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Kaplan Nuggets III: 1985-1989
"The Austrians foolishly doubled a lay-down slam, for no apparent reason except, perhaps, the a priori unlikelihood of one side’s taking 12 tricks."
"Knockout in Seattle" (Report on 1984 Olympiad), TBW 2/1985, p. 9
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Isn’t it strange how little leeway modern responders give openers, considering what they themselves open?
Ibid, p. 12
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On Board 1 of all matches, the North player picked up, as dealer, neither side vulnerable,
9 5 / K Q 8 7 5 3 2 / Q 7 4 / K
Everyone was no doubt aware of the hand’s glaring flaws for preemptive action, the weak heart spots, the minor-suit honors that looked so much better for defense than offense. But this was the first board -what a chance to push the enemy around, setting the tone for the whole match! Who could resist such temptation?
[Only two of the eight] Partner displayed the usual garbageK872/10/AJ103/J873
and the result was most often 500 (...) The opponents, with only 21 HCP and no great fit, might not get above the one level left to their own devices, just as well since this is about what they could make.
"Knockout in Seattle, II" (Report on 1984 Olympiad), TBW 3/1985, p. 3
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[Overcall, fit-showing jump by partner, minimum-showing rebid by advancer, all pass]
What an intelligent way to miss an easy vulnerable game!
Ibid, p. 13
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[Vul. against Nonvul, South opens 1S, West preempts 5C and North holds: AQJ3/A6/KJ976/95. In the Open final, both jumped to 6S, while the Ladies raised to 5S]
Is there something sex-linked about action with the North hand? Both male Norths leaped boldly to slam, ignoring the ugly doubleton, trusting the opponent to save. And Chemla, at Table 1, caught his pigeon, getting the sacrifice
[West went to 7C] he expected and collecting 900. However, Szvarc, West at Table 2, was too wily a bird to be panicked into saving unilaterally against a slam he pushed the enemy into. [The slam made]. (No doubt, it is East who should take the save -if he trusts partner more than any partner can be trusted.)"Knockout in Seattle, III" (Report on 1984 Olympiad), TBW 4/1985, p. 9
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[A voluntarily-bid grand slam goes down four]
Yes, if you are going down in a grand slam it’s better to go down more than one -but there are limits!
Ibid, p. 12
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Declarer had scant prospect of making his contract legitimately (a miraculous doubleton queen in hearts or clubs, he needed), so he concocted a swindle. (...)
[The queen was indeed doubleton] As the cards lay, though, the upshot was down two on a game that providence has intended he make."Le Vanderbilt", TBW 6/1985, p. 18
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BRAMLEY recovered 7 imps after both teams opened this disgusting 14-count:
K J 7 / Q J / K Q 7 6 5 / Q 10 5
Katz had the grace to be ashamed of the hand, never taking another bid; partner competed to two spades, plus 110. Rodwell, in contrast, was proud of his picture gallery. He freely raised spades, and then accepted a game invitation; down 200 in four spades.
Ibid, p. 20
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[After a relay auction that is not reported]
On the seventh round of bidding, Becker had to choose a contract knowing partner’s exact shape and his high-card content. Three notrump? Yes, but partner’s final reply to a relay had been four spades. So, Becker chose five diamonds. Unluckily, that went minus 50.
Ibid, p. 21
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[Becker opens 1H, Rubin responds with a game-forcing relay, 2C]
At table 2, Katz, East, risked an emaciated overcall
[2S on K1096/32/J9865/Q3] rather than listen to eleven rounds of relay bidding. That was just as well, since Becker-Rubin would surely have bid the slam if left to their own devices.Ibid, p. 22
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They
had played rather briskly, to no purpose since their opponents all proceeded in the pace of a particularly lazy glacier."Le Vanderbilt, II", TBW 7/1985, p. 5
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The vulberability was favorable, but not the result.
Ibid
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Crane, West, was taught at his mother’s knee that the Lord gives you an ace-king combination to tell you what to lead. (...) But Weichsel, West at Table 1, had learned his bridge 20 years later, after it has been established as gospel that you should lead trumps when your side has all the high cards.
[As it turned out, Crane won an extra doubled undertrick]
Ibid, p. 11
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[North makes a two-suited overcall, South has to play it -for down 1100 as it turns out]
There ought to be a law allowing you to make partner play his own horrors.
"Tribulations" (1985 ITT), TBW 8.1985, p. 15
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[Bergen makes a two-under preempt, 2S for clubs, Cohen passes 2S]
Cohen has seen Bergen’s suits before, and, anyway, this way partner would be declarer for his own disaster.
Ibid, p. 16
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On Ross’s birthday, six diamonds might have been a make, but not this day.
"Tribulations, II" (1985 ITT), TBW 9.1985, p. 21
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In a way, it is a bonanza for a team to suffer disasters at both tables on the same board. Still, no one can afford many bonanzas like this one.
Ibid, p. 23
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[Kokish overcalls RHO’s 1D with 1H, love all, on:
J6/AKQJ986543/9/-]
... Kokish’s rather sound overcall (I have seen him bid with less)
"Las Vegas Spingold", TBW 10.1985, p. 12
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[At both tables, 3rd-seat player opens on a 4-point, 5-card weak two with disastrous results]
Maybe the players should have accepted the bridge judgment of the ACBL Board of directors, who have proclaimed that one must have 5 high card points for a weak two.
"Las Vegas Spingold, II", TBW 11.1985, p. 9
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The five diamonds at Table 1 could have been beaten 300 by a heart lead (...) However, North led ace of diamonds to look at the dummy and what he saw was that he could collect only 100.
Ibid, p. 11
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[Holding a monster, Ira Rubin opens 1C and over partner’s 1H fakes a reverse with 2D on Axx. Partner, Burger, holding five diamonds and three points, passes!]
The official transcript shows no unusual sensory data from Table 1 at the point that Burger passed two diamonds.
Ibid, p. 14
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South took advantage of the favorable vulnerability to give a preemptive jump raise; the vulnerability was favorable for North, too, so he added to the preemption. What could the poor Meckstroth and Rodwell do but double?
[They collected 1100]"Olympiad in Venice, IV", TBW 3/1989, p. 5
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[They languish at 3C when 6C is on]
On the auction in the Open Room of the Women’s, playing three clubs as nonforcing (...) has much to be said for it. Of course, whatever is said should be said to partner before the session.
Ibid, p. 10
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[Declarer plays 7S]
He won the king-of-clubs lead, cashed ace of diamonds (apparently as a sporting gesture, in case an opponent was void.)
"Olympiad in Venice, IV", TBW 3/1989, p. 5
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[After a nonvul. save went for 1100]
"Favorable" vulnerability isn’t all that favorable under the new scoring.
"The 1989 Vanderbilt, II", TBW 8/1989, p. 7
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Understandably, he was reluctant to bid to the four level, vulnerable, opposite a third-seat opening (partnerships who frequently open light in third position are seldom aware of what it costs them).
Ibid, p. 8
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Soloway (...) also stole the contract undoubled, with his gay leap to three notrump. However, merciless defense made the theft expensive.
"A berth for Perth", TBW 9.1989, p. 29
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Pollack-Cohen were the only pair to reach a sensible [slam] contract, with their 12 top tricks, 33 high-card points, four aces and a running suit. Of course, the running suit was not easy to discover since no East was foolish enough to bid his diamonds [over partner’s 2C bid] -everyone knew better than to suggest a jack-fifth suit on a slam auction. Yes, there are those who prefer jack-fifth opposite ace-queen-ten to ace-king-fifth opposite ten doubleton, but they are peasants.
"A berth for Perth, II", TBW 10.1989, p. 7
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Next, Woolsey made believe that this hand,
10 5 / A J 9 / A K / K 8 6 5 4 2
was an one-notrump opening, ending in three notrump, down 300; Soloway considered that he had an unbalanced hand with long clubs, so he ended in two clubs, plus 100.
Ibid, p. 11
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In second seat, nobody vulnerable, Goldman opened,
Q 7 6 3 / 10 / Q J 6 / J 8 7 4 2
with one spade (Goldman-Soloway open light systemically when non-vulnerable, so it is not clear whether this was a super-shaded light opening or a rather heavy psych.)
Ibid, p. 13
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