In Lille .. Canada fights on

 

Ray and I started in Iceland which was very interesting and quite fun.  The weather was cool with a high of no more than 15 degrees Celsius with many hours of daylight. It actually felt refreshing after the hot weather in North America.  We saw hot springs, geisers and deep lakes in the divide between the continental plates.

In France we toured the Palace of Versailles. saw great cathedrals, a beautiful garden including a lily pond and the home of Monet and much more.  But we were happy to make arrive in Lille and be among bridge folks.

With two matches left to play in the Open (sponsored by MPP) the team has a good chance of qualifying.  This is not all that easy a feat since only four teams in each section of sixteen  or so go on.

The Women need to make the top five in their group and at this point they will need two very good sets and a fair bit of luck. 

About half the field in the seniors will go on and so with our matches to play the Canadians are well placed.

Here was a tough hand for the Canadian Ladies in Match 11.

I hope I got this auction right.  North opened a strong club and East (For Canada) bid one diamond showing majors.  South doubled showed cards.  West bid three hearts, North bid five clubs and South pushed on to the club slam.

Select (you can triple-click it) and over-write this text below the diagram.

 

The opening lead by the Canadian East was a tough heart which was ruffed.  North played the ♠ 4 to dummy and East rose with the ♠ K and West played the ♠ 9.  What would you do next as East?

…………………………….

You have to return a small spade to break up the squeeze.  Did you find this?

 

At the table the Canadian East did not find this very tough play and after that North can win a top diamond and play all her clubs. Dummy’s last four cards are spade a heart a top diamond and another diamond.  On the last club East has to keep a top heart and two spades and South holds the ♥ Q, the ♦ K and a spade. But now North plays a diamond to dummy’s ♦ K.  This puts impossible pressure on East who finally must give up hearts or spades.  A spade return by East when in on the ♠ Q removes a critical late entry to the North hand and breaks up the squeeze.

A tough way to lose imps.  At the other table the Poland West bid 4H on a similar auction and when North bid 5♣  it was much harder for South to push on. Nevertheless, the club slam while difficult to defeat as the cards lie is not a very good spot.

Hazel Wolpert seemed much calmer than usual at an important tournament.  Her secret: getting some sleep, take a bathroom break when she was unhappy at a result and thinking calming thoughts.  Well done.  I will have to work on all these methods the next time I play.

Good luck to all the North American teams and to all my other friends around the world as the tournament round robin stage enters its final stages,