BBulletinulletin 3 Wednesday 2nd June Editor Ron Tacchi The First Round Robins Complete The Open Competition has fi nished its fi rst Round Robin and started on the second. South Africa and Morocco both had three wins so both moved up the table. South Africa won the important match against Egypt so at the top of the table it is South Africa with Egypt behind them. In the Women’s Competition they play a Round Robin everyday and so now have completed two of them, nobody scored three wins but Tunisia will be pleased with two victories after three losses the previous day. Egypt have opened up a decent lead and they are followed by Morocco. N.B. Several teams were late lining up yesterday. A second infraction will incur a half victory point penalty. Please make sure you are in your seats at the appointed hour. Team 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 2.1 Total South Africa 18.66 12.80 20.00 17.17 14.80 7.71 91.14 Egypt 18.87 14.80 15.56 5.82 5.20 20.00 80.25 Morocco 5.82 7.20 3.91 14.18 14.60 16.73 62.44 Open Tunisia 14.18 13.28 4.44 2.83 11.20 3.27 49.20 Reunion 1.34 5.20 16.09 3.27 8.80 12.29 46.99 Kenya 1.13 6.72 0.00 16.73 5.40 0.00 29.98 Team 1.1 1.2 1.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 Total Egypt 15.56 13.97 13.52 16.58 5.40 14.60 79.63 Morocco 19.07 4.81 6.48 18.97 6.72 5.40 61.45 Women South Africa 4.44 15.19 17.03 3.42 13.28 5.61 58.97 Tunisia 0.93 6.03 2.97 1.03 14.60 14.39 39.95 All information can be found on the website: www.bridgewebs.com/abf/ Open Teams - Egypt v Tunisia he third session of Day one in the Open Teams declarer spurned the fi nesse and won with the ace. Tevent saw Egypt take on Tunisia. After two Now declarer could not avoid going down even rounds Egypt were just shading South Africa though the hearts were perfectly distributed as a to head the standings. A good win here would see club now from East reduced the entries to dummy them cement their position. Tunisia had had a and although the hearts could be established there good start with two wins, a third would see them would not be an entry to enjoy them. Where did challenging for the fi rst spot. declarer go wrong? There is an adage players bet- ter than I (and I assure there are many) say: ‘Tackle BBoardoard 334.4. DDealerealer EEast.ast. NN/S/S VVul.ul. the side suit before trumps’. In this case whilst the ♠ K 7 4 3 lead was not unhelpful it prematurely took an entry ♥ K 3 away from dummy. If at trick three declarer starts ♦ A Q 3 with the jack of hearts he will succeed as the cards ♣ 9 6 4 2 lie. East will win with the ace and lead another club ♠ Q 9 N ♠ 6 5 which West can overruff but now you have control ♥ Q 8 4 ♥ A 7 5 of the trump suit and will not need to risk a fi nesse. ♦ K 10 9 8 6 4 WE♦ J 7 5 You now have the timing and entries to set up and ♣ J 8 S ♣ A Q 10 5 3 enjoy the heart suit. Had the heart jack lost to the ♠ A J 10 8 2 queen there would still have been a play for the ♥ J 10 9 6 2 contract in that you can play West for queen dou- ♦ 2 bleton in the trump suit. The problem with taking ♣ K 7 the trump fi nesse is that you have burnt your boats Open Room and need to take the heart and the diamond fi nesses to make your contract. Tackling hearts fi rst nearly West North East South always gives you the contract if the ♥Q is onside Zmerli Amiry Rebai Samir and still leaves you chances if it is not. The upshot – – 1♣ 2♦* was 12 IMPs to Egypt. Double 4♠ All Pass 2♦ Majors BBoardoard 335.5. DDealerealer SSouth.outh. EE/W/W VVul.ul. West’s Double showed some diamonds and some ♠ 9 5 points and in response to that East led a diamond ♥ 9 8 6 3 to the king and ace. Declarer now took the king ♦ Q J 9 of trumps and a losing fi nesse. West tried a small ♣ Q 10 9 5 heart but declarer played low and East was forced ♠ Q J 8 7 4 N ♠ K 10 6 2 ♥ J 10 5 4 2 ♥ A to win with the ace. He then cashed the ace of WE clubs and then declarer had the rest of the tricks. ♦ K ♦ 8 5 4 ♣ A 8 S ♣ 7 6 4 3 2 Closed Room ♠ A 3 West North East South ♥ K Q 7 Ahmed Meddeb Hussein Ghodhbane ♦ A 10 7 6 3 2 – – 1♣ 2♦* ♣ K J Pass 4♠ All Pass Open Room 2♦ Majors West North East South In the absence of a bid from partner East started Zmerli Amiry Rebai Samir with ace and another club, drawing the jack from West on the second round. Declarer continued with – – – 1NT a trump to the king and then took a losing fi nesse. 2♦* Pass 4♠ All Pass ♦ East pushed a diamond through and naturally 2 Majors Page 2 - Bulletin 3 Wednesday 2nd June Another auction where we have a 2♦ bid show- Open Room ing the majors. South found a good start for the West North East South defence when he started with ace and another Zmerli Amiry Rebai Samir trump. Declarer correctly identifi ed that if the 1♦ Pass 1♥* Pass clubs were kind then the contract would be made and so played ace and another club. Unfortunately 2♣ Pass 2♠ Pass the clubs were not kind and so the contract fal- 2NT Pass 3♥ Pass tered. It was a good plan but as Lasker the chess 4♥ All Pass grandmaster was credited with saying ‘If you fi nd From the sparse Convention Card it seems that a good move, look for a better one.’ Had declarer the Two Clubs bid was some form of checkback, taken an extra moment of thought he would have but I cannot be sure, whatever the meanings of added an extra string to his bow. He should cash all the bids the second best contract was reached the ace of hearts before starting on the clubs, then (3NT looks pretty impregnable). The lead was the if clubs failed to deliver a fortunate position in ♠10 which was taken by North with his king and the heart suit may rescue the contract. Look at he returned a diamond to his partner’s ace. The this hand, the king and queen of hearts is treble- diamond continuation was taken by dummy’s king ton and so you will succeed even though the clubs and a losing trump fi nesse was taken, but this was are against you. the last trick for the defence. Closed Room Closed Room West North East South West North East South Ahmed Meddeb Hussein Ghodhbane Ahmed Meddeb Hussein Ghodhbane – – – 1♦ 1♦ Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ Pass 4♠ All Pass 2♣ Pass 3♥ Pass In response to partner’s opening bid North led the 4♥ All Pass queen of diamonds taken by the ace and felling South led a small trump won by declarer in hand the king. South continued with another diamond with the queen. A spade fi nesse lost to North’s and declarer ruffed this and then played ace and king and a club was returned, won in hand with another club which was won by South who now the queen. The ace of trumps was cashed to expose had the opportunity to break the contract by play- the bad break and a diamond led towards dummy, ing two rounds of trumps but he continued with declarer taking the right view by rising with the another diamond and now declarer could crossruff king. Declarer now played another diamond taken his way to ten tricks. As explained above declarer by South with the ace who then locked declarer should have cashed his ace of hearts before play- back in dummy with a club and now whatever ing a second round. Another 12 IMPs to Egypt. declarer did South would come to two trump tricks. All declarer needed to when the king of diamonds BBoardoard 440.0. DDealerealer WWest.est. NNoneone VVul.ul. held the trick was to cash the top clubs discard- ♠ K 8 5 ing the losing diamond, even if South ruffed he ♥ 8 would only have the king of trumps to come and ♦ Q 10 7 4 so the contract would have succeeded. Ten IMPs ♣ 10 9 6 5 4 to Tunisia ♠ A 4 ♠ Q J 7 ♥ 5 3 ♥ A Q J 10 7 6 ♦ K J 8 6 2 N ♦ 9 3 ♣ A K 7 3 ♣ WE Q 8 S ♠ 10 9 6 3 2 ♥ K 9 4 2 ♦ A 5 ♣ J 2 Page 3 - Bulletin 3 Wednesday 2nd June BBoardoard 445.5. DDealerealer NNorth.orth. AAllll VVul.ul. East’s aggressive bid paid handsome dividends ♠ A K J 4 when the trumps broke 2-2 and, as expected, the ♥ J 8 ♣K was onside.