9 7 6 3
K 9 8 6 2
9
A 9 2
In our previous article we saw a couple of unusual scores and how they were achieved. Would you like to have some more exhibits?
Let's move to the 1992 Olympiad disputed in Salsomaggiore, Italy. This is board 37 of the Ladies'semifinal match between GBritain and Germany. With NS vulnerable and South dealer, the West player, the formidable Sabine Zenkel (now Auken) is holding:
9 7 6 3
K 9 8 6 2
9
A 9 2
The bidding goes:
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zenkel | Handley | vonArnim | Landy |
| . | 4NT (1) | ||
| pass | 5 (2) | pass | 5 |
| pass | pass | dbl | pass |
| ?? | . | ||
(1) Asking for aces!
(2) No ace.
The German superstar seems undecided and gives you her cards. Are you going to pass or bid something? If you pass, what do you lead?
Sabine Zenkel (now Auken), one of the very best current women players, elected to pass the double, a not unreasonable decision. Then, knowing that declarer had a very long suit, she led the ace of clubs, another reasonable but terribly unlucky choice, for the full deal was
8 4
J 7
Q 6 2
Q J 10 8 4 3
9 7 6 3 A Q J 10 5
K 9 8 6 2 Q 10 5 4
9 ---
A 9 2 K 7 6 5
K 2
A 3
A K J 10 8 7 5 4 3
---
Sandra Landy ruffed the lead and she had the entries to take the ruffing finesse in clubs
and make all 13 tricks, registering the unusual score of 1150. At the other table, 5 undoubled
made exactly after a spade lead, so it was 11 IMPs to Great Britain who won the match, but bowed to the
Austrian squad in the finals. What if Zenkel had bid 5? This contract is beatable on
a club lead -however, it is a near certainty that N-S would have gone to 6.
Then, Zenkel would have to avoid the ace of clubs lead (which would give the still more
weird score of 1740!) -or to take insurance at 6. In any case, full marks to Landy
for her opening bid that silenced her opponents. At other tables, the respective players opened
with a game forcing 2 or 2, so E-W were able to get into the bidding cheaply.
Still at another match, Maria Erhart for Austria did one better. She opened the South hand with 6!
The French West also led the ace of clubs, so all 13 tricks were made.
Five of a minor doubled and made with two overtricks is not the only way to score 1150, though.
Earlier in the same tournament an alternative had been demonstrated. It was Board 12 of the Round Robin match between Brazil and Hong Kong.
West dealer, NS vul.
Q 10 8 6
Q 10 5
A J 8 5
6 2
5 4 K J 7 3
K J 8 7 6 A 3 2
9 7 6 3 K 10 4 2
Q 9 J 10
A 9 2
9 4
Q
A K 8 7 5 4 3
The bidding went:
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camacho | Chiu | Janz | Chun |
| pass | pass | 1 | 2
|
| pass | pass | dbl | redbl |
| 2 | 2NT | pass | 3NT |
| dbl | all pass | ||
Against 3NT doubled, defenders led hearts. Declarer won the third round and breathed a silent prayer about the club suit. Mr Chiu is a virtuous man: his prayers were answered and clubs broke evenly. He then proceeded to run an inordinate number of clubs, so East was squeezed in spades and diamonds and 11 tricks were made. As it happens, this also scores 1150.
You may not agree with West's final double, but the real culprit here is the reopening double by
East (mind you, both Camacho and Janz are world champions). Janz's club holding makes it improbable
that partner has a penalty pass and the contest being teams rather than pairs it would be safer to sell
out at 2, guaranteeing a minimal swing. At the other table Chagas-Branco
went one down at 5, so Hong Kong gained no less than 15 IMPs.
We'll end our perusal of the 1992 Olympiad records with a deal that produced unusual scores at both tables. It comes from the final match in the Ladies series between GBritain and Austria. The British squad had had an explosive start, building a healthy lead. However, Austria managed to gain 43 IMPs in four (!) boards and when this board hit the table they were in front by 10.
Board 58
North dealer, game all
Q 10 8
A Q 8 7 5 2
8 7 6
9
7 6 5 3 J 4 2
--- K 9 4 3
A 9 3 2 K Q 5 4
A K 7 4 2 J 8
A K 9
J 10 6
J 10
Q 10 6 5 3
The bidding went:
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landy | Fischer | Handley | Weigkricht |
| . | 2 (1) | pass | 3 (2) |
| dbl | all pass | ||
(1) Weak two in hearts or weak two-suiter in spades and a minor
(2) Pass or correct
East's call over the (marginal) negative double of 3 would make a good problem for
a bidding contest. I would hesitate between 4 and 3NT,
but all champions confronted with the same decision (the deal was also played in the Open semifinal matches)
elected to pass the double, and they certainly
know better. Thus, Handley passed the double.
Landy led the ace of clubs and shifted to the 7. Declarer played low from dummy,
won the jack with the ace and played the 10. Handley won and played the 3.
The 6 won and declarer played the J. Now East
played the jack of clubs, so declarer was able to concede a trump, draw trumps and claim nine tricks.
It would be better for East to persist with spades at trick four. This would tangle
declarer's communications, for she would not be able to get to dummy without promoting East's nine of trumps
(something that happened at two tables in the Open matches).
In any case, Austria scored 730 for 3 doubled and made and Handley-Landy probably scribbled a minus sign on their scorecards.
They did not need to worry. For, if 730 is only mildly unusual, at the other table there was another, rather more infrequent score.
The bidding there was slightly -but crucially- different.
| West | North | East | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erhart | Davies | Lindinger | Smith |
| . | 2 (1) | pass | 2 (2) |
| dbl | all pass | ||
(1) Multi: weak two in a major or various strong types
(2) Pass or correct
2 by Davies could possibly (although not probably)
be a strong hand, so Smith bid just 2, leaving more room for the opposition.
However, Lindinger elected to pass 2 doubled (a deep position, one would say).
Two hearts were never in trouble and things got worse for the defenders in the play. The ace of clubs was again led
and the continuation was again the 7. But here it went 10, jack, king.
Declarer lost a trump finesse and Lindinger returned another trump.
Now Smith drew trumps and West had several discards to make. When she discarded three clubs (plus a diamond),
declarer had the spade entries to establish the suit with a ruff and enjoy it.
All in all, she made no less than eleven tricks. Two hearts vul. doubled and made with three overtricks gave the exotic score of 1270, not much less than a slam! This was 11 IMPs for the Great Britain, who regained the lead -although they finally bowed to the mighty Austrians.
And that about concludes our survey of weird, unusual, exotic and macabre numbers. But, before we end, do you know the difference between an 'exotic' and a 'macabre' score? Yes, you guessed it: when it is a plus, it is exotic!
Nikos Sarantakos
sarant@village.uunet.lu
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