sarant@village.uunet.lu
This page has been visited
This is the second part of the report, covering rounds 12 to 19 of the Round Robin.
Nikos Sarantakos
Going twice to the well...
Round 12, Board 4
Dealer: W
Vul: Both
T9743
J3
A52
AJ7
A8 J
Q9765 T4
876 KQT94
K85 QT943
KQ652
AK82
J3
62
This was a flat 4S at all tables. However, in the match New Zealand v Guadeloupe, the EW players elected to double the final contract for reasons best known to themselves. This was promptly redoubled and the price tag was 1080 against the universal 420. But the double gained indirectly, because...
Round 12, Board 5
Dealer: N
Vul: NS
8754
T7652
93
J9
T KQJ
KJ8 43
KQ86 T752
T8632 KQ75
A9632
AQ9
AJ4
A4
At the very next board, NS reached again 4S, they were again doubled and, perhaps under the influence of the previous result, redoubled again. Only this time 4S is awful; friendly defence, however, let declarer go away with one down. Two or three down was recorded elsewhere.
They don't grow on trees
Round 13, Board 10
Dealer: E
Vul: Both
J2
J6
8
AKQJT752
T953 Q6
QT5 K973
KJT72 A943
8 943
AK874
A842
Q65
6
After 1S-2C/ 2H, North has a rebid problem. I imagine some jumped to 5C. Those who preferred to mark time with a forcing 3D or similar had to decide what to do over 3NT. Six pairs, including USA-2, Bulgaria, France and Poland passed, which seems weird to me. They were duly punished when the defence cashed the first five tricks. Italy also passed but the Guadeloupe defender led something else, so Italy made 12 tricks. A couple of NS pairs reached 6C. Taipei even made it -although it is not easy to see how.
Chunky suit
Round 13, Board 11
Dealer: S
Vul: None
543
K53
KT7652
3
J9 AKQ87
A862 T4
AJ93 8
974 KQT85
T62
QJ97
Q4
AJ62
Four spades is excellent, but six EW pairs, including both USA teams, Norway, Italy and France, spurned the 5-2 fit preferring notrump.
They went all down, so justice was served.
The five level belongs to whom?
Round 13, Board 18
Dealer: E
Vul: NS
7652
964
Q3
AJ95
8 K3
AQT73 KJ852
97 AJ842
Q7642 8
AQJT94
-
KT65
KT3
A typical situation where Total Tricks are more than Total Trumps: in this case there are 22 or 23 tricks with 20 trumps. Bulgarians remembered that the five level belongs to the opponents, so they doubled USA-2 in 4S and paid 1190 when declarer made 12 tricks. They also sold out to 4H in the other room, so this was the greatest swing of the match.
Table presence
Round 13, Board 20
Dealer: W
Vul: Both
J85
AQJ3
-
KJT542
76 QT942
T98642 7
753 KQ62
87 Q93
AK3
K5
AJT984
A6
The great majority of NS reached either 6C or 6NT and made it. There were some casualties, though, including Poles who played at 6D, down one, and Brazil who stayed at 4C!
Round 14, Board 4
Dealer: W
Vul: Both
AQ987632
7
K5
A8
K -
KJT52 AQ9863
Q86 AT92
J765 K42
JT54
4
J743
QT93
With best defence, 5S by NS will go down, but most EW pairs refused to risk premature gray hair and took insurance at 6H, going down usually two tricks but sometimes undoubled. Note that East is endplayed at trick two after the ace of hearts lead. In fact, four out of eight Norths made 5S.
Pound of flesh
Round 14, Board 12
Dealer: W
Vul: NS
T87
97
AT9
AKJ65
96 K542
K84 AJ63
743 Q865
T9843 Q
AQJ3
QT52
KJ2
72
After North opens 1C, wouldn't you double with East cards? You would, and I would. But South redoubles and now what? Usually, because of the vulnerability, NS weren't sure that the penalty would compensate their game so they let EW off the hook and scored 630 or so at 3NT. However, the Chinese (against Taipei) and the South Africans (against France) went after their pound of flesh and collected 1100 from 2H doubled, down five.Docile defence
Round 14, Board 18
Dealer: E
Vul: NS
AJ52
AKJ932
2
62
Q63 T984
Q5 T76
AK6 QJ54
AQ974 T5
K7
84
T9873
KJ83
Usually NS played in a heart partial and made up to ten tricks. Brazil bid and made the heart game. China and Argentina preferred 3NT, the latter doubled. They made nine and ten tricks respectively after, presumably, a club lead. Top and bottom
Round 15, Board 7
Dealer: S
Vul: Both
J42
T83
743
KJ96
AT K9853
AQJ764 52
KQ85 AJ
5 T732
Q76
K9
T962
AQ84
If trumps come, 6H is on for EW but out of 20 pairs only Bulgarians reached it -and made it. Bottom of the class were Australians -in the Antipodean derby against New Zealand they stayed at 1H, making with 5 overtricks for 230. I guess North opened something, West overcalled 1H and East, perhaps having seen other overcalls by partner passed.
Round 15, Board 8
Dealer: W
Vul: None
K9
J763
Q7
J8653
A876 T54
A T94
AKJ843 T9652
74 A9
QJ32
KQ852
-
KQT2
Despite having only 20 points, a long suit plus three aces gives nine fast tricks to EW. In practice, there were only a couple of pairs who played at 3NT and obviously made it. The majority went at 5D -note also that 4H is cold for NS. Half of declarers in 5D made their contract. Notice that on a heart lead declarer has to eliminate hearts, draw trumps, cash spade ace and endplay North with the second club to give a ruff and discard. (In theory, the ace of spades has to be cashed early -what the French call "the Venizelos coup"- so that defenders are caught unaware; but there have been cases when they failed to unblock the king of spades regardless).However, top score on the board was recorded by Taiwan against Argentina. It was 880 for EW. In case you don't know, this is produced by 2NT redoubled making three.
Clubs anyone?
Round 15, Board 15
Dealer: S
Vul: NS
53
KT8652
K7
Q86
K82 QJT96
4 QJ73
T98642 J3
932 T7
A74
A9
AQ5
AKJ54
The 4-1 break dooms the heart slam -clubs is a much better spot and note that with hearts 3-2 there are 13 tricks in clubs. Only the two US teams and Brazil found the club slam. There were a lot of -100s at 6H and a curious 1440 by the French against Sweden at 6NT. (6H was doubled, they ran to notrump and a spade was not led? alas, we don't have the records). Bulgarians achieved a slam-zone score without sweating. They doubled the Chinese EW at 4S. Despite the good fit, declarer was only able to score four trump tricks, so this was 1400.
Another unusual score
Round 17, Board 10
Dealer: E
Vul: Both
K72
A4
KT9643
KT
QT A9
T653 KQJ972
J AQ
AJ8532 Q74
J86543
8
8752
96
Here EW have comfortable 10 tricks at 4H and will make 11 if they guess well even on a spade lead. Host nation Bermuda registered the unusual plus score of 1200 when they made 5H redoubled against Taiwan.
Who counts points?
Round 18, Board 16
Dealer: W
Vul: EW
A4
T954
86
JT765
K8752 T93
632 QJ87
943 AQ72
K4 AQ
QJ6
AK
KJT5
9832
Usually EW won the bidding at 2S and they made 7 or 8 tricks. Note that NS have the minority of the points (19) and their oppos have an eight-card fit, however Norwegians bid 3NT and made it. Notice the extreme duplication in clubs!
The Italian and the Brazilian North-South did one better, making ten tricks in notrump, only they were in defence against 1NT by EW. Declarer only made three tricks, so NS scored 400, same score as if they had declared 3NT.
No King in sight
Round 19, Board 7
Dealer: S
Vul: Both
843
A5
A9
QJT753
K JT9762
KJ843 T972
K532 64
642 K
AQ5
Q6
QJT87
A98
In nine matches out of 10, 3NT was played at both tables, so only overtricks were the matter. Against South Africa, Argentina bid 6C. Note that all four kings are missing, and both black kings are bare. In any case, they made the contract. But they would have gained a good swing even by staying at game, for SAfrican NS stayed at 4C.
Are you disciplined?
Round 19, Board 13
Dealer: N
Vul: Both
QJ9
-
AT652
A6532
AK862 T
8 AKQJT7542
K74 93
KJ98 7
7543
963
QJ8
QT4
Suppose that NS venture 5D against your 4H and partner doubles. Are you disciplined enough to pass or you believe that a 9-card suit entitles you to bid on? Five hearts can be beaten and it was beaten two times out of four, while 5D went for 1400. Top for NS was achieved by the French who recorded 1480 against Australia (4H redoubled making five).
Back to the first part of the report
Back to Nikos Sarantakos' bridge page
© 2000 Nikos Sarantakos
sarant@village.uunet.lu
This page has been visited times.