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Mahaffey Climbs
Open Teams Qualifying Round 6 Group E
After five matches Team Mahaffey from Florida, Sweden and Scotland met Shato Rossenovo from Bulgaria in a crucial encounter. With two matches to go they were lying four and five VPs respectively behind third place – three teams would qualify for the A group.
| Board 1. Dealer North. None Vul. |
| | ♠ J 9 7 6 5 2
♥ Q 4
♦ 5 3
♣ Q 6 3 | ♠ 10
♥ K 10 9 2
♦ A Q J 10 8 2
♣ A 8 |
 | ♠ A K Q 4
♥ A J 8 5
♦ 7 4
♣ K 5 4 |
| | ♠ 8 3
♥ 7 6 3
♦ K 9 6
♣ J 10 9 7 2 |
Both teams bid Six Hearts, East for the Bulgarians aggressively not only invited to slam after learning that West had five+ diamonds and four hearts and eight or more points by cuebidding clubs, but also after West’s diamond cuebid he went straight to Blackwood. West responded zero or three keycards with Five Diamonds, but then denied having the trump queen so East had to content himself with a small slam. With the diamond finesse working declarer was under no real pressure to find the trump queen.
And both teams bid this excellent slam as well (in diamonds of course), the Swedes after a 10-13 Two Spades opening
| Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul. |
| | ♠ A J 9 8 7 6 3
♥ 10 7
♦ K Q 7
♣ 8 | ♠ 10 5 2
♥ 8 5
♦ 6 3
♣ K Q 9 7 3 2 |
| ♠ K Q 4
♥ Q 9 4 3 2
♦ 4
♣ A J 6 5 |
| | ♠ –
♥ A K J 6
♦ A J 10 9 8 5 2
♣ 10 4 |
After five boards Shato Rossenovo had taken two IMPs on overtricks.
Then both teams bid a thin Three No-trumps where Fallenius for Mahaffey received a diamond lead while Trendafilov had to cope with the spade queen. He misguessed where to get the ninth trick, and lost 10 IMPs. Declarer did not really know how the spades were splitting so opted to go straight after the diamonds, and naturally misguessed the suit. Had he been able to read that spades were splitting he might have guessed right by tackling hearts first – and even I would figure to guess the suit today!
| Board 6. Dealer East. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 10 6 2
♥ K 10 5 2
♦ K 10
♣ J 8 7 4 | ♠ Q J 8 7
♥ A
♦ Q 7 6 5 4 2
♣ 10 3 |
| ♠ K 5 4 3
♥ Q 9 8 6 4
♦ 9 3
♣ Q 5 |
| | ♠ A 9
♥ J 7 3
♦ A J 8
♣ A K 9 6 2 |
An uninteresting Three No-trumps followed involving a simple safety play which created no problem for either declarer. Then both tables reached Four Spades which turned out to be a good sacrifice against Four Hearts as the cards lie.
| Board 8. Dealer West. None Vul. |
| | ♠ K J 5
♥ K 3
♦ K J 9 4 2
♣ Q J 10 | ♠ 10 8
♥ A 10 8 7 5 4
♦ 6 3
♣ K 3 2 |
| ♠ A Q 9
♥ Q J 9 6 2
♦ 5
♣ 9 8 6 5 |
| | ♠ 7 6 4 3 2
♥ –
♦ A Q 10 8 7
♣ A 7 4 |
The lead was the heart queen, ruffed in dummy by Fredin who played a spade to the jack and queen, got a diamond return and ducked the next spade. With the club king offside he went one down. Trendafilov started the same way, heart ruff, spade to jack and queen, but Bertheau continued with another heart. Now declarer stopped playing trumps – a misguess would have cost a fortune - and escaped for two down losing two IMPs.
| Board 9. Dealer North. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ 10 7 2
♥ K
♦ K J 9 7 5 2
♣ K 6 3 | ♠ K J 4 3
♥ A J 8
♦ 10 8 6
♣ J 9 8 |
| ♠ 9 8
♥ Q 10 4 3 2
♦ Q
♣ A Q 10 7 4 |
| | ♠ A Q 6 5
♥ 9 7 6 5
♦ A 4 3
♣ 5 2 |
Trendafilov and Karaivanov were allowed to play Two Spades as North-South. It proved too difficult and went two down after a club lead.
At the other table East showed a two-suiter with a major and a minor, and West ended up in Three Hearts after Fredin had bid diamonds. After leading the king of his suit (!!) he continued with the two, ruffed in dummy. A trump to the jack and Fredin’s king was followed by a third diamond. Declarer ruffed again, and played another trump. No good!
He tried a spade from dummy but Fallenius took the ace and returned a trump. West won and could finesse in clubs, but Fallenius ruffed the third roundand exited with a spade. Declares finessed but had to lose another spade in the end for one down, 5 IMPs for Mahaffey.
Finally, the last nail in the coffin:
| Board 10. Dealer East. All Vul. |
| | ♠ 8 6 5 4
♥ 10 7 6
♦ J 5
♣ Q 9 5 3 | ♠ A Q J 2
♥ Q 9 2
♦ 10 8 6
♣ A 6 4 |
| ♠ K 9 7 3
♥ A 8 5
♦ A K 9 7
♣ J 2 |
| | ♠ 10
♥ K J 4 3
♦ Q 4 3 2
♣ K 10 8 7 |
West declared Four Spades. Peichev for Bulgaria got a diamond lead to the jack and ace, played two rounds of spades and then finessed in diamonds. Fallenius gave Fredin a diamond ruff, got a heart return and there was no way to escape four losers.
Bertheau received a trump lead, drew another round of trumps and chose to play a heart. South grabbed the trick with his king whereupon declarer just had to give up a club, take a ruff and claim.
12 IMPs for Mahaffey, 29-2, 23 VP to 7 climbing into third place, and kicking their opponents out of contention.
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