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Some final boards — Session 4
by Peter Ventura
This Championship has come to an end, but there are still some boards to report from the final.
| Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul. |
| | ♠ A J 7 6
♥ J 9 5 4 3 2
♦ 10
♣ 9 6 | ♠ 10 2
♥ Q 8 6
♦ Q 8 4
♣ Q J 10 8 2 |
 | ♠ K 9 4
♥ A
♦ K J 9 5
♣ A K 7 5 3 |
| | ♠ Q 8 5 3
♥ K 10 7
♦ A 7 6 3 2
♣ 4 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Townsend | Balicki | Gold | Zmudzinski
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| | | | Pass
|
| Pass | Pass | 1♣* | Dble
|
| 3♣< | 3♥ | 3♠* | Pass
|
| 4♣ | 4♥ | 5♣ | All Pass
|
* Natural or strong
< 6-9 HCPs and clubs
Five Hearts would have been a good save for the Poles, and three pairs in the field indeed took the insurance. Balicki knew that it was likely that the save wouldn’t cost too much, so he gave it a thought and then passed out Five Clubs, as he hoped to beat the club game instead. Balicki was not confident that Five Clubs would be defeated, so he refrained from doubling, and right he was. Zmudzinski led a heart, which gave David Gold the opportunity to draw trumps and then played the diamond king to Zmudzinski’s ace, noticing the ten dropping from North. That was two bits of good news on the same trick. The king of spades was now guarded and if the defence don’t cash their ace in this position a spade from dummy will disappear on a high diamond. N/S –600 was worth 84% for Gold/Townsend.
Three pairs took ten tricks in Three No-Trumps, recording –630 for a 96%-board.
How interesting can a stone cold grand slam be? Well, first and foremost you have to bid it, and that’s not all – you might also have to pick the correct grand. David Gold – Tom Townsend bid without flourishes up to Seven Diamonds.
| Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 10 9 7 6 3
♥ J 6 4 3
♦ 3
♣ 8 4 | ♠ 2
♥ A K Q 8 2
♦ K 9 7 4
♣ A K 6 |
| ♠ A 8 4
♥ 9 5
♦ A Q 10 6 5 2
♣ Q 7 |
| | ♠ K J 5
♥ 10 7
♦ J 8
♣ J 10 9 5 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South
|
| Townsend | Balicki | Gold | Zmudzinski
|
| 1♥ | Pass | 3♦* | Pass
|
| 4NT< | Pass | 5♠<* | Pass
|
| 7♦ | All Pass
|
* GF, natural and less than three hearts
< RKCB
<* Two aces and the queen of diamonds
South led a club and Gold asked Balicki if there was a ruff. He shook his head, thus Gold could claim all the tricks; N/S –2140 but no gold for that as it was worth only 42% for E/W. Eight pairs bid Seven No-Trumps, and there was not much to the play. Alan and David Birman of Israel was one of the pairs. They reached the no-trump grand in this way:
| West | North | East | South
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| A. Birman | Starkowski | D. Birman | Golebiowski
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| 1♥ | Pass | 2♦ | Dble
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| 4NT* | Pass | 5♠* | Pass
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| 6♠* | Pass | 7NT | All Pass |
Over Blackwood East showed two aces and the diamond queen. When West had the strength to bid Six Spades, showing a singleton spade and good values, with an extra diamond it has to be 13 tricks, David Birman thought, and simply emptied his bidding-box. NS –2220 was worth 86% for E/W.
Gotthard/Dumbovich flopped on this board, as they stopped in Four Hearts. Well, that was a pessimistic view, but a blessing in disguise was that a grand slam in hearts would not make, as North has to win a trump trick...
| Board 11. Dealer South. Non Vul. |
| | ♠ Q J 5 4 3
♥ 9 4
♦ 8 5
♣ A K 9 8 | ♠ K 10 8 6 2
♥ Q 8 3
♦ A K Q
♣ Q 2 |
| ♠ A 7
♥ K 5
♦ J 10 7 6 4 2
♣ 7 6 3 |
| | ♠ 9
♥ A J 10 7 6 2
♦ 9 3
♣ J 10 5 4 |
| West | North | East | South
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| Verhees | Bjarnarson | Jansma | Askgaard
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| | | | 2♥ |
| 2♠ | Dble | All Pass
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The Dutch pair Louk Jr Verhees – Jan Jansma hunted for a medal and on board 11 they drew the bow aginst Greger Bjarnarson – Michael Askgaard of Denmark. North led the club ace and then shifted to a heart, covered by the king and won by the ace. South fired back clubs and after winning the club king North exited with another club, which declarer ruffed in hand. The diamond ace and the two red queens were cashed. Declarer ruffed a heart in dummy, North discarded a club (insignificant), and then cashed the trump ace. North was thrown in on a diamond, which he had to ruff since he only had trumps left. North should have another trump trick holding Q-J-5, but declarer two tricks holding K-10-8. N/S –470 was worth a useful 96% board.
As the cards lay the contract cannot be defeated. North just needs a slightly higher spade than the five. If I have worked it out correctly, the seven of spade in North’s hand insted of the five would be the difference between heaven and hell, as it gives the defence the possibility to defeat the contract.
Eleven E/W-pairs managed to take nine tricks in No-trumps, one of them even got doubled, as the defence didn’t find a way to take all four club tricks and the heart ace. Three No-trumps went down at only five tables.
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