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Triple Squeeze and Triple Endplay
by Uri Gilboa (Israel)
In Round 15, Israel played Spain. The match ended 48-46, giving Israel a winning draw. On two of the boards, David Fohrer found very nice endplays that landed two seemingly impossible contracts. Here is the first.
| Board: 6. Dealer: East. E/W vul. |
| | ♠ A 4
♥ A K J 9 2
♦ 8 7
♣ 6 4 3 2 |
♠ K J 9 8 6 3 2
♥ 8
♦ A 6
♣ - |
 |
♠ Q 5
♥ Q 10 7 3
♦ J 10 5
♣ - |
| | ♠ 10 7
♥ 6 5 4
♦ K Q 9 4 3 2
♣ J 5 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Wichmann | Birman | Wasik | Fohrer
|
| | | Pass | Pass
|
| 1♠ | 2♥ | Pass | 3♦
|
| All Pass | | | |
West led the ♣K and shifted to the ♥8. Fohrer won the ace in dummy and, taking into account that it was WEST who had opened the bidding, ran the ♦8. West had to win his ace and he next underled his ♣Q, hoping to reach his partner and obtain a club ruff. As East thought he had a natural heart trick in which case a ruff would not gain (he was to regret this line of thinking later!) he returned a club. Fohrer ruffed and drew trumps to reach this ending:
| | ♠ A 4
♥ K J 9
♦ -
♣ 6 |
♠ K J 9 8 6 3
♥ -
♦ -
♣ - |
|
♠ Q 5
♥ Q 10 7
♦ -
♣ - |
| | ♠ 10 7
♥ 6 5
♦ 3 2
♣ - |
On the penultimate trump he threw dummy's small spade, and East was caught in a triple squeeze. He had to blank his ♠Q in order to guard the rounded suits. Next came the ♠A and a club ruff, followed by a heart ducked to East's ten. On the forced heart return, the losing spade disappeared and Fohrer had made his contract.
A few boards later, a more substantial swing was at stake:
| Board: 11. Dealer: South. None vul |
| | ♠ Q 10 7 5
♥ 9 5
♦ Q 9 6 3
♣ Q 8 3 |
♠ 9 8 3
♥ K Q 8 7 4 3
♦ J 2
♣ 5 4 | |
♠ 6 4 2
♥ J 10
♦ A 10 7 4
♣ K J 10 2 | | | ♠ A K J
♥ A 6 2
♦ K 8 5
♣ A 9 7 6 |
Open Room
| West | North | East | South
|
| Wichmann | Birman | Wasik | Fohrer
|
| | | | 1♣
|
| 2♥ | Pass | Pass | 2NT
|
| Pass | 3NT | All Pass | |
West led the ♠8 on which Fohrer won with the ace. He could count only 7 tricks: four spades and one trick in each of the other suits. His first move was to play a diamond to the queen, East winning the ace and returning the ♥J which held. Fohrer won the second heart and played ♦K and another to East's ten. Already sort of endplayed, East could only return a passive spade or diamond. Now declarer could win the return in dummy, throw his heart on the good diamond, cash a third spade trick (not the 4th!) and lead a club from hand, inserting dummy's eight and thus endplaying East for the third and decisive time… Very well played indeed for a fine +400 and 11 IMPs to Israel.
A Different Drum
by Mark Horton
'If you're marching to the beat of a different drummer, you're probably out of step - pay attention!!'
Do you know the famous story about the passing out parade? It's the one where Johnny's mother proudly points out that the other 399 are marching out of step. What do you make of this hand?
| Dealer South. East/West Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 10 4 2
♥ 3
♦ A 7
♣ A K Q J 6 2 |
Your partner is the dealer and opens 4♥.
I can tell you that at every table in the Open & Women's series 4♥ was the final contract (the Seniors only play the first 16 deals) - save one.
There the auction went like this:
| West | North | East | South
|
| Mossop | Hein | Zivkovic | Helling
|
| | | | 4♥
|
| Pass | 4NT* | Pass | 5♠*
|
| Pass | 6♥ | All Pass | |
West led the two of diamonds and its time to reveal the full deal:
| Board:19. Dealer South. East/West Vul. |
| | ♠ Q 10 4 2
♥ 3
♦ A 7
♣ A K Q J 6 2 |
♠ J 9 6 5
♥ J 2
♦ K J 5 2
♣ 7 5 4 | |
♠ A K 8 7
♥ 10 9 4
♦ Q 8 6 4
♣ 9 8 | | | ♠ 3
♥ A K Q 8 7 6 5
♦ 10 9 3
♣ 10 3 |
That was +1010 and 11 IMPs for Luxembourg.
Considering North had five tricks and South reckoned to have 7-8, was his evaluation so wide of the mark? Was he the one out of step, or was it the other 53 players in the North seat?
Bravo Soren Hein - along with Stefan Helling my first nomination for the 2007 IBPA award for the best bid hand. |
