FIRST BLOOD

Véronique and Michel Bessis have already stepped onto the highest tier of the podium twice in the past in the team event, and this year they are also trying for honors in the pairs competition of the European Bridge Mixed Championship.

Good technique gives no bonus

Mrs Baldursdottir, from Iceland was the first declarer of the day:

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 10 4 2 © J 8 ¨ J 9 7 6 5 § J 5 2
ª Q 3 © K Q 7 5 2 ¨ A Q 4 3 § A 3		ª A K 8 6 5 © A 4 ¨ K 10 § 9 8 6 4
	ª J 9 7 © 10 9 6 3 ¨ 8 2 § K Q 10 7

The bidding was short: one spade, two hearts, two no- trumps, three no-trumps.

Michel Bessis, France

By the way how much would you like to be in a no-trump slam? Assuming you get a club lead it nothing less than a little under 60 % proposition - as a 3-3 break in either major suit is enough.

Declarer took the queen of clubs lead and went for spades. When she discovered the happy break, discarding a club from dummy, she should stop and draw 3 rounds of hearts to establish eventually a squeeze in the red suits against North. In fact, she continued with two more rounds of spades, North discarding 2 diamonds. After a long huddle, West decided to discard a diamond and a heart but as you can see there was no way to take more than 12 tricks.

Spades a girl's best friend?

On board 2 the bidding was very short. South opened One Diamond, West, Jean Guillon, France overcalled with One Heart and that ended the bidding.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª J 8 3 © 9 8 ¨ 10 5 § K J 10 7 5 4
ª A K 10 6 © J 6 4 3 2 ¨ A Q J § 8		ª 7 5 2 © Q 10 ¨ K 9 8 4 § Q 6 3 2
	ª Q 9 4 © A K 7 5 ¨ 7 6 3 2 § A 9

The lead was the ten of diamonds taken by declarer. When South came in with the king of hearts she played back a diamond and later two rounds of clubs after winning the ace of trumps. Now West could take nine tricks for 140, engineering a coup en passant. A spade shift after the first heart, difficult to find, would have held West to 8 tricks.

What would you lead?

Board 4,West opens One Diamond, rebids 2NT over his partner's Two Clubs and plays in 3NT.

What do you lead from

ª QJ5
© 8542
¨ K10
§ 8432

Michel Bessis chose a low heart and that was the correct way to hold the declarer to 9 tricks. The full hand:

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

Do you know Tartan ?

Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul.
	ª A 10 9 6 3 © A 9 8 ¨ 9 § K Q J 2
ª Q 7 © K 7 6 5 3 ¨ K Q J 4 3 § 6		ª K 8 5 4 2 © Q ¨ A 10 8 6 5 § 8 7
	ª J © J 10 4 2 ¨ 7 2 § A 10 9 5 4 3

Mrs Pippet and Mr O'Lubaigh from Ireland opened the West hand 2 Hearts , alerted as Tartan. The French pair seemed to have never heard of this convention, the explanation was that it showed 5 hearts and 4+ of an unknown minor .North overcalled with two spades and that finished the bidding. Declarer was clever enough to escape for one down, not such a good result when at other table East/West were happy to sacrifice in five diamonds for 300 against a cold five clubs.

Will you adopt Tartan for the next championship?