3rd European Open Bridge Championships

3rd European Open Bridge Championships	Page 3	Bulletin 14 - Friday 29 June 2007

Once more with feeling!

We have already seen this deal before a couple of times, when on each occasion declarer was unable to spot the winning line in Six Diamonds on a trump lead.

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

This deal was generally played in Six Diamonds by West, and on anything but a trump or spade lead life is easy. Lilo Poplilov led the diamond jack against Six Diamonds, and declarer, Georges Romanowski ran six trumps at once. On these trumps North was virtually forced to let go two clubs and two hearts; South, Matilda Poplilov, had some choice., but pitched the spade jack (reverse) then three hearts. Now declarer ran the spades and the heart ace, on which South pitched a club. In the three-card ending this position had been reached:

	♠ 8 ♥ K ♦ – ♣ A
♠ – ♥ – ♦ 2 ♣ K 8		♠ 5 ♥ Q ♦ – ♣ 9
	♠ – ♥ – ♦ – ♣ Q 10 5

Romanowski paused to reconsider the defence, and decided that South’s desire to retain her clubs to the end was more consistent with a holding such as queen-ten-fourth than ace-ten-fourth. So he led the club from dummy and ducked in hand to bring home his slam. In a way this is an extension of Reese’s BOLS prize-winning tip: you should play a defender who discards from a suit to have the king rather than the jack, and the ace rather than the queen. So when they retain their original length in a suit play them for the minor honours.

Double Trump Demotion

by Mark Horton

You must have heard of a trump promotion, and perhaps a few of you have encountered the much rarer double trump promotion. However, I wonder if you have ever seen its counterpart, the double trump demotion?

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	♠ A Q 10 7 ♥ A 7 ♦ A K Q 7 6 ♣ 9 5
♠ 8 6 5 4 2 ♥ K 5 ♦ J 10 8 3 ♣ A 6		♠ K J 9 ♥ 10 9 3 2 ♦ – ♣ Q 10 8 7 3
	♠ 3 ♥ Q J 8 6 4 ♦ 9 5 4 2 ♣ K J 4

West	North	East	South
			2♦*
Pass	2NT	Pass	3♣*
Pass	4♥	All Pass

After South started with an emaciated Multi North enquired and discovering that South was minimum simply jumped to game. East led the two of clubs and West took dummy’s jack with the ace and returned a diamond, which West ruffed. A second club was taken by dummy’s king and declarer played a third club. If West discards on this trick, declarer will ruff and lay down the ace of hearts. Then after the ace of spades and a spade ruff declarer plays the queen of hearts. West wins with the king and plays a diamond for East to ruff. You will have observed that this amounts to two more trump tricks for East/West. However, West decided to ruff the four of clubs and declarer overruffed, cashed the ace of hearts, felling West’s king, played ace of spades and ruffed a spade and drew East’s trumps – a double trump demotion – or as Oscar Wilde would have put it – ‘To lose one trump trick may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.’ (John Collings once made a Grand Slam missing KQ10xx of trumps – the suit was divided K – Q10xx by persuading East to ruff in three times.)

Doubler in Trouble - Solution

North doubled West’s Three No-trumps. He led a high heart, cashed the spade ace, and exited with the diamond eight.

Should he have doubled? Is there or was there a way to make or beat the contract?

	♠ A ♥ A K J 10 9 8 7 6 ♦ 8 7 ♣ 3 2
♠ 7 6 5 ♥ Q 5 4 ♦ A 9 6 ♣ A K Q 5		♠ 4 3 2 ♥ 3 2 ♦ K Q J 10 5 ♣ 9 8 4
	♠ K Q J 10 9 8 ♥ – ♦ 4 3 2 ♣ J 10 7 6

It looks like it might be possible to run the club nine which South must cover and then endplay South after cashing all the diamonds. But he will cash his winners and exit with the club jack to block the suit. Declarer has nine tricks but can’t get to the last club. However, let us see what happens if you win the diamond return in both hands so to speak. Play the king from dummy and overtake with the ace. Next cash two top clubs and exit with a low diamond from both hands. North has only hearts left and must give you a heart trick. If he plays ace and a small one South will be squeezed in the black suits on the run of the diamonds. If he exits with a small heart without cashing the king, South will still come under pressure.

	♠ – ♥ K J 10 9 ♦ – ♣ –
♠ 7 6 ♥ – ♦ – ♣ Q 5		♠ 4 3 ♥ – ♦ 10 ♣ 9
	♠ K Q ♥ – ♦ – ♣ J 10

On the last diamond he must hold on to his clubs and can only keep one spade. You throw your club away and establish a spade trick. So if this was the way North planned to defend, the answer is NO, he should not have doubled. BUT, the question was also: Is there or was there a way to beat the contract? YES, there was. The following devilish defence beats it. North leads the spade ace, then continues with a minor, without touching hearts. Now there is no way to make nine tricks, provided of course that if declarer tries the same diamond throw-in after two rounds of clubs North exits with a small heart!! There was ONE solver who provided the correct answer (several others, we let them remain anonymous, assured me it was a hundred percent make – in spite of me asking a couple of times Are you absolutely sure?) THOMAS BESSIS, well done. A set of bidding boxes is waiting for you in the Bulletin office. Watch out for overweight on the flight with boxes, medal, plate etc...

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