Round Robin Qualifying In round three of the Round Robin two teams with a legitimate chance to advance further met one another. Welland played the Bulgarian team of Nanev. The first deal saw a swing arising from the play of the trump suit. Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ A J 8 4 3 2 ♥ 4 ♦ K Q ♣ A Q 9 7 ♠ K 6 ♥ J 10 7 2 ♦ 8 7 5 4 3 ♣ 10 2 ♠ - ♥ K Q 9 8 6 5 3 ♦ J 2 ♣ K 8 4 3   ♠ Q 10 9 7 5 ♥ A ♦ A 10 9 6 ♣ J 6 5 West North East South Mihov Weinstein Stefanov Rosenberg   1♠ 4♥ 4♠ 5♥ 5♠ All Pass   The auction above creates many problems for standard bidding. Should a pass of 5♥ by North be forcing? If so, would a double of 5♠ be defensive, or stopping partner from bidding on? Steve Weinstein settled for the simple bid of 5♠ -- very reasonably -- and Rosenberg knew he was probably facing a singleton heart so his heart control was not worth that much. In 5♠ Weinstein justified his partner’s pessimism by misguessing trumps (always god for team morale) to collect 450. by contrast in the other room Nanev/Vassiliev were playing a strong club. Their auction was: West North East South Fallenius Nanev Welland Vassiliev 5♥ 5♠ Pass 6♠ ll Pass       On this auction where North’s second round pass would clearly be forcing, maybe a direct 5♠ should be weaker not stronger than passing and removing the double to 5♠? As against that the trump support in spades is so useful maybe one should emphasize it at once. Vassiliev guessed spades and racked up 980 for 11 IMPs to his side. Rosenberg and Weinstein got the IMPs back at once when they bid to a slam which would have depended on the heart finesse on a diamond lead. Since they did not get a diamond lead they did not need the finesse – which worked anyway. Then the same pair must have fancied their chances of gaining here. Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul.   ♠ J 10 9 7 6 ♥ K J ♦ A 4 ♣ K J 10 3 ♠ A Q 5 ♥ 10 7 5 3 ♦ J 9 8 3 ♣ Q 4 ♠ 8 3 ♥ A 9 8 6 4 2 ♦ Q 10 6 2 ♣ 2   ♠ K 4 2 ♥ Q ♦ K 7 5 ♣ A 9 8 7 6 5 West North East South Mihov Weinstein Stefanov Rosenberg       1♣ ass 1♠ Pass 2♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass   On the lead of the singleton club Weinstein put up the ace, dropping the jack from hand, then crossed to the ♦A and ran the ♠9 to the ♠Q. West won and returned….a diamond, and then played a third diamond when in with the ♠A. that meant 450…. But only a 2 IMP gain since this was what happened in the other room: West North East South Fallenius Nanev Welland Vassiliev       2♦ ♣ Pass 3NT All Pass Spades, we don’t need no stinking spades. 3NT took the first nine tricks, and a moral victory for the Bulgarians even if the 2 IMPs went in the other direction. With no more significant swings arising, both sides were probably happy enough with a drawn match, which had hurt nether side’s chances of qualifying. In the second match of day two, two of the mainly English teams met up, with a great deal more than bragging rights at stake. This was the decisive board of the match. Board 16. Dealer West. E/W Vul.   ♠ 10 8 6 ♥ J 7 ♦ Q 6 5 3 ♣ K J 8 7 ♠ A ♥ K 5 ♦ A J 9 8 2 ♣ A 10 5 4 2 ♠ J 7 5 2 ♥ 10 9 6 4 3 ♦ - ♣ Q 9 6 3   ♠ K Q 9 4 3 ♥ A Q 8 2 ♦ K 10 7 4 ♣ - It may be a truism, but the most expensive disasters of all are those that feature redoubles. Cui culpa here, do you think? In one room Andrew McIntosh and Phil King went plus with the N/S cards, defending to 5♣ doubled, a decent if normal result. However in the other room things were more exciting: West North East South Robson Price Zia Simpson 1♦ Pass 1♥ 1♠ ♣ Pass Pass Dble Dble All Pass     Does the pass of the redouble suggest a desire to play in that contract or nothing to say? With the North hand should one bid 2♠ anyway, and avoid this problem? Maybe we need to discuss this matter with David Price (actually, probably safer not to do so). Suffice it to say, 2♣ redoubled with two overtricks scored up – hands up how many of you know how much? The number was 1560 and that was 18 IMPs. For the fourth match of the day I watched Bocchi and Duboin take on the heroes of the previous deal, Robson and Forrester. This was the deal that swung the match Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ 9 6 ♥ 9 8 7 6 5 3 2 ♦ 3 ♣ A 10 6 ♠ K 2 ♥ K ♦ K 10 8 6 5 4 2 ♣ 8 5 3 ♠ A Q J 5 ♥ Q J ♦ A 9 ♣ Q J 9 7 4   ♠ 10 8 7 4 3 ♥ A 10 4 ♦ Q J 7 ♣ K 2 West North East South Robson Bocchi Zia Duboin     1♣ Pass 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ 2♥ Dble Pass NT All Pass     Naturally, having bid hearts, Bocchi did not lead them; instead he advanced the top of his doubleton spade, and Robson had been given a temporary reprieve. He won dummy’s queen and played diamonds from the top. Alas for him when Duboin took the third round of diamonds he found the key defensive move of continuing with a second spade. Robson had to win this in hand and now needed to cash some of his diamonds or the defense would still have time to set up hearts. Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.   ♠ --- ♥ 8 7 6 5 ♦ --- ♣ A 10 6 ♠ --- ♥ K ♦ 8 6 5 ♣ 8 5 3 ♠ A Q ♥ Q J ♦ --- ♣ Q J 9   ♠ 10 8 ♥ A 10 4 ♦ --- ♣ K 2 After four rounds of diamonds, Robson sensibly played for the ♣10 to be doubleton and cashed another diamond to pitch a club from dummy then played on clubs, which led to one down. Had he played on clubs, by leading to the nine in the above ending, Duboin would have taken the king and cleared hearts while declarer still had only eight tricks. Ralph Katz has the reputation for being an unlucky player – at least he does if you ask him – but I think he would admit if pressed that he got away fairly lightly with the following. Holding a six-count 1-1-7-4 hand with the ace-jack of diamonds and the jack of clubs he heard his RHO open a Multi 2♦. He jumped to 4♦ preemptive, and over 4♥ on his left his partner bid 6♠. This was doubled on his left, and that ended the auction. Before the opening lead how would you feel when your partner poked his head under the screen and said “4♦ did show diamonds and a major did it not?” Well, the defence dropped one trick, and only set him 100 – and Ralph is still claiming he was unlucky! The full story, reported in Herman De Wael’s article is as follows: Board 17. Dealer North. None Vul.   ♠ 8 5 2 ♥ K J 9 7 6 3 ♦ K ♣ 7 6 4 ♠ A K Q J 7 ♥ - ♦ Q 10 7 5 4 ♣ Q 10 8 ♠ 4 ♥ 4 ♦ A J 9 8 6 3 2 ♣ J 9 5 3   ♠ 10 9 6 3 ♥ A Q 10 8 5 2 ♦ - ♣ A K 2 In another match Steve Weinstein for the Welland team made 6♠ doubled (2♥ – P - 6♥ – 6♠) on a heart lead, but George Jacobs (Ralph’s partner) was set a trick on the club lead – at least they did not find the diamond ruff! This was only good for a flat board: in the other room Steve Garner passed the North hand and heard the auction go 3♦ - 3♥ – 6♦ - Pass – Pass – Dble – All Pass. Note Steve Garner neither bid hearts, nor raised hearts at any point; well judged him.

Page 3