Vanderbilt Knockout Teams (IV)

by Phillip Alder

The Spring North American Championships took place in Kansas City from March 9 to 19. The premier event was the Vanderbilt Knockout Teams, which had an of 63 teams. We are look at the Round of 32 match between the #7 seed Aubrey Strul-Michael Becker, Richard Coren-Michael Kamil and Walid el Ahmady-Tarek Sadek and the #26 seed, Dan Morse-John Sutherlin, Peter Boyd-Adam Wildavsky and Fred Stewart-Kit Woolsey.

Let's start with three bidding questions.

1. With both sides vulnerable, you are the dealer with:

‰ 9 7 6 5 2 Š J 5 ‹ 7 5 3 Œ 9 4 3

The bidding starts like this:

West North East South Partner You Pass Pass 2NT Pass ??

Would you pass or transfer into spades?

2. With neither side vulnerable, your hand is:

‰ 9 8 4 3 Š 6 ‹ A 10 5 3 Œ K Q 4 3

Partner opens one notrump (15-17 points), you respond two clubs (Stayman), and he rebids two diamonds to deny a four-card major. What would you do now?

3. Again with both sides vulnerable, you hold:

‰ 10 8 Š A 10 9 8 7 4 ‹ Q Œ 8 6 5 2

After a pass on your right, would you also pass or open two hearts?

1 After 49 of the 60 boards, Morse led by 93 international match points to 64. Over the next three deals, Strul gained 17 imps to close within 12. Then came 53:

North Dlr: South ‰ A K J 4 3 Vul: Both Š Q 3 ‹ K 10 6 2 Œ A K West East ‰ 10 8 ‰ Q Š A 10 9 8 7 4 Š K 6 2 ‹ Q ‹ A J 9 8 4 Œ 8 6 5 2 Œ Q J 10 7 South ‰ 9 7 6 5 2 Š J 5 ‹ 7 5 3 Œ 9 4 3 Open Room: West North East South Woolsey Coren Stewart Kamil Pass Pass 2NT All Pass

Closed Room: West North East South Sadek Morse el Ahmady Sutherlin Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3Š Dble 4‰ All Pass

Woolsey is one of the most aggressive pre-empters in the game, but even he prefers a better suit in the second seat. Not a winning view here, though, since four hearts was a lucky make. Then both Norths opened two notrump, which at least kept the opponents out of the auction. In the Closed Room, Sutherlin ran and paid a heavy price. East led the heart deuce. West won and shifted to his diamond queen, which North would have done best to . When he covered, East won, cashed the diamond jack, gave his partner a diamond , got back in with the heart king and gave West another ruff for down three. Kamil guessed to pass out two notrump. East led the club jack (Rusinow, promising the queen). Coren ran his spades, on which the defenders discarded inaccurately. The layout is given on the next page.

2 North ‰ – Š Q 3 ‹ K 10 6 2 Œ A West East ‰ – ‰ – Š A 10 9 8 4 Š K ‹ Q ‹ A J 9 Œ 8 Œ Q 10 7 South ‰ – Š J 5 ‹ 7 5 3 Œ 9 4

At double dummy, declarer should have exited with a heart, or played a club to his ace and led any- thing. But he played a diamond, covered by with queen, king and ace. If East had cashed the heart king before exiting with a club, the contract would have failed. But he immediately played the club queen. Now, though, North accurately led the heart three. East took that trick, two clubs and the diamond jack, but declarer won the last trick with his diamond ten over East's nine to make the con- tract. Plus 120 and plus 200 gave Strul 9 imps and lowered the deficit to 3.

3 This was the next board:

North Dlr: West ‰ K Q 2 Vul: None Š A 7 3 ‹ K Q 8 7 2 Œ J 5 West East ‰ A J 10 7 6 ‰ 5 Š J 8 5 2 Š K Q 10 9 4 ‹ J ‹ 9 6 4 Œ 9 6 2 Œ A 10 8 7 South ‰ 9 8 4 3 Š 6 ‹ A 10 5 3 Œ K Q 4 3 Open Room: West North East South Woolsey Coren Stewart Kamil Pass 1NT 2Š (a) 3Š (b) 4Š Pass Pass Dble Pass Pass Pass (a) Five-plus hearts and at least four cards in either minor (b) Game values, four spades, no heart stopper

Closed Room: West North East South Sadek Morse el Ahmady Sutherlin Pass 1NT Pass 2Œ Pass 2‹ Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass

Despite having only nine points and being nonvulnerable, both Souths forced to game. Against four hearts doubled, South led the club king. East took the trick and played a diamond. North won, cashed the heart ace and led another heart. Now East would have escaped for down one by attacking spades, benefiting from the lucky layout. Instead, though, he gave up a club. North won and correctly played his last . Declarer established a second club winner but took only one spade, four hearts, two clubs and one diamond ruff in the dummy for down two. Against three notrump, el Ahmady led the heart queen, asking his partner to unblock the jack if he had that card – exactly what Sadek did. East continued with the heart nine and heart ten, suit- preference signals for clubs. North ran his diamonds but had to go down two, losing one spade, four hearts and one club. Plus 300 and plus 100 gave Strul another 9 imps and the lead by 99 imps to 93 with six boards to go.

To be continued

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