On November 12, 2016, the PTBA held the Pairs game. Gemma Tan and Viksi Egan copped first place while Manny Tanjauangco and Romy Virola placed second.
-oOo-
15th World Bridge Games; Wroclaw, Poland – 3rd -17 September 2016
I feature two interesting deals taken during the Games written by Mark Horton.
Lady Luck
When the last round of the Open Series started it seemed clear that the last qualifying spot would rest between two of the teams in Group C, Canada and Denmark. The North Americans had the bye, giving them a total of 201.71 that could not realistically be passed by anyone except Denmark, who had 191.14. To overtake the Canadians the Danes needed a narrow win, but they were facing the fourth placed team from Spain.
Denmark got an early indication of which way the wind might be blowing:
Board 2 North
Dealer East ♠-
NS Vul ♥82
♦Q10963
♣KQ9843
West East
♠732 ♠AKQ986
♥KJ9753 ♥A6
♦A8 ♦K5
♣A2 ♣1065
South
♠J1054
♥Q104
♦J742
♣J7
Open Room
West North East South
Lantaran D Bilde Goded Bilde
1♠ Pass
2♥ 3♣ 3♠ Pass
4♣* Pass 4♦* Pass
4♠ Pass 5♠ Pass
6♠ All Pass
4♣ Cue Bid
4♦ Cue Bid
Declarer won the club lead with dummy’s ace and played a spade to the ace, revealing the 4-0 split. He cashed the ace of hearts and played a heart to the jack. He could get rid of his clubs on the hearts, and although South could ruff in that was the only trick for the defence.
Closed Room
West North East South
Graversen Knap Clemmensen Wasik
1♠ Pass
2♥ Pass 3♠ Pass
4♣* Dbl Pass Pass
Rdbl* Pass 4♦ Pass
5♠* Pass 5NT* Pass
7♠ All Pass
4♣ Cue Bid
Rdbl First round control
4♦ Cue Bid
4♥ Cue Bid
4NT RKCB
5♠ 2 key cards
5NT Grand slam try
I’m not sure if 5♠ was intended to show extra length in spades, but whatever, the decent grand slam was reached.
Declarer won the club lead in dummy and played a spade. What a blow when South discarded. He took two more rounds of trumps then cashed the ace of hearts and played a heart to the king. That meant he was two down,-100 and 14 IMPs for Spain.
Board 4 North
Dealer West ♠KQ
All Vul. ♥AQ985
♦Q32
♣AJ6
West East
♠J98543 ♠-
♥K2 ♥107643
♦J8 ♦K75
♣Q53 ♣109842
South
♠A10762
♥J
♦A10964
♣K7
Open Room
West North East South
Lantaran D Bilde Goded Bilde
Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠
Pass 2♣* Pass 2♦*
Pass 2NT* Pass 3♣*
Pass 3NT* Pass ♦
Pass 4♥ Pass 4♠
Pass 4NT* Pass 5♥*
Pass 6♦ All Pass
2♣ Gazzili
Declarer won West’s club lead with dummy’s jack. The odds of losing only one diamond trick are 71.21%-you can either start by playing the queen or playing low to the ten. When declarer took the latter course, West won with the jack and switched to the five of spades- a cruel one down.
Notice that East did not make a Lightner double for fear of driving N/S into 6NT.
Closed Room
West North East South
Graversen Knap Clemmensen Wasik
2♦* 2♥ Pass 3NT
All Pass
Declarer collected ten tricks, losing two diamonds and a heart, for +630 and another 12 IMPs that left Denmark with a virtually impossible task.
Sometimes it’s just not your day.
Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo