The Second Segment of the Seniors Semifinal

I am watching the Seniors Semifinal.  It is board 24 and the Morse team has pulled ahead of the Larsen team winning about 20 imps this segment to lead 52-13.  But we are on a swing board right now and Bobby Wolff is playing the hand.  Bobby Wolff is declarer in 6C.  Here is the auction with nobody vulnerable.

In the open room they play 5D so this is going to be a swing.  The open lead is the SA on which Meltzer throws the S7.  Then after a lot of thought Larsen switches to the D8 on which Meltzer deposits the D2.  Now Wolff leads a club from dummy and see the C4.  Do you finesse or not?  There are two inferences.  The first is that Larsen preempted.  That would suggest that he is short in clubs.  The second is that Larsen did not attempt to punch dummy with a heart.  Does that mean anything?  In any case Wolff finessed and as it turned out the clubs were 2-2 and unfortunately the queen was offside.   The stanza finished off with Morse picking up only 3 imps to add to their previous total.  After two sets they lead 58-35. 

The other match is fairly tight as well with the score Schwartz 64 and Lynch 45 with two boards to be scored.  But Berkowitz-Lair have arrived in 3NT which is off six heart tricks – down 2.   Both teams in the other match found the best contract, 4S.   Hearts have been bid and raised at this table.  Somehow they still get to 3NT with Qx of hearts opposite x. There was obviously some confusion on this auction.

Since Jones had a singleton small heart he obviously thought that 2NT was not natural.  At the end of the second stanza Schwartz leads Lynch 64-45

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