| 3rd European Open Bridge Championships | Page 2 | Bulletin 13 - Thursday 28 June 2007 |
| |
||
|
Open Teams Final — Set 1 by Mark Horton As Wimbledon is now under way, I have a notion that the Open Final should be over five sets, but that will have to wait until 2009. Here in Antalya the two teams who had fought their way through the qualifying contests, the Texan Aces via the repechage, and Bessis, who had followed the more conventional route, would contest only three sets – a total of 48 boards.
Open Room
From a theoretical point of view I would imagine most partnerships agree that a Michaels cue bid should be either very weak or very strong, but with all his points working it was an easy way to describe the South hand and it paid a huge dividend when North jumped to Five Clubs, right siding the contract. With North as declarer there was no defence, and East’s opening lead of the ace of hearts merely served to speed up the play, +600. Closed Room
I am not a fan of the method where North bids 2NT to ask about partner’s minor, but since North had no intention of issuing any kind of game invitation it didn’t really matter. West led a heart, so the defenders took three tricks, +130, but a loss of 10 IMPs.
Open Room
Over North’s limited response South made a try but North was not interested – in isolation absolutely correct, as a heart lead would scupper game in short order. However, West was never going to lead that suit, and on a club lead declarer took East’s queen with the ace, unblocked the jack and played three rounds of trumps ending in dummy. He discarded a heart on the king of clubs and played a diamond to the ten for +170. Closed Room
When West made a delayed entry into the auction East got a chance to bid hearts. South’s double was not alerted, but it was either a way of showing a strong balanced hand, or as many pairs play in this situation, a game try in spades, which North accepted. Despite the heart bid West also led a club at this table and play started in similar fashion. However after the club unblock declarer played a spade to dummy’s queen and took his discard. Then he played a spade, followed by a diamond to the queen. When that held, a diamond to the ten brought home the bacon, and 6 IMPs.
Open Room
East led the ten of diamonds and West put up the ace and returned the three (perhaps the two would have been a better choice). Declarer won with the queen and East followed with the four, the kind of play that it is so easy to make – but here it proved to be a decisive error. Declarer pitched a spade from dummy and set about the heart suit, West winning at once and returning the two of diamonds. Declarer won and cashed his hearts. This was the position when he played the last one:
How East wished he had retained the four of diamonds, the essential link to his partner’s hand. (Watch out for it in ‘Misdefend these Hands with Me.’) He threw the nine of spades, hoping for the best, but that was nine tricks, +600. Closed Room
Here East unluckily sealed his fate at trick one by leading the four of diamonds. West took the ace and returned the suit. Declarer won and played the ten of hearts. When that held he played the ten of clubs, covered by the king and ace. Knocking out the queen of clubs gave declarer nine tricks, no swing.
Open Room
Two Diamonds was a transfer to hearts and declarer was not hard pressed to take eight tricks, +110. Closed Room
If South could be this weak I’m not sure that you should jump directly to game. Still if hearts had been kinder and the king of spades onside we would be congratulating North on his bold approach. Indeed, South was given a chance to justify his partner’s bidding when West led the jack of spades. If he puts up the ace of spades East’s king comes tumbling down. Now declarer plays a club to the ace and a spade to the eight. East ruffs and probably tries a diamond, but declarer wins with dummy’s ace, cashes the ace of hearts and then plays the queen of spades to pitch a diamond. However, declarer played the queen and East won and switched to the king of clubs. Declarer won and played a heart to the ace and a heart – that swiftly led to three down, -150 and 6 IMPs away.
Open Room
South has an awkward rebid over One Spade – should he bid Two or Three Spades? When a vulnerable game is in the offing, put me down for the more aggressive approach. East led the jack of diamonds, ducked and continued the suit. With diamonds 3-3 and trumps 3-2 it was easy enough for declarer to take ten tricks, +170. Closed Room
Here South took the more aggressive action – and the reward was great. Once again the jack of diamonds was led, covered by the king and ace. West cashed a second diamond and switched to the jack of clubs. Declarer won, cashed the top trumps, played a club to hand and advanced the nine of diamonds, +620 and 10 IMPs. Bessis had won the set 25-17, but there was still a long way to go. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| Page 2 |
