Day Two - the Swiss The table I chose to watch for round 1 was where Meckstroth and Disa Eythorsdottir (Disa from now on, to save margins and trees) were taking on the Gromovs. IMP swings were few and far between – one swing to Gromov on a slam bid by Disa down on a finesse, and one game made by Meckstroth not bid in the other room. This was the other swing in the match: Deal 1 Dealer North, Love all.   ♠ Q 10 9 8 3 ♥ 3 ♦ J 8 7 ♣ 8 6 5 2 ♠ 7 2 ♥ A 9 8 7 5 2 ♦ A ♣ A J 10 7 ♠ 5 ♥ K Q 10 4 ♦ K Q 10 6 4 3 ♣ Q 3   ♠ A K J 6 4 ♥ J 6 ♦ 9 5 2 ♣ K 9 4 West North East South Meckstroth Gromov Disa Gromova   2♠ 3♦ 4♠ Dbl All Pass     West North East South Zmudzinski Jacobus Szczepanska O'Rourke     1♦ 1♠ Dbl. 4♠ Pass Pass bl. Pass 5♥ Pass ♥ All Pass     Zmudzinski’s double of 1♠ was based on the fact that they play negative free bids so a call of 2♥ would not have been forcing. After his second double, Szczepanska’s 5♥ call marked her with short spades and 6-4 hand pattern so Adam awarded her a sixth heart. In the other room Disa’s decision to pass 4♠ might have worked if the minors had been slightly differently divided but not today (I fancy a call of 4NT, planning to correct 5♣ to 5♦, myself, to show the 6-4 pattern. That would have also got her side to 6♥. She led the ♦K and Meckstroth won and switched to the ♥A and another heart. Now Gromov ruffed and drew trumps, then in this ending led a low club up:   ♠ Q 9 ♥ --- ♦ J 8 ♣ 8 6 5 2 ♠ --- ♥ 8 7 5 2 ♦ --- ♣ A J 10 7 ♠ --- ♥ K Q ♦ Q 10 6 4 ♣ Q 3   ♠ K J 6 ♥ --- ♦ 9 5 ♣ K 9 4 When Disa played low, Gromov put in the nine. Meckstroth won his ten and cashed the ♣A to return a club. Gromov now conceded down three; but had he won the ♣K and crossed to hand with a trump to exit with the fourth club, he could have achieved a second endplay to limit his losses to down two. No matter; it was still a 10IMP gain, to give his team a victory by 9IMPs. Curiously, in the next match that I watched, exactly the same decision came up, namely as to whether to remove a double of 4♠. Again , the winning action was to bid – and, again, the rewards would have been even great. Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.   ♠ - ♥ K 5 4 3 2 ♦ K 6 3 ♣ K 10 8 7 5 ♠ K 8 7 5 2 ♥ Q 10 ♦ J 10 7 5 2 ♣ 3 ♠ A Q 9 4 3 ♥ 9 8 7 6 ♦ 9 4 ♣ A J   ♠ J 10 6 ♥ A J ♦ A Q 8 ♣ Q 9 6 4 2 West North East South Levy Holland Levy Brunner Pass Pass 1♠ Pass Pass 4♠ Dble All Pass Anne-Frederique Levy’s decision to pass out 4♠x meant she only collected +100 with 620 or 1370 available in clubs. It certainly did not meet with her husband’s approval (but when did any action by a wife meet with her husband’s approval?) Naturally, though, this was actually worth 2 IMPs, since in the other room Bernard Goldenfield let 4♠ go, rather than doubling. An opportunity missed but Levy still won the match comfortably enough. In another match Bobby Levin as East for Welland had an even more dangerous position, in a way. He heard the auction go 2♠ (two-suited) – Pass- 4♠ - Pass- Pass back to him. He doubled, and now heard his opponents sacrifice in 5♠ -- doubled and down 300 for a 6 IMP gain against 4♠ down one in the other room. The third match saw leaders Popova eke out a narrow victory against Brigada. Board 19. Dealer South. E/W Vul.   ♠ 10 6 3 ♥ K 8 4 2 ♦ 8 7 5 4 ♣ 5 2 ♠ K Q J 9 5 4 ♥ - ♦ K 9 6 ♣ K Q J 6 ♠ A ♥ J 10 9 7 6 ♦ A 3 2 ♣ A 10 9 7   ♠ 8 7 2 ♥ A Q 5 3 ♦ Q J 10 ♣ 8 4 3 Khazanov Gunev Lebedeva Popova West North East South 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass 3♠ Pass 3NT All Pass Khazanov was constrained by systemic issues (2♠ over 2♥ would not have been forcing – how quaint!) into taking stronger action. But his choice of 3♠ as opposed to 3♣ did not thrill his partner. When she signed off in 3NT Khazanov had nothing to add, and Lebedeva chalked up a mournful +690. In the other room perfection was not attained either but at least reaching a slam with 12 top tricks was managed. West North East South Aronov Rubins Zobu Romanovska 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass ♠ Pass 3♣ Pass ♣ Pass 4♦ Pass ♠ Pass 5♣ Pass ♣ All Pass     Aronov doubtless did not want to bid 5♥ over 5♣ having cuebid a second round spade control on the previous round, since that might lead to a Grand Slam off the ♠A. So he settled for the small slam and +1390. Others, however, did better still, and it was to the credit of the Austrian pair that they managed to reach the Grand Slam after preempting themselves on the first round f their auction. Wernle Smederevac 1♣ 2♠ 3♠ 3NT  4♣ 5♣  5♦ 5♠  7♣ Pass  (1) Six controls The initial control-response marked East with three aces, but t was not immediately clear which they were. However, Jovanka Smederevac made the first good decision for her side when she concealed her hearts over 3♠ to save space. When Sascha Wernle heard his partner deny a heart control by bidding 5♠ over 5♦ he did not stand upon the order of his going, but went at once to the Grand Slam. Nicely done!

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