The Open Trial Final – Part 1

by Phillip Alder

Last year, in the trial to select the USA-1 team for this year's world championship, John Diamond, Brian Platnick, Kevin Bathurst, Brad Moss, Eric Greco and Geoff Hampson were 17 international match points ahead of the top seeds, Nick Nickell, Ralph Katz, Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein, Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell, with four boards to be played – and lost by 8 imps. This year, Diamond , with Justin Lall replacing Brad Moss, was back in the final, trying to become USA-2. The opponents were Paul Fireman, Gavin Wolpert, Vincent Demuy, John Kranyak, John Hurd and Joel Wooldridge. First, with neither side vulnerable, you pick up this hand:

‰ 10 Š K Q 6 3 2 ‹ K 7 2 Œ A Q 8 4

The dealer on your left opens two spades, a standard weak two-bid, partner passes, and righty raises to four spades. What would you do, if anything? We will return to that later. After 75 of the 120 boards, Diamond led by 172 imps to 147. Seven boards later, the margin was down to 10 imps. Then came 83.

North Dlr: South ‰ J 6 Vul: Both Š A J 10 6 5 4 ‹ K J 7 Œ Q 2 West East ‰ Q 9 7 ‰ A 10 5 3 2 Š Q 8 Š 2 ‹ 6 3 2 ‹ A Q 10 Œ J 6 5 4 3 Œ A 9 8 7 South ‰ K 8 4 Š K 9 7 3 ‹ 9 8 5 4 Œ K 10 Table 1 West North East South Bathurst Hurd Lall Wooldridge Pass Pass 1Š 1‰ 2‰ (a) Pass 3Š All Pass (a) Game-invitational values with heart support

Three hearts can be defeated if West gets on play with his spade queen and pushes a diamond through declarer (North). The defenders can end with one spade, three diamonds and one club. But Lall found a fatal lead, the spade ace. Hurd won the second spade with dummy's king, ruffed the third spade, drew trumps ending in his hand, and led the club queen. East won with his ace and returned a club to give this position:

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

Declarer ran the diamond nine to catch East in an and made his contract. After the deal, Lall said, “Sorry, partner, a low-spade lead was obvious.” This was the auction at the other table:

West North East South Kranyak Greco Demuy Hampson Pass Pass 2Š (a) 2‰ 4Š Pass Pass Dble Pass 4‰ Pass Pass Pass (a) Six(-plus) hearts, 4-13 points

Greco-Hampson use a wide-range weak two-bid in third and fourth position. Over Demuy's two-spade , Hampson applied pressure with a jump to four hearts; with ten trumps, bid to the ten-trick level. Then East balanced with a double, liking his chances of defeating the contract if partner had to pass. Here, though, West removed to four spades. Notice that with the lucky diamond position, this contract could not be defeated. South led the heart seven, third-highest from an even number (or lowest from an odd number). North won with his ace and shifted to the diamond seven. East won with his ten, cashed the spade ace, and led another spade. South, confident that declarer was not about to misguess the suit, won with his king and returned his last to dummy's queen. Declarer played a club to his ace and led another club, claiming when they broke 2-2. Plus 140 and plus 620 gave Fireman 13 imps on the board and the match lead.

Now back to the initial bidding problem. This was the full deal:

North Dlr: East ‰ 10 Vul: None Š K Q 6 3 2 ‹ K 7 2 Œ A Q 8 4 West East ‰ A J 3 2 ‰ K Q 9 8 5 4 Š A 8 4 Š J 9 7

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

Greco passed and Hurd doubled. Four spades could have gone down three, but Demuy, East, was allowed to establish a club trick and escape for down two. Over Hurd's double, Wooldridge ran to five diamonds, which made when trumps broke 2-2. Plus 100 and plus 400 gave Fireman another 11 imps. The sixth session of eight ended with Fireman ahead by 3 imps.

To be continued .

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