15th World Bridge Series (XXXIII)

by Phillip Alder

Two questions to start today, the second with the deal rotated to make South the declarer.

1. With only your side vulnerable, you are dealt:

‰ 9 8 6 5 2 Š 6 ‹ J 8 2 Œ A K 5 2

The auction begins like this:

West North East South You Partner Pass Pass 1‰ Pass 2NT (a) Pass 3Œ (b) Pass 3‰ (c) Pass 4‹ (d) Pass ?? (a) Four-plus spades with a singleton or somewhere (b) Asking (c) Singleton heart (d) Control-bid looking for a slam

What would you do now?

2. North (Dummy) Dlr: West ‰ Q J 8 5 3 Vul: None Š 8 ‹ 9 8 5 Œ J 5 4 2 East (You) ‰ 10 9 6 Š 2 ‹ A Q J 7 4 3 2 Œ Q 10 West North East South Partner Dummy You Declarer Pass Pass 3‹ 3NT Pass Pass Pass

Partner leads a fourth-highest club seven: deuce, ten, six. You cash the club queen: eight, nine, four. What would you do next?

We are looking at the 56- final of the 2018 World Mixed Teams between Melanie Manfield - William Pettis, Beth Palmer-William Cole and Debbie Rosenberg-Michael Rosenberg (United States); and Alison Wilson , Chris Willenken (USA), Sally Brock (England), and Magdalena Ticha, Ricco van Prooijen and Richard Ritmeijer (Netherlands). With 14 boards to be played, Manfield led by 68 international match points to 63.

1 The first board of the last session was flat. Then:

North Dlr: West ‰ 4 Vul: E-W Š J 8 4 3 2 ‹ K Q 9 Œ 9 7 6 4 West East ‰ 9 8 6 5 2 ‰ A Q J 7 3 Š 6 Š A 9 ‹ J 8 2 ‹ A 10 5 3 Œ A K 5 2 Œ Q 10 South ‰ K 10 Š K Q 10 7 5 ‹ 7 6 4 Œ J 8 3 Open Room: West North East South Willenken D. Rosenberg Brock M. Rosenberg Pass Pass 1‰ Pass 2NT (a) Pass 3Œ (b) Pass 3‰ (c) Pass 4‹ (d) Pass 4NT (e) Pass 5‹ (f) Pass 6‰ Pass Pass Pass (a) Four-plus spades with a singleton or void somewhere (b) Asking (c) Singleton heart (d) Control-bid looking for a slam (e) Roman Key Card Blackwood (f) Three key cards

Closed Room: West North East South Cole Ritmeijer Palmer Ticha Pass 2Š (a) 2‰ 4Š 4‰ Pass Pass Pass (a) Five hearts, four or more in either minor and some 5-10 points

Six spades is a poor slam. Even if the is working, the contract could still fail, losing two diamonds. Willenken must have felt between a rock and a hard place. He had a bare minimum, but he had the club control that his partner seemed to need. Perhaps if he had control-bid five clubs, they could have stopped in five spades. Ritmeijer, you must have noticed, is very aggressive in the bidding. Both declarers had to lose one spade and one diamond, so Manfield gained 13 imps. This was Board 45:

2 North Dlr: North ‰ K 7 2 Vul: None Š 7 6 5 4 ‹ 10 Œ A K 9 7 3 West East ‰ A 4 ‰ Q J 8 5 3 Š A K Q J 10 9 3 Š 8 ‹ K 6 ‹ 9 8 5 Œ 8 6 Œ J 5 4 2 South ‰ 10 9 6 Š 2 ‹ A Q J 7 4 3 2 Œ Q 10 Open Room: West North East South Willenken D. Rosenberg Brock M. Rosenberg Pass Pass 3‹ 3NT Pass Pass Pass

Closed Room: West North East South Cole Ritmeijer Palmer Ticha 1Œ Pass 1‹ 4Š Pass Pass 5‹ Dble (a) Pass Pass Pass (a) “Partner, I was bidding four hearts to make, not as a .”

In the Open Room, Willenken did well to bid three notrump because four hearts would have failed by one or two tricks. Three notrump was also in jeopardy when North led the club seven. South took his two tricks in the suit, North playing a suit-preference nine under the queen. If South had shifted to a spade, the contract would have failed. But that was far from clear, and South led a heart. Declarer ran that to dummy's eight and played a diamond to establish his ninth trick. At the other table, Ritmeijer made a very thin opening bid, which persuaded his partner to move on to five diamonds. West led the heart ace, cashed the spade ace and sat back to await the setting trick with the trump king. Plus 400 and minus 100 gave Wilson 7 imps. With eleven boards to be played, Manfield led by 81 imps to 70.

To be continued

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