Professional Documents
Culture Documents
♠
♥
♦
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In This Issue:
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Bridge Today • November 2006 page 2
by Matthew Granovetter
Puppet Stayman
Here’s another convention you can put doubleton and the spade lead beats 3NT.
a red pencil through and never look back.
The idea of Puppet Stayman is for respond- (2) It tells the defenders gratuitous infor-
er to learn about a 2NT opener’s 5-card ma- mation about opener’s hand, helping them
jor. You bid 3♣ and opener bids a five-card on defense.
major but bids 3♦ or 3NT without a five-
card major, 3♦ promising at least one four- South West North East
card major. Over 3♦, responder can now 2 ΝΤ pass 3♣ pass
bid the major he doesn’t have, to say that he 3♠ pass 3 NT (all pass)
has the other four-card major — this right-
sides the contract if there is a 4-4 fit. West was about to lead a spade from
the ♠Q-10-8-3, but when he hears about
The advantage of Puppet Stayman is that South’s five-card spade suit, he doesn’t.
responder can locate a 5-3 major fit when
opener has a five-card major. The disad- South West North East
vantages of Puppet Stayman, however, are 2 ΝΤ pass 3♣ pass
many and not worth the advantage. Let’s 3 NT (all pass)
list them:
North was looking for a five-card major,
(1) It allows fourth hand to double for a and South denied one but also denied a
lead. four-card major. This will surely make the
defense easier.
South West North East
2 ΝΤ pass 3♣ double (3) The convention takes away other im-
portant bids from responder.
North was looking for a 5-3 fit, but East
has the ♣K-Q-J-x-x and gets his lead. South West North East
2 ΝΤ pass 3♣ pass
South West North East 3♦ pass 3M
2 ΝΤ pass 3♣ pass
3♦ pass 3♠ double Most of us play this as Smolen, showing
four cards in the major bid and five in the
This time North has four hearts and other. Using Puppet Stayman, responder
must bid 3♠ to show them. East has only does not have these bids available, because
the ♠Q-J-10-x-x, but his partner has king they show four cards in the other major.
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 3
Puppet players use the following method: A one-spade opening bid might also work
a lot better than a 2NT opening bid when
South West North East partner has a good hand. For example, sup-
2 ΝΤ pass 3♦ pass pose partner has a spade fit and short dia-
3♥ pass 3♠ monds:
When responder has five spades and four After 1♠-4♦, you bid KCB and land in
hearts, there is nothing responder can do. 7♠ with ease. Do you think it’s easy to get
Some Puppet pairs give up on ever show- to 7♠ after 2NT-3♣-3♠?
ing five spades and four hearts, and other
Puppet pairs employ more artificial bids Or suppose the two hands look like this:
over 3♣. They rebid 3♦ with one or both
four-card majors and 3♥ with no four-card Opener Responder
major. This permits responder to show five ♠AK ♠Jxx
spades but wrong-sides the contract again! ♥AQJxx ♥ 10 x x x
♦Axx ♦xx
Puppet players who use the artificial 3♥ ♣ K 10 x ♣Qxxx
rebid play that a 3♠ rebid shows five spades
and 3NT five hearts. Now responder must You’re on a finesse for 4♥, but if you
transfer back to 4♥, adding more artificial- open 2NT, you might play it there, down
lity and taking away the natural 4♦ rebid. one!
by Marshall Miles
West dealer North You lead the ♦5, your third best dia-
All vul ♠K875 mond (third best from even, lowest from
♥A3 odd). Partner wins the queen and ace.
♦K4 What diamond do you play on the second
♣ K Q J 10 7 round?
West (you)
♠4 Next question: Suppose your hand was
N
♥K7 W E ♠ 4 2 ♥ K ♦ J 6 5 2 ♦ A 9 8 6 4 3. Now what
S
♦J652 diamond would you play on the second
♣A98643 round? (Solution below.)
Solution
The danger is that partner will lead a the second round? Not likely, since partner
singleton club, hoping to ruff a club. Part- would be unlikely to overcall a four-card
ner has no clue that you hold six clubs and diamond suit, vulnerable, with at least five
that he can be overruffed. If you play your hearts in his hand. Where are the hearts?
smallest remaining diamond to show you
started with four, partner will almost surely No matter what you do, partner probably
lead a club if he has a singleton. If you play won’t guess your actual distribution, but the
your next to highest remaining diamond, violent signal in diamonds should persuade
that is a wishy-washy signal, meaning you him to lead a heart. You might hold the
don’t know what you want partner to do. king of hearts and ace of trumps, for ex-
I think you should play the jack. Then if ample.
partner has the queen or J-10 of hearts, a
heart lead will set the contract, whenever it The second problem (when you have the
can be set. singleton ♥K) is slightly tougher. It is still
right to play the ♦J to prevent partner from
Even if declarer has the ♥Q-10-(x-x), he shifting to a singleton club. Partner actually
may misguess and play the queen. Is there a held: ♠ J 3 ♥ Q 8 5 4 2 ♦ A Q 8 7 4 ♣ 2, and
chance that declarer has ♦10-x-x, and play- since you were a passed hand, he thought
ing the jack of diamonds would allow him there was little chance to buy the contract,
to discard dummy’s small heart on the ten? not to mention make a game, so he over-
(or the ♦10-9-x if declarer plays the ten on called diamonds for the lead.
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 5
Solution
South dealer North jump to game. As you can see, 11 tricks
Both vul ♠QJ8732 were cold, so East-West scored +750. The
♥72 best North-South could do was save in 5♠
♦KJ down one, which would have been a poor
♣AJ8 score for them anyway, because most North-
West East South pairs were allowed to play in 4♠,
♠— ♠964 making 620 or 650.
♥ K Q J 10 8 ♥A54
♦AQ94 ♦ 10 8 6 5 3 2 The theory behind “show and tell” is
♣ 10 7 6 5 ♣4 that in competitive auctions, it’s best to
South honestly describe your hand so partner can
♠ A K 10 5 evaluate his cards and know what to do
♥963 later. West expected to hear the opponents
♦7 bid spades again, and wanted his partner to
♣KQ932 have as much information as possible so he
would know what to do. With a different
South West North East type of hand, say
1♣ 1♥ 1♠ 2♥ ♠ x x x ♥ A x x x ♦ x x ♣ J x x x, East would
2♠ 3♦ 4♠ 5♦ know to defend 4♠, lead diamonds, and
pass pass double (all pass) perhaps take two diamonds and a diamond
ruff, plus a heart trick, to set their game.
Opening lead: ♠Q
Lesson: In a competitive auction, after
Using the principle of “show and tell,” you and partner have bid and raised a suit,
West bid 3♦ at his second turn and East you should try to describe your hand fur-
had no problem bidding 5♦ over North’s ther by bidding a second suit.
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 6
by Pamela Granovetter
The Bulldogs
Nick Nickell - Dick Freeman Board 3 • South dealer • E-W vul
Paul Soloway - Bob Hamman
Eric Rodwell - Jeff Meckstroth West East
♠985 ♠ K Q J 10 6 4
♥KQ86 ♥A943
♦ Q 10 7 ♦98
♣ 10 6 5 ♣9
Board 4 • West dealer • All vul Board 5 • North dealer • N-S vul
Opening lead: ♣J
South dealer North Lauria won the queen with the ace and
All vul ♠AK2 led a trump to North’s king. Meckstroth
♥ K Q 10 7 5 4 cashed the ♥K and led a third heart to let
♦J9 his partner ruff away the jack. Declarer
♣ 10 7 overruffed in dummy and led a club to
West East the king and ace. At this point, Rodwell
♠ Q J 10 9 4 ♠853 returned a club, but had to switch to dia-
♥62 ♥AJ3 monds to defeat the contract.
♦ A 10 8 5 4 ♦K63
♣5 ♣KQJ2 Declarer won the club in hand, throwing
South a diamond, and led another round of trump
♠76 to North’s ace, as South threw a club.
♥98 Meckstroth returned his last trump. and
♦Q72 Rodwell threw another club. Declarer won
♣A98643 in dummy and led another trump, throw-
ing a diamond from his hand. South was
Open Room: squeezed.
South West North East
Nunes Soloway Fantoni Hamman If South had returned a diamond when
pass pass 2♥ pass in with the ♣A, his partner can return
pass 2♠ (all pass) another diamond safely when in with the
trump ace, breaking up the squeeze. It’s not
Hamman (East) decided to pass out his an easy play to find, since Rodwell could
partner’s balancing 2♠ bid, since Soloway not be sure of the distribution. Perhaps his
was a passed hand. partner held three clubs and one less spade.
He needed the ♦J-9 doubleton in the North
Closed Room: hand, specifically, for the diamond shift to
South West North East work.
Rodwell Versace Meckstroth Lauria
pass pass 1♥ 1 NT
pass 2♥ pass 2♠ The Stallions took the lead on Board 8
pass 3♣ pass 3♠ when Versace-Lauria’s aggressive bidding
(all pass) finally paid off, but it was really a strange
systemic triumph:
At this table, Lauria made a light overcall
of 1NT and Versace invited game, trans-
ferring to spades and then to diamonds.
Rodwell led the ♥9.
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 10
West dealer North was left with little alternative but to raise
None vul ♠A2 to 4♠ and Soloway might have been facing
♥752 four small spades, so he passed.
♦ Q 10 7 2
♣Q973 Closed Room:
West East West North East South
♠KQ63 ♠ J 10 9 8 5 Versace Meckstroth Lauria Rodwell
♥AKQJ ♥963 2♣ pass 2♦ pass
♦A ♦J984 2♥ pass 2♠ pass
♣AK62 ♣J 2 NT pass 3♥ pass
South 4♣ pass 4♠ pass
♠74 4 NT pass 5♣ pass
♥ 10 8 4 6♠ (all pass)
♦K653
♣ 10 8 5 4 In the Versace-Lauria auction, Versace’s
2♥ rebid was meant as “Kokish,” hearts or
Open Room: a giant 2NT hand. Lauria relayed with 2♠
West North East South and found out that his partner held a forc-
Soloway Fantoni Hamman Nunes ing 2NT type. He then transferred to 3♠!
1 ♣ (strong) pass 1♦ pass Versace was thrilled, cuebidding 4♣ and
2♥ pass 3♣ pass then Blackwooding into slam for 980.
3♠ pass 4♠ (all pass)
Handling monster 4-4-4-1 hands has The next four boards saw two pushes
always been difficult. In the Soloway-Ham- and two overtrick imps go Nickell’s way, to
man auction, Soloway jump shifted to reduce the Stallions’ lead to a single imp.
hearts, Hamman gave a double negative Then, on board 13, Paul Soloway made an
and Soloway showed his spades. Hamman amazing bid, which pushed his opponents
into a slam off two cashing aces!
N
W E
S
Claude Nunes
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 11
N
W E
S
Alfredo Versace
Lorenzo Lauria
Eric Rodwell
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 13
by Matthew Granovetter
Verona, Italy — It’s the final session of the World Mixed Pairs. I left off last issue
reporting another poor result on board 9 for Karen McCallum and me. We went
into the final session in second position, but with half the boards played our score
is 48% for the session, which is not a way to win a world championship. We need to
make a strong move.
At this point, an Italian, soon to be re- I open 1♠ in fourth seat with my 13-
vealed as a lucky kibitzer, sits down behind count. Over 3-card Drury, I rebid 2NT,
me. Franco Broccoli, an Italian journalist, since this is matchpoints. Partner raises to
gives me a big smile. I wonder if this means 3NT. Notice we both have nice spot cards
we are still in contention despite our bad after you discount our lowest cards. I hold
performance so far. three 4’s and a 2, then all high ones, and
she holds one 2 and three 3’s, and then
On board 10, we bulldoze our way into a mostly high ones. Our two decisions, mine
24-point 3NT. The bidding is the thing: to rebid 2NT and hers to raise are based
on these spot cards rather than just point
East dealer North (MG) counting. East leads her fourth-best club
All vul ♠AQ74 and I win in hand and clear that suit. East
♥ Q 10 4 wins and returns a safe club. I then attack
♦ A 10 4 spades and when they broke 3-3, I have six
♣J92 black-suit tricks and two red aces. West, on
West East lead, has to play a red suit to my advantage,
♠K63 ♠ 10 9 5 so I have nine tricks.
♥KJ862 ♥75
♦972 ♦KJ86 For bidding this game, we receive an 85%
♣74 ♣KQ65 score. All the strict point-counters stopped
South (KM) in 2NT. The Italian journalist, Broccoli,
♠J82 smiles again and puts up four fingers: “Four
♥A93 card majors?” “No,” I reply. “Fourth seat.”
♦Q53
♣ A 10 8 3 On board 11, the European Mixed Pairs
champs Helness and Helness (husband and
West North East South wife) came to our table. But I don’t know it.
— — pass pass As I’ve written, the women were sitting on
pass 1♠ pass 2♣ the same side of the screens as the men, to
pass 2 NT pass 3 NT our left, and since I did not recognize most
(all pass) of the European women, I rarely knew if
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 14
my opponents were strong players. I pick up even hold three spades with me. So I bid
in third chair, neither side vul: 2♠, which we play as 0-18 (yes, that’s the
♠ K 10 6 5 3 ♥ A 9 ♦ A K 9 ♣ Q J 5 range) and four or more spades (if we hold a
singleton heart we must scoot out of 2♥ to a
When the bidding tray comes across, I hopefully better contract).
see that my partner has opened another
famous McCallum two-bid, this time in This 2♠ is not forcing, but partner is
hearts. This 2♥ bid shows 4-10 points with supposed to raise with support. (Perhaps
typically five hearts with any side distribu- you find this convention a little strange
tion. This leaves me in a quandary. I have — welcome to the club — but remember,
a fine looking 17 HCP and we could be on this is a convention geared mostly toward
for 3NT if she has a nice 8 points or so. But matchpoints, and hurting their bidding.
if I asked her how strong she is, by bidding Sometimes it hurts ours!)
2NT, where will we land if she is weak?
Back in 3♥! Ugh. I do not want to play a Before I know it the tray is lifted and I
5-2 fit at the three level. Besides, she might am in 2♠. This is the full deal:
South dealer North (MG) fit. Therefore, she left me to play in spades,
None vul ♠ K 10 6 5 3 hoping I held six of them. A flaw in the
♥A9 system?
♦AK9
♣QJ5 Never mind. Matchpoint mavens, please
West East examine the cards. How many tricks do you
♠J84 ♠AQ97 make in hearts? Answer: nine. The ♠A is
♥J2 ♥Q64 offside. The ♦Q is offside. And there is a
♦8543 ♦Q72 heart loser and the ♣A to lose. Therefore,
♣ A 10 9 2 ♣873 those pairs who reach 4♥, a most reason-
South (KM) able contract, will be minus 50. Meanwhile,
♠2 I am in a cozy 2♠, and if I can make 110, I
♥ K 10 8 7 5 3 score more matchpoints than those scientific
♦ J 10 6 players in 4♥. (Is this madness, or what?)
♣K64
Anyway, a diamond is led. I win the trick
South West North East in dummy and lead a spade to the king.
2♥ pass 2♠ (all pass) No luck, it loses to the ace. (No! That was
luck!) In fact, I should have put in the ♠10,
Please do not give this magazine to since I need the ace to be offside to score
your children. They might see this auc- any matchpoints on this board. East returns
tion. What has gone wrong? Why have we a club to the ace and a club. I win in hand
missed our 8-card heart fit and are instead and lead another spade. West clears clubs,
playing in a 5-1 spade fit? Well, Karen but I come to hand in hearts to lead still an-
didn’t really have a 3♥ opening bid, and other spade. I triumphantly table my hand,
since I removed 2♥ to 2♠, there was a good conceding four trump tricks and the ♣A,
chance I held a singleton heart, so she did plus 110. “All the key cards were offside,”
not want to go up a level to a possible 6-1 I comment to Broccoli, “which is good.” As
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 15
I key in the result on the computer scoring not, and RHO opens 1♠. I pass and LHO
device called “bridgemate” (each table has raises to 2♠. My partner doubles for take-
one, connected wirelessly to the main com- out and RHO bids 3♠. I am glad, because
puter), we see that we are receiving about otherwise I’d be in another quandary. I
a 45% score. This is not bad for playing a generally do not play lebehsohl, and I’m not
partscore in a 5-1 fit when we belong in sure if, when you are playing it (which we
game in a 6-2 fit. “This is not bridge,” I say are), whether it applies here. In this situa-
to Broccoli, “this is matchpoints.” He smiles tion is 2NT lebensohl or a scramble to find
again and writes it down in Italian. the best trump suit? (Beats me.)
On the second board of the round, I pick Luckily, I have the opportunity to make
up: ♠ 2 ♥ J 7 5 3 2 ♦ Q J 6 ♣ 9 8 4 2. a normal pass. LHO passes but when the
tray comes back, I see 3NT from my part-
I figure I can handle this “mitt” better ner, pass on my right. I remove this to 4♥.
than the previous one, since I won’t be in Everyone passes. The full hand is:
the auction. Wrong again. We are vul vs.
West dealer North (MG) am ready for an aperitif, if not for the fact
N-S vul ♠2 that there are five more rounds.
♥J7532
♦QJ6 On board 13 we get some new opponents,
♣9842 and I pick up:
West East ♠ J 10 7 6 5 4 ♥ K 3 ♦ Q 6 5 2 ♣ 6
♠ Q J 10 9 4 ♠8765
♥Q ♥964 I am first seat, all vul. Another quan-
♦K842 ♦97 dary. I would never open 2♠ with these
♣A65 ♣ K J 10 3 cards normally. But our style is a bit more
South (KM) loose, and I do have some shape, so I decide
♠AK3 to do it. It goes pass, pass, 2NT. I pass and
♥ A K 10 8 my RHO bids 3♦, all pass. Somehow, this
♦ A 10 5 3 doesn’t look too bad. Did my RHO think
♣Q7 2NT was for the minors? The full deal:
North dealer North (MG) us. My partner wins the ♦K and continues
All vul ♠ J 10 7 6 5 4 spades. Declarer is in dummy for the last
♥K3 time. She leads a heart to her queen and
♦Q652 the ♦J, but I take the trick and return a
♣6 heart. She draws trump and concedes one
West East heart trick for down one. Plus 100 is worth
♠AK3 ♠Q9 88% to us. I turn to Broccoli and he whis-
♥7652 ♥ A Q 10 4 pers: “matchpoints eees not bridge.”
♦A7 ♦ J 10 9 4 3
♣QJ97 ♣83 On the next board of the round my LHO
South (KM) opens an 11-count and gets into hot water:
♠82
♥J98 East dealer North (MG)
♦K8 None vul ♠K53
♣ A K 10 5 4 2 ♥—
♦Q8653
West North East South ♣ Q J 10 6 3
— 2♠ pass pass West East
2 NT pass 3♦ (all pass) ♠AJ742 ♠96
♥ A Q 10 4 ♥K532
My partner leads the ♣A and must ♦94 ♦ A J 10
make a decision when East falsecards with ♣94 ♣K752
the ♣8.* She does not know who has the South (KM)
singleton club. In a case like this, it might ♠ Q 10 8
be right to underlead in clubs, but that ♥J9876
may also kill one of partner’s trump tricks. ♦K72
Karen decides I am probably the one with ♣A8
the singleton. She cashes the ace, on which
I discard a spade, and then switches to a West North East South
spade to attack dummy’s entries. My ♠10 — — 1 NT (11-14) pass
forces the queen, revealing my robust suit. 2♣ pass 2♥ pass
4♥ (all pass)
Declarer is anxious to draw trumps now
and, figuring I must have something for If East had only known that had she
my bid, leads a diamond to the ace and a passed, my partner was about to open 2♥!
diamond, rather than finessing through my
partner’s honor. This works well … for Well, this is better. Karen begins with
a diamond to my queen and ace. Declarer
tries a spade to the jack. I win the king and
*This play is not as easy as it looks. In a pair event,
come through in clubs. We score one spade,
especially an international one, declarer must check
one diamond, two clubs and a heart trick,
our convention card to see if we play standard or up-
for down two, but only a 60% score. Many
side-down carding before making this falsecard. As
pairs are in 3♦ doubled our way, making
it happened, our convention cards had been lost by
three, when the bidding starts pass, pass,
this point in the tournament! Declarer simply made
1♠, 2NT.
the natural falsecard and it worked.
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 17
Meanwhile, we have moved up from 48% My hand is a touch too good for a 14-17
to 54% after only five boards, and there are notrump, so I open 1♦. But this allows East
eight more boards remaining. On board 15, to overcall 2♣ and buy the hand in 3♣.
I make a subtle mistake and my opponent Maybe East would have competed to 3♣
takes full advantage: over 1NT but maybe not. Karen leads the
♦8 to my ace. I return a diamond. Declarer
South dealer North (MG) discards a heart, winning in dummy, and
N-S vul ♠AJ3 leads a trump. Here’s my error: I win with
♥976 the king! I then lead a third diamond.
♦ A J 10 9 7 Declarer, who knows where the ♣A is,
♣AK trumps in with the queen and leads another
West East club, crashing our honors. If I win the first
♠K5 ♠ Q 10 9 trump trick with the ace, however, she may
♥K52 ♥ A 10 4 play me for A-J doubleton. Minus 110 is
♦Q6432 ♦K worth only 20% for us. I give my opponent
♣854 ♣ Q 10 9 7 6 2 a “well done” and pick up my next hand:
South (KM) ♠ A 10 8 ♥ K 7 6 4 2 ♦ 9 4 3 ♣ J 6
♠87642
♥QJ83 My RHO opens 1♦. We are favorable,
♦85 and I am annoyed with myself from the
♣J3 previous board, so I overcall 1♥, something
I rarely do with such dreck, at any vulner-
South West North East ability. LHO bids 2♦ and my partner cue-
pass pass 1♦ 2♣ bids 3♦. Gulp. I retreat to 3♥ and it goes
pass 3♣ (all pass) all pass. Here is the hand (board 16):
8, but it loses to the 9. Good news: LHO Maybe I should pass this, but I cannot
returns a third spade and my 10 wins, RHO bring myself to do it. I retreat to 3♦ and it
following. I cash the ♥K, ruff a diamond goes all pass. The ♣6 is led:
and play dummy’s last spade, discarding a
club. All they get is one spade, one diamond Board 17 (rotated):
and two hearts. I never used the club suit
after all! The full hand: Dummy
♠9
Dummy ♥ J 10 8
♠Q652 ♦AJ96
♥Q98 ♣KQJ82
♦A5 LHO RHO
♣ A 10 8 2 ♠ A 10 7 6 5 2 ♠J3
LHO RHO ♥KQ732 ♥A
♠J93 ♠K74 ♦5 ♦ 10 7 4
♥ J 10 3 ♥A5 ♣6 ♣ A 10 9 7 5 4 3
♦QJ76 ♦ K 10 8 2 MG
♣Q94 ♣K753 ♠KQ84
MG ♥9654
♠ A 10 8 ♦KQ832
♥K7642 ♣ —
♦943
♣J6 MG LHO KM RHO
1♦ 2♦ 2♠ 3♣
Scoring 140 is worth 79%, giving us about pass pass double pass
average for the round. 3♦ pass pass (!) pass
On the next board, my partner holds: to get a number against 3♣ or I can raise
♠ 6 5 4 ♥ 10 7 4 2 ♦ K Q 3 ♣ Q 9 5 diamonds, or bid spades. It isn’t clear how
many diamonds partner has. She could
The opponents bid clubs, hearts and even hold three of them if she is 2-5-3-3
spades, landing in 3NT. Karen naturally shape.
leads a top diamond. Dummy has jack-
fourth and declarer has ace-fourth! So we I’m not sure what to do but for some rea-
are minus 460 instead of 430 for a 20% son it pops in my head to ask myself: What
score. It’s another average round and we are would I do playing bridge? (Rather than
hovering between 53 and 54% for the ses- matchpoints.) Well, at bridge, when you
sion, not enough. hold an ace-king suit, a void, and five-card
support for partner, you jump. So I jump to
There are two rounds to go when board 4♦, the bridge bid. When the tray comes
19 is put on the table. I hold, third seat fav- back, my partner has cuebid 5♣!
orable: ♠ A K 10 6 5 ♥ — ♦ Q 10 7 5 3 ♣ 8 3 2.
South West North East
My partner opens 1♥ and the next hand 1♥ 2♣ double pass
bids 2♣. What should I do? 2♦ 3♣ 4♦ pass
5♣ pass ?
I can overbid with 2♠ or make a nega-
tive double. I choose double and my part- This is more interesting. She must hold
ner rebids 2♦. Then RHO bids 3♣. I check the ace of clubs for her bid and something
the vulnerability again. They are vul and decent in diamonds. So I jump again to 6♦.
we are not. I can double again, hoping This is the deal:
South dealer North (MG) slam. West leads the ♥A. Karen can make
E-W vul ♠ A K 10 6 5 13 tricks by crossruffing, but makes 12 by
♥— drawing trump and running the ♠J. (This is
♦ Q 10 7 5 3 also a good line of play for 13 tricks, finess-
♣832 ing through the overcaller.) Plus 920 is good
West East enough for a 90% score. This board really
♠43 ♠Q872 picks up our spirits, as more kibitzers sit
♥AKQ3 ♥ 10 9 6 2 down to watch the last few hands….
♦8 ♦J4
♣ K Q J 10 7 5 ♣964 On the second board of the round I pick
South (KM) up: ♠ K Q J ♥ A K 6 2 ♦ A ♣ Q 9 7 6 2.
♠J9
♥J8754 All vul, my RHO opens 2♠, showing 5-5
♦AK962 spades and a minor. I overcall 2NT, not
♣A without some misgivings, since a takeout
double might work better. What do you
As you can see, she has her 5♣ cuebid think? My partner raises to 3NT, and ev-
in context of her previous minimum 2♦ eryone passes. I’m fairly sure RHO’s minor
rebid. It’s really a great cuebid on the way is diamonds, and I hope for a spade lead.
to 5♦ and we reach a remarkable 22 point Instead I get a heart lead!
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 20
West dealer North (MG) The ♥Q lead is not a problem for me. I
All vul ♠KQJ drive out the ♠A and claim 10 tricks, plus
♥AK62 630 for an 80% score. East thought her part-
♦A ner held spades and clubs!
♣Q9762
West East With one round to play our score just
♠ A 10 5 4 3 ♠96 zoomed up to over 56% for the session. Not
♥— ♥ Q J 10 7 4 3 only that, but Karen’s regular partner, Lynn
♦KQ643 ♦ J 10 9 7 Baker sits down behind her and just as we
♣543 ♣ 10 finish the auction to the first board of the
South (KM) round, the director comes over and hands
♠872 out the percentage sheets for the first 12
♥985 rounds.
♦852
♣AKJ8
The last board is placed on the table. I We manage to take our four tricks for
pick up, favorable: +100 and 81%. That makes our session total
♠ 9 4 2 ♥ A 3 2 ♦ A K 6 ♣ J 9 5 2. 57.42% My wife, who coached me for three
months prior to this event, and who has just
It goes 1♠ on my left, pass, 2♠ on my finished her last round with Bob Hamman,
right. Should I make a pre-balance? I de- comes over to see how we’ve done. We are
cide quickly to keep quiet, sticking with the still in a daze from all the difficult hands,
“bridge” strategy, rather than “matchpoint” and we don’t know the final score but the
strategy. LHO thinks and then comes out director nearby, keeping score on his com-
with 3♠. Partner passes and RHO bids 4♠. puter, holds up a one. Then another direc-
Partner leads the ♣8. The full hand: tor comes by and says it’s not official but he
thinks we are first. We are in shock, despite
East dealer North (MG) everything, since it’s just too much of a leap
E-W vul ♠942 to go from playing your hardest to simply
♥A32 being at the mercy of the scoreboard and
♦AK6 then hearing that you are first. And it really
♣J952 does not sink in. Suddenly there are hugs
West East and kisses (including Broccoli), photos, etc.,
♠ 10 8 7 ♠KQJ65 etc., and soon the scores are posted officially
♥ Q 10 9 7 5 ♥K4 (with percentage averages for the three final
♦QJ ♦9853 sessions):
♣ K 10 4 ♣AQ
South (KM) 1. MCCALLUM - GRANOVETTER 59.28%
♠A3 2. LEVIN - LEVIN 58.75%
♥J86 3. STANSBY - STANSBY 58.47%
♦ 10 7 4 2 4. BROWN - MCGANN 58.07%
♣8763 5. HENNER-WELLAND - JACOBUS 57.79%
6. GROMOVA - GROMOV 57.71%
West North East South 7. SANBORN - COHEN 57.48%
— — 1♠ pass 8. ALLOUCHE - GAVIARD - VENTIN 56.75%
2♠ pass 3♠ pass 9. MANCUSO - BAZE 56.39%
4♠ (all pass) 10. GEMIGNANI - CIMA 56.37%
Lew and Jo Anna Stansby Jill and Bobby Levin Karen McCallum and MG
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 22
in the Vanderbilt
by Ron Klinger
Australia’s Ishmael Del’Monte shone in East followed with the ♦7 and West con-
the Vanderbilt this year, where his team tinued with the ♦Q, a fatal move. Declarer
lost narrowly in the semi-finals. Here are ruffed, played a heart to the king, ruffed
some interesting deals from both semi-final a diamond to hand and cashed the ♥A.
matches. The ♥Q did not fall, but declarer was still
all right. He continued with the ♣K and a
On deal 10 each table played in 4♥ dou- club to the queen and ace. The ♣J allowed
bled. Only Del’Monte produced the killing South to discard a spade as West ruffed.
defense as West. First we’ll look at the other South lost only one spade, one heart and
semi-final match: one diamond for +790.
SHUGART CHANG
Rita Shugart of California Fred Chang of New York
Boye Brogeland of Norway Gunnar Hallberg of London
Ishmael Del’ Monte of Australia Fu Zhong of China
George Mitleman of Toronto Jack Zhao of China
Tedashi Teramoto of Japan Seymon Deutsch of Texas
WELLAND HOLLMAN
Roy Welland of New York Robert Hollman of California
Bjorn Fallenius, of New York, formerly Sweden Bruce Ferguson of Idaho
Chip Martel of California Billy Cohen of California
Lew Stansby of California Ron Smith of California
Adam Zmudzinski of Poland Curtis Cheek of Alabama
Cezary Balicki of Poland Joe Grue of New York
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 26
was the same as in the first match. South If South did want to make sure of reach-
won the ♠10 lead with the queen and led ing the right game, 4NT in reply to the
a diamond to the 10 and queen. There East double could ask North to choose the longer
shifted to the ♥J, West overtook with the minor. Each table made 11 tricks for +150.
queen and continued with the ♥K. When
declarer led a diamond to the ace, he was Note East’s pass over the double in the
down one. hope that South might bid spades. The one
East who did bid 4♥ was soon regretting the
Well, I Do Declare decision:
On the following deals the player with
the critical decision held both minors and West North East South
had to decide whether to show both. On Fu Grue Zhao Cheek
board 41 only one pair reached game and 3♥ double 4♥ pass
they were probably pushed there: pass double pass 4 NT (1)
pass 5♣ (all pass)
West dealer ♠AK62
N-S vul ♥J7 (1) Choose a minor, partner.
♦AJ9
♣ A Q 10 3 Opening lead: ♠Q
♠984 ♠ Q J 10 7
♥ Q 10 9 8 6 4 2 N ♥A53 Declarer won, drew trumps ending in
W E
♦Q S ♦K532 dummy and led a low diamond. That led to
♣82 ♣J4 +600 and +10 imps.
♠53
♥K
♦ 10 8 7 6 4 On board 50 every pair reached game,
♣K9765 but two were in the wrong one:
Brogeland
Bridge Today • November 2006 page 30