Sunday, February 12, 2012 Editors: Rich Colker, Bulletin Number 6 Down Under is the 2012 NEC Cup Champion

Down Under (Sartaj Hans, Tony Nunn, Martin Reid, Peter Newell), a team comprised of a pair of Aussies and a pair of Kiwis, overcame a 15-imp first-quarter deficit to take the lead at the half by 3 imps. They picked up 21 more imps in the third quarter and added 1 more imp in the fourth for good measure to win the 2012 NEC Cup. The runners up, the Bulgarian All Stars (Valio Kovachev, Vladi Isporski, Manol Iliev, Hristo Hristov), kept the match close and highly competitive until the last few boards. Indeed, with just four boards remaining the All Stars were within 7 imps of the lead but suffered two adverse swings, one of 6 imps and the other of 11 imps, on the next two boards to put the match out of reach. Congratulations to the winners and runners up and thanks from everyone here at the NEC and viewers around the world for such an exciting match. Coverage of the first three quarters begins on page 14. The final session will appear in Bulletin 7 tomorrow evening.

NEC Cup W inners NEC Cup Runners-up

NEC Cup Final: Quarter-by-Quarter Results Team C/O 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Bulgarian All Stars .5 34 18 20 27 99 Down Under 19 36 41 28 124

For the results of the Saturday Pair Games and Yokohama Swiss see pages 3-4

1 Convention Regulations for Side (Pair) Games (An explanation for foreign players)

Unlike the NEC Cup, which is an international event, and the Yokohama Swiss Teams, in which all non-brown-sticker conventions are permitted, the Yokohama IMP Pairs and Asuka Cup are rated as Japanese regional or national events, for which JCBL regulations for domestic events apply strictly. We ask for your compliance with the regulations explained below. If you have any questions about what is allowed, please ask the JCBL staff. Please note that use of unauthorized conventions may be penalized. We thank you for your cooperation.

All side games at the NEC Bridge Festival (the Yokohama IMP Pairs and Asuka Cup) are restricted to “List C” conventions as described below. The use of the Multi-2" is strictly prohibited and will be subject to penalty. LIST C (Yokohama IMP Pairs/Asuka Cup) Opening Bids 7. All constructive calls starting with the opening 1. 1Ê or 1" may be used as an all-purpose opening bidder's second call. bid (artificial or natural) promising a minimum of 8. Calls that ask for aces, kings, queens, singletons, 10 HCP (e.g.: Precision 1Ê and 1"; Polish 1Ê, voids, quality and responses thereto. etc.) 9. All calls after a natural notrump (including those 2. 2Ê artificial opening bid indicating one of: that have two non-consecutive ranges, neither of a) a strong hand, balanced or unbalanced which exceeds 3 HCP). No conventional b) a three-suiter with a minimum of 10 HCP responses are allowed over natural notrump bids (e.g., Roman 3-suiter, etc.) with a lower limit of fewer than 10 HCP or with a 3. 2" artificial opening bid showing one of: range of greater than 5 HCP. a) at least 5-4 distribution in the majors with a minimum of 10 HCP (e.g., , Competitive Bids anti-Flannery etc.) 1. Any conventional calls. b) a strong hand, balanced or unbalanced 2. Conventional doubles and redoubles and c) a three-suiter with a minimum of 10 HCP responses (including free bids) thereto. (e.g., Roman 3-suiter, etc.) 3. Notrump for either: 4. Opening suit bid at the two level or higher a) two-suited takeout showing at least 5-4 indicating the bid suit, another known suit, a distribution and at least one known suit. minimum of 10 HCP and at least 5-4 distribution in (At the 4 level or higher there is no the suits. requirement to have a known suit.) 5. Opening notrump bid at the two level or higher b) three-suited takeout (as with a takeout indicating at least 5-4 distribution in the minors, 10 double, at least 3 cards in each of the 3 or more HCP. suits). 6. Opening 3NT bid indicating: 4. Jump into a suit to indicate at least 5-4 a) any solid suit or distribution in two known suits, and responses b) a broken . thereto. 7. Opening four-level bid transferring to a known suit 5. Cuebid of an opponent's suit and responses (e.g., , etc.). thereto, except that a cuebid that could be weak, 8. Strong opening at the two level or higher, asking directly over an opening bid, must show at least Ace, King, Queen, singleton, , trum p quality. one known suit. 6. Com ic 1NT overcall. Responses and Rebids 7. Defense to: 1. 1" as a forcing, artificial response to 1Ê. a) conventional calls (including takeout 2. 1NT response to a major-suit opening bid, forcing doubles). for one round; may not guarantee game b) natural notrump opening bids and overcalls. invitational or better values. c) opening bids of 2Ê or higher. 3. Conventional responses which guarantee game 8. Nos. 5 through 9 under “Responses and Rebids” forcing or better values. May not be part of a relay above apply to both pairs. system. 9. Transfer overcall to show a specified suit at the 4. 2Ê or 2" response to 3rd- or 4th-seat major-suit four level. opener asking the quality of the opening bid. 5. Single or higher jump shifts (including into Carding notrump) to indicate a raise or to force to game. 1. All leads and signaling methods are approved 6. All responses to; except for: a) odd-even signals, b) encrypted a) artificial strong opening bids with 15 HCP signals, c) dual-message carding strategies, or more. except on each defender's first discard, d) any b) opening bids of 2Ê or higher (weak 2s method when the pair using it are deemed to be must guarantee 10 opening points: playing it in a manner which is not compatible with opening points=HCP + number of cards in the maintenance of proper . longest suit).

LIST D (NEC Cup/Yokohama Swiss Teams)

Category 3 of WBF Systems Policy applies

2 Beginners Cup (under 20 MP) — 22 pairs Rank Names Score

1 Chiyo Watanabe Kouu Mikami 109.00 2 Noriko Negishi Kiyoko Koizum i 108.00 3 Kinuko Sakurai Fumiko Miyazaki 105.00

Beginners Cup (under 5 MP) — 26 pairs Rank Names Score

1 Miho Tanno Takehiko Takahashi 95.50 2 Hiroshi Kitamura Yoshikazu Ida 91.50 3 Kazuko Mishima Kiyomi Okukawa 90.50

Debutante Cup — 14 pairs Rank Names Score

1 Osamu Akimoto Masatada Inooka 57.50 2 Hisaya Hattori Mitsuharu Yoshida 56.00 3 Kiyoshi Hasebe Kazuko Ozawa 54.50

Beginners Cup (under 5) Debutante Cup Beginners Cup (under 20)

Late score corrections in the Yokohama IMP Pairs have changed some of the rankings. The revised 1-14 rankings are: Yokohama IMP Pairs (Revised) — 40 pairs Rank Names Score

1 Gu Ling Lu Yan 1535 2 Shugo Tanaka Hiroki Yokoi 1448 3 Herstein Liu Patrick Huang 1160 4 Tadashi Imakura Shunsuke Morimura 975 5 Yasuko Kosaka Mark LaForge 731 6 Kenji Miyakuni Yukiko Tokunaga 685 7 Hwang Iyn Ryung Sung Kyung Hae 673 8 Ilsub Chung Taeho Cho 504 9 Mitsue Tajim a Takahiro Kamiyo 501 10 JuiYiu Shih ChiMon Lin 499 11 Chen Dawei Kazuo Furuta 422 12 Kunio Ueda Ying Xiaoying 396 13 Kyoko Ohno Akihiko Yamada 361 14 Yoko Maruyama Keisuke Akama 348 Lu Yan — Gu Ling Team Rosters: 17th NEC Cup # Team Name Members

1 China Geely Auto: Gui Shengyue, Zhang Banxiang, Yang Lixin, Dai Jianming, Zhuang Zejun 2 ONI-TAKA: Masayuki Ino, Takahiko Hirata, Masaaki Takayama, Kazuhiko Yamada, Takeshi Niekawa, Tadashi Teramoto 3 Bulgarian All Stars: Valio Kovachev, Vladi Isporski, Manol Iliev, Hristo Hristov 4 China Women 2: Wang Wenfei, Wang Ping, Wang Liping, Wu Shaohong 5 NEDUK: , , Louk Verhees, Ricco van Prooijen 6 Oz Players: Ron Klinger, Matt Mullamphy, Bill Jacobs, Ben Thompson 7 Stamatov: Julian Stefanov, Vladimir Mihov, Jerry Stamatov, Diyan Danailov 8 Down Under: Sartaj Hans, Tony Nunn, Martin Reid, Peter Newell

3 Yokohama Swiss Teams: Final Standings

Yokohama Swiss Teams Winners: Yeh Bros

Rank VP Total Team Members 1 165 Chen Yeh, JuiYiu Shih, ChiMou Lin, Herstein Liu, Patrick Huang, Grace Lin 2 156 Paul Hackett, Justin Hackett, Tom Hanlon, Hugh McGann 3 153 David Bakhshi, David Gold, Louk Verhees, Ricco van Prooijen 4 151 Ryo Okuno, Akira Ohara, Zhang Shudi, Fu Zhong 5 147 Wang Wenfei, Wang Ping, Wang Liping, Wu Shaohong 6 145 Lu Dong, Ju Chuancheng, Shi Zhengjun, Li Rui, Wang Yanhong, Shi Miao 7 144 Ron Klinger, Matt Mullamphy, Bill Jacobs, Ben Thompson 8 141 Yumiko Yamamoto, Mitsutaka Takemura, Tsutomu Nakamura, Koichiro Kurata 9 140 Robert Geller, Setsuko Ogihara, Hiroya Abe, Chieko Yamazaki 10 138 Kyoko Sengoku, Hiroki Yokoi, Shugo Tanaka, Takashi Matsuda 10 138 Yasuko Kosaka, Kazuo Takano, Keiko Enomoto, Kazuko Tsumori 12 137 Kyoko Ohno, Yoshiyuki Nakamura, Akihiko Yamada, Makoto Hirata 13 136 Gui Shengyue, Zhang Banxiang, Yang Lixin, Dai Jianming 13 136 Hiroaki Miura, Michiko Masuda, Akira Hotta, Daisuke Sugimoto 15 133 Julian Stefanov, Vladimir Mihov, Jerry Stamatov, Diyan Danailov 16 132 Keiko Matsuzaki, Taeko Kawamura, Yukiko Umezu, Etsuko Naito 16 132 Yuki Fukuyoshi, Takeshi Hanayama, Michiko Ono, Hiroko Ota 18 131 Sun Ming, Wang Hongli, Gu Ling, Lu Yan 19 129 Lusje Olha Bojoh, Julita Grace Tueje, Kristina Wahyu Murniati, Suci Amita Dewi 20 128 Chieko Ichikawa, Kuniko Saito, Atsuko Kurita, Yoshiko Murata 20 128 Kenji Miyakuni, Sakiko Naito, Ayako Miyakuni, Yukiko Tokunaga 20 128 Junko Yamashiro, Yoko Shimominami, Kazuko Okamoto, Miyako Miyazaki 20 128 Nobuko Matsubara, Sachiko Yamamura, Michiko Iwahashi, Hideyuki Sango 24 127 Takako Nakatani, Harue Iemori, Junko Tsubaki, Akiko Miyata 24 127 Mitsuko Tsuyama, Kiyoko Usui, Sachiko Ueno, Mamiko Odaira

Narita Bus Schedule

From the Intercontinental From the YCAT (120 minutes) (100 min) ¥3,500 ¥3,500

06:40 Every 15-20 minutes from 07:40 05:15 to 19:30 08:40 11:40 12:40 14:10

4 5 6 NEC Semi-finals (2nd half): NEDUK vs Bulgarian All Stars by Barry Rigal

We conclude our coverage of the second half of the Bd: 18 North NEC Cup semi-finals. Dlr: East Í QJ9 Vul: N/S ! K1083 Bd: 17 North " 84 Dlr: North Í 10 Ê J932 Vul: None ! K98532 West East " KQ863 Í K76 Í 10543 Ê 10 ! 752 ! QJ964 West East " AKQJ " 7653 Í Q753 Í AJ42 Ê K105 Ê --- ! J107 ! --- South " 1094 " AJ7 Í A82 Ê 875 Ê KQJ932 ! A South " 1092 Í K986 Ê AQ8764 ! AQ64 " 52 Open Room Ê A64 West North East South Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Open Room Pass 2Ê West North East South 2NT Pass 3Ê Dbl Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Pass Pass 3! Pass 2"(1) Dbl 4! 3NT Pass Pass Dbl All Pass Closed Room (1) "+! West North East South Closed Room Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev West North East South Pass 1Ê Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev 1NT Pass 2" Pass Pass 1Ê Dbl 2! Pass Pass Dbl Pass 4! Dbl Pass Pass 3Ê All Pass 4Í 5" Pass 5! All Pass In the Open room Hristov bid Stayman over 2NT intending to pass the response, but the double Both tables got the two red suits in, in their own messed up his timing. It was now no longer clear ways. But whereas Gold’s double of 4! was clearly whether 3! should be weak or strong. Verhees had for takeout, that was far less clear in the other room. shown either clubs or spades and clubs, hence his East might have done better to bid clubs, then double to confirm the hand-type. Van Prooijen must double (or, indeed, bid spades). Iliev crossed his have been close to doubling 3NT but E/W might fingers and hoped that his side had the wherewithal have escaped for –300 in either hearts or diamonds, for four tricks on defense but with diamonds 3-3 all I suppose. As it was the defenders had eight winners they could take were their two aces. Plus 690 meant against 3NT but never got the !K; declarer escaped 6 imps for NEDUK, when no was for –150. This only cost an imp when Kovachev established in the other room (a sensible agreement, backed into his opponents’ auction to get his side to I think). NEDUK led 46-33 now. 3Ê. Bakhshi had his four winners and that was all. Minus 110, but an imp for NEDUK, leading 47-33. ONI-TAKA started brightly on their path to recovering 33 imps, playing 5!x in one room and defending 5! Here Australia bought the contract in both rooms, in the other to gain 5 imps. Both Norths opened the playing 3Ê for +110 and 3" down one (–50) on a bidding and went to the five level on finding a fit but club lead (declarer pitched a spade from dummy and the Australian East felt obliged to double as a later lost three hearts and a spade). 57-27 now for general indication that “They can’t do that to me!.” Down Under. They could.

7 Bd: 19 North Bd: 20 North Dlr: South Í 103 Dlr: West Í 1062 Vul: E/W ! Q2 Vul: Both ! 104 " 987 " Q6 Ê AJ10832 Ê KJ9632 West East West East Í KQJ5 Í 2 Í AQ854 Í 97 ! J9753 ! A1064 ! 85 ! Q973 " Q4 " AJ10532 " 532 " A109 Ê K4 Ê Q7 Ê 1085 Ê AQ74 South South Í A98764 Í KJ3 ! K8 ! AKJ62 " K6 " KJ874 Ê 965 Ê ---

Open Room Open Room West North East South West North East South Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees 1Í Pass Pass 1" 1! Pass 1NT Dbl 2Í 1Í 2Ê Pass 2" 4! All Pass Pass 2! Pass 2NT Closed Room Pass 3Ê Pass 3" West North East South Pass 3! Pass Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev Closed Room 1Í West North East South Pass 1NT 2" Pass Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev 2NT 3Ê Pass Pass Pass Pass 1Ê 2NT 3" Pass Pass 4Ê Pass 3" All Pass All Pass You can decide if you prefer South’s simple route in The Bulgarians won the bidding battle here but lost the Closed Room or his complex one in the other the war — but it was close. Gold’s decision to bid 2" room. Kovachev’s decision to treat his hand as two- over 1NT has the merit of simplifying the auction but suited looks wrong to me both on values and shape. it lost the heart fit for good. Bakhshi competed to 3" If I had done that I would surely have bid 3Í over 3". but sold out to Kovachev’s effervescent balance of That might have been doubled by West and 3NT 4Ê. The defenders led spades and in the fulness of would have been hopeless (see below). There again, time scored a trick in each suit. 3" was about to go down when Gold led the ace and a second diamond. Isporski won and led a spade to While 4! appears hopeless, Iliev gave himself a the king and ace, and now the spade sets the decent chance. He got a spade lead and a club shift hand. But Bakhshi returned a third diamond and to the ace for a club return. He won in hand and declarer now conceded just a heart and a spade. It played out his top spades. Van Prooijen discarded, is hard to blame either defender here; had Gold led though I think he knew his partner had the !K or he a low diamond declarer wins in hand and can could not beat the contract. Now declarer played a perhaps exploit his powerful "6 to ruff a heart. heart to the ace and to avoid being endplayed Verhees unblocked the !K to let his partner in for the The defense to 3! led a club: nine, queen, ruff. diamond play. Nicely done. 4 imps to NEDUK, to Declarer played a diamond to the queen and ace and make it 51-33. now E/W took two spades and a spade ruff. However, declarer could ruff a diamond to dummy to Nunn-Hans with the E/W cards sold out to 3Ê when take the trump and make +140. The set the auction followed the one in the Closed Room till score was 12-0 and NEDUK led the All Stars 52-33. Nunn passed 3Ê rather than bidding 3". Minus 110 was still good enough for a 5 imp gain since Yamada Newell-Reid played the hand in a sedate 2! when (West) jumped to 3NT at his second turn when he East bid clubs, West bid spades, and South bid the heard his partner come in with 2". On a club lead red suits. His +140 went well with +300 from the declarer had no choice but to finesse in diamonds other room, where Teramoto had followed the and go three down when it lost. recommended but unsuccessful line of bidding 2NT

8 followed by the 3Í shape description over 3". Nunn Bd: 22 North led a club to his partner’s queen and ducked the Dlr: East Í A1094 spade return. That let the defenders take their three Vul: E/W ! K532 minor-suit winners and four spades in good order. " 104 The lead was up to 45 imps now. Ê KJ2 West East Bd: 21 North Í 62 Í KQJ75 Dlr: North Í KQ754 ! AQ9 ! 10 Vul: N/S ! 962 " K9632 " A85 " --- Ê Q54 Ê 10973 Ê KQJ42 South West East Í 83 Í A62 Í J3 ! J8764 ! KQJ ! A1085 " QJ7 " 108742 " 963 Ê A86 Ê 83 Ê A976 South Open Room Í 1098 West North East South ! 743 Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees " AKQJ5 1Í Pass Ê 105 1NT Pass 2Ê Pass 2NT All Pass Open Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev 2Ê Pass 2" Pass Pass Pass 2Í Pass 3Í Pass 1Ê 1Í Dbl Pass 4Í All Pass Rdbl 2! 2Í 3! Closed Room All Pass West North East South Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev The Bulgarians declared the contract in both rooms, 1Í Pass 2!(Í) not for the first time, and held their losses in 3! to Pass 4Í All Pass the obvious spade and two tricks in each red suit. Down one. 2NT on a low heart lead to the jack and When fate deals you a hand like East’s to lead from queen allowed Iliev to lead a spade to the king, a it is hard not to feel that someone up there really diamond to the king, and a spade to the queen. With doesn’t like you. Both Easts picked a small diamond two spade winners in the bank he shifted his and declarer pitched all his hearts and went after attention back to diamonds and set up that suit while clubs. In one room van Prooijen let Hristov score his he still had the heart . There was nothing the ÍJ by leading out trumps from hand. In the other defenders could do after the lead, I think. And why room Isporski played a sort of cross-ruff and when in wouldn’t you lead your nine-card fit? 2 imps to the All with the ÍA Bakhshi played on hearts to let declarer Stars, down 52-36. draw trumps and make +650. 1 imp for the All Stars, down 18 now. 4 more imps went Down Under’s way when Niekawa as East sold out to 2! and found he could not beat it No swing at 650 in our other match (but Newell-Reid while Nunn-Hans pushed their opponents to 3!. The dodged a bullet when despite their transfer openings lead was 49 imp now. and responses they still managed to get North to declare 4Í; well done, I think).

“Mine says the dim sum comes “My hobby is hand gestures.” with both wasabe and rice.”

9 Bd: 23 North Bd: 24 North Dlr: South Í KJ Dlr: West Í AQJ95 Vul: Both ! J109 Vul: None ! KQ10987 " J10762 " 2 Ê 1073 Ê 10 West East West East Í 986 Í A103 Í 1042 Í K6 ! AK83 ! 765 ! 54 ! A2 " AQ5 " 4 " 863 " AKQ10954 Ê Q52 Ê AK9864 Ê J9842 Ê K6 South South Í Q7542 Í 873 ! Q42 ! J63 " K983 " J7 Ê J Ê AQ753

Open Room Open Room West North East South West North East South Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Pass Pass 1Í Dbl Rdbl. 1" Pass 2Ê Pass Pass 4!/Í 5" All Pass 2! Pass 3NT All Pass Closed Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev Pass 1Í 3NT Pass Pass Pass 4! All Pass 1NT Pass 2Ê Pass 2" Pass 3Ê Pass What did we say about Bulgaria declaring the hands 4Ê Pass 4" Pass in both rooms? Here too they bought the hand in 4! Pass 4Í Pass game undoubled in both rooms (Kovachev doing well 5Ê All Pass to pass 4! and play the nine-card fit; Gold doing well not to double game to show his extras). It is certainly The Bulgarians won the battle, in a sense, when they not clear that anyone had a double of 5" in the played 3NT without exploring slam, though why Iliev Closed Room but of course that would have held the did not open 1NT is a story for another day. On a loss on the . 8 more imps, and now we were spade lead Hristov won the second round and peeled down to single digits. NEDUK led 52-46. off the clubs, then managed to a heart to North at the end to bring in the second overtrick. Both tables in our second match played 4! here. An overtrick for Down Under put the lead back to 49. 5Ê is a distinctly delicate contract on a spade lead, but with the diamond finesse working it cannot be Bd: 25 North defeated. Kovachev led the ÊJ and declarer Dlr: North Í QJ9872 essentially duplicated the play at notrump by running Vul: E/W ! 95 clubs and playing out hearts from the top. Now he " J97 did not need the diamond finesse. 2 imps to All Ê 107 Stars, down 13. West East Í A4 Í K3 ONI-TAKA gained an overtrick imp but needed more ! AJ104 ! Q73 — in a hurry. The lead was 48 and there were only " 104 " AQ8532 nine deals to go. Ê AKJ65 Ê 84 South Í 1065 ! K862 " K6 Ê Q932

“Now all together, ‘Hallelujah!’” 10 Open Room Bd: 26 North West North East South Dlr: East Í 92 Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Vul: Both ! 108432 2Í Pass 3Í " 63 Dbl Pass 3NT All Pass Ê AQJ2 Closed Room West East West North East South Í AQ1084 Í K653 Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev ! K7 ! AQ6 Pass 1" Pass " AQ105 " 842 2Ê Pass 2" Pass Ê 74 Ê 853 2! Pass 2NT Pass South 3" Pass 3NT All Pass Í J7 ! J95 Some excellent judgment on what was rather a " KJ97 deathtrap hand kept both sides comfortably low in Ê K1096 our featured match. Note especially the restraint of the Bulgarian North not to open at favorable Open Room vulnerability and of Hristov in the Open Room not to West North East South overcall 3". Equally, both Bakhshi and Gold might Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees have done more or differently to reach 4NT here Pass Pass (change the "2 to the "J and slam is really quite 1Í Pass 2Í Pass good for E/W). 3NT was quite high enough today. 4Í All Pass Having “underbid” it, Gold proceeded to overplay it. Closed Room He won the heart lead in hand and repeated the West North East South heart finesse, then led a diamond to the seven and Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev eight. That gave him 12 tricks but only 2 imps, Pass Pass though it could easily have been more. On a spade 1Í Pass 2!(Í) Pass lead against 3NT I think you are supposed to play on 4Í All Pass clubs, then fall back on hearts. Hristov won the spade lead in dummy and passed the "10, covered All four Norths led a heart and the declarers drew all around (had North ducked what would declarer trumps, shook a club on the hearts, led a diamond to have done, I wonder?). Eventually Hristov repeated the ten, then crossed back to dummy in trumps to the diamond finesse and emerged with 10 tricks, but repeat the diamond finesse. Plus 680 and no swing not without a bad moment or two, I’ll wager. Still, 2 anywhere. imps to NEDUK put them back up by 8. Bd: 27 North In our other match ONI-TAKA finally put a big swing Dlr: South Í KQ965 on the board. Newell-Reid got the spades in and sold Vul: None ! 82 out to 3NT on the Open Room auction. Declarer, " 74 Niekawa, won the spade lead, took a club finesse, Ê QJ73 then set up hearts for nine winners. In 4NT Nunn as West East West won the spade lead and led a diamond to the Í J83 Í A10 queen and king. When it lost he needed both club ! 765 ! K3 and heart and a break and could not quite " 8 " AKQJ10965 do it, since there was no way to duck a trick and Ê AK9862 Ê 4 rectify the count. 12 imps left the lead at 37. South Í 742 ! AQJ1094 " 32 Ê 105

Open Room West North East South Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Pass 3Ê Pass 3NT All Pass “Are you talkin’ to me? Are you talkin’ to me?”

11 Closed Room In the other room the !9 lead gave declarer nine top West North East South tricks: four spades, four hearts and one club. He tried Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev to set up clubs for overtricks but was held to nine, 2! and that gave All Stars one more imp. The score was Pass Pass Dbl Pass 54-49 now for NEDUK. 3Ê Pass 3NT All Pass ONI-TAKA gained the overtrick imp to make the Kovachev had bid hearts so he led spades. Verhees margin 36. had not (2! is not a weak two) so he did lead hearts. Gold had 11 top tricks and no more, Hristov had a Bd: 29 North trick and a tempo to squeeze North in the black suits Dlr: North Í KJ72 for +520. 2 imps made it 54-48 for NEDUK. Vul: Both ! KJ82 " 854 Teramoto found the spade lead to hold 3NT to +460 Ê 85 but in the other room Niekawa had jumped to 5" West East over 2! and he made +420 for an imp to Down Í 9863 Í AQ54 Under. Time was running out; 37 imps needed in five ! AQ6 ! 954 deals. " Q " A62 Ê AKQJ7 Ê 964 Bd: 28 North South Dlr: West Í 98743 Í 10 Vul: N/S ! 932 ! 1073 " AKJ5 " KJ10973 Ê Q Ê 1032 West East Í QJ Í AK65 Open Room ! KQ87 ! A10 West North East South " Q107642 " 8 Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees Ê K Ê A96542 Pass Pass Pass South 1Ê Pass 1!(BAL) 2" Í 102 3Ê Pass 3" Pass ! J654 3Í Pass 4" Pass " 93 4Í All Pass Ê J10873 Closed Room West North East South Open Room Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev West North East South Pass Pass Pass Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees 1Ê Pass 1Í 2" 1" Pass 2Ê Pass 4Í All Pass 2" Pass 2Í Pass 3NT All Pass When Iliev declared 4Í from the West seat on a Closed Room diamond lead he rose with the "A, ruffed a diamond, West North East South led a spade to the queen and ruffed another Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev diamond, conceding just two trump tricks when 1" Pass 2Ê Pass spades did not break. Gold had a far harder task on 2" Pass 2Í Pass the devilish lead of the !10 from Kovachev; well 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass done, him. Declarer covered and Isporski won to lead back a diamond. Gold took the ace and elected Iliev’s somewhat uncouth jump to 3NT ended the to play South for the ÍK. He ducked a spade to auction. Bakhshi’s 2NT suggested a minimum or real South who played a second heart. Gold put up the extras and Gold was not interested anymore. On a ace and led a spade, covering North’s card. He low heart lead from North Iliev had to deal with some expected that South might win and have no more serious blockage issues. He chose to play the !A hearts left, but the good news of the finesse and run the "8, covered by the nine (good), ten and succeeding was more than outweighed by the fact jack. Now North returned the !9 and declarer was that North had a trump trick and only two clubs, so home free. He won in hand and drove out the he had to get in by ruffing a club before declarer diamond honors with spade and club cards to get could pitch his remaining heart loser. 13 imps from back to hand as many times as necessary. nowhere for Kovachev; 62-54, All Stars.

12 Reid led a heart against East’s 4Í, so the defense Open Room was still in with a shout. But Newell shifted to a low West North East South trump at the second trick. Declarer put in the queen Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees and could now play clubs with a tempo in hand. He Pass made +620 whereas Teramoto led a diamond to Pass Pass 1NT Pass concede 650. 2Ê Pass 2Í Pass 4Í Pass Bd: 30 North Closed Room Dlr: East Í AJ109 West North East South Vul: None ! AK852 Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev " 1053 Pass Ê K Pass Pass 1NT Pass West East 3!(1) Pass 3Í Pass Í Í K 6543 4Í Pass ! J74 ! --- (1) Three suited short hearts " A86 " QJ97 Ê 1098654 Ê QJ732 South Bakhshi showed a three-suiter (either 5-4 minors or Í Q872 4441 or this pattern) and Gold backed into spades. ! Q10963 Kovachev led hearts, trying for the force, and " K42 Isporski shifted to ace and another diamond. Gold Ê A won, cashed the !K to discard the diamond loser, and then had to tackle trumps. When he led a small Open Room trump South won and played a third diamond, West North East South promoting a trump for North. The play went in Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees identical fashion up to trick six, but van Prooijen Pass 1Í revoked by playing a club on the first trump and Pass 2Ê(R) Pass 2! corrected it in time. Although there were no trick Pass 2Í Pass 3Ê penalties, Verhees had to lead a club in the ending Pass 3" Pass 3! and the trump promotion got away. It was 20 imps Pass 4! All Pass now for All Stars. Closed Room West North East South In the other match both tables led the "Q against 4Í, Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev which looks best. Declarer won and played the Pass 1! ÍA…what’s the problem? Declarer could unblock Pass 2Ê(R) Pass 2NT clubs and pitch losers from hand on the run of the Pass 3Ê Pass 3" clubs to bring home +420 with the minimum of Pass 3! Pass 3Í discomfort. Pass 4! All Pass Bd: 32 North Í Both tables relayed successfully to stop in 4!. Dlr: West 5 ! Bakhshi took a shot at underleading his "A and that Vul: E/W K32 " K3 was an overtrick for All Stars, leading by 9 now. In Ê our other match both tables conceded 450; no swing. KQ98642 West East Í A1097 Í KQJ42 Bd: 31 North ! AQ75 ! J1094 Dlr: South Í 10964 " " ! J9852 6 Vul: N/S A105 Ê --- Ê AJ7 " A9 Ê South 10543 Í 863 West East ! 86 Í QJ52 Í A873 " ! ! AQ1074 J K86 Ê 1053 " 832 " K1054 Ê AJ762 Ê KQ Open Room South Í K West North East South ! Q97432 Iliev v Prooijen Hristov Verhees " Ê Ê " QJ76 1 2 Dbl 3 Ê 98 3Í 5Ê Dbl All Pass

13 Closed Room West North East South Bakhshi Isporski Gold Kovachev 1" 3Ê 3Í 4Ê 4Í All Pass

The Bulgarians missed the when North felt he had done his all by his immediate action, while van Prooijen started low and then committed to the five level. NEDUK gained 8 imps but All Stars had won a low scoring match by 12.

ONI-TAKA found the save to pick up the same 8 imps and at least have the moral victory of winning the set. But Down Under had won the war. “I’ve got a secret.”

NEC Final (1st Quarter): Bulgarian All Stars vs Down Under by Rich Colker

Bd: 1 North shown which major was his and because he had six Dlr: North Í 87432 of them. In any case the 6-0 fit was probably not Vul: None ! --- going to play as well as the 6-2 fit would have, but " A109753 playing undoubled certainly has an attraction. Ê A2 West East Nunn got off to the expected diamond lead, Í AQ106 Í KJ Kovachev winning the ace and exiting with a spade ! KQ103 ! J92 to Hans’ king. Hans cashed the "Q (Nunn pitching " 2 " KQ84 the Ê9), then played the "K, ruffed with the eight Ê 9874 Ê Q653 and over-ruffed with the ten. Next Nunn cashed the South ÍA and switched to the Ê8, perhaps not the best Í 95 choice. Kovachev ducked, took Nunn’s queen with ! A87654 his king, and played ace and a trump. When Nunn’s " J6 queen held he was able to play the Í10 for Hans to Ê KJ10 ruff with the !J and the defense still had a trump trick coming for down two, +100. Maybe a double of Open Room 2! by someone wouldn’t have been such a bad idea. West North East South (Or maybe Nunn thought his pass of 2! was Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev forcing.) Pass 1NT 2"(!) Dbl Pass Pass 2! A temporarily dyslexic Editor who shall remain All Pass nameless saw nothing strange about the Closed Closed Room Room auction — North bid his diamonds and South West North East South bid his hearts! Oh, well, at least the Kiwis knew how Iliev Newell Hristov Reid to find their 6-2 fit. Iliev led the Ê9 and Reid 1!(Í) Pass 2"(1M) unexpectedly hopped up with the ace to lead a All Pass spade from dummy. Hristov stepped up with the king, which held, and tabled a low diamond — Isporski’s pass of 2"x may or may not have shown a presumably to stop declarer from ruffing spades in strong desire to play diamonds (though it surely hand. That probably did not work as well as was showed a desire not to play in at least one of the hoped when dummy’s seven won the trick. Hristov majors, or he would have bid a pass-or-correct 2!) — won a second spade and thought better about some pairs play a pass as simply neutral. When that playing a second trump, instead trying a club. Reid came back around to Kovachev he bid his suit, stepped up with the king (why?), eschewing the perhaps because Isporski’s pass didn’t guarantee a extra club trick being presented him, cashed the !A real diamond suit or perhaps because he had not yet pitching a spade, ruffed a heart, ruffed a spade in

14 hand (Hristov pitching his last heart), ruffed a club, (Hans’ Ê8 discouraged clubs and appears to have and called for a spade. Hristov ruffed and the deal had suit-preference implications) to the ace. A spade mercifully ended when nine tricks were agreed for was returned, ducked to the queen and now Isporski declarer; +110. First blood, 5 imps Down Under. simply cashed out for down one, –100. Another 5 imps to NEDUK, leading now 10-0. Bd: 2 North Dlr: East Í Q64 Bd: 3 North Vul: N/S ! AJ65 Dlr: South Í J5 " A83 Vul: E/W ! 109 Ê AK10 " J63 West East Ê Q87543 Í K53 Í A107 West East ! Q73 ! K108 Í 84 Í AK963 " KQJ7 " 1042 ! Q86 ! KJ54 Ê 952 Ê 8743 " A97542 " KQ10 South Ê K9 Ê A Í J982 South ! 942 Í Q1072 " 965 ! A732 Ê QJ6 " 8 Ê J1062 Open Room West North East South Open Room Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev West North East South Pass Pass Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev Pass 1Ê Pass 1" Pass Pass 1NT All Pass Pass Pass 1Í Pass Closed Room 1NT Pass 2Ê(1) Pass West North East South 2"(2) Pass 2!(3) Pass Iliev Newell Hristov Reid 2Í(4) Pass 2NT(5) Pass Pass Pass 3Ê(6) Pass 3NT(7) All Pass 1" Dbl Pass 1Í (1) Gazzilli, 16+ or Í+Ê; (2) 8+ hcp Pass 1NT All Pass (3) Puppet to 2Í; (4) As instructed (5) 5Í+4!; (6) Ask; (7) BAL (5=4=2=2) N/S in both rooms played 1NT with their four-triple- Closed Room three hands facing one another and no eight-card fit. West North East South In the Open Room Hristov led a low club, which did Iliev Newell Hristov Reid not exactly terrorize declarer. Newell won the king in Pass hand and tabled the ÍQ, which held. So far, so good. Pass Pass 1Ê(STR) Pass A low spade now went to the ten, jack and king and 1!(1) Pass 1Í Pass Iliev rather woodenly switched back to clubs when his 2" Pass 2! Pass diamonds seem (at least to us) to scream “Me, me!” 2NT Pass 3" Pass (This is especially so when the partnership’s 3! Pass 6" All Pass preferred from a suit such as 8743 is (1) 3 controls (we think) the three.) Newell carefully won the ÊA in hand (preserving the ÊQ as an entry to the fourth spade) In the Open Room Hans eventually decided to treat and played a third spade. Hristov won the ace his hand as balanced after showing 5-4 in the perforce and triumphantly played a third club, finally majors, which may explain why Nunn decided not to establishing his Ê4 as a winner. In dummy with the pursue a possible diamond contract. The brunt of ÊQ Newell cashed the Í9 and eventually scored his the blame therefore seems to rest on Hans’ decision two red-suit aces as well for +90. to treat his hand as balanced rather than to bid out his shape (3" over 3Ê would have shown a non- In the Closed Room, where Nunn had gotten in his specific 5=4=3-1 and Nunn could have asked third-seat diamond lead director, Hans led the "2. which), after which Nunn would surely have inquired. Nunn’s jack held and he continued the suit, Isporski There was not much to the play. Isporski led a club winning and exiting with a diamond. Nunn won, and Nunn tested diamonds, claiming 12 tricks when cashed his last diamond (Í4, Ê8, !2), and with a the suit broke (giving up the !A); +690. choice to make between the majors led a spade

15 In the Closed Room Iliev and Hristov conducted an returned his low club to the queen and ace and now auction equal in length, if not in artificial complexity, declarer was home free (with the defense unable to to the one in the Open Room, and landed in 6", force three heart tricks). He could draw trumps and which made easily for +1370. 12 imps to the All take four clubs and four trump tricks for +110. (In Stars, ahead now 12-10. practice Iliev drew only one round of trumps before playing the Ê10, but when Newell ruffed, this line Bd: 4 North reduced to the other. Had Newell pitched and had Dlr: West Í J42 Iliev continued clubs without drawing one more Vul: Both ! A82 trump the contract could have been set.) That was " J7432 12 more imps to the All Stars, leading now 24-10. Ê K6 West East Bd: 5 North Í AK7 Í 98653 Dlr: North Í K10 ! Q96 ! 10543 Vul: N/S ! K9 " 108 " 5 " KQJ10 Ê AJ1032 Ê 754 Ê Q9842 South West East Í Q10 Í A9874 Í J3 ! KJ7 ! Q865 ! J42 " AKQ96 " 7542 " 83 Ê Q98 Ê --- Ê AK10765 South Open Room Í Q652 West North East South ! A1073 Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev " A96 1Ê Pass Pass 3NT Ê J3 All Pass Closed Room Open Room West North East South West North East South Iliev Newell Hristov Reid Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev 1NT Pass 2!(Í) Pass 1" 2Ê Dbl 2Í All Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass A system decision plus some luck propelled the Closed Room Open Room All Stars into another big pick-up here. West North East South Nunn decided his 14 points and good five-card club Iliev Newell Hristov Reid suit were too good for a weak notrump, so he opened 1NT Pass 2Ê a natural 1Ê. When this came around to Kovachev Pass 2" Pass 3NT he made a bid that few would think of (it certainly All Pass would never have occurred to us) — 3NT. Fortunately for him, on the lie of the cards, with the 3NT does not look like anyone’s idea of a great spades being blocked and East lacking even a prayer contract, but it is unbeatable when played by North. of an entry, the contract was cold. Nunn led ace, king (If South is declarer a low heart lead is fatal, and a third spade and Kovachev diddled around in although in practice it would be difficult for West not the diamond suit a bit before finally playing a club to lead a spade.) The defense in both rooms was towards dummy. When Nunn flew with the ace similar. Both Easts led a low club, declarer winning Kobachev had 10 tricks for +630. an intermediate spot as West discarded (a spade by Nunn, a diamond by Iliev). In the Open Room In the Closed Room Iliev did open the West hand declarer now played three rounds of diamonds, 1NT and now Hristov could show his spades via a ending in hand (East pitching a club), and exited with transfer. Reid was blown clear out of the auction, and a low club to the king (West pitching his last settled for defending 2Í. To add injury to injury, the diamond). Hans tried the ÍJ. Declarer won in hand, defense to 2Í was anything but simple. Newell led cashed his last diamond, and set up his ninth trick the only suit capable of defeating 2Í: a diamond. by playing the Í10; +600. Reid won and continued the suit, ruffed, and Iliev played a club to the jack and king. A trump now is the In the Closed Room there was an opportunity for a best defense (a heart to the king works too but South big swing. After winning the club lead in hand Newell must then shift to a trump immediately), but Newell immediately returned a low club to the king, Iliev

16 pitching a second diamond. Hristov got out with a When Hans led his singleton club against 4Í in the diamond and Newell won the ace and led a spade. Open Room Isporski simply drew trumps and When Iliev followed low Newell had to rise with the claimed 13 tricks; +510. Against 5Ê in the Closed king in order to insure his game, but he inserted the Room Iliev knew his partner had the red suits and ten and now the stage was set for the contract to fail. chose the right one to lead. He continued with a Hristov won the jack and switched back to diamonds. second diamond and declarer claimed +400. 3 more Newell cashed out the suit (Iliev pitching one spade imps to the All Stars, who led 27-10. along the way), then led the ÍK to the ace. Iliev played back a spade to the queen and Newell Bd: 7 North returned the favor by playing the last spade to Iliev’s Dlr: South Í 74 nine, leaving the three-card ending below. Vul: Both ! A1074 " AK964 Í --- Ê Q10 ! K9 West East " --- Í J953 Í AK10862 Ê 9 ! KQ862 ! 5 Í --- Í --- " J7 " Q853 ! ! Q86 J2 Ê 76 Ê 84 " " ------South Ê Ê --- A Í Q Í --- ! ! J93 A107 " " 102 --- Ê Ê --- AKJ9532

With four tricks already in for the defense Iliev simply Open Room needed to exit with his low heart to set 3NT. Instead West North East South he tabled the !Q. Newell won the king and when the Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev Ê jack appeared on the next round he wrote down +600 3 Ê on his scorecard. A push; still 24-10 for the All Stars Pass 5 All Pass — but the Stars were shining just a little bit dimmer Closed Room after that. West North East South Iliev Newell Hristov Reid Ê Bd: 6 North 3 (1) Dlr: East Í K10852 Pass 3"(R) 3Í Pass Vul: E/W ! Q3 4Í Dbl All Pass " Q5 (1) 6+ clubs, 10-12 hcp Ê KJ74 West East There wasn’t much to the play in 5Ê in the Open Í Q9 Í J4 Room. Nunn led the !K and declarer claimed 11 ! AJ9872 ! K10654 tricks for +600. " AJ3 " K9876 Ê 105 Ê 6 Against 4Íx in the Closed Room Reid cashed the South ÊAK, then found the obvious (from the sight of Í A763 dummy) diamond shift. Newell cashed the ace-king ! --- of that suit and sat back waiting for his heart trick for " 1042 +500 but a 3-imp loss. All Stars, 30-10. Ê AQ9832

Open Room West North East South Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev Pass 1Ê 1! 1Í 4! 4Í All Pass Closed Room West North East South Iliev Newell Hristov Reid 2!(!+m) 3Ê “Ya gotta have heart — no matter 4! 5Ê All Pass which side of your chest it’s on.”

17 Bd: 8 North Closed Room Dlr: West Í Q865 West North East South Vul: None ! 1084 Iliev Newell Hristov Reid " A3 Pass 1" 1Í Ê 10876 Pass 2Í Pass 4Í West East All Pass Í KJ942 Í 10 ! 7 ! 532 The Open Room auction leaves one of your Editors " J1064 " K952 scratching his head with wonder. Yes, sometimes a Ê 932 Ê AKQJ5 2Ê bidder will not really have long clubs but if the South partnership has ways to show various two-suiters, as Í A73 this one does, then West will almost always have at ! AKQJ96 least five clubs (unless he has a 3=3=3=4 " Q87 Yarborough and the partnership runs with such Ê 4 hands). The chances of 2" being a better spot go way down if West really does have clubs, and here, Open Room with six of them, he is a 2-to-1 underdog to have West North East South more than two diamonds — and may have fewer. Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev Scratch, scratch. And on the actual hand 2Êx Pass Pass 1Ê 1! figured to go down just a single trick. Against 2"x 1Í 2! Pass 4! Kovachev led the !K, then switched to the Ê10, K, All Pass A, 4. Isporski cashed the ÊQ and led a third round Closed Room at which point play ceased and declarer was given West North East South six tricks; down two, –500. Iliev Newell Hristov Reid Pass 2"(Í+m) 3Ê 3! There was really nothing to the play in 4Í, declarer Pass 4! All Pass having just two trumps and a diamond (which was led) to lose. Plus 420 sent another 2 imps to the All The only danger to the play in 4! was for East to win Star (and it could have been far worse), leading now a club lead and switch to his singleton Í10. Now 32-10. declarer must rise with the ace to avoid giving up a ruff — and the contract. And that’s precisely what the Bd: 10 North South player did at both tables. A push at 420; still Dlr: East Í AQ10 30-10 All Stars. Vul: Both ! AKJ3 " 1073 Bd: 9 North Ê 742 Dlr: North Í Q98 West East Vul: E/W ! 542 Í K75 Í J92 " 764 ! Q985 ! 6 Ê AQ72 " 962 " AKQ854 West East Ê K63 Ê A98 Í Í 42 KJ10 South ! ! 87 J109 Í 8643 " " J103 AQ852 ! 10742 Ê K98653 Ê 104 " J South Ê QJ105 Í A7653 ! AKQ63 " K9 Open Room Ê J West North East South Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev Open Room 1" Pass West North East South 1! Pass 2" All Pass Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev Closed Room Pass 1NT Dbl West North East South Rdbl(1) Pass 2Ê Dbl(T/O) Iliev Newell Hristov Reid Pass(Ê) Pass 2" Pass 1" Pass Pass Dbl All Pass 1NT Pass 3" Pass (1) Puppet to 2Ê, usually a one-suiter 3NT All Pass

18 Hans’ 2" rebid looks a bit timid to us, but on this Open Room deal, with the major-suit cards all sitting wrong for West North East South declarer, it worked out rather well. Kovachev led the Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev ÊQ. Hans won in hand, drew trumps, led a heart to 1Ê 1" 2Ê 3" the eight and king, won the club return, and came off All Pass dummy with a spade. When Isporski took the queen Closed Room Hans could claim nine tricks for +110. West North East South Iliev Newell Hristov Reid In the Open Room where Hristov rebid a more 2Ê(Ê)2" 3Ê 3" normal 3" the Bulgarians reached 3NT. Newell led 3! Pass 4Ê All Pass the !A, got discouragement from Reid, and switched to the Ê7. When Reid’s Ê10 held the trick he made The age-old story, clubs versus diamonds. In the a well-judged switch to a spade, and Newell was able Open Room diamonds won — and wished they to quickly cash out for down one, –100. That was 5 hadn’t. Hans led a trump. Isporski won, drew the imps to Down Under, their first gain since Board 2. remaining trumps, and led a club. Hans won the 32-15 now, All Stars. second club, led a heart to the king, and now the defense cashed their spade winners for +200. Bd: 11 North Dlr: South Í AKQ2 In the Closed Room Iliev had some extras and a Vul: None ! 64 secondary heart suit in reserve, so he made a 3! " J854 and Hristov quickly retreated to 4Ê. With Ê 1052 trumps 2-2 there were only a diamond and two West East hearts to lose, for +130. That was 2 more imps for Í Í J74 10865 Down Under, trailing now 32-18. ! AJ8 ! 9532 " KQ1097 " 32 Bd: 13 North Ê 73 Ê J86 Dlr: North Í 1032 South Vul: Both ! 9 Í 93 " AQ98754 ! KQ107 Ê A10 " A6 West East Ê AKQ94 Í Q64 Í 85 ! J842 ! A10763 The auction in the two rooms were lengthy and " 10 " J32 complex, but all roads led to 3NT by N/S. In the Open Ê J8765 Ê 432 Room where Isporski (North) played it and Nunn had South " overcalled 1 Hans led a diamond, ducked to Nunn’s Í AKJ97 queen, and Nunn returned a low diamond to hold ! KQ5 declarer to 10 tricks; +430. In the Closed Room " K6 where E/W had been silent Reid (South) played it Ê KQ9 and Iliev led the "K. Reid won, crossed to dummy and a heart to the king, ducked, and then led a Open Room diamond up, emerging with 11 tricks, +460, for a 1- West North East South imp pick-up. 32-16, All Stars. Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev 1" Pass 1Í Bd: 12 North Pass 2" Pass 2!(F1) Dlr: West Í J1075 Pass 3" Pass 4" Vul: N/S ! Q4 Pass 4! Pass 5Ê " AK1043 Pass 6" Pass 6NT Ê Q5 All Pass West East Closed Room Í AQ3 Í K84 West North East South ! KJ109 ! 532 " " Iliev Newell Hristov Reid 2 J75 Í " Ê A10973 Ê K842 1 ( ) Pass 1NT(F) " ! South Pass 2 Pass 2 (F) Ê Í 962 Pass 2NT Pass 3 ! A876 Pass 4Ê Pass 4" " Q986 Pass 5Ê Pass 6NT Ê J6 All Pass

19 Both tables reached the excellent 6NT. In the Open Bd: 15 North Room Nunn led a club and when the heart-spade Dlr: South Í 1086 show-up squeeze against East failed to materialize Vul: N/S ! QJ54 he claimed 12 tricks, +1440. In the Closed Room Iliev " K62 Ê led a spade and Reid claimed all 13 tricks for +1470 Q74 West East and another 1-imp pick-up. The All Stars has picked Í Í up imps on four straight boards to trail now by just 13 AQ9 --- ! 1096 ! AK872 at 32-19. " A973 " J854 Ê J86 Ê A1053 Bd: 14 North South Í Dlr: East Q862 Í KJ75432 ! Vul: None K875 ! 3 " K104 " Q10 Ê K4 Ê K92 West East Í 73 Í KJ10954 Open Room ! ! J942 A63 West North East South " " AQ9 8 Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev Ê QJ65 Ê A103 2Í South Pass Pass Dbl Pass Í A ! Q10 3NT All Pass " J76532 Closed Room Ê 9872 West North East South Iliev Newell Hristov Reid Both E/W pairs bought the hand cheaply for 2Í after 1!(1) uncontested auctions. In the Open Room Hans Pass 2Í(WK) Dbl 3Í received a club lead and when dummy’s queen held 3NT All Pass he used his two entries to take spade finesses. Since (1) 4+ clubs, 9-13 hcp the suit split 4-1 he had to lose two hearts and two spades and had no more entries to repeat the club Both tables received a spade lead against 3NT. finesse (if indeed the king was onside). So at trick 12 Declarer won the trick and passed the !10, which with only the ÊA10 left Hans banged down the ace held, then played the !9 to the jack and king, later and when the king fell he had his overtrick, +140. repeating the heart finesse for nine tricks. A push at +400; still the All Stars by 13 at 32-19. The play was even more interesting in the Closed Room where Reid led a diamond. Hristov won the Last dance, last chance…this set. ace and tried the spade finesse, ruffed the diamond return, led a low heart to the queen, ruffed another Bd: 16 North Í diamond return, cashed the !A and then exited with Dlr: West K962 ! Vul: E/W ! 105 his last heart, establishing dummy’s J. Newell won " and found the only exit that didn’t give up a trick A6 Ê K8754 immediately, the Í8. Hristov won, cashed the ÊA, West East and got out with a club to the queen. With no Í AJ3 Í Q104 diamonds left, whatever Newell returned would ! AJ9 ! Q8732 provide Hristov with the rest of the tricks. In practice " K1093 " J752 Newell tried the !7 but Hristov jettisoned the Ê10, Ê A63 Ê J won the !J in dummy, and had a trump to pick South up the ÍQ. All that for a push at +140. No swing, still Í 875 32-19 All Stars. ! K64 " Q84 Ê Q1092

Open Room West North East South Nunn Isporski Hans Kovachev 1" Pass 1! Pass 1NT(STR) Pass 2Ê(1) Pass 2" All Pass " “Does anyone have any glue solvent?” (1) Puppet to 2

20 Closed Room West North East South Iliev Newell Hristov Reid 1NT Pass 2"(!) Pass 2! All Pass

Against Nunn’s 2" contract in the Open Room Isporski led ace and a another trump. Nunn won, drew a third round, and played hearts from the top, claiming 10 tricks for +130 when the spade finesse was off. Against Iliev’s 2! in the Closed Room Newell also led a trump, ducked to declarer’s nine. Iliev played the ÊA, ruffed a club, then repeated the heart finesse. When that won he tabled the "10. Newell rose with the ace, not suspecting the actual diamond position (and not wanting to be endplayed later), and played a third club. Iliev ruffed, passed the Í10 to the king, and Newell got out with his last diamond. When the "J was covered by the queen Iliev could claim 11 tricks, +200. That returned 2 imps to the All Stars, who finished the first quarter leading the NEC Cup final 34-19. “Pilot to tower, am I cleared for takeoff?”

NEC Final (2nd Quarter): Bulgarian All Stars vs Down Under by Barry Rigal

The All Stars added to their 15-imp lead on the first West’s 5! bid looks wild, but who other than the board out. Editors would argue with success? East came through with the right singleton, a good diamond Bd: 17 North guess and the heart finesse behaved as it should. Dlr: North Í K103 Plus 450 went well with –50 from 4Í (a heart lead to Vul: None ! K96 the eight and a diamond shift putting paid to any " Q65 Ê minimal chances declarer might have). There was no KQ65 realistic way either East or West could compete over West East Í Í A6 Í 2 4 though I suppose someone might have doubled. ! Q752 ! AJ1084 It was 43-19 to All Stars now. " K10983 " J2 Ê 98 Ê AJ1072 Bd: 18 North South Dlr: East Í AQ72 Í QJ98754 Vul: N/S ! Q842 ! 3 " Q10 " A74 Ê 843 Ê 43 West East Í 4 Í 965 Open Room ! 73 ! J106 West North East South " AK98632 " 54 Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Ê KQ2 Ê A10976 1Ê 1! 4Í South All Pass Í KJ1083 Closed Room ! AK95 West North East South " J7 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Ê J5 1NT 2!(! + m) 4"(Í) Dbl 4Í Pass Pass 5! All Pass

21 Open Room Bd: 20 North West North East South Dlr: West Í QJ1074 Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Vul: Both ! Q6543 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn " 10 Pass 1Í Ê 74 4" 4Í All Pass West East Í 653 Í K982 As Johnny Miller once said about a golfer’s chances: ! K972 ! --- “They are between slim and none — and Slim has " AKJ6 " 9542 just left the building.” Technically the chances of 4! Ê KJ Ê A10652 making were between slim and none. The chances South of 4Í making had definitely left the building. Both Í A Norths would point out accurately that they had ! AJ108 beaten par here (to continue our golf metaphor) " Q873 since 4" was cold and E/W had carelessly failed to Ê Q983 double 4Í for 200. Unconvinced, East would ask him to move on to the next deal…and so we shall. Open Room West North East South Bd: 19 North Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Dlr: South Í AQ102 1Ê(STR) Dbl(!+Í)1" 4! Vul: E/W ! A9 Pass Pass Dbl All Pass " AK9 Closed Room Ê KQ84 West North East South West East Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Í 973 Í 864 1NT Pass 2Ê Pass ! 764 ! QJ1053 2! Pass 2NT All Pass " 1065 " Q7 Ê J932 Ê A65 2NT on a top spade lead, ducked in dummy, saw the South ÍA put in a welcome appearance. So far so good for Í KJ5 Iliev. But the defense shifted to the !J, then the !10 ! K82 when that was ducked. Iliev went up with the king " J8432 (pitching a club and a diamond from dummy) and Ê 107 took the "A, dropping the ten. Maybe the best play now is to run the ÊJ, but nothing works. Declarer Open Room actually led the ÊJ to the ace and took a diamond West North East South finesse and had seven tricks but no more. Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Pass The bad trump break meant that Kovachev would be Pass 2" Pass 2! fighting to escape for down one in 4!x. E/W cashed Pass 2NT Pass 3Ê(1) the "A (East playing the discouraging nine), the ÊK, Pass 3" Pass 3Í(2) then led the ÊJ to the ace. Back came a diamond so Pass 3NT All Pass Kovachev’s seven forced the jack. One round of (1) Puppet Stayman trumps revealed the bad news, as declarer put in the (2) Transfer to 3NT jack and East ducked, which doesn’t feel right to me. Closed Room Now declarer could ruff out the diamonds and cross- West North East South ruff. West could trump the third club with the !7 to Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn force the queen but he still had his one trump trick Pass and no more. 7 imps to Down Under, down 26-43. Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass

You would not want to get beyond 3NT here until you found the "Q falling in two rounds. Both pairs bid competently to the best spot and pushed the board at 490. Still 43-19, All Stars.

“When I say ‘Marco,” you’re supposed to say ‘Polo.’”

22 Bd: 21 North Bd: 22 North Dlr: North Í A10863 Dlr: East Í 97643 Vul: N/S ! KQ107 Vul: E/W ! AQ8 " 92 " J53 Ê 64 Ê A7 West East West East Í J2 Í K75 Í 102 Í AQJ8 ! J9632 ! 8 ! J962 ! K753 " K1083 " J6 " 104 " 92 Ê A10 Ê KJ87532 Ê K5432 Ê Q109 South South Í Q94 Í K5 ! A54 ! 104 " AQ754 " AKQ876 Ê Q9 Ê J86

Open Room Open Room West North East South West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Pass Pass 1" Pass 1NT 1! 1Í 2Ê 2Í Pass 2! Pass 2Í Pass Pass 3Ê All Pass Pass 3NT All Pass Closed Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Pass 3Ê Pass 1" All Pass Pass Dbl Pass 3" All Pass 1" is not the contract you’d wish on your worst enemy (I take that back, maybe it is the contract Yet again what might appear a silly result was really you’d want him to play at unfavorable vulnerability.) nobody’s fault. If you open 3Ê at unfavorable The defense gave declarer a chance to collect more vulnerability in second seat many (including both than three tricks (it is hard for South to know who your Editors) would expect rather more in the way of has the trump length and thus how many rounds of internal solidity. RC is holding out for the Ê109 or the trumps to draw). So Nunn played three rounds of ÊQ instead of them both. BR would settle just for the trumps and then played a club to the ace for a club Ê10 — but “He’d feel conflicted about it” (Robert De back. Declarer won the second club in dummy and Niro in Analyze This). took a losing spade finesse. Nunn ran his trumps and triple-squeezed East out of his fourth trick. 3Ê in the Open Room came in for a painless +130. In the Closed Room Hans’ reopening double had a That meant N/S would have to make 3NT to flatten number of ways to win and one way to lose badly, the board, and Kovachev opened a 15-17 notrump and this was it. 3" received the defense of two (who’s counting?) to get to that spot. After the lead of rounds of clubs and a heart shift. If declarer had the Ê3 to the queen Newell tried to be a hero: he played ace and another diamond he might have played ace and another spade “knowing” declarer escaped for two down, but why couldn’t a finesse has at most one spade, one heart and one club trick. work for him? When the "Q lost to the ace the East could see that he would get in with his !Q after defenders had a heart ruff and two trump tricks and declarer cashed his diamonds…and so he did, but a spade still to come. Down 300 meant 5 imps for All not at the moment he would have liked. I’m sure Stars, leading 48-26. West was very sympathetic; I know I would have been. No swing and still 48-26.

Some people are like Slinkies…not really good for anything, but you can’t help smiling when you see one tumble down the stairs. “There’s no m oon out tonight.”

23 Bd: 23 North Bd: 24 North Dlr: South Í Q43 Dlr: West Í AQ95 Vul: Both ! 743 Vul: None ! --- " Q62 " KQ94 Ê Q875 Ê Q10874 West East West East Í AJ1065 Í K82 Í K72 Í J10864 ! QJ85 ! 96 ! KQ8742 ! J6 " K73 " AJ10954 " 6 " J10 Ê 2 Ê 104 Ê KJ3 Ê A962 South South Í 97 Í 3 ! AK102 ! A10953 " 8 " A87532 Ê AKJ963 Ê 5

Open Room Open Room West North East South West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev 1Ê 1"(!)1! Pass 3" 1Í Pass 2Í 3! All Pass Pass 4Ê All Pass Closed Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn 1! Dbl Pass 4" 1Ê Pass 5" All Pass 1Í Pass 3" 3! 4Í All Pass The question of how high to go as South and whether to raise as North is all about system, not Despite all appearances to the contrary, the general judgment. To my eyes the 4" bid looks dangerous philosophy of the Australian team is not nearly as with partner potentially having spades and a good close to the all-out aggression of the All Stars. Here hand, while Kovachev’s bid looks reasonable (but again the Bulgarians bought the hand in both rooms, from North’s pass I wonder if he thought he had but this time a declarer error meant that they already shown great heart shortage, since perhaps recorded a small loss and not a large gain. he had a double of 1! for more balanced hands). Both Wests led a top heart. Declarer ruffed and led In the Open Room Newell found a somewhat heavy a low club from dummy. Hristov ducked and declarer single raise of spades and N/S bought the hand in eventually established a long club for 11 tricks. 4Ê, losing the obvious three fast tricks together with Newell flew with the ÊA and the clubs could be a slow heart. In the other room I heartily approve of established for two tricks and +170. It made no imp East’s fit-jump in diamonds. It may have only three difference; Down Under had 6 imps and trailed 48- trumps but the playing strength and honor location 37. make it close to ideal. Nunn joined in along the way but Iliev jumped to 4Í and now all he had to do was Bd: 25 North make it. Hans led a heart. Nunn cashed his three Dlr: North Í AQ1095 winners, then played a second club. Declarer tried a Vul: E/W ! 42 couple of winning hearts to see what North would do " 974 (did he want him to ruff in from ÍQ9x?) but when Ê K97 North discarded he guessed trumps right, then West East played "K, "A to go one down. At the moment he Í K7 Í 32 misguessed I think he knew South had to have ten ! AKJ96 ! 873 cards in hearts and clubs (with nine he would have " 85 " AJ632 doubled 3" or North might have bid 5Ê) so the Ê AJ32 Ê Q85 diamond finesse was about a sure thing. But Down South Under would take the 5 imps to trail 48-31. Í J864 ! Q105 " KQ10 Ê 1064

24 Open Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Pass Pass Pass Pass Pass 1Ê(STR) 1Í Pass 2Ê Pass 2NT Pass 3!(Í) 2! Pass 4! 4Í Pass 3Í Pass 3NT Dbl All Pass Pass 4Í All Pass Closed Room West North East South Both tables showed 19-21 and found the spade fit Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn and both declarers managed to West to lead 1Í Pass 2Í hearts and bring home an overtrick. Only an imp at 2NT Pass 3" Pass stake — and these matches are never decided by an 4! All Pass imp, are they?

It would appear that E/W might not have been on the Bd: 27 North same wavelength here, since East appears to have Dlr: South Í K7 been trying to get to diamonds and West appears to Vul: None ! 97 have been bidding a natural 2NT…or not. We just " 109876 can’t tell from looking at his hand. Yet again Bulgaria Ê AQ107 bought the hand in both rooms and again they West East regretted it, despite the moderately helpful trump Í 2 Í A1098 lead from Hans. All Iliev could do was hope for a ! AQJ432 ! K1085 defensive error and none was forthcoming. " KQJ3 " 42 Eventually South won a diamond trick and broached Ê K5 Ê J98 spades, and declarer was down like a stone. South Í QJ6543 In the Closed Room Kovachev’s decision to sacrifice ! 6 was exceptionally aggressive; after all, his partner " A5 rated to be balanced and weak, and so the sacrifice Ê 6432 could not cost less than 300 and rated to be 500 unless all the finesses worked, in which case you Open Room would defeat 4!. So it proved. The spade, club and West North East South diamond finesses worked but that was still –300 Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev against nothing. 9 imps to Down Under and it was 2Í 48-46 now. Dbl Pass 3! Pass 4! All Pass Bd: 26 North Closed Room Dlr: East Í AJ1042 West North East South Vul: Both ! AQ3 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn " AQ3 3Í Ê Q8 4! 4Í Dbl All Pass West East Í 5 Í 73 ! K976 ! 1082 It must have been the strength of Nunn’s " 10765 " J84 intermediates in the black suits that tempted him into Ê AJ52 Ê K10963 the excess of the three-level . Or maybe he South had the Ê2 mixed in with his spades. He had done Í KQ986 well to give his opponents a chance to seriously ! J54 misjudge the board. Unluckily for N/S Hristov had " K92 good enough spades to opt to double 4Í rather than Ê 74 bid on. As a result the All Stars collected two trumps Open Room and one trick in each side-suit for +300. After a top diamond lead Nunn played to ruff diamonds in hand West North East South (had spades and diamonds broken that would have Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev led to 4Í making). Of course 4! handled very easily Pass Pass for ten tricks, so Down Under gained 3 imps anyway, Pass 2Ê Pass 2!(Í) and led 49-48. Pass 2NT(Í) Pass 3!(Í) Pass 3Í(Í) Pass 4Í All Pass

25 Bd: 28 North Bd: 29 North Dlr: West Í K97 Dlr: North Í A53 Vul: N/S ! AQJ9 Vul: Both ! K542 " Q962 " K53 Ê 75 Ê 532 West East West East Í 63 Í Q542 Í 106 Í J984 ! 6532 ! 87 ! A3 ! QJ10 " KJ43 " A " A10976 " J8 Ê Q109 Ê AJ8643 Ê QJ87 Ê K1096 South South Í AJ108 Í KQ72 ! K104 ! 9876 " 10875 " Q42 Ê K2 Ê A4

Open Room Open Room West North East South West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev 2Ê(1) Pass Pass Dbl Pass Pass 1Ê 2" Dbl 3Ê Pass 1" Dbl 1NT All Pass Pass 3" Pass 3NT Closed Room All Pass West North East South (1) weak: hearts and another Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Closed Room All Pass West North East South Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn The Closed Room sequence would be duplicated at Pass 1NT Pass 3Í(1) many tables, I’m sure, South being unwilling to open Pass 3NT All Pass his only “lead-directing” suit. Kovachev could open a Polish-style club without worrying about really Two outstanding results for the N/S pairs here. Both showing the suit. Everyone then joined in and South tables bid to 3NT on a combined 23 HCP — the All had achieved his target of getting his opponents to Stars in the face of an artificial barrage from their declare the contract with less than half the deck opponents — and both guessed the ÍQ to collect between them plus the advantage of his having the 600. Of course you could argue that Newell missed lead. So far so good. But despite being able to lead his chance to get more in his opponents’ faces but his side’s eight-card fit declarer could set up clubs he knew they did not have the values for game and and come to seven tricks with a minimum of trouble. he was simply looking to avoid playing a foolish 52-48 now for Down Under. contract. Had he responded he would surely have kept his opponents silent. When he passed over 2Ê Bd: 30 North Kovachev balanced and now Isporski was not going Dlr: East Í Q3 to stop short of game if he could find a club stopper Vul: None ! 10765 opposite. " K986 Ê QJ2 Both declarers won the club lead and cashed four West East hearts, East pitching a spade and a club. With East Í K87 Í AJ1052 marked with only one diamond and two hearts ! AJ843 ! Q2 Kovachev knew whom to play for the ÍQ. In the other " 104 " 53 room where North was declaring 3NT the low club Ê 1075 Ê A984 lead meant Hans knew less about the hand. He too South cashed off the hearts and East threw first a spade, Í 964 then a club (pitching two spades would not have ! K9 worked; declarer is in the wrong hand to finesse " AQJ72 against West for the ÍQ). No swing. Well done by Ê K63 both N/S pairs. Still 49-48 Down under.

26 Open Room to nine winners without relying on diamonds. Nunn West North East South led a top spade and held 1NT to +90: three spades, Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev two clubs and one in the wash. 55-52 to Down 1!(Í) Pass Under. 2!(Í) Pass 2Í 3" All Pass Bd: 32 North Closed Room Dlr: West Í A96 West North East South Vul: E/W ! 1082 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn " KQ10 1Í Pass Ê A873 2Í Pass Pass 3" West East 3! Pass 3Í All Pass Í Q1083 Í KJ52 ! K43 ! J6 I’m not sure whether this board proves anything. My " 42 " AJ65 instincts are that when E/W compete to the three Ê K954 Ê QJ2 level with an eight-card fit they are generally taking South an odds-against position. And that was broadly true Í 74 here. 3" went down one after the defenders took two ! AQ975 spades and two hearts and collected their ÊA later. " 9873 Ê 106 Meanwhile 3Í needed the heart and spade finesses to come to nine tricks. When Hristov did the Open Room necessary (Nunn did his best by leading a club but West North East South declarer picked the position) that was 3 imps back to Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev All Stars, down 53-52. Pass 1NT Pass 2" Pass 2! All Pass Bd: 31 North Closed Room Dlr: South Í A543 West North East South Vul: N/S ! J98743 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn " 43 Pass 1Ê 1" Dbl(!) Ê A Pass 1NT All Pass West East Í Q2 Í K76 Two more quiet results here. In 2! on a top club lead ! AKQ ! 105 declarer took two heart finesses and eventually set " K75 " AJ108 up a long diamond for +110. In 1NT on a spade lead Ê Q10754 Ê 9863 declarer came to four heart tricks and one in each of South the other suits for +90. It was 55-53 to Down Under Í J1098 at half time. ! 62 " Q962 Ê KJ2

Open Room West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Pass 1Ê(STR) Pass 1" Pass 1NT Pass 2Í Pass 2NT All Pass Closed Room West North East South Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Pass “This is my highest card.” 1" Pass 1NT All Pass

Notrump partscores at both tables but when Reid was declarer he won the heart and ducked a club. Now he could set up clubs for three tricks and come

27 NEC Final (3rd Quarter): Bulgarian All Stars vs Down Under by Barry Rigal

Bd: 33 North Bd: 34 North Dlr: North Í KQ76 Dlr: East Í Q54 Vul: None ! --- Vul: N/S ! A762 " Q10852 " 1086 Ê 10943 Ê A97 West East West East Í 984 Í A2 Í K873 Í A2 ! K82 ! AQ75 ! KJ10 ! Q9854 " AK9763 " J " 942 " KJ73 Ê 5 Ê AKQJ62 Ê 832 Ê 106 South South Í J1053 Í J1096 ! J109643 ! 3 " 4 " AQ5 Ê 87 Ê KQJ54

Open Room Open Room West North East South West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev 1Ê 2! 1"(!)1! 3" Pass 4Ê Pass 2! Pass Pass Dbl 4" Pass 4NT Pass Pass 2NT Pass 3Ê 5! Pass 6NT All Pass Pass 3NT All Pass Closed Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn 1Ê 1! 1! Dbl 2" Pass 3Ê Pass 1NT(!) Dbl 2! 3Ê 3" Pass 3! Pass Pass Pass 3" Pass 3NT Pass 6Ê All Pass 3! All Pass

Both tables started with a strong club (Newell’s Kovachev’s reentry into his opponent’s auction made beginning at 13) and once Reid set up a game force his partner think they could make game. He followed Newell knew his side had values to spare. He opted a sequence that expressed doubt about notrump but for the notrump slam to protect his heart tenace and that might force him to run to 4Ê, which looks easy perhaps for fear of a heart ruff. to make since declarer can pitch dummy’s diamond loser if the defenders take a spade ruff. 3NT was Against 6NT Kovachev led a spade, setting up his apparently hopeless. Declarer held up the !A till the side’s trick, but it was one they could not get till trick third round, pitching spades from dummy, took the 13. Meanwhile Hans did well in a sense not to double diamond finesse, and peeled off the clubs. East had 6Ê because he could see that he might get a ruff at only to come down to the bare ÍA and a master the expense of his partner’s heart trick. Nunn led a heart together with the "KJ and he would beat the diamond. Declarer won and drew trumps, then took hand whenever it could be beaten. But he kept two his discard. Neither declarer could get a squeeze spades and two diamonds while West hung on to going for the overtrick. 2 imps for Down Under to four rather than three spades and one diamond. make the score 57-52. Declarer now exited with a spade and when West made the final defensive error of ducking (as opposed to winning and returning the suit) West had to concede the last trick to declarer’s ÍQ.

The defenders let Hristov out for down one in 3! by cashing their diamond winners prematurely, so the All Stars had retaken the lead with this 11 imp swing 63-57.

Hail Brittania

28 Bd: 35 North Closed Room Dlr: South Í AK832 West North East South Vul: E/W ! A754 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn " QJ8 1Ê 1Í Ê A 2Í(1) Pass 3" Pass West East 3NT Pass 5" All Pass Í J5 Í Q107 (1) GF balanced no spade stop ! 108 ! J93 " A742 " K963 Both tables flirted with playing 3NT in the face of Ê K10743 Ê J85 their opponents bidding spades. Hristov knew that South his partner did not have more than half a stopper but Í 964 did have values, so he knew where he wanted to ! KQ62 play. Reid’s pass of 3Íx denied a half-stopper so " 105 Reid could also avoid embarrassment here. The play Ê Q962 took a few seconds and we could move on with matching E/W 600s. Still 63-57 for All Stars. Open Room West North East South Bd: 37 North Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Dlr: North Í K642 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Vul: N/S ! K875 Pass " 2 Pass 1Í Pass 2Í Ê A862 Pass 4Í All Pass West East Í QJ7 Í A10953 4Í was bid at both tables, this being a contract that ! 1096 ! J2 might be able to survive a bad heart break though " Q9853 " A not a bad trump break. Careful play on a club lead is Ê 43 Ê KQJ95 to play a diamond at once (if you play one round of South trumps, as Isporski discovered, the opponents can Í 8 play three rounds of trumps and you don’t have any ! AQ43 trumps left in dummy to survive the bad heart break). " KJ10764 Hans received a heart lead and did play on diamonds Ê 107 at once. No imps for him but maybe a small tick in St. Peter’s record. Open Room West North East South Bd: 36 North Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Dlr: West Í 875 Pass 1Ê 1" Vul: Both ! 982 Pass Pass 1Í Dbl " 7 2Í 3! 4Í All Pass Ê J98765 Closed Room West East West North East South Í Í J102 96 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn ! KJ7 ! AQ6 Pass 1Í 2" " Q2 " AK109843 2Í Dbl Rdbl 3! Ê Q10432 Ê A Pass Pass 4Ê Pass South Í Í AKQ43 4 All Pass ! 10543 " J65 I’m not sure why Hristov needed to paint a picture of Ê K his hand for the defenders as opposed to blasting 4Í earlier but since it worked to get South off to the one Open Room lead that would let 4Í through (a trump) he obviously West North East South knew best. To succeed after a trump lead declarer Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev must play three rounds of trumps at once and then 1Ê 1Í rely on the Ê10 coming down; far from obvious. In Pass Pass 3" Pass fact, Hristov played a club at trick two and now he 3Í Dbl Pass Pass could only reach dummy by ruffing a club, thus Rdbl Pass 3NT Pass preventing the necessary trump finesse. 4" Pass 5" All Pass

29 Kovachev did exceptionally well to lead the !A and Bd: 39 North continue the suit. Declarer ruffed to play clubs and Dlr: South Í A863 the defenders won the second club to lead a fourth Vul: Both ! 1074 heart. When Newell ruffed in dummy he had " A953 transposed into the same position as had been Ê 93 reached at the other table and could not avoid one West East down; no swing again. Í QJ9 Í K74 ! --- ! QJ63 Bd: 38 North " K102 " QJ4 Dlr: East Í K3 Ê QJ86542 Ê K107 Vul: E/W ! QJ842 South " 10954 Í 1052 Ê Q5 ! AK9852 West East " 876 Í AQJ10972 Í 864 Ê A ! --- ! 10953 " KJ76 " --- Open Room Ê 98 Ê AJ10743 West North East South South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Í 5 1! ! AK76 2Ê 3Ê 3NT 4! " AQ832 5Ê Dbl All Pass Ê K62 Closed Room West North East South Open Room Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn West North East South 1! Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Pass 2! Pass Pass Pass 1" 3Ê Pass Pass 3! 3Í Dbl 4Í Dbl All Pass All Pass Closed Room 5Êx lost one trick to the three cashing aces (shades West North East South of the previous deal but at least neither the ÍA nor Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn the "A got ruffed away. A far more restrained Pass 1" approach by everyone in the Closed Room produced 3Í Dbl 4Í Dbl a much more interesting contract. The defenders led Pass 5" Pass Pass a top club — one could hardly blame them — and Dbl All Pass Nunn won in hand and ducked a diamond. Back came a spade, ducked, and a club ruffed. Nunn If you only looked at the N/S cards and knew the ÍK cashed the !A and ducked a heart to East, who now was a trick on defense you’d be happy you were had a choice of plays: defending 4Í, right? After all, you have one trick in each black suit and surely you can manage two Í A86 tricks from the red suits. Sorry, wrong number. The ! 7 4-0 breaks in the red suits meant that after the !Q " A95 lead declarer could happily cross-ruff for +790. Of Ê --- course the bad breaks meant that 5"x was no fun Í J9 Í K7 either. The defenders led the ÍA, shifted to a club for ! --- ! Q6 the ÊA and a heart ruff, and took their two trump " K2 " QJ tricks to make +500 for the All Stars. But the 7 imps Ê 654 Ê K went the other way. 64-63 for Down Under and Í 105 another lead change. ! K98 " 87 Ê --- I didn’t say it was your fault, A club would let declarer pitch a loser, ruff in dummy, I said I was blaming you. then ruff out the suit from which he had discarded and just lose one more trick one way or another. A diamond or spade back would let declarer win in

30 dummy and take the trump finesse, then give up a Bd: 41 North trick in the suit led to establish a discard for the loser Dlr: North Í 4 in the other suit. This was still a 2-imp loss for Down Vul: E/W ! Q9753 Under, though. All Stars led 65-64 now. " J1093 Ê AQ4 Bd: 40 North West East Dlr: West Í J3 Í QJ63 Í K9 Vul: None ! K973 ! AK6 ! 42 " 106 " 865 " AK74 Ê J9652 Ê 1063 Ê KJ875 West East South Í A76 Í Q94 Í A108752 ! 654 ! J10 ! J108 " AQ3 " 8752 " Q2 Ê AQ87 Ê K1043 Ê 92 South Í K10852 Open Room ! AQ82 West North East South " KJ94 Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Ê --- 1NT 2"(!/Í) Pass 2Í All Pass Open Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn 1Ê(STR) Pass 1"(WK) 1Í 1! Pass 2! Pass Pass 1NT All Pass Pass Pass 2NT 3! Closed Room All Pass West North East South Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Hans-Nunn have recently decided to reduce the 1NT Pass Pass 2Ê (MAJs) strength of their major-suit openings at favorable Pass 2! All Pass vulnerability, but they lowered the bar to new depths here and emerged smelling of roses. While Isporski For the first time this match (maybe ever) Kovachev discovered that the reward for passing the North was seriously outbid, and given the result here I’m cards was to get to 2Í on his singleton, Hans played sure it won’t happen again soon. Throughout the 3!. The defenders led a top diamond and shifted to match we’ve seen the Bulgarians bid whenever it clubs, rather than to trumps, for which one can hardly was feasible and sometimes even when it wasn’t so blame East. Nunn won the club shift cheaply and South’s decision to bid spades, then stay silent ruffed a club in dummy, then knocked out the "A. All thereafter looks very strange. 1NT on the lead of the he had to lose were the two top trumps for +140. "J saw declarer win in dummy, cash the ÊA, then play two more rounds of the suit, finessing. Now a Against 2Í the defenders led a top diamond and diamond to the queen led to South being endplayed shifted to a club, but when declarer played a trump to eventually to lead spades for +120. the nine, ten and jack the defenders took their heart ruff and collected seven tricks for +100, and 6 imps In the other room East led a trump against 2!. Hans for Down Under. The running total was 76-65 now. won in hand and played a spade to the nine and ten. West ducked so Hans led a low spade from dummy and West won to force dummy with a club. Declarer ruffed, ruffed a spade, drew trumps and had +110 for 6 imps to Down Under. The fourth lead change of the set made it 70-65 to Down Under.

The master surveys his dom ain

31 Bd: 42 North Open Room Dlr: East Í Q832 West North East South Vul: Both ! Q754 Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev " J87 1Ê(STR) 1Í Pass Pass Ê 83 Dbl Pass 2Ê Pass West East 2NT All Pass Í J5 Í 10976 Closed Room ! AJ2 ! 83 West North East South " AK9532 " 10 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Ê J9 Ê AQ7652 1Ê(STR) 1Í All Pass South Í AK4 Iliev’s decision to pass out 1Í seems wrong-headed ! K1096 to me. Even if partner has 0-4 you bid 1NT and at " Q64 least you are playing in a contract you hope to make Ê K104 out of your own hand. Hans played 1Í on a top club lead ducked around to his king. He advanced the !K, Open Room ducked all around, then exited with a club to let West West North East South cash the ÊA, !AK, and play a third club. Hans ruffed Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev and played the "K, won by West who then exited in 2"(1) 2NT diamonds. Declarer was up to four tricks now. He led All Pass the Ê10, ruffed with the Í7 and over-ruffed, then led (1) spades and a minor 5-8 his remaining diamond for West to ruff. In the three- Closed Room card ending declarer had ÍAJx facing Í10x and was West North East South sure of two trump tricks whatever happened next. Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Pass 1Ê Isporski’s low spade lead let declarer win in hand and 1" All Pass advance a low club. Isporski took his king and returned the suit and now Reid ducked a heart. With It somehow feels wrong to me that opening the East that suit 3-3 he had three tricks in each rounded suit hand 2" should gain imps (indeed, even mentioning and one in each of the other suits for +120. I wonder the spade suit seems perverted), but I must admit if a top diamond lead is not the indicated defense at that I’m biased here. Had Kovachev passed the final trick one, given partner’s silence. Even a shift to a contract would have been 2". As it was West must top diamond would have beaten 2NT. The lead for have been very tempted to double 2NT. Would you Down Under was now 20 imps. lead a high or low diamond here? I’d vote for a low one but of course today it did not matter. Reid led a Bd: 44 North top diamond, then a low one, and declarer played on Dlr: West Í AQ953 hearts, letting West cash out for +200. Vul: N/S ! 1082 " --- Ê In 1" Iliev scored the same seven tricks as in the AQ1084 West East other room: five diamonds and two aces for +70. But Í J10 Í 762 Down Under had another 4 imps to lead 80-65. ! KJ ! A76 " A108532 " KQJ76 Bd: 43 North Ê K53 Ê J7 Dlr: South Í AJ864 South Vul: None ! 1062 Í K84 " KQ2 ! Q9543 " Ê K8 94 Ê 962 West East Í KQ75 Í 92 Open Room ! AK75 ! 983 West North East South " A7 " 9643 Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Ê A74 Ê QJ63 1Í(")2Í 5" All Pass South Closed Room Í 103 West North East South ! QJ4 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn " J1085 1" 3Ê(Ê+Í)3" Pass Ê 10952 5" All Pass

32 Both tables reached a poor 5" contract, partly Bd: 46 North because they didn’t know what their opponents could Dlr: East Í AKQ1074 make and didn’t want to have to find out. (The Vul: None ! KJ2 answer appears to be 3Í.) The difference between " J97 the two tables was only which way up the game was Ê 7 played. Hans led a heart from the North hand and West East Í Í now declarer was on the club position to make. Down 95 832 Í ! 964 ! 87 one was still a 2-imp gain. Kovachev led the K " " against 5" and shifted to a club when his partner 64 AQ1053 Ê Q109643 Ê AJ8 followed with the five. Well done, though in fact South whether he continued spades or shifted to clubs he Í J6 was always defeating the game by two tricks. 2 imps ! AQ1053 for the All Stars reduced the lead to 18. " K82 Ê K52 Bd: 45 North Dlr: North Í 962 Open Room Vul: Both ! KJ632 West North East South " AQ9 Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev Ê Q8 1NT Pass West East 2Í(Ê)3Í Pass 4Í Í Í A54 KQ3 All Pass ! ! 975 Q8 Closed Room " " 87652 J10 West North East South Ê Ê A10 KJ7654 Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn South 1" 1! Í J1087 2Ê(NF) 3Í(FIT) 4Ê 4! ! A104 " K43 Against 4Í Newell led the ÊA, shifted to the ace and Ê 932 another diamond, and declarer claimed. I suppose the lead of the "A in an attempt to give partner ruffs Open Room might be a reasonable one. West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev In the other room Iliev’s decision to lead a trump as Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn opposed to a diamond strikes me as worth at least a ! Ê ! 1 2 2 1-imp loss. Down Under would take the first 12 tricks All Pass and their imp to go up 14, and move smartly along. ! Both tables played 2 , on identical auctions. Each Bd: 47 North East led a diamond honor, and the contract reduced Dlr: South Í J7 to finding the trump queen. East’s club length and Vul: N/S ! J98 failure to lead a spade might point one way, his " J1043 presumed diamond shortage another. One Editor Ê AJ94 swears by a Buffalo Nickel he reserves for precisely West East this position, our other Editor, a mathematician, tells Í 932 Í K10865 us that the answer is stochastic, or aleatory. But then ! AQ7 ! 532 again he always did like long words. Irregardless, it " 52 " Q8 came down to a guess and Isporski got it right, Hans Ê K8653 Ê 1072 got it wrong. 5 imps to All Stars, down 13 now. South Í AQ4 ! K1064 " AK976 Ê Q

Open Room West North East South Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev 1" Pass 2" Pass 3NT How big was that dum my? All Pass

33 Closed Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn Iliev Hans Hristov Nunn 1" Pass Pass 1NT Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2NT 2Ê Pass 2" Pass Pass 3NT All Pass 3NT All Pass

Neither auction is without its flaws. After Isporski’s Iliev’s blast to 3NT was on the optimistic side. Nunn single raise Kovachev blasted 3NT with a singleton led a low diamond and had just enough time to be in a side-suit, while Hans declared 3NT from the happy with his lead before the "9 scored the trick, as weak hand. Both players received a lead from a it always seems to do here. Declarer was now in black suit into a tenace. The difference was that the with a realistic chance but when he took a club club lead did not cost a trick and the spade lead did. finesse and it lost Nunn simply exited in clubs. Hans played on hearts to make +660 while Kovachev Declarer won in hand, played a third club to dummy ended up with +630. No harm no foul. On to the last and a heart up. Hans won the ace, played a diamond deal with Down Under leading by 15 imps. through, and Nunn won cheaply to exit in hearts. Declarer has one trick in each red suit and three in Bd: 48 North each black suit but no play for a ninth. Dlr: West Í 9763 Vul: E/W ! AQ864 In the other room Isporski balanced over a 12-15 " 63 notrump to show the majors, and when Newell came Ê 75 again Kovachev tried to teach him a sharp lesson. West East Instead, though, it was he who learned the hard way Í AQ85 Í K2 that you can never rely on partner to do what you ! 9732 ! K10 want him to. Isporski either thought the double asked " 9 " KJ842 for his longer suit or he ran from fear, and Kovachev Ê Q1084 Ê AJ63 played 2Í on a diamond lead to his ten. A losing South heart finesse saw Newell exit with the ace and Í J104 another club. Declarer won his king, played a heart ! J5 to dummy and a trump to the jack and queen, and " AQ1075 Reid returned a low spade to his partner’s king. Now Ê K92 a diamond honor would have let Reid ruff, draw trumps, and exit in clubs to collect a heart at the end. Open Room Instead Newell played a club. Declarer could ruff, West North East South cash the !Q and ruff a heart and had six tricks. But Reid Isporski Newell Kovachev when he tried to cash the "A West ruffed, drew the Pass Pass 1NT Pass trump, and had the ÊQ for trick 13. Down 300 and 9 Pass 2Ê(!+Í)2" Dbl imps to Down Under, leading by 24 with 16 to play. Pass 2! Pass 2Í Dbl All Pass Our coverage of the fourth quarter of the NEC Cup final will appear in tonight’s Bulletin 7.

17th NEC Bridge Festival Daily Schedule Day/Date Time Event Venue Sunday (Feb. 12) 10:00-17:00 Asuka Cup (Open Pairs) 501, 502 18:00-20:00 Closing Ceremony 503

NEC Cup Bridge Festival on the Web Follow the action at the 17th NEC Cup Bridge Festival by surfing to: http://www.jcbl.or.jp/home/English/nec/tabid/662/Default.aspx Follow our featured matches on each day at: www.bridgebase.com

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