NEWSLETTER AUSTRALIAN BRIDGE FEDERATION INC. EDITOR: Stephen Lester NO. 143 MAY 2010 Approved for Print Post S65001/00163 ABN 70 053 651 666 Gold Coast Congress Here is another crucial “unlucky expert” card- play problem: his year’s championship had several features Problem 2, South deals, all vulnerable worthy of comment. T l K J 10 7 4 Firstly, the sad absence of Wally Scott. Scott, a kA 10 6 2 Surfers perennial, and frequent finalist, once told j4 me that only death would keep him away from iK 6 2 the event. He was right. Secondly, thanks to the l 5 sponsorship of Consus Oil, kJ 8 two strong Polish teams jA K 8 2 were playing. Among them, iA J 10 9 7 6 Krzysztof Martens – pre-em- inent Polish expert, and one West North East South of the world’s great players. Filipowicz Ritter Martens Courtney It is no surprise that Martens 1i l i - Filipowicz won both main Pass 1 Pass 2 Martens Pass 2k Pass 2NT events. Pass 4i Pass 6i Unlucky experts All Pass For much of the pairs, Martens - Filipowicz were After a low club lead, you win East’s iQ with threatened by Kiwis Bob Scott - John Wignall. the ace, and play a low spade, West following Wignall is an extraordinary card-player, and suf- with l3. True, West might have led lA or won it fered the cruel fate of the educated expert here: at trick two, if he had it. That argues for playing Problem 1, West deals, EW vulnerable dummy’s lJ. How will you guess spades for two l K Q 9 6 3 winners and your contract? kA 8 7 3 jJ 2 i10 2 l A 7 kK Q 6 5 jA 9 5 Open Teams winners: Dominik Filipowicz, Krzysztof iK J 6 4 Martens, Janusz Makaruk and Pawel Niedzielski West North East South Ritter Scott Courtney Wignall Pass Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2i Pass 2k Pass 4k All Pass After a low diamond lead to East’s jK, declarer, South won jA and cashed kK and kQ, both de- Seniors’ Teams winners: Alan Walsh, Barbara fenders following. How would you continue? McDonald, Gordon Schmidt and Elizabeth Havas Problem 1 the contract. If, however, I guess to play lJ, and It took Wignall just seconds East wins his doubleton ace to return a trump, I to realise that drawing the am still a trick short of my contract. third trump would cost him The full hand: his club trick anytime spades l K J 10 7 4 were 4-2. After ruffing spades kA 10 6 2 good, declarer would have j4 to ruff a diamond to reach iK 6 2 dummy. With no trumps re- maining, declarer would be John Wignall l Q 8 3 2 l A 9 6 unable to guess clubs – the kK 7 4 kQ 9 5 3 defence would keep iA and jJ 10 7 3 jQ 9 6 5 a diamond. i8 4 iQ 3 So Wignall correctly played lA, lK and a spade l 5 ruff before drawing the last trump. kJ 8 jA K 8 2 The full hand: iA J 10 9 7 6 l K Q 9 6 3 kA 8 7 3 So, sometimes the best line doesn’t get the best jJ 2 score, that’s bridge. But most of the time, as here, i10 2 the best pair and the best team emerge victorious. l J 10 5 l 8 4 2 That’s also bridge. kJ 2 k10 9 4 Michael Courtney jQ 10 7 4 3 jK 8 6 iA Q 7 i9 8 5 3 l A 7 kK Q 6 5 jA 9 5 iK J 6 4 As you can see, spades were 3-3 and clubs were unguessable, so this great play resulted in +420, while at most other tables, less far-sighted dum- my play or weaker opening leads led to +450. Problem 2: I decided that West would duck with lA and took my best mathematical chance by rising lK. It is better to guess spades thus because, should the king hold, now I will get two diamond ruffs for WWee welcomewelcome reportsrepor ts oonn mmajorajor ABFABF events.events. Seniors’ Pairs winners Les Grewcock - Robert Milward IIff accepted,accepted, wewe paypay upup ttoo $150$150 forfor articlesarticles notnot Copy Deadline ppublishedublished elsewhereelsewhere for Issue No 144, July 2010, the deadline is: June 26, 2010 Late submissions will be held over until Issue 145, September 2010, at the discretion of the Editor EE:: [email protected]@abf.com.au Email: [email protected] 12 {}][{}][{}][{}][{}][{}][{}][{}][{}][{}][{}][ PAUL LAVINGS BRIDGE BOOKS & SUPPLIES PO Box 807 Double Bay NSW 1360 Tel: (02) 9388-8861 Email: [email protected] Visit bridge museum www.postfree.cc or drop in at UPSTAIRS, 68 New South Head Rd, VAUCLUSE 2030. Books, software, club & home supplies. 2nd hand books, vintage & antique items. New Books The Mysterious Bridge, Probabil- The 2009 World Planning the Multi ity & Information Bridge Squeezes Championship The Romance of Play of a Bridge How to play it, by Robert F. 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His dummy turned out to be perfect, jQ 3 j9 7 so the result was +550. iA 7 4 3 iQ J 8 6 5 In the other room, De Livera pressed on to 5k l Q 6 over 5i, and his dummy turned out to be entirely k8 7 4 3 unsuitable: -100 but a pickup of 10 IMPs. jA K 10 8 5 4 Two boards later you hold: i9 l 10 7 West North East South k9 7 6 4 3 Hung A Edgtton jJ 7 6 5 4 2j i8 Pass 3NT All Pass All vulnerable, partner opens a On this board, Brightling weak notrump in second seat. - Thomson stopped conserva- They double, and it’s your bid. tively in 2j with 23 combined McManus, obviously without a HCP and a good 6-3 diamond 1 two-suited gadget like Swine fit. available, chose 2j, which Andy Hung and Adam Edgtton was doubled and went down bid swiftly to 3NT. East led -800 when partner’s red cards his lowest club; West rose iA were kQ1082, jK3. Had he and continued i3, confirming chosen 2k, they would have four in the suit. Hung held doubled that too (one defender Runners-up MILNE, Adam Edgtton, Liam Milne, Michael Whibley, Andy Hung, up till the third round before had kAKJ5 under the notrump Alex Smirnov, Nabil Edgtton playing a diamond to the king. opening), likely going down A heart to the ace and another 200, but with an outside chance of making if the diamond, finessing, meant two down when West defence slips. produced jQ, 8 IMPs to De LIVERA, when it The really bad news is that 4l, reached by your could have been 10 IMPs to MILNE.