| 3rd European Open Bridge Championships | Page 2 | Bulletin 11 - Tuesday 26 June 2007 |
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Total Football by Mark Horton If you are a football fan you may sometimes watch the highlights of a game and think it was exciting, only to find when you read about it the following day that in reality it was somewhat dull. The trick of course is skillful editing, the television showing only the highlights. When Mahaffey met Orange 1 in Round 3 of the Open Swiss A the boards did not allow for free, fast flowing attacking bridge. Most of the attempts to score were easily dealt with – but as I hope to show you, you can sometimes make a dull match appear much more exciting.
Open Room
East found himself with a substantial hand facing his partner’s overcall. He showed his strength with a cue bid, but when West could not bid Three No Trums he wisely left well alone. North led the king of spades, followed by the queen and South overtook it and switched to the seven of diamonds, an easy +130. One commentator asked about the best play in diamonds, but no one was willing to offer a suggestion. On this hand declarer can draw trumps and eliminate the heart suit. Now if declarer was looking for two tricks and didn’t mind losing two he cashes the ace of diamonds and leads low towards the ten, making two tricks around 93.5% of the time. Here declarer can only afford one loser. In isolation, the best line in diamonds for three tricks is to cash the ace and then lead towards the queen – attractive here, as it also covers the case where South has ♦Kx. (As a small additional point, if you start by leading the five, intending to play the ace, then if North follows with the three you can play low to endplay South. ) For those of you who are interested in statistics, the success rate is almost 21%. Closed Room
The modern style is to bid when it is your turn, but I don’t think much of South’s Three Spades and my comments about Four Spades are unprintable! Having bid Three Hearts why didn’t East double Four Spades? The defence is very easy, and +800 always looks good on the scorecard. Five Clubs had to go one down, -50 and a 5 IMP start for Orange 1. A couple of boards later the North players found themselves looking at:
and saw partner open 1NT. Fredin passed without a care in the world, whilst Verhees transferred. Now if Eric Kokish was writing this piece the discussion as the technical merit of these two choices would ensure a full Bulletin, but suffice it to say that the results were +150 and +170, partner’s hand being:
Board 24. Dealer West. None Vul.
Open Room
Facing a passed partner South was not interested in overcalling, but when East/West retired from the auction he protected. (You will have observed that Two Spades is going down.) West led the seven of clubs for the queen and ace and declarer played a diamond to the queen and a club. East won and switched to the three of hearts. With the spade position still under wraps, declarer put up the king and was one down, -50. Closed Room
An identical auction, but West led the two of spades. East won with the king (an error) and switched to the three of hearts. When declarer played low he was home, +110 and 4 IMPs to team Orange 1, ahead 10-5.
Open Room
North’s One Spade was two way, either game forcing or denying a major. When East made a lead directing double he found he had unleashed the hounds of hell. East was not prepared to risk One Spade redoubled – it should make – and after some scrambling East/West came to rest in a very uncomfortable spot. On a club lead declarer is in big trouble and is likely to be –800, but quite reasonably South decided to lead the three of diamonds. Declarer won with the six and played a heart to North’s ten. He ducked the switch to the jack of clubs and North played a trump, South taking the ace and exiting with the queen. Declarer won with dummy’s king, played a club to the ace and ruffed his last club. He played a spade and had to take one more trick, -500. Closed Room
No fireworks in this room. West led the two of diamonds and declarer won with the queen and set about the clubs. East took the third round and played back a diamond. Declarer dropped the nine, won the next diamond, crossed to the ace of spade and cashed two clubs, squeezing West in the red suits. When he discarded the king of diamonds declarer claimed eleven tricks and lost an IMP.
Open Room
Not for the first time in this match one of the players found himself in the protection racket. When West bid Three Spades East had an automatic raise to game, but it had no play, -100. Closed Room
Here West had the opportunity to double Two Spades and East raised. West felt he had to go on to game – but those club honours look useless to me. So, it was a flat board and Orange 1 won this low scoring affair 11-6. To be honest, I only include this deal so I could reveal the misfortune that befell another pair – or perhaps I should say player – on this same deal.
You have feel sorry for West, especially as his partner was under the impression that the contract was undoubled. Declarer did well to escape for –800. He has not escaped from his partner! |
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