The Twilight Zone You're travelling to another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound... but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land, whose boundaries are only that of the imagination... you're entering... the Twilight Zone ... If you are hoping to win a medal in a major championship and find yourselves unexpectedly knocked out of the event and having to play a late night qualifying session it’s important to ensure that you don’t suffer a reaction from your earlier defeat. My resident assistant Sue Grenside volunteered to go and see if George Jacobs and Sabine Auken could put their disappointment behind them and get off to a good start. I took over at midnight and it was around about then that some of the bridge took on a surreal nature – hence the title of this piece. Okay lets set off on our voyage of discovery, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before. (Sorry getting a bit confused – that’s a different TV series.) Anyway, as you will discover, George Jacobs is a colourful character, who enjoys his bridge and is not afraid to back his judgement when the need arises. Of course it helps to have a good catcher! Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.   ♠ A 10 8 4 ♥ K 9 3 ♦ Q 7 ♣ 8 6 4 2 ♠ 7 2 ♥ A Q 8 7 6 ♦ K 10 9 3 ♣ K 3 ♠ K 9 ♥ J 10 5 2 ♦ A J 8 6 ♣ A J 7   ♠ Q J 6 5 3 ♥ 4 ♦ 5 4 2 ♣ Q 10 9 5 West North East South Jacobs Trapani Auken Popa       Pass 1♥ Pass 2NT* Pass 4♥ All Pass     How appropriate is it in a Mixed Pairs to have to find the lady. If declarer could locate the ♦Q a good score would be assured. North led the six of clubs for the jack, queen and king. Declarer played a club to the ace and ran the jack of hearts. North won and exited with the four of clubs. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps ending in hand and played a spade. North went up with the ace and played back a spade. Declarer did not have a complete count, but it seemed likely the diamond length was with South, but unluckily the lady was not with the lady, and ten tricks was worth only 25%. I’ll give you two things to consider: Is the fat that North did not lead a diamond at trick one in any way relevant? (He might have done so with a singleton, doubleton or Qxx.) Andrew Robson once remarked that in these situations you work out who has three diamonds and then play for the queen to be doubleton! Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.   ♠ A 7 6 5 ♥ 3 ♦ 8 6 2 ♣ A 7 5 3 2 ♠ - ♥ Q J 8 7 6 5 ♦ Q J 9 5 ♣ K 9 8 ♠ J 9 4 3 2 ♥ A 9 2 ♦ 7 3 ♣ Q J 6   ♠ K Q 10 8 ♥ K 10 4 ♦ A K 10 4 ♣ 10 4 West North East South Jacobs Saelensminde Auken Fuglestad     Pass 1NT 2♥ Dble* Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ Dble All Pass West led the queen of hearts and East took the ace and switched to the seven of diamonds. Declarer won, cashed the king of hearts, ruffed a heart, played a diamond to hand and ruffed a diamond low. East overuffed and played a trump but declarer could win in hand, ruff a diamond with the ace of spades, cash the ace of clubs and claim. Guess how many points –790 was worth? Right, not many. Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.   ♠ J 9 8 5 ♥ J 6 ♦ A K 4 ♣ Q 8 6 2 ♠ 10 7 4 3 2 ♥ Q 5 2 ♦ Q 7 5 2 ♣ 5 ♠ A K Q ♥ 7 4 ♦ J 10 8 3 ♣ K J 4 3   ♠ 6 ♥ A K 10 9 8 3 ♦ 9 6 ♣ A 10 9 7 West North East South Jacobs Panahpour Auken Cronier       1♥ Pass 1NT* Dble 2♥ 2♠ 3♥ All Pass   A lot of pairs managed to bid this game, and +170 gave North/South 47%. At the risk of boring you I will repeat the advice of a well known American player – when partner freely supports your six card major, bid game. Board 20. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ A 9 6 ♥ K 6 4 ♦ A Q 10 8 ♣ Q 8 4 ♠ K 7 3 2 ♥ A 10 9 7 5 3 ♦ 7 5 2 ♣ - ♠ Q 8 5 ♥ Q J 8 2 ♦ K J 3 ♣ A J 6   ♠ J 10 4 ♥ - ♦ 9 6 4 ♣ K 10 9 7 5 3 2 West North East South Jacobs Panahpour Auken Cronier 2♦* Dble 2♥ 3♣ 4♥! All Pass         George Jacobs, USA   Two diamonds was 7-11 both majors – and West left nothing unsaid in the bidding. (Yes, partner did support his six card suit, but it did not necessarily promise much in the way of values.) South led a low club and declarer took the queen with the ace, discarding a diamond from dummy. She ran the queen of hearts, South pitching a club and North made a big mistake by not winning, as now the contract cannot be defeated. Declarer ruffed a club and played a diamond and when North played low she put up the king. At the time it seemed to me that the jack might be an essential play, but it was only later when I checked with my finessing friend that I discovered why. Anyway, putting up the king meant the contract could no longer be made. Having won with the king of diamonds, declarer ruffed a club and played a diamond. North won and made the final error in this game of toss the contract by cashing the ace of spades. –620 and 89% for East/West. Going back to the point where declarer has to play the jack of diamonds. She can then ruff a club and play a diamond. North wins and has to play a diamond. Declarer wins, discarding a spade, crosses to the ace of hearts and plays a low spade. North must duck and is now endplayed with a heart. Board 21. Dealer North. N/S Vul.   ♠ 8 7 6 5 ♥ J 8 6 ♦ K 5 4 ♣ 8 3 2 ♠ K J 3 2 ♥ A 7 4 2 ♦ 7 6 2 ♣ A Q ♠ A Q 10 4 ♥ K Q 10 5 ♦ J ♣ K 10 7 5   ♠ 9 ♥ 9 3 ♦ A Q 10 9 8 3 ♣ J 9 6 4 West North East South Jacobs Bineau Auken Mary   Pass 1♣ Pass 1♥ Pass 3♥ Pass 4NT* Pass 5♠ Pass 6♥ All Pass     Its not generally considered a good idea to use Blackwood with a small doubleton in an unbid suit, but perhaps three small is different? Whatever, West, had the values to envisage a slam, and gave no clues to the opponents had hit the jackpot, along with eight other pairs to rack up 86% on the board. A slightly more cultured approach might be to bid 4♣, allowing East to cue bid the diamond control. Board 22. Dealer East. E/W Vul.   ♠ 5 2 ♥ A 10 9 4 ♦ A K 10 4 2 ♣ 6 2 ♠ 10 8 6 ♥ Q J 3 ♦ J 8 6 5 3 ♣ J 4 ♠ A Q J 9 4 ♥ K 8 6 5 ♦ 9 ♣ A 9 5   ♠ K 7 3 ♥ 7 2 ♦ Q 7 ♣ K Q 10 8 7 3 West North East South Jacobs Bineau Auken Mary     1♠ 2♣ 2♠ Dble* 3♠ Pass Pass Dble All Pass   Our heroes managed to turn this board 90 ° which is how East came to be declarer. South led the king of clubs and when that held continued with the queen. Declarer won and ruffed a club with the eight of spades. North made the fatal discard of the four of hearts and that was all declarer needed to record +730 as she could now make a third heart trick. Not quite a maximum, but 96% is about as much as you can hope for in such a big field. Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.   ♠ - ♥ K 8 7 5 4 ♦ Q 9 8 ♣ K Q 6 5 2 ♠ K 10 3 2 ♥ 9 6 2 ♦ 7 6 ♣ 10 7 4 3 ♠ 8 6 5 4 ♥ A J 10 3 ♦ A J 5 3 ♣ A   ♠ A Q J 9 7 ♥ Q ♦ K 10 4 2 ♣ J 9 8 West North East South Jacobs Budzik Auken Mortenson       1♠ Pass 1NT* Dble Pass 2♣ Dble 2♦ Dble 2♥ Dble All Pass   With four small spades East’s double might not have been underwritten by Lloyds of London, but we all know this is a bidders game. However, it was a bad moment and the final resting pace was very uncomfortable. (The following morning it occurred to Sabine that the best chance to escape is for West to pass and hope declarer makes some mistake in 1NT doubled. Still, that would be asking a lot of West.) On the best defence of a low trump lead declarer would be looking at –800 but North led the nine of diamonds. No matter, declarer was still in deep trouble. At some point he cashed the ace of hearts felling South’s queen, but that only held his losses to –500, giving North/South 90%. Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.   ♠ K 10 ♥ A 7 ♦ Q 10 7 6 5 2 ♣ 7 6 2 ♠ A 9 8 4 3 ♥ 9 5 ♦ K ♣ K Q 5 4 3 ♠ Q 5 ♥ K Q J 3 ♦ A J 9 8 3 ♣ A 10   ♠ J 7 6 2 ♥ 10 8 6 4 2 ♦ 4 ♣ J 9 8 West North East South Jacobs Budzik Auken Mortenson 1♠ 2♦ Dble* Pass 3♣ Pass 3NT All Pass Call me old fashioned but I would have played fro a penalty once North overcalled – on a good day you might even score more than any slam that might be on your way. Against 3NT South led her diamond and declarer won and played a heart. North played low, and now declarer could win, test the clubs and play a heart to endplay North and score twelve tricks. +490 collected 82%, almost as much as the score for taking a penalty. Should North see what is going to happen and rise with the ace of hearts? Perhaps, and if the contract is 6NT it is essential if South does not find a spade lead. Only one pair made 6NT, Peter Magyar & Silvia Csipka. Well, as Maximus Decimus Meridius would say ‘Are you not entertained.’ Or perhaps you prefer Bugs Bunny’s ‘That’s all Folks.’ (By the way Sabine & George scored 56.04% to lie 41 st – as we said to Sabine maybe only the top 40 qualify!)

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