World Bridge Championships Part 4

by Phillip Alder

The world championships ended in Chennai, India, on October 10. In the , the premier event, the Americans had two teams:

USA1: Nick Nickell, Ralph Katz, Bobby Levin, Steve Weinstein, Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell

USA2: Paul Fireman, Gavin Wolpert, Vincent Demuy, John Kranyak, John Hurd and Joel Wooldridge

USA1 lost in the quarterfinals to England (David Bakhshi, David Gold, Tony Forrester, Andy Robson, and Jason and Justin Hackett, who are twins) by 215 international match points to 195.

USA2 was defeated in the semifinals by Sweden, the score being a heartbreaking 248 imps to 241.7. The other semi was even closer, Poland beating England by 207 imps to 205.3. I will cover the final shortly, but now let's look at the 96- third-place playoff between England and USA2. In this match, Wooldridge played every board, the first four sets with Hurd, his normal partner, then, because Hurd was ill, the last two with Wolpert. USA2 took the lead on Board 4, but the scores were always close. With one 16-board session to go, USA2 led by 11.3 imps. Before we get to the final set, here are two bidding problems. Both times you are the dealer. With only your side vulnerable, you hold: ‰ K 7 6 3 Š K 3 ‹ A J 9 8 Œ Q 7 3 West North East South You 1‹ 1Š 2‹ (a) 3Š (b) Pass Pass Dble (c) Pass ?? (a) Inverted raise – diamond support with at least game-invitational values (b) Preemptive (c) Extra values

What would you do now?

With both sides vulnerable, you have: ‰ 10 8 Š A 4 ‹ A K 10 8 7 5 2 Œ J 7 West North East South You 1‹ Pass 1‰ 3Š (a) ?? (a) Weak jump

What would you do, if anything?

1 After five deals, each team had scored 2 imps. Then came Board 86, from which the first problem above was taken: North Dlr: East ‰ J 10 4 Vul: E-W Š 10 7 6 5 ‹ Q 5 4 2 Œ 10 2 West East ‰ A Q 5 ‰ K 7 6 3 Š 9 8 Š K 3 ‹ K 10 7 6 ‹ A J 9 8 Œ A 8 5 4 Œ Q 7 3 South ‰ 9 8 2 Š A Q J 4 2 ‹ 3 Œ K J 9 6 Table 1: West North East South Wooldridge Gold Wolpert Bakhshi 1‹ 1Š 2‹ (a) 3Š (b) Pass Pass Dble (c) Pass 3NT All Pass (a) Inverted raise (b) Preemptive (c) Extra values

Table 2: West North East South Robson Demuy Forrester Kranyak 1Œ (a) 1Š Dble (b) 3Š Pass Pass Dble Pass 3‰ All Pass (a) Natural or balanced outside of the range for a one-notrump opening (14+-17) (b) In principle, showing four spades

At Table 1, Wolpert bid three notrump, hoping to have nine runners. South led the heart queen. Wolpert won and took four rounds of spades, North discarding a heart and South a club. One of the Bridge Base Online commentators suggested exiting with the heart three now to try to get more information. This was not a bad plan, given that the bidding strongly sug- gested hearts were 5-4. But Wolpert played a diamond to dummy's king and finessed through North to bring home an overtrick. He took four spades, one heart, four diamonds and one club. At Table 2, Robson gambled with his negative double. Earlier in the tournament, he had cue- bid two hearts with this hand-type, but Forrester had expressed a preference for double. Here, of course, the double backfired. Forrester removed the second double to three spades, which Robson passed, knowing it was only a seven-card fit. Kranyak started with his singleton diamond, which settled that suit for declarer. East won with dummy's ten, cashed the spade ace-queen, and played a club to his queen. South took the trick and returned a low club. Declarer won with dummy's ace, drew the missing trumps, and ran the diamonds to make his contract exactly. (Yes, he could have made four spades with an on South.) Plus 630 and minus 140 gave 10 imps to USA2 and the lead by 21.3.

2 The next deal produced the second bidding problem, and this time the Souths took divergent views, the American again being the more aggressive.

North Dlr: South ‰ A J 7 6 2 Vul: Both Š K 7 ‹ J 9 3 Œ Q 9 3 West East ‰ Q 9 5 3 ‰ K 4 Š 9 8 5 Š Q J 10 6 3 2 ‹ Q 4 ‹ 6 Œ A 10 8 5 Œ K 6 4 2 South ‰ 10 8 Š A 4 ‹ A K 10 8 7 5 2 Œ J 7 Table 1: West North East South Wooldridge Gold Wolpert Bakhshi 1‹ Pass 1‰ 3Š (a) All Pass (a) Weak jump overcall

Table 2: West North East South Robson Demuy Forrester Kranyak 1‹ (a) Pass 1‰ 3Š 3NT Pass Pass Pass (a) Two-plus diamonds, 10-15 points

At Table 1, Bakhshi decided not to bid three notrump, then Gold was cautious in not with a , but he probably devalued his heart king. (This is something I have tracked my whole bridge career. I have found that the king in the suit bid on one's left is a trick far more often than not. The exception is when the overcaller has a weak hand and all or almost all of his side's values. Then his only reason for bidding is to show his strong suit.) Three hearts went down one after careful defense, declarer losing one spade, two hearts, one diamond and one club. At Table 2, Kranyak took a shot at three notrump, aware that his partner would know he had long diamonds, given the limited nature of his hand. Kranyak bought a great dummy, having ten top tricks via one spade, two hearts and seven diamonds. That was another 11 imps for USA2 and the lead by 32.3.

To be continued

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