News From The Second Qualifying Session

The board below looked like a case of 4NT becoming the final contract, a pairs events' classic.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª A Q J © J 6 ¨ A 5 3 § K Q 9 8 6
ª 9 © 9 8 5 2 ¨ Q J 6 2 § A J 7 5		ª K 10 8 7 6 5 4 3 © K 10 3 ¨ 7 § 10
	ª 2 © A Q 7 4 ¨ K 10 9 8 4 § 4 3 2

North opens 1NT, East overcalls three Spades, South doubles and North bids 3NT. East does not give up to easily, so she rebids her suit and what next? South can pass now, having shown all of her values before, so it's up to North. Double seems automatic, but 4NT might be an interesting alternative. If East leads a spade, declarer will probably come to ten tricks if he leads the §K from hand at trick two. Hearts and diamonds are out as possible leads, but the §10 lead will liven up the play. It looks, however, as if there still is a route to ten tricks for 630, a much better score than the 300 available in 4ª doubled.

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 10 6 3 © Q 8 2 ¨ A K 8 § Q 6 4 2
ª A Q 9 4 © 9 ¨ Q 5 4 2 § A K 10 3		ª 8 7 © K J 7 5 4 ¨ J 9 7 6 3 § 9
	ª K J 5 2 © A 10 6 3 ¨ 10 § J 8 7 5

North passes and East opens a Polish style Two Hearts which is passed round to North. As Michael Rosenblum put it: "I can reopen now with a double because they forgot to increase the penalty for non-vulnerable undertricks. Even increasing them to 60 per trick would be enough." So he doubled, South bid 2ª and there it rested. Down two for -100 only and a good score for N/S.

One of the most obscure saves we saw on this one:

Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
	ª 6 5 4 2 © 8 ¨ K Q 8 7 4 2 § A 2
ª 10 7 © A Q 9 7 3 2 ¨ A J 10 § 6 3		ª A 9 3 © K 5 ¨ 6 5 § K Q J 9 5 4
	ª K Q J 8 © J 10 6 4 ¨ 9 3 § 10 8 7

West	North	East	South
			Pass
1©	2¨	3§	Pass
3©	Pass	3ª	Pass
3NT	4ª	Dble	All Pass

After making sure that 3ª was a semi-natural bid only (it looked that way as east did not double 2¨) North, Michael Rosenberg, found the very inspired save in 4ª. The defence should manoeuvre to let East ruff a club in front of declarer's spade holding, but when this was not found, Michael only went one off. With so many vulnerable games on the scoresheet the number of undertricks did not really matter, however.

A fine slam was in the cards on this one, but how to bid it?

Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª 9 8 7 4 © - ¨ A Q 9 7 4 2 § K J 3
ª Q © A J 8 6 4 ¨ 8 3 § Q 10 6 5 4		ª 6 5 © K 10 5 3 ¨ J 10 6 5 § A 8 7
	ª A K J 10 3 2 © Q 9 7 2 ¨ K § 9 2

Old-fashioned methods work well here. North 1¨ and South 2ª. No matter what West does, the road to slam is wide open. North can show his support and cuebid hearts later on. Few pairs managed to reach it, however.