The Open Trial (IX)

by Phillip Alder

The 2018 Open United States Bridge Championship was held at the Houston Marriott Westchase from May 11 to May 20. It selected USA1 for the 2019 , which will be held in Sanya, China, from October 19 to November 2. There will be a second trial next year to decide USA2. Before moving to the action, here are two defensive problems, with the deals rotated to make South the declarer.

1. North (Dummy) Dlr: North ‰ A K J 7 Vul: E-W Š – ‹ K 9 8 7 Œ 10 9 5 4 3 West (You) ‰ Q 8 4 3 Š A Q 10 2 ‹ Q 5 4 2 Œ 8 West North East South You Dummy Partner Declarer 1Œ Pass 1Š Pass 1‰ Pass 2‹ (a) Pass 3‹ Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass (a) Fourth-suit game-forcing

You lead the spade three: king, five, deuce. Declarer plays a diamond to his jack and your queen. What would you do now?

2. North (Dummy) Dlr: East ‰ Q J 10 9 7 5 Vul: Both Š Q 7 ‹ 4 Œ Q 10 7 4 East (You) ‰ A 8 2 Š J 6 2 ‹ 10 7 3 Œ J 9 5 3 West North East South Partner Dummy You Declarer Pass 1‹ Pass 1‰ Pass 2Š Pass 2‰ Pass 3Š Pass 4Š All Pass

Partner leads the club ace, dropping declarer's king. West shifts to the spade three: five, ace, king. What would you do now?

1 The second 120- semifinal pitted the top seeds – Nick Nickell -Ralph Katz, Bobby Levin-Steve Weinstein and Jeff Meckstroth-Eric Rodwell – against Jeffrey Juster -Frank Merblum, Adam and Zachary Grossack, and Howard Weinstein-Adam Wildavsky. On Monday, I said this was a great match. Apologies – it was the final that was amazing. Let's get through this one quickly and move on! After the first of the eight 15-board sessions, Juster led by 32 international match points to 4. The scoring in the second set was far higher, with 82 imps changing hands. This was Board 19:

North Dlr: South ‰ 10 2 Vul: E-W Š J 9 8 7 3 ‹ A J 3 Œ A K 7 West East ‰ 9 6 5 ‰ Q 8 4 3 Š K 6 5 4 Š A Q 10 2 ‹ 10 6 ‹ Q 5 4 2 Œ Q J 6 2 Œ 8 South ‰ A K J 7 Š – ‹ K 9 8 7 Œ 10 9 5 4 3 West North East South Merblum Levin Juster S. Weinstein Katz Adam G. Nickell Zach G. 1Œ Pass 1Š Pass 1‰ Pass 2‹ (a) Pass 3‹ Pass 3NT All Pass (a) Fourth-suit game-forcing

Against Adam Grossack, Nickell led the spade three. Declarer won with dummy's king and played a diamond to his jack. Nickell won with the queen and found the killing heart-deuce shift, so the defend- ers took five consecutive tricks for down one. At the other table, Juster led the diamond five . Levin won with his jack and continued with the spade ten, which was covered by the queen and ace. Declarer played a club to his king, led a spade to the jack and cashed the spade king to give this position:

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

Now came a club to the ace, and East was sort of squeezed in three suits! If he had discarded the heart deuce, North would have had to read the diamond position, not be misled by East's unusual diamond-five lead. However, East threw a diamond, so declarer couldn't misguess and had nine tricks: three spades, four diamonds and two clubs. Plus 50 and plus 400 gave Nickell 10 imps. Immediately after that came:

3 North Dlr: West ‰ K Vul: Both Š A 10 9 5 3 ‹ A Q J 9 5 2 Œ K West East ‰ A 8 2 ‰ 6 4 3 Š J 6 2 Š K 8 4 ‹ 10 7 3 ‹ K 8 6 Œ J 9 5 3 Œ A 8 6 2 South ‰ Q J 10 9 7 5 Š Q 7 ‹ 4 Œ Q 10 7 4 Open Room: West North East South Merblum Levin Juster S. Weinstein Pass 1‹ Pass 1‰ Pass 2Š Pass 2‰ Pass 3Š Pass 4Š Pass Pass Pass

Closed Room: West North East South Katz Adam G. Nickell Zach G. Pass 1‹ Pass 1‰ Pass 2Š Pass 2‰ Pass 3Š Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass

Misfit deals are always difficult. Here, no game makes with best defense – but, as we know, defense isn't always perfect. In the Open Room, Levin's three-heart bid was nonforcing, and if Weinstein had continued with three spades, that would have been nonforcing also (not standard agreements). In the Closed Room, I am not keen on Zach's three notrump because even if he could have established his spade suit, he might well have had no hand . Against four hearts, East led the club ace, then accurately shifted to a spade. However, when West took the trick with his ace, he had to shift to a diamond or a low heart, giving East tricks with both of his kings. But West returned a spade. North threw three diamonds on two high spades and the club queen. Then he crossruffed the minors and took two spades, one diamond, one club, two diamond ruffs in the dummy and four tricks in his hand. Against three notrump, West led the club three. East took the trick and returned the club deuce: seven, nine, spade king. West's best play now would have been a diamond, which was not clear. Instead, West shifted to the heart jack. East won with his king and led another club. South took the trick with his queen and drove out the spade ace, but lost one spade, one heart and three clubs for down one. (Declarer got to his hand with the heart queen to run the spades.) Plus 600 and plus 100 gave Nickell another 12 imps. Nickell took the set by 57 imps to 32 to gain the lead by 4 (61-57). To be continued

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