Our collective decision for the third session of the Mixed Pairs was to follow the fortunes of some of the pairs who needed a good session to ensure qualification. Anton Maas and Bep Vriend, starting the day in two hundredth position, definitely fell into that category.

Board 1. Dealer North. Love All ª J 9 5 2 © 10 4 ¨ 9 6 § J 8 7 5 2 ª A 10 6 3 ª K Q 4 © A 9 6 5 © 8 7 ¨ Q J 2 ¨ 8 5 4 3 § 6 4 § A Q 10 3 ª 8 7 © K Q J 3 2 ¨ A K 10 7 § K 9

Our featured pair got off to a good start, when West tried the dubious tactic of overcalling on a four-card suit. Three Hearts was destined to fail, but East had an automatic bid. North led the ten of hearts, and when that held the trick, he switched to the nine of diamonds. Two top diamonds and a diamond ruff were followed by a club switch. Declarer tried the queen, but that lost to the king and South's last diamond promoted North's jack of spades. +100 had to be a good result.

Board 2. Dealer East. NS Game ª K Q 6 © A 8 5 ¨ 10 6 5 § J 9 8 4 ª 10 4 2 ª 9 7 5 3 © Q J 10 4 3 © 9 2 ¨ J 8 ¨ A K 9 § Q 6 5 § K 10 7 2 ª A J 8 © K 7 6 ¨ Q 7 4 3 2 § A 3

What did Franz Terraneo have for breakfast? He certainly had his bidding boots on! We approve of his swashbuckling tactics, well at least the author does, and he emerged unscathed.

He led the queen of hearts, ducked by declarer, and continued with the jack. Declarer won in dummy and played a diamond. When the nine came up, Bep gave it a long look, but eventually played low, and West overtook with the jack, and played back the ten of hearts.

As an aside, Karin Caesar, one of Germany's Venice Cup Champions in Beijing was in 3NT on this board. After a similar start she got the diamonds right, playing the queen, and when East did not subsequently switch to clubs she was home free. If you don't duck the first heart, then the defenders would be helpless when you get the diamonds right.

Back at our table, declarer won with the king of hearts and played a diamond. Perhaps her partner's choice of cards in hearts had confused her, but when Terry Weigkricht did not switch to clubs, declarer was out of danger. Plus 120 was surely going to be above average.

Board 3. Dealer South. EW Game ª A Q © 9 8 7 3 ¨ 6 4 § K Q J 6 4 ª 6 2 ª K J 10 9 8 5 © Q J 6 © K 5 ¨ A 9 8 5 ¨ J 10 3 § 10 9 3 2 § 7 5 ª 7 4 3 © A 10 4 2 ¨ K Q 7 2 § A 8

Anton Maas did well to avoid the doomed Four Hearts, but when East avoided a spade lead, preferring the seven of clubs, it was not clear that 3NT would fare any better. Declarer had nothing to do other than cash five rounds of clubs, hoping someone would either be embarrassed or make a mistake. East discarded three spades, West the five of diamonds. No harm done, but when declarer played a diamond to the king West failed to duck. Declarer won the spade return and played two more rounds of diamonds, establishing the seven as a winner. East avoided the indignity of losing the last trick to the 'beer card', by switching to the king of hearts, but the loss of a huge number of matchpoints was inevitable.

Board 4. Dealer West. Game All ª 5 © A Q 9 3 2 ¨ K Q 10 6 2 § J 3 ª K J 7 2 ª A 9 6 4 3 © 7 6 5 © 10 8 ¨ 5 4 3 ¨ A 8 § Q 5 4 § 10 9 7 6 ª Q 10 8 © K J 4 ¨ J 9 7 § A K 8 2

All the points gained on the previous board were handed back immediately when the Dutch pair went overboard. We leave you to decide where they went wrong.

Board 5. Dealer North. NS Game ª 9 6 4 © A 10 3 2 ¨ K J 10 5 § A Q ª K 3 ª A J © J 9 8 5 © Q 4 ¨ A Q 9 8 4 ¨ 6 3 2 § K 10 § J 8 7 5 4 3 ª Q 10 8 7 5 2 © K 7 6 ¨ 7 § 9 6 2

There is nothing interesting to the play on this board, ten tricks being easy to achieve on the North-South cards. Still, not every pair recorded +170, so the optimum result of ten tricks achieved by Bep Vriend gave her side a solid result.

Board 6. Dealer East. EW Game ª Q 9 5 © A 5 ¨ Q 8 § A J 9 7 5 3 ª A 10 3 ª 8 6 © J 10 3 © K Q 8 2 ¨ 10 9 2 ¨ K 6 5 4 3 § K Q 6 2 § 10 8 ª K J 7 4 2 © 9 7 6 4 ¨ A J 7 § 4

East's Two Diamonds promised that suit and a four-card major. West led the nine of diamonds for the queen, king and ace, and declarer crossed to dummy with the ace of clubs to run the eight of diamonds. West won and switched to the jack of hearts. Declarer won with the ace, ruffed a club, discarded the losing heart on the jack of diamonds, and crossruffed her way to a handsome eleven tricks. No problem working out how that would score!

Board seven provided East-West with eleven routine tricks in spades, an offer that was taken up all around the room.

Board 8. Dealer West. Love All ª 9 6 4 © A 10 3 2 ¨ K J 10 5 § A Q ª K 3 ª Q 8 4 © J 9 8 5 © Q 10 7 3 ¨ A Q 9 8 4 ¨ 10 8 4 § K 10 § 10 9 3 ª J 10 7 6 5 © A ¨ A Q 9 3 2 § 7 4

West started with three rounds of clubs, and declarer ruffed, crossed to the ace of spades and played a spade to the jack and king. Back came another club, ruffed by declarer. If declarer plays a spade now, she gets nine tricks, but she played safe for eight by using her diamond suit. The traveller showed more than one +130 in diamonds, so +140 would have been a tremendous score. As it was, +110 looked like it could easily be below average.

Despite this result, it looked as if the Dutch pair was on course to qualify, and so they did, rising 112 places.

Results	Contents
Mixed Pairs 3rd Qualification Session 1st Final/Consolation Session	Qualifying Session II High Rollers Qualifying Session III Thoughtful Bridge Dutch Treat