Chairman’s Cup, round one

	Sven-Åke Bjerregård, Sweden

Boards being sent in different directions characterised the first two games of the Chairman’s Cup. When all of us had learnt to send the boards the to next, higher table it was time to concentrate on the cards. Something that Sven-Åke Bjerregård did very well on board number five

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

West	North	East	South
	Tommy Gullberg		Sven-Ake Bjerregard
	2 ©*	Pass	4 §
Pass	Pass	Pass

2 ] showed a three-suiter with short diamonds and 4 } invited north to bid game.

West lead the ace of diamonds and switched, correctly, to a heart. Sven-Åke won in dummy and draw trumps in two rounds. He continued with the jack of spades from dummy. The entire deal was.

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

East covered the jack with the king of spades and it was all over. Dummy’s hearts were protected and Sven-Åke established dummy’s spades for a heart discard. Had East ducked the jack of spades West would have won the ace and returned a heart for one down.

Just a little later I was in trouble over what to lead, my hand was [ Q76, ] 874, { 87652, } A5. My partner opened a Multi 2 { and my right hand opponent overcalled 3 }. I competed with 3 ], pass or convert, and leftie jumped to 6 }. What to lead? I choosed the six of spades and dummy tabled

[ AKJ8543
] 9
{ 94
} KQ4

The lead was won in dummy with the ace and followed by a small spade that was ruffed in the closed hand. Declarer lead a club towards dummy and I rose with the ace. The good news are that my partner does hold an ace, the bad ones that I do not know if it is in hearts or diamonds.

Bloody lead I thought for myself while I was contemplating the situation. The odds should favour a heart as my partner has promised six of those but declarer’s diamonds are obviously not strong enough to discard dummy’s singleton heart. I concluded that a diamond must be better and collected my reward when the deal was

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

Pfeew.

What slam would you prefer to declare on east-west’s cards?

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

Our opponents reached 6 NT which made when declarer guessed the club suit correctly after a diamond lead.

	Anders Morath, Sweden

Anders Morath and Beng-Erik Efraimsson bid 6 } declared by West, a contract to which there are several advantages. Declarer, Anders Morath, received a diamond lead, cashed the ace of clubs - carefully saving the deuce for later – and continued with a club to the jack. Had the finesse worked it would have been all over. When it failed Anders reverted to play on the diamonds, he discarded one diamond in the closed hand on the third heart and ruffed a diamond. When diamonds broke three-three he could discard the queen of spades on the last diamond. The importance of saving the deuce of clubs became obvious when Anders crossed to dummy on the four of clubs.

On the next board our opponents had a slam tempo in the auction but stopped in game.

Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª 9 5 © K 10 7 4 ¨ Q 3 2 § K 10 8 2
ª K 10 4 © A J 5 2 ¨ K 10 6 § 6 4 3		ª A J 8 6 3 © Q 8 3 ¨ A J 5 4 § A
	ª Q 7 2 © 9 6 ¨ 9 8 7 § Q J 9 7 5

Anders Morath, who rarely experiences a finesse that works, received a club lead to the ace in 4 [. He continued with a trump to the king and tried the spade finesse with the jack. A club return forced a first ruff. Anders now tried the heart finesse but the jack was won by the king and third club round forced a second ruff. It will still not do to draw trumps as the diamonds must be established. A direct finesse with ten of diamonds lost to the queen but North could not force declarer’s trumps by playing a fourth round of clubs as it could be ruffed in either hand. North elected to play a red card and Anders could, finally, draw the last trump.

“Do you want a deal?” asked Madeleine Swanström and showed me the following.

Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.
	ª J 10 7 4 3 2 © A K 9 4 3 ¨ - § 9 3
ª 9 8 © Q 10 8 6 ¨ 9 4 2 § K J 5 2		ª A K Q © 5 2 ¨ A K Q J 5 § 8 7 6
	ª 6 5 © J 7 ¨ 10 8 7 6 3 § A Q 10 4

West	North	East	South
Madeleine Swanstrom		Kjell Swanstrom
		1 §*	Pass
1 ¨*	1 © (!)	2 ¨	Pass
2 NT	3 ª	3 NT	Dbl
Pass	Pass	Pass

The club opening was the two-way Swedish club and the diamond response was negative.

North lead a small heart to the jack and queen. Declarer lead a small diamond and the position was exposed. Madeleine tried a small club but East won with the ace and returned a heart for one down.

“I should have ducked the heart” concluded Madeleine. With the club ace on-side that will leave the defenders with only four tricks.