17th European Youth Bridge Team Championships
Saturday, 15 July 2000

Information Seeking Blackwood

Lior Zivan of the England team found an imaginative use of Blackwood, he used it to ask the opponents what their holding was in a critical suit.

 

Round 17- Board 20. Dealer North. E/W Vul.
  ª 10 3
© 5 4 3
¨ A Q 8 4
© K 9 8 4
ª Q J 5 4
© A Q 8
¨ J 5
§ Q 7 5 3
Bridge deal ª A K 6 2
© K 10 7
¨ K 7 6 3 2
§ A
  ª 9 8 7
© J 9 6 2
¨ 10 9
§ J 10 6 2

 

§ J 10 6 2
West North East South
Rachel Lior Wade Zivan
1NT *1 Pass 2NT *2 Pass
3¨ *3 Pass 3ª Pass
ª Pass 4NT *4 Pass
5¨ *5 Pass *6 5© *7 Pass
*8 Pass Pass Pass
*1 12-14
*2 Transfer to diamonds
*3 Denies diamond support
*4 Roman Key Card Blackwood
*5 1 or 4 key cards
*6 After questions about the diamond holdings
*7 Asking about ªQ
*8 Shows ªQ and no kings

 

In response to his partner’s 1NT opening bid 2NT transfer to diamonds, got a 3¨ response denying good diamond support, then bid 3ª his second suit. When his partner raised to 4ª he started thinking about slam. What did he need to know? Well, in all likelihood partner would have one ace, most likely the ace of hearts, and what he really wanted to know was which of his opponents had the diamonds, in particular the diamond ace. So rather than cuebid he decided to use Roman Key Card Blackwood, expecting a 5¨ response from partner. Sure enough, his partner responded 5¨ and North, his screen-mate, started asking a lot of questions about the diamond holding. Being fairly sure now that the ace of diamonds was with North, he asked partner to bid the slam if she held the queen of spades and partner duly obliged. On paper this is a poor slam but, one you know the ace of diamonds is with North, it becomes a very good slam. Well bid Lior.

 

 


 

 

Act in Haste

By Patrick Jourdain (Wales)

We have seen some high standard play during these championships, but six declarers have nothing to be proud of on this deal from Round 18 of the Juniors

 

ª 9 7 3 2
© A 10 9
¨ K Q 6
§ K 8 3
Bridge deal ª K
© K Q J 6 4 3
¨ J 2
§ A 7 5 2

 

Almost every table reached Four Hearts by East and South led the queen of clubs. How do you play?

 

They put on the king of clubs and started thinking. Too late! There was no recovery. Count your tricks: six hearts, two clubs and two diamonds. But to make the diamonds you need an entry in dummy AFTER you have drawn trumps, and that means you must preserve the club king. Here is the full layout:


Spanish Team Profile

Spain

Everybody thought that the Spanish team was the perfect candidate to the wooden spoon, but just for a while, since the match against Estonia in the VuGraph, we were trying to convince you that we are not. It is something to do with the Latin way: We love being watched. (Now we are waiting for another VuGraph appearance to win at least one match more)

 

This terrific team is composed of:

 

Gonzalo Goded

20 years old and a student of computer Engineering. He is working hard in the very World language that he had named "Bresafasssafer". (Imposible to understand). He is also the most experienced player, he has been in the Spanish Junior Team since 1996 (Cardiff), when he was only 16!.

Loreto Romero de Tejada

She is 23 years old and is studying Mines Engineering. She partners Gonzalo and she is tired to hear him practising his language. If you notice that she has "PD" written in her hand, it means "Think! Slowly!".

Claudia Anglada

Degree in Humanities and Journalism, and she is only 23!! She arrived to Antalya with a fabulous tan but she is red since she read the bulletin where the Italian Biondo declared his love for her.

Tania de Villalonga

She is studying Business and Law, but in the evenings she works as a Tanqueray's tester. If you don't know her yet, she is the one who counts her tricks with her hands as if she she were dancing.

Jorge Antonio Perez

He has just been degreed in Mathematics, he is trying to find a job as a teacher, and he will do it fine as he is used to standing his partner Santi.

Santiago Masia

22 years old. He is studying Psychology and he needs it to understand his partner's bridge. He is the very gentleman of the team.

Nuria Almirall

Her identification card named her the non playing captain, but... She only speaks in Spanish, and people understand her!, We wish that that it could be the same with Gonzalo.

Ana Gari (Coach)

She is the always-smiling student of Business who wastes her time scoring for us. She is happy as "unas castañuelas".

Marta Almirall

She came thinking that she was on holiday, but the day she arrived was the beginning of some days of hard work. Nuria thinks Marta is doing well. Both of them are partners, and used to be in the top ten of the European Ladies Butler.

 

Board 16. Dealer West. East-West Vulnerable.
  ª A Q J
© 5
¨ A 5 4 3
§ J 10 9 6 4
ª 9 7 3 2
© A 10 9
¨ K Q 6
§ K 8 3
Bridge deal ª K
© K Q J 6 4 3
¨ J 2
§ A 7 5 2
  ª 10 8 6 5 4
© 8 7 2
¨ 10 9 8 7
§ Q

 

If declarer wins the first club in the East hand, draws trumps, and plays the jack of diamonds, he has ten certain tricks. Those who fell into the trap of winning the first trick in dummy could not recover. If they drew trumps, North would hold up the ace of diamonds to the second round, and then lock declarer back in his own hand. And if declarer tried setting up his diamonds before drawing the third trump South could obtain a club ruff that reduced declarer to nine tricks.

 


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