Open Pairs - Session Four

By Mark Horton

In the penultimate session of a major Pairs Championship everyone is trying to ensure that they will be in contention on the last day. Alas, the twin constraints of time and space mean that we can only deliver a brief glimpse of the fourth session.

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

West	North	East	South
Zhao	Fantoni	Fu	Nunes
Pass	Pass	1♥	Dble
2NT*	Pass	4♥	All Pass

The Chinese pair were pressing for good results, which may explain their aggressive bidding on this deal, where the destination of the matchpoints was decided entirely in the auction. With hearts 2-2 the contract was cold and +420 delivered 89%.

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

West	North	East	South
Bompis	Levin	Sainte-Marie	Weinstein
Pass	Pass	1♠	Pass
2♠	2NT*	Dble	3♣
Pass	3♦*	3♥	Pass
4♠	All Pass

The French pair was at the top of the table, but they scored badly on this deal. Four Spades was the popular contract and South led his singleton diamond. Declarer won in hand with the jack and started on the trump suit. Given North’s activity in the bidding it is likely that the spades will divide badly, but it is quite tough to play a low spade intending to cover South’s card.

When declarer started with the ace of spades he could not recover. He played a second spade to the jack and a club. North took the ace and gave his partner a diamond ruff and declarer still had to lose a heart and a trump for down one and –100 and only 36%. However, the French pair continued to plug away and near the end they enjoyed a huge round against a pair whose challenge was fading.

Board 25. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
	♠ K 9 8 6 5 ♥ Q 2 ♦ 8 3 2 ♣ 9 6 5
♠ Q ♥ A J 9 8 ♦ 9 6 4 ♣ A K 7 3 2		♠ A J 2 ♥ 10 5 3 ♦ A K J 10 ♣ J 8 4
	♠ 10 7 4 3 ♥ K 7 6 4 ♦ Q 7 5 ♣ Q 10

West	North	East	South
Townsend	Bompis	Gold	Sainte-Marie
	Pass	1♦	Pass
2♣	Pass	2♥*	Pass
2♠*	Pass	2NT	Pass
3♥	Pass	4♣	Pass
5♣	All Pass

I will confess that I have not had time to investigate the meaning of the auction, but a logical interpretation is that Two Hearts was two way, and when West asked with Two Spades East showed a weak no trump type. Something went wrong after that and the routine 3NT was bypassed. Playing in Five Clubs was not a great idea and gave North/South 89%.

Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ A J 10 5 ♥ Q 9 ♦ K 2 ♣ K 9 8 7 5
♠ Q 8 3 2 ♥ A 7 5 4 ♦ A 6 4 ♣ 10 4		♠ K 9 4 ♥ 10 8 6 3 2 ♦ Q 3 ♣ A J 2
	♠ 7 6 ♥ K J ♦ J 10 9 8 7 5 ♣ Q 6 3

West	North	East	South
Townsend	Bompis	Gold	Sainte-Marie
		Pass	Pass
Pass	1♣	Pass	1♦
Pass	1♠	Pass	1NT
All Pass

East/West could find no way into the auction, but that was not necessarily a disaster if they could inflict some damage to the perilous 1NT contract.

West led a heart and declarer won in hand and played a club to the king and ace. The defenders cashed four heart tricks, declarer keeping a spade, four diamonds and two clubs. A club now would have meant at least two down but East played a disastrous queen of diamonds and declarer had escaped for –100 and 76%.