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 | ![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) | ♠ 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♣*
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Pass | 2♦* | Pass | Pass
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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 | ![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) | ♠ 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 | ![Bridge deal](/Graphics/Hand/board3.gif) | ♠ 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 |
Open Room
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
|
I would be prepared to stake my entire per diem that no French player would dream of opening Three Diamonds. The bidding never got off the ground so the result here was of academic interest only. The contract was three down, -150, a loss of 15 IMPs.
That brought the score level and remarkably the Swedes outscored their opponents 48-0 over the remaining 8 deals, to win going away, 75-31 IMPs, 24-6 VP.
For France it was a case of tout est perdu, fors l’honneur - everything is lost, excepted honour.
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