Going into the final round of the Mixed Pairs, Zia Mahmood and Jill Meyers, a new partnership, were still in contention, but they needed a virtually unbroken string of very good results to have a chance for victory – as Zia put it, “We need tops.”

Early on, it looked as though they might pull it off.

The first board was about average, but Zia and Meyers scored very well on the second deal.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Meyers
		1ª	Pass
1NT	2§	2©	Pass
4©	All Pass

Meyers started with her singleton club, taken in dummy with the ace, and declarer played two high hearts from her hand, a subtle error that cost her side 13 matchpoints.

After drawing trumps, East got out of her hand with the §9, taken by Zia, who fired a diamond through declarer’s K 6. Meyers played three rounds of the suit, forcing declarer to ruff and making it impossible for her to enter dummy to lead up to the ªK without serious consequences. With no trumps left, she would end up losing three club tricks, a spade and two diamonds for down three.

With no other options, declarer played a low spade from her hand. Meyers won the queen and returned the suit, declarer discarding as Zia won the ace. Minus 100 was worth 46 out of 50 matchpoints for Zia and Meyers. Minus 50, the result declarer could have achieved had she cashed one high trump and then played to dummy’s ©Q, would have been 33.

Board 4 was a wild one, with scores all over the map. Zia and Meyers managed a good score.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Meyers
2¨	Pass	Pass	Pass

The gadget 2¨ bid showed 8-11 high-card points and at least five diamonds. Considering the vulnerability, Zia had an easy pass, hoping that Meyers would have a chance to balance with a double. Indeed, 2¨ was passed around to Meyers, but she didn’t have enough to consider action.

As it happens, North-South can make nine tricks in spades with careful play – spade contracts were doubled at other tables – but Zia and Meyers profited anyway. Declarer had only six tricks. Plus 200 was good for 29 matchpoints.

Zia earned another excellent result with good play on the following deal.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Meyers
	1©	Pass	4©
All Pass

East led her singleton spade to the queen and ace. Zia ruffed a diamond and played a club. West won the §K and played the ©K to Zia’s ace. Club and diamond ruffs followed and Zia claimed at the end with good spades for plus 680 and 41 matchpoints.

On Board 8, Meyers had a difficult decision in a competitive auction, but she did the right thing and, thanks to a defensive slip, emerged with a near top.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Meyers
Pass	1NT	Dble	Redbl
2§	Pass	Pass	2¨
All Pass

East’s double was described by West as “cards,” and Meyers’ redouble was business as well. As you can see, the opponents can take the first seven tricks, so 1NT redoubled was not a good spot for North-South, but West didn’t know that, so he ran to 2§. East might have corrected to 2ª, but she passed, leaving Meyers to decide what to do.
She finally opted for 2¨, which was passed out. 2ª, as you can see, is an easy make, and nine tricks are available if declarer guesses clubs. Even so, East-West would achieve average if they went plus against Meyers’ partial.

Meyers could also make her contract by guessing well in trumps, but she won the opening heart lead with the ace and played a diamond to her queen and West’s king. West thought for a long time before switching to the §9, which rode around to Meyer’s king. She played another diamond to the 8 and 10, and East cashed two high spades followed by the ¨A. Inexplicably, she continued with a third round of spades. The ruff-sluff allowed Meyers to get rid of her club loser and she claimed plus 90 for 47 out of 50 matchpoints.

Zia and Meyers took advantage of another error to record another fine score on board 10.

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

West	North	East	South
	Zia		Meyers
		5§	Dble
Pass	Pass	Pass

Nine-card suits are rare, and East, well known for her aggressive bids, did not seem to mind her lack of high-card points. Meyers started with the ©K, taken in dummy with the ace. Declarer cashed the ªA, discarding a diamond, and made the fatal error of ruffing a heart to hand to play the §Q. Meyers won the §K and played a third round of hearts. Zia ruffed with the trump ace, and the defense still had the ¨A and §J to come. As it happened, minus 500 was only marginally worse than minus 200 (5 matchpoints versus 9).

Zia and Meyers earned another fine score on Board 11 when declarer in 4ª took only 10 tricks when 11 were easily available. Through the first six rounds, Zia and Meyers had scored 71% and seemingly were on a roll.
Their game began to unravel with Board 13.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	ª J 10 6 © 5 4 2 ¨ A K 9 8 § 10 3 2
ª K 5 © K J 7 ¨ 10 6 4 § K Q 9 8 4		ª Q 3 © A Q 10 9 8 6 ¨ Q J § J 6 5
	ª A 9 8 7 4 2 © 3 ¨ 7 5 3 2 § A 7

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

2NT was alerted as showing a heart raise with 11 or more high-card points.

Zia meant his 3¨ as a lead director but Meyers thought it was a real suit – and if it was her hand had increased in playing strength. Had they bid no higher than 3ª, Zia and Meyers were in for another great score. Plus 140 would have been worth 46, while plus 200 for 4© doubled down one (the likely result had East-West bid over 3ª), would have been a tie for top.

See if you can work out this defensive problem. You are South, holding

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

You start with the ©A and this dummy comes down

Partner plays the ©3 and declarer the 6. It’s now up to you. Chose your play before reading on.

If you selected the ªK, soon to be followed by the queen, you will record plus 100 and earn 35 matchpoints. If you play a low club, you have a chance. Declarer will almost certainly go wrong, putting up the king. If your choice is the §Q, which is what Meyers played, you will have to write in minus 510 for only 6 matchpoints. The full deal:

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

Declarer covered the §Q the with king and ruffed. She then pulled trumps in two rounds and overtook the ©Q with the king, discarding a spade on the ©J. She then played a spade to the 10 and Meyers’ queen. She cashed the king, but then was out of winning options. A heart would give a ruff-sluff, so she tried a low club, but declarer put up the 10 and discarded her last spade to claim her doubled contract.

Another poor result came Zia’s and Meyers’ way on Board 16 when West opened a 9-point hand and caught his partner with 21 HCP. They were quickly in 6NT, which could not be defeated. Minus 1440 was another 6 for Zia and Meyers.

There were other poor results for the two – a doubled contract making with an overtrick, a missed game – and a once-promising session had become a disappointing 54.23%.