ♣ K Q J 8 3
	♠ Q 7 ♥ K J 10 5 4 ♦ K 9 5 3 ♣ 6 2

West	North	East	South
	Meckstroth		Johnson
		1♣	1♥
4♠	Dble	All Pass

Meckstroth started with his singleton heart, which went to the 10 and ace. Piekarek played the ♣10 from hand next, but Meckstroth won the ace, cashed the ♦A and played a diamond to Johnson’s king. The ♥K and a heart ruff made for two down and Plus 300 for the Americans, worth 81%.

The next round was another big one for Meckstroth and Johnson.

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	♠ 9 8 5 ♥ J ♦ A J 9 5 2 ♣ K 9 8 4
♠ Q 7 6 2 ♥ K 9 7 4 ♦ 10 8 4 ♣ Q 5		♠ K 10 ♥ A Q 10 5 2 ♦ K 7 6 3 ♣ A 10
	♠ A J 4 3 ♥ 8 6 3 ♦ Q ♣ J 7 6 3 2

West	North	East	South
Johnson		Meckstroth
			Pass
Pass	1♦	1♥	1♠
3♦	Pass	4♥	All Pass

Johnson’s 3♦ was a so-called mixed raise (better than a simple raise, not as good as a limit raise, with four trumps). The West hand did not qualify for a mixed raise, but Meckstroth bid the game and made it with some help from the defense.

South started with the singleton ♦Q, ducked by North. Meckstroth cashed the ♥A and played the ♥10 to dummy’s king. Next came a spade to the king and ace, and when South switched to the ♣7, Meckstroth knew what to do. He played low, as did North. Meckstroth later gave up two diamonds, but he had a trump to ruff his fourth one. Plus 620 was worth 73%. The next deal was bad luck for South but very good news for Meckstroth and Johnson.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	♠ K 9 3 ♥ 8 ♦ Q J 9 5 4 ♣ A K 10 7
♠ A 8 7 5 2 ♥ A K Q 9 6 ♦ 7 3 ♣ 6		♠ 6 4 ♥ 10 5 4 2 ♦ 8 6 2 ♣ 8 5 4 3
	♠ Q J 10 ♥ J 7 3 ♦ A K 10 ♣ Q J 9 2

West	North	East	South
1♠	2♦	Pass	3NT
All Pass

Johnson started with the ♥K: 8, 2, 7. He continued with the ♥Q and, when he played the ♥A, Meckstroth unblocked the 10 as declarer’s jack fell.. There were two more tricks to come and declarer, with a fine 14-point hand opposite a partner overcalling vulnerable at the two level, was Minus 200; worth 74% for the Americans.But for a nice play on the following deal by Magnus Magnusson, Meckstroth would have had another great result.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	♠ Q 10 9 6 3 ♥ – ♦ A J 9 2 ♣ J 9 4 2
♠ K ♥ A J 10 8 7 6 ♦ K 8 ♣ A Q 8 6		♠ J 5 ♥ K 5 3 ♦ Q 10 6 5 4 3 ♣ 10 3
	♠ A 8 7 4 2 ♥ Q 9 4 2 ♦ 7 ♣ K 7 5

West	North	East	South
	Meckstroth		Johnson
		Pass	Pass
1♥	1♠	2♥	4♠
5♥	5♠	Pass	Pass
Dble	All Pass

East, Matthias Thorvaldsson, started with the ♥K, ruffed by Meckstroth, who could see that his ‘save’ might be a maker. He played a spade to dummy’s ace, dropping the singleton king, then played a spade to the queen, cashed the ♦A and ruffed a diamond. Now he played a low club from dummy’s king and Magnusson followed low smoothly (his only chance, he said later, to defeat the contract). Meckstroth played the ♣9 from hand, losing to the 10. From there, two down and Minus 300 was inevitable. That was worth only 6% of the matchpoints.