3rd European Open Bridge Championships Page 3 Bulletin 6 - Thursday 21 June 2007

HH enjoys Turkish trip

by Mark Horton

You may not be aware of the fact that the Hideous Hog Appreciation Society is holding their annual convention at the Topkapi Palace Hotel. Israel’s Doron Yadlin submitted this deal from the fourth qualifying session of the Mixed Pairs in support of his application for membership.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Vul.
 ♠ J 10 9 8
♥ A 9 6 2
♦ K 8 4
♣ A Q

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

WestNorthEastSouth
YadlinEmodi
   1♣
Pass3NTAll Pass

North freely confessed that 3NT was a masculine bid. When East led the seven of diamonds and declarer realized that with Four Spades likely to produce ten tricks he needed to score the same number in 3NT if he was to survive – both at the table and in the post mortem. He won the opening lead with dummy’s jack and took the club finesse. When that held he played a spade to the queen and a heart to the nine. East won with the ten and played back a heart to dummy’s king. Now declarer cashed his black suit winners to reach this ending:

 ♠ –
♥ A 6
♦ K 8
♣ –

♠ –
♥ Q
♦ 2
♣ K J 		«Bridge
♠ –
♥ J 8
♦ A Q
♣ –
 ♠ –
♥ –
♦ 9 6
♣ 8 7

Now declarer played ace and another heart and breathed a sigh of relief. What’s more he collected 91% for his efforts.

Mixed Success

by Patrick Jourdain

Pairs scoring was made for Martin Hoffman (originally of Czechoslovakia, then Britain and now the USA) and at the end of the second qualifying session of the Mixed Pairs he and Ursula Harper of London held second place. Here is a typical effort to garner a valuable overtrick:

Board 27. Dealer South. None Vul.
  ♠ Q 8 7
♥ K 10
♦ K Q J
♣ J 6 5 4 3

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

Hoffman, sitting West, second in hand opened a 14-16 One Notrump to end the auction. North led a fourth-highest club and South accurately put in the nine to fetch the ace. A club to the eight and king saw South switch to a diamond, ducked to North. A second diamond was won by the ace and a third put North back on lead. North made an intelligent switch to the queen of spades but when this was covered South, expecting North to hold the jack, won and continued the suit. Hoffman ran this to the nine and made the key play of NOT cashing his club winner. Instead he returned to hand with the jack of spades and cashed the thirteenth diamond. North threw a club, dummy and South released hearts. With four cards remaining Hoffman led a low heart. When North put up the king to avoid leading a club he had to return a heart giving Hoffman the last three tricks and a good score.

Page 3

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