A Little Bit Of (D)rama

by Barry Rigal

Every now and then Barry Rigal will deliver a few snippets from one of the Vugraph matches - in the old days it used to be called the Bridgerama. Here are his selections from the match between Sweden and France in Round 2 of the Open series.

Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul
	♠ Q J 8 6 ♥ 8 6 ♦ 10 9 4 3 ♣ K 6 5
♠ 10 2 ♥ K 5 4 ♦ J 2 ♣ Q 10 8 7 4 3		♠ K 7 3 ♥ A Q J 10 ♦ Q 7 6 ♣ A 9 2
	♠ A 9 5 4 ♥ 9 7 3 2 ♦ A K 8 5 ♣ J

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Nystrom	Cronier	Bertheau	Chemla
Pass	Pass	1NT	2♣*
Pass	2♦*	Pass	Pass
3♣	3♦	All Pass

East led a trump and declarer won and ducked a heart to East who played a second trump. When he got in with the next heart he could cash the queen of diamonds, producing an easy one down, +100.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Sainte Marie	Efraimsson	Bompis	Morath
Pass	Pass	1NT	Pass
2♠*	Pass	3♣*	Pass
Pass	Dble	Pass	3♦
All Pass

Here East led the ace of hearts and then continued the suit (a trump switch is too late now). West won the trick and forced dummy with a heart, but declarer simply ran the queen of spades and then followed that with the jack. He was assured of nine tricks, +110 and 5 IMPs for Sweden. However, France had the better of things, leading 31-16 IMPs at the half, partly because of this deal:

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul.
	♠ K 8 6 5 ♥ K Q 7 2 ♦ K ♣ Q 7 6 5
♠ A Q J 9 4 2 ♥ A 10 3 ♦ 3 ♣ J 3 2		♠ 10 7 3 ♥ 9 ♦ Q 10 6 5 4 2 ♣ 9 8 4
	♠ - ♥ J 8 6 5 4 ♦ A J 9 8 7 ♣ A K 10

Open Room

West	North	East	South
Nystrom	Cronier	Bertheau	Chemla
		Pass	1♥
1♠	2♠	Pass	3♦
Pass	4♥	Pass	4♠
Pass	5♦	Pass	6♥
All Pass

That was well bid by the French pair. On the helpful lead of the ace of spades declarer played a dummy reversal, ruffing three spades in hand, so he did not need any help from the club suit, +1430. Of course, even the best pairs can bid a slam missing two cashable aces, but other leads would have been more challenging – a diamond for example makes life very awkward for declarer – although the contract can be made if declarer reads the trump position.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Sainte Marie	Efraimsson	Bompis	Morath
		Pass	1♥
1♠	2NT*	Pass	4♥*
Pass	4NT*	Pass	5♥
All Pass

The Swedish pair flirted with the slam but called it a day at the five level. West did lead his diamond at this table and declarer did not try for any heroics, playing on cross ruff lines after one round of trumps had stood up to record +650 – but a loss of 13 IMPs.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	♠ 9 7 5 4 ♥ K J 9 2 ♦ A Q 8 4 ♣ 7
♠ - ♥ Q 8 5 3 ♦ J 9 7 6 3 2 ♣ J 6 3		♠ A J 10 8 2 ♥ 7 6 ♦ K ♣ K Q 8 4 2
	♠ K Q 6 3 ♥ A 10 4 ♦ 10 5 ♣ A 10 9 5

West	North	East	South
Nystrom	Cronier	Bertheau	Chemla
3♦	Pass	Pass	Dble
Pass	4♦*	Pass	4♠
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

Some aggressive bidding got the French pair to a thin game and with his trump stack East was happy enough to double. (Perhaps there is a case of some sort to pass partner’s double of Three Diamonds on the North hand – especially if you know, as one suspects everyone does – that your opponents are hyper-active in this particular area of bidding.) West led the seven of diamonds and declarer elected to play low from dummy, East winning with the king and switching to the jack of spades, taken by declarer with the king as West discarded a diamond. Declarer cashed the ace of clubs and ruffed a club, but now got into deep trouble by playing East for the queen of hearts. When the finesse lost he was booked for three down, and a slight slip in the ending pushed the penalty up to four figures, -1100.

Closed Room

West	North	East	South
Sainte Marie	Efraimsson	Bompis	Morath
Pass	Pass	1♠	All Pass