Dateline: Sao Paulo, Brazil

September 6th, 2009  ~  linda  ~  No Comments 

After an uneventful but exhausting 11 hour plane flight and a few more hours getting to the hotel through an unending traffic jam Ray and I finally arrived in Sao Paulo yesterday.  Sadly the Canadian Seniors didn’t quite put it together to make the final eight.  I talked to John Carruthers in the lobby this morning and he told me that it seemed that on every match one of the pairs had a bad surprise.  They had an unexpected unforced error with a big minus position.  This team had enough talent but they just couldn’t put it together.

I spent a fair bit of time yesterday evening with Canada Master Point Press Women, who just never got off and running although they did manage to beat some of the better teams.  They were disappointed, of course, but Ray and I are still very happy that Master Point Press was a sponsor.  We would like to encourage other businesses and individuals to consider sponsorship in the future.  While you may not get your name on the jerseys even small amounts of money will help.   Every time we saw the name on the WBF website or in the Bulletin it made me feel proud.

Pamela Nisbet gave me a hand she bid from Round 19 of the round robin.  Here is your hand

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vulnerable.

♠ T 7 5 4
♥ K T 4
♦ J
♣ Q 7 5 4 3

Your partner opens 2♣ in fourth chair and you respond 2♦ , a semi positive.  You then bid through a set of relays ending in 2NT partner showing about 24-26 HCP.  You try Stayman and partner bids 3♠.  How do you proceed?

The hand is worth a slam try but which feature should you show?  You could show your shortness or you could show your strength.  Pamela decided to show her strength.  She bid 4♣ ostensibly a cue bid for clubs rather than 4♦ her shortness.  As she pointed out bidding her shortness would have made North unhappy about her diamond strength.  The club cuebid was just what North needed to hear.  She cuebid diamonds and when Pamela showed her ♥ K the pair were in 6♠ very quickly.  This was worth 12 imps.  Only about half the field got to the slam.

Board 10. Dealer East. All Vulnerable.

	♠ A K Q 9 ♥ A 8 5 ♦ A K 10 ♣ A J 2
♠ 8 2 ♥ Q J 7 6 ♦ 8 7 6 4 3 ♣ K 6		♠ J 6 3 ♥ 9 3 2 ♦ Q 9 5 2 ♣ 10 9 8
	♠ 10 7 5 4 ♥ K 10 4 ♦ J ♣ Q 7 5 4 3

The only excitement in the 21st round was the race for the last spot in the Venice Cup (I am sorry to everyone for the number of times I have called it the Venus Cup – I obviously like that name!).  There was a battle for the last qualifying spot between Sweden and Denmark.  At the start of the match if the result had ended in a tie Denmark would have won on imp quotient (taking the imps won and dividing by the imps lost).  Sweden was playing tail ender Barbados and they routed them 77-1 on what was actually a fairly flat set of boards.  By the end of the event as a result of this in case of a tie Sweden would be the imp quotient winner.  With Sweden getting the full 25 VP, Denmark who was 7 ahead of Sweden going into this round needed 19 VP against Australia to stay ahead.  They managed only 16VP in a match where an amazing total of  only 15 imps (10-5) changed hands in 16 boards.  This was  the lowest scoring match in the event to date.

The press room is busy now as everyone is setting up to watch the first match today.

Could I Actually Be Wrong? It Was A Friday

September 4th, 2009  ~  linda  ~  3 Comments 

The very last hand of the Round 17 was very exciting.

Board 16. Dealer West. E-W Vulnerable.

	♠ 5 4 3 2 ♥ A K 7 5 4 ♦ Q 5 2 ♣ 9
♠ A Q J 10 ♥ 3 ♦ K J 9 7 6 4 ♣ 7 4		♠ K 9 8 7 6 ♥ 10 8 6 ♦ A ♣ A K 10 2
	♠ – ♥ Q J 9 2 ♦ 10 8 3 ♣ Q J 8 6 5 3

This is one of those hands that everybody is going to talk about it.  I admit I got it a bit wrong with a bit of double dummy analysis as was able pointed out by a fellow commentator.  Here is the beauty for you.  At most tables the auction would start with the same first three bids

The double of 6♠ showed I believe the last of enough defensive tricks to beat the contract so South took the 1400 save.  I am not a great fan of this convention myself.

The question was if they let East-West play 6♠ will they make it.  What is the best line?  On the auction at this table where clubs was doubled by South which really had to show length I think that the right line is to set up diamonds.  This works when diamonds most of the time and it does on this hand even with the bad trump break.  The defense starts heart-heart you ruff and then cash the top diamond.  Cross to dummy on a trump seeing the break and ruff a diamond.  Cash one club and then cross on another trump and cash the ♦K and run diamonds you can overruff whenever West ruffs.   You will make five trump in hand one in dummy, one club and either five diamonds or four diamonds and a second club.  (This depends on whether north every ruffs in or not).  It is my belief they would have made it at this table.

In the other room where Bakkeren was the declarer the auction took a different route.

Here the diamond suit was not exposed in dummy.  North started with top two hearts.  What is the right line.  Let’s see if we can work out what is the right line.  If you can get two clubs threw and one diamond you have twelve tricks on a cross-ruff.  This is about an 83% line or so all things being equal.  Of course the defense could have switched to a trump and they didn’t.  Why didn’t Frank Stewart play a trump at trick two?  He knows that West has at least 5 diamonds to go with his four spades and he can see that a cross ruff is coming can’t he?  He can count two clubs, a diamond and nine trump tricks.  There must be a reason why he didn’t play a trump (other than it is dinner time).

Maybe that is too deep.   I don’t entirely think so though.  The play to the second trick suggests that diamonds are breaking to me.  All the commentators suggested I was crazy to suggest that declarer play on diamonds and not the cross ruff line (when viewed single dummy).

So what do you think should the Netherlands have found the right line?  At our table if the Dutch had sold out would declarer have made 6♠ after the double of clubs?  Was I actually wrong on this Friday?

Ray and I will be headed off tonight on the long long long overnight flight to Sao Paulo.  You can tell I am NOT looking forward to the flight but I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Brazil.

Canada Master Point Press Women Pull It Out

September 4th, 2009  ~  linda  ~  1 Comment 

Yesterday the Canadian women turned it on and had a great day.  With 5 matches to go they

This is their remaining schedule:

1. Germany
2. Venezuela
3. Pakistan
4. Sweden
5. Brazil

At this point they are in 13th place with 229 VP a full 30 behind 8th place.  It does seem like a formidable task.  Three of their remaining teams Venezuela, Pakistan and Brazil are at the bottom of the pack.  If they can get 75 VP from them and hold their own against middle of the pack Sweden and Germany for say 40 VP.  They would have a total of 115 VP more.  Will 344 qualify? 

Average at the end of the event (taking 15 as average) is 315 so 345 is a match above average.  That will usually qualify.  Looking at the current eight place team Indonesia they have a score of 259 with 249 as the current average around 3/4 of a match above average.  So that is the task.  And it can be done.  Even a bit worse might still make it. 

Looking at some of the teams ahead of Canada Master Point Press, Germany has a tough schedule ahead.  Besides Canada they have Denmark, Spain, Australia and USA II, no gimmees.  Japan has quite an easy schedule and Indonesia’s isn’t too bad either.  Italy has France and Egypt to play to play but then easy matches.  Egypt has USA II to play as well and Sweden has a particularly tough schedule with China, USA II as well as Canada.

All in all I would say that 345 should do it.  Just follow our American friends down and say “Yes, we can!”.

Bright Spots

September 3rd, 2009  ~  linda  ~  2 Comments 

Some times you have to look for the bridge spots in what may have been a disappointing first half.  Canada Master Point Press had a very good win in their final match Wednesday beating USA 2 20-10 and having an above average day.   Well done.   In the Seniors Canada had quite a good day as well especially a big defeat of Pakistan, a contending team.  At this point there is quite a cluster of teams trailing leader England with Canada sitting in ninth position still well in the hunt.  It should be an exciting finish in this event.

I did have a good time joining Ray in commentary during the Netherlands – USA 2 match.  Ray was in the Closed Room in a happy group with David Bird and Jan Van Cleeff.  It is always a pleasure to watch Meckwell and the Dutch player Drijver and Brink were both good and entertaining.  David Bird made me laugh quite a bit.

One of the highlights of the match for me was two tit for tat boards between Bertens and Meckstroth.  On the first one Board 9 Bertens in first chair white against red opened multi 2D with

This rendered it virtually impossible to get to the club slam reached at the other table.   Then came Board 12 and Meckwell held an even worse (Better?) hand at favorable vulnerability

It was two passes to him and of course he opened 1♠.  This had the effect of keeping North-South out of a topnotch club slam bid and made at the other table.  Here is the whole deal.  Decide if you could bid it after the 1♠ “light” opening.

Board12 Dealer West. North-South Vulnerable.

	♠ AJ9 ♥ J ♦ AJ752 ♣ 7642
♠ 43 ♥ Q865 ♦ KQ93 ♣ Q105		♠ 108752 ♥ 10932 ♦ 1064  ♣ 9
	♠ KQ6 ♥ AK74 ♦ 8 ♣ AKJ83

I love watching this and if you haven’t been on BBO, why not?

A Strange Push

September 2nd, 2009  ~  linda  ~  No Comments 

I noticed in the Bulletin today that Phillip Alder had written a nice story about a push board.  However I am going to write a story about one of the strangest pushes I have seen in a long time.   It was Board 9 of the match between China and Argentina in the Bermuda Bowl.  This is the deal

Board 9 Dealer North. East-West Vulnerable.

	♠ K1094 ♥ 5 ♦ J1097 ♣ AK97
♠ Q75 ♥ QJ872 ♦ A5 ♣ J65		♠ A62 ♥ K ♦ KQ86  ♣ Q8432
	♠ J83 ♥ A109643 ♦ 432 ♣ 10

The closed room played this deal first and this is how the auction started

Zhuang had a 14 count and wanted to get into the auction.  But his club suit had been bid.  He decided to make an overcall in his four card suit, a bid that probably most of us would have foregone vulnerable.  Now South made a negative double which was simply showed four plus hearts.  

The auction continue with a redouble by West (card showing I guess) and 1♠ by North.  East made another aggressive (in my opinion) call by bidding 1NT with the singleton king of hearts.  It was now up to South.  With 5 high and no fit in his partner’s suit Ravenna also made an aggressive call (non vulnerable it is true) by bidding 2♥.  West was happy and he was allowed to play there.  Things got a bit nasty in the play.  West started with a high diamond but switched at trick two to a club.  South played another top club discarding a heart.  He then played a heart to the ace but when he saw the ♥K in the hand of the 1NT bidder he reasonably thought he might have another one and made his first mistake of playing a second heart.  West won and returned a club ruffed by South.  Now South played a spade and misguessed rather badly by playing the ♠K.  In the end he drifted down 4 for –200. 

In the Open Room the auction took a much stranger turn.  Here North opened 1♦ and East disdained a two level overcalled.  South made a preemptive jump overcall of 2♥.  This is how the auction continued

South now made a surprise bid he redoubled.  This was not alerted and to the best of our knowledge it was for penalty but in the context that he had made a weak jump overcall.  This got passed out to the joy of West.  The hand probably should go 2 down on best play and best defense after the opening spade lead.  The defense faltered and in the end declarer got out for 1 down, –200 and a very strange push.

Not to early to see some trends

September 2nd, 2009  ~  linda  ~  No Comments 

At the start of the World Championships we all keep saying its early yet.  But by the end of the third day and nine matches out of 21 some trends do start to emerge.  Let’s start with the Bermuda Bowl.  The top eight are Norway, Bulgaria, Italy, Netherlands, Argentina, China and USA 2 and Russia.  They are all fairly closely bunched with Norway first with 180 VP and Russia eighth with 161 VP.  19 VP represents about 3/4 of a match or so.  But the ninth place team Germany has only 139 VP, a big drop off and a further drop off below them.  The top eight are not a surprise with the exception of Argentina (at least for me).  I watched them play and they played well.

My prediction: The top eight will come from the top nine listed above. It would be nice if Argentina qualifies, they are fun to watch.

Venus Cup: The current leaders are

1. China
2. USA 1
3. Italy
4. USA 2
5. Egypt
6. France
7. Denmark
8. Indonesia

But eighth place is only a little ahead of ninth.  This division could change a lot.

Spain, Morocco, Sweden and Germany are next in line and may move up.  I would expect Germany to qualify perhaps instead of Indonesia?  But any of these teams could make it.  Egypt is a surprise but they do have a very strong pair.

Seniors:

England has been very strong and leads by a full 20 VP.  After that any of the next 11 teams may qualify

1. England
2. Egypt
3. Belgium
4. USA 2
5. Poland
6. USA 1
7. Pakistan
8. Indonesia
9. Sweden
10. Canada
11. Australia
12. Italy

You pick the 7 that join England

The bridge as always is fun to watch.  I try hard as a commentator but I my new saying is

“You can’t please all the people, all the time.”

Some observers are very partisan.  They read disapproval into any negative comment I may make about their countryman even something pretty benign.  Some observers have strong opinions which I don’t mind at all.  I often make mistakes.  Sometimes I am distracted.  It is a tougher job than I ever thought.  But I do love it.  So thanks Roland and the BBO folks for putting up with me.

Can She Do It

September 1st, 2009  ~  linda  ~  No Comments 

Did you ever see one of those commercials for the Olympics or another long-term sporting event where the hero goes into training to watch all those events.  I feel a bit like that but my participation is a bit more active.  I am going to try this morning to watch, blog and comment on the Bermuda Bowl match between the Netherlands and Chinese Taipei.  The rankings after 6 rounds are:

1 Norway 126
2 Bulgaria 121
3 Netherlands 116
4 China Long Zhu Open 115
5 Argentina 113
6 Italy 110
7 USA 2 106
8 Germany 104
9 Chinese Taipei 101

Sitting North is Hsin-Lung YANG (Chinese Taipei)  and South is Chi Hua CHEN (Chinese Taipei).  West is Ton BAKKEREN (Netherlands) and East is Huub BERTENS (Netherlands)

One thing that can be said for this match is that it has never been boring.  Imps were exchanged on the boards but two with five of them being swings of nine or more imps.  At times the Netherlands looked like they had decided to give Chinese Taipei a chance but in the end they provide far too strong and ended up taking Chinese Taipei minus with a score of 25 VP (the maximum) to 4 VP. 

This is the story of how you can go minus on what was really not that swingy a set of board.  The first board looked like it had to be a flat board to us in the Closed Room. 

Board 1 Dealer North. None Vulnerable.

	♠ Q92 ♥ QJ754 ♦ Q954 ♣ 10
♠ A72 ♥ K82 ♦ A6 ♣ A8642		♠ 10543 ♥ A ♦ 832  ♣ KQJ53
	♠ KJ8 ♥ 10963 ♦ KJ107 ♣ 97

You would expect at most tables where East-West was playing strong notrump that West would open 1NT in fourth chair and East would Stayman but eventually bid 3NT.  That was the auction in the Closed Room.  But in the Open Room things would take a different turn.  East opened 2♣ (Precision) and West rather liked his hand.  East showed five clubs and four spades and nothing could prevent West from bidding the no play club slam.  West does have quite a nice hand and I would venture to say that East does not really have an opening bid.  But maybe there should have been someway for East to find out that West didn’t have any spade honors.  The word hanged comes to mind.  But I do not lay blame on for this one on any particular player.

The adrenaline (testastone?) was clearly flowing a few boards later.   It is interesting to see how the minor disaster on Board 3 unfolded.

Board 3 Dealer North. East-West Vulnerable.

	♠ Q9653 ♥ 63 ♦ AQJ8 ♣ Q10
♠ 10 ♥ Q10982 ♦ K652 ♣ AK6		♠ AK874 ♥ 5 ♦ 109  ♣ 87432
	♠ J2 ♥ AKJ75 ♦ 743 ♣ J95

South, Muller made a nice aggressive preempt at favorable by opening 2♥ which was passed around to East who balanced for better or worse 2♠.  What should West do?  There is no obvious answer.  Nothing much is very good.  But 3NT seems overboard.  Luckily nobody doubled by this was still 9 imps to the Netherlands.  And so it went board after board with most of the blows going the way of the Netherlands.

It wasn’t always great bridge but it was always interesting and exciting and it demonstrated why the Netherlands could generate action, make the right decisions and be on the top of the leader board.

Watching, Commenting and Blogging The World Championships

September 1st, 2009  ~  linda  ~  No Comments 

I am so busy watching and commenting on the matches I hardly have time for anything else.  I thought I could do some live blogging but it is just not possible when I comment.   I think the most interesting match I saw was the last one USA II versus Norway.  Now I could watch Meckwell all day and Brogeland and Lindqvist would be high up on my list too.  So segment 6 began with Meckwell sitting Eat West and Lindbrog? sitting North-South.

Boye BROGELAND

I love their convention  card Lindbrog system.  It has their picture in color on it and a flag and everything.  If I play in Philadelphia next year I will do one just like that.    They play a natural 2/1 system with five card majors and strong notrump but the word “light” keeps appearing on the card as in light opening bids, light preempts etc.  We shall see an example of how aggressive they can be in a minute.

Meckwell’s card doesn’t have any pretty pictures of flags.  Lots on it though as they play their own brand of Precision which now includes a strongish notrump.  After five rounds Norway was in first place with 111 VP and USA 2 was in seventh with 91 VP.  But we all knew that it was an important match to both teams.

The first board has a lesson for all of us and it isn’t about bidding, playing or defending. 

Board 17. Dealer North. None Vulnerable.

	♠ 8 ♥ 743  ♦ J1087 ♣ KQJ65
♠ 107632 ♥ 8652 ♦ K652 ♣ —		♠ 954 ♥ QJ ♦ A43 ♣ A10984
	♠ AKQJ ♥ AK109 ♦ Q9 ♣ 732

In the Open Room Meckstroth started the bidding with 1♦.  Brogeland doubled and North Lindqvist bid 2♣.  Brogeland might have bid again but he didn’t like his doubleton diamond queen.  As one of the commentators observed you can’t really get too worried about an opening bid of the nebulous diamond.  Meckstroth has said they are like Macdonalds, a million served.    Two clubs lost the obvious five tricks and made 90.  This seems to be a rather poor result.  North-South have 26 HCP and can make 3NT.  Strangely in the Closed Room Hamman and Mahmood reached 2♦.  As it turns out the 4-2 doesn’t play that badly and you can make this contract.  But Hamman unaccountably went down when he had it made.  Hamman has one of the best temperments in the game but perhaps just this once he was a bit annoyed at missing the 3NT game.  That cost him 4 imps.

Board 19 brought another one of the larger swings in the match.

Board 19. Dealer South. E-W Vulnerable.

	♠ 6 ♥ AJ872  ♦ QJ43 ♣ 654
♠ 7 ♥ KQ643 ♦ A107 ♣ Q1072		♠ AK108532 ♥ 105 ♦ 82 ♣ A9
	♠ QJ94 ♥ 9 ♦ K965 ♣ KJ83

In the Open Room this was the auction

Brogeland doubled.  He had a trump stack, his partner had some values and he had apparently vowed before the match to look for opportunities to double Meckwell if he knew that suits weren’t breaking.  I admit it was harder in the Closed Room.  The auction started the same but West didn’t pass the double, he bid 2C and Hamman then only bid 2D.  Still I think the double is reasonable.  Despite some discussion at our table about the fact that free bids aren’t what they used to be I can’t see why North would bid 2D opposite a passed partner without some cards, not just shape.  The contract went down 2 so the double was worth 7 imps.

This was a low scoring match and the bridge was pretty good.  I know Ray plans to blog a seven club hand which was quite fascinating.  I have one more story to tell.  How low can you go?  This is the story of an aggressive player, Brogeland.  His hand was

You may have noticed that he has zero high card points.  Perhaps the spot cards when all added together might count as about 1.  He found a pass and Rodwell opened 1♣ strong and artificial (nobody vulnerable).  Lindqvist bid 1♦ which apparently showed spades.  Meckstroth passed showing 0-5. Considering his modest values Brogeland bid just 1♠.   Rodwell now bid 2♥ and Lindqvist bid 3♦.  Meckstroth bid 3♥.  It was Brogeland’s turn to bid.

Now you or I would have seen a balanced zero count but he saw three trumps to an honor and a diamond fit with a diamond honor too.  He raised spades.  In the end he found himself in 4♠ which had very little play and did go down.  They did arrive in the same contract at the other table but Hamman pretty well bid it by himself.

Both teams played very well with good tough bridge.  It was exciting to watch and the match ended in a tie 24-22 imps to Norway but 15-15 in VP and their respective standings remained the same.

I do want to make one comment about Canada Master Point Press Women.  I know they have had a very poor start to the week but I also know that there is a lot of bridge left.  So go get them.

So Much To Blog About … So Little Time

August 31st, 2009  ~  linda  ~  2 Comments 

The word is that Sao Paulo may not be the ideal tourist destination.  Ray and I are wondering about our decision to go there rather than watch vugraph (and comment on it) right here at home.  But go we will on Friday.  For now I am having a wonderful time watching.  Its like a bridge orgy.  To start with how is everyone doing.  Sao Paulo on the WBF Site has the results and more.  I have been using the links at the top of the page on bridge blogging to move from place to place on the net as I watch.

After three rounds of the Bermuda Bowl, nobody’s pick (well nobody I know) Argentina is leading the Bermuda Bowl field.  Is this a kind of home field advantage.  They are closely followed by the Netherlands and Norway. USA 2 is in a safe sixth spot having soundly thrashed USA1 in the third round robin match beating them 56-18. USA I hasn’t actually won a match yet although they did come close to getting a draw from Guadelope.  Its early days of course but we are expecting better.

Canada Master Point Press in Sao Paulo

In the Venice Cup USA 1 is leading the field after thrashing Egypt and Germany and getting the better of USA 2 by a small margin in a match I was watching.  Most of the teams at the top of the pack are no surprise.  Canada Master Point Press has had a modest start.  They are in 13th place after a good win against Barbados and losses to Egypt and Spain.  I am sure it feels good to get the first day under their belt.  Tomorrow looks like a day where they can pull ahead.  They have a tough match against France but have two easier matches against Morocco and Jordan.  They should be able to end up with about 55 VP. Go girls.  We are all behind you.  Of note Germany had a tough day too mainly because they got clobbered by USA 1 and got pushed into the “minus” ending up with 4.23 VP.  They did beat Sweden and had a big win against New Zealand.

In the Senior Bowl USA 1 won all their matches and lie in a qualifying position in sixth place in a bunched field.  So keep up the good work, Bobby and team.  USA 2 is in the second spot trailing England by a few VP’s.

I watched throughout the day and did commentary on the third 16 board match.  I was watching the Open Room in the Venice Cup USA 1 versus USA 2.  Board 1 showed that some times science is not the way to win.  Would you want to be in a slam off the ace and king of a side suit? Your hand is

Sanborn heard her partner open 1♥ in first seat.  She bid Jacoby 2NT and heard her partner bid 3NT which I assume is a balanced hand with more than a complete minimum.  She cuebid 4♣ and her partner refused to cooperate and bid 4♥.  That might suggest a spade card since she might have made a courtesy cuebid with a diamond control even if she had a minimum.  My own choice would have been 5♦ trying to coax a spade cuebid from partner.  But Sandborn made the bid that was bound to get their side to a slam off the top two spades if, as was the case, partner didn’t have a spade control.  She bid Blackwood.  When partner showed one keycard she bid the slam.  The Closed Room got to the slam in a similar fashion.  In both cases East did not find the spade lead and the slam made.  Here is the whole hand.

Board 1. Dealer North. None Vulnerable.

	♠ 106 ♥K J 10 8 4 ♦K Q ♣ K Q 7 2
♠ A 9 7 4 ♥ 5 ♦ 9 6 4 3 ♣ 9 8 4 3		♠ K J 8 5 3 ♥ 7 2 ♦8 7 5 2 ♣ 105
	♠ Q 2 ♥ A Q 9 6 3 ♦A J 10 ♣ A J 6

As you can imagine this was generally a big swing hand around the room. 6♥was bid exactly half the time in the Venice Cup. Of the twelve times it was bid it was made 8 times and failed 4 times. I am not sure exactly what this all proves. I am somewhat happy to say that in the Canada Master Point Press did not bid this “slam” nor did their opponents Spain.

In the Venus Cup this Board accounted for a swing of 11 or 14 imps (14 imps when the slam was made at one table and defeated at the other) in an amazing 7 out of 11 tables.  And are the Open Teams more scientific than the ladies?  Not really.  They too bid the slam 1/2 of the time.  And the old guys?  They bid it 16 out of 22 times accounting for a big swing in 9 of 11 tables.  The third round had started off with a bang.

The first action board in my featured match was Board 2.  You are in a vulnerable 4♥.  At the other table your partners have saved in 5♣ and gone for a modest 300.  So would you rather be in the clubhouse with +300 or on the course with a possible +620.

Can you (should you) make 4♥ on this deal.

Board 2. Dealer East. N-S Vulnerable.

	♠ A K 8 7 6 ♥ A K 6 5 ♦ K ♣ Q 10 3
♠ 10 ♥9 8 3 ♦ 9 5 4 ♣ K 9 7 6 4 2		♠ Q J 5 3 ♥ J 4 ♦ A Q 7 ♣ A J 8 5
	♠ 9 4 2 ♥ Q 10 7 2 ♦ J 10 8 6 3 2 ♣ –

The opening lead is the ♣A which you trump in dummy.  The obvious choice seems to be to get spades going so you might lead a spade from dummy now, as did our declarer Levitina noting that West followed with the ♠10.  If the majors break there is no problem but it looks like spades may not break.  You want to lead a spade from dummy just in case and then give up a spade and ruff one if necessary.

If this all works with the club ruff already in, you will have two ruffs in dummy, four other trump tricks, and three spade tricks.  Not enough.  You still need another trick.  Can you really manage another ruff in dummy?  If you ruff a club now and spades don’t break you are not going to make it on best defense.  You simply don’t have the communications to do what you need to do as we will see in the variation that happened at our table.

Let’s say that you believe the ♠10 and decide that spades are definitely not breaking.  It may be better to shift your attention to diamonds.  Let’s say you lead out the D10.  West wins and returns a trump say.  You can win in dummy with the H10 as it turns out and run the DJ.  Even though this loses the diamond suit might be good.  (It is on the hand).  There are many variations but this line does work with the favorable diamond position and the trump break.  I can also tell you that 4H was generally made (although not always).

At our table declarer ruffed a club and played a second spade.  West correctly did not ruff and declarer won the SK.  Seeing the bad spade split she realized that if she lead another spade now East could win and lead a third club.  She would now be in dummy with the HQ and all diamonds.  When she lead the diamond all sorts of bad things could happen.  So to avoid  this she lead the Dk.  After a trump came back she had only nine tricks but she had one shot.  She tried the diamond ruffing finesse.  When that lost it was curtains.

This is a complex hand.  And Levitina gave it a decent shot.

The only other significant swing in the match was a board where Sutherlin decided to let her partner play 2NT (the opening bid) with

This surprised all of us a bit.  It was lucky to find partner with a spade fit and in a rather pretty ending Sanborn was able to both squeeze and endplay Mancuso.  You can play throw the diagram below and enjoy it.

Nostalgia, Squeezes and A Bidding Problem

August 27th, 2009  ~  linda  ~  1 Comment 

I have been very busy over the last few days.  I have discovered that squeezes can give you headaches, the kind that can only be solved by an application of aspirin and some judicious shoulder rubbing by a cooperative husband.  I have been working on editing a new edition of Clyde E. Love, Bridge Squeezes Complete.  You may ask “Why Linda?”  Anyone who knows me knows that I am the opposite of an editor.  I am an editee.  Everyone else has to go through my writing and point out that I said East instead of West etc.  Unfortunately everyone else was busy and besides I am known in the family as the squeeze maester. 

I am impressed with the fact that in those days before Deep Finesse Mr. Love made no errors that I have encountered yet (well maybe one) in his analysis of squeezes.  And I have finally completely understood how a criss cross squeeze works.  I think I should even be able to get it right at the table if I were ever so lucky as to encounter one.  I will share with you.  A criss-cross is a regular kind of simple squeeze (one opponent two threats) but the only entry to each threat is in the opposite hand.  So you end up with something that will eventually look like

A Q2  opposite Q2 A

That part I knew before but now I now how to look for it by checking the entry situation.  Most of you aren’t particularly interested in this knowledge but right now it is my work life.

Besides Love I am preparing some deals for Beginner Intermediate Lounge which is having an event with some great experts and me too.  Check http://www.bilbridge.com/ for details.  I am taking many of the deals from our books but I am analyzing them myself and naturally I find things that the author has not described.  I am looking forward to seeing what the students find.  I am doing this while listening to very old music.  I have decided that more than anything music and memory go together.  I associate songs with events, people and times more than anything else.  Some are great like Moon River by Audrey Hepburn.  I was a young girl and I remember loving the movie Breakfast at Tiffanys and walking home with my girlfriend, Glenna Sobel singing that song. 

Sylvia gave me a hand to bid which I am sure came from our recent Ottawa games.  I don’t remember it which is good because I don’t know what we did or who bid what so I am not biased.  Here is the hand:

You deal and open 1D.  Partner responds 1S.  How do you continue?  Some of you may think it is obvious to bid 2S but the risk is that partner might not try for game on a hand where they have a good fit.  After all something like this hand is enough for game.  Would partner try after a 2S bid?

Oddly enough Ray gave me almost the same problem yesterday and I said then as I say now I would bid 2S at matchpoints and at imps not vulnerable but I might be tempted to be more aggressive at imps vulnerable.  What do you think?

Sylvia told me that Martin Cayley bid 2C when given the problem.  We both think a) Martin is a great bridge player and b) 2C is an interesting bid.  But I am still not sure it is the right one.  For one thing partner might pass on a hand with better clubs than diamonds and no fit for either minor.  Secondly I am not sure what to do over 3C or even 2S.   But if partner cooperates by bidding 2D I could bid 2S and then I would have more or less patterned out.  Partner should work out I have four spades and am doing something a little warped.

I have also been thinking about the idea of a bridge musical.  I was playing the music from “Chess” which I remember seeing in London with Ray a long time ago.  How would a bridge musical go?  Ray and I had fun with this yesterday.  One plot involved a wealthy novice who decides to try to win a world championships and another involves a woman who fights her way to the top in bed.  Remember the line about the 3 reasons bridge experts play with you: Skill, Money or Sex.  You get the picture.  Anyway we did have do some fractured songs to go along with these themes.  It was a lot of fun.