| Take over from the stars! |
You are sitting behind a topplayer. At the 'moment suprème' he hands over his cards to you. It´s your turn now. Can you make the best decision in a difficult situation?
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Israelian shuttle service** |
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Monday, 01 March 2010 07:00 |
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The 1995 European teams Championships in Villamoura (Portugal), Israel-Sweden.
Shalom Zeligman is East for Israel and is dealt: | N/NS | | | ♠ | 9 7 6 2 | | | ♥ | A Q 7 5 | | | ♦ | - | | | ♣ | A K 7 6 3 | |
To his great surprise (in view of his good hand) all three other players cheerfully enter the bidding. | West | North | East | South |
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| Birman | Bjerregård | Zeligman | Morath | | — | 1♣1 | pass | 1♦2 | | doublet3 | 1NT4 | pass | 2♠ | | pass | 2NT | pass | 3♣ | | pass | 4♠ | ?? | |
1 11-13 HCP balanced, or 17+ HCP any distribution
2 0-7 HCP, any distribution
3 Diamond suit (lead directing double), since 1♦ is conventional
4 17-20 HCP, balanced Enough is enough, Zeligman thinks and he doubles for penalties. The next three players pass and his partner leads the ♣8. | N/NS | ♠ | A Q | | | | ♥ | K 6 | | ♦ | A K 8 7 5 3 | | ♣ | Q J 2 | | | |  | ♠ | 9 7 6 2 | | | | ♥ | A Q 7 5 | | | | ♦ | - | | | | ♣ | A K 7 6 3 |
Take over from Zeligman. Your ♣K wins the trick. What's next? |
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Solution
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Wubbo de Boer's brilliancy*** |
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Tuesday, 23 February 2010 07:00 |
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Santiago de Chile, quarter final of the World Teams Championship (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) 1993 Netherlands-USA. We are seated behind South, Dutch star Wubbo de Boer. He and partner Bauke Muller face Peter Weichsel and Bobby Levin (USA). De Boer is declarer in 3NT. | S/- | ♠ | 7 | | | | ♥ | 9 6 2 | | ♦ | J 7 4 | | ♣ | A K J 6 5 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | A Q J 5 | | | ♥ | A 7 3 | | ♦ | A K Q 8 | | ♣ | 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Weichsel | Muller | Levin | De Boer | -
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| 2NT | | 3♥ | 3NT | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
West leads the ♥K, East discarding the ♠2.
De Boer hands you his cards. How do you play? |
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Solution
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Tuesday, 16 February 2010 07:00 |
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1991, Yokohama. During the Round Robin of the World Championships for teams (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) Poland faces Great-Britain.
After a lively auction Balicki (Poland) doubles the opponents' 4♠ contract.
Now all that remains to be done, is to defeat it... | W/- | ♠ | 8 3
| | | | ♥ | Q J 10
| | ♦ | 10 9
| | ♣ | A Q J 9 5 4 | | | | | ♠ | Q 10 6
| | | | ♥ | A 6 4
| | | | ♦ | A 7 6
| | | | ♣ | K 8 6 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Zmudzinski | Kirby | Balicki | Armstrong | | - | - | pass1 | pass2 | | 1♦3 | 2♣ | pass4 | 2♦5
| | double6 | 3♣ | pass | 3♠ | | pass | 4♠ | double | pass | | pass | pass | | |
1 The Polen (EW) play Suspensor, a 'strong pass'-system: the pass therefore shows opening strength (13+)
2 Also opening strength (a bid would be an overcall on less than opening strength)
3 0-7 points
4 Minimum, (more or less) balanced
5 Game forcing, unspecified
6 Values in diamonds Indeed, strong pass auctions look very weird...
Since West (Zmudzinski) was able to double 2♦, Balicki ventured a double on 4♠.
Zmudzinski leads the ♥7 (attitude) and you are presented with Balicki's cards. How do you defend? |
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Solution
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Friday, 29 January 2010 07:00 |
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1977, Manila, Philippines. For the first time in the history of the World Championship teams (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) two teams from the same zone meet in the final. Last year's American winners, The Defenders, face the other North-American team, The Challengers. You are seated behind 'Challenger' John Swanson. As South he is dealt: | E/NS | ♠ | 7 4 2 | | | | ♥ | A K Q J
| | ♦ | 6 5 4 | | ♣ | 7 6 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | K Q 10 9 5 | | | ♥ | 10 3 | | ♦ | A Q 8 3 2 | | ♣ | K |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Hamilton | Soloway | Passell | Swanson | | - | - | pass | 1♠ | | 3♣1 | 3♠ | 4♣ | 4♠ | | pass | pass | pass | |
1 Natural, pre-emptive West leads the ♥2 to dummy's ♥J.
Swanson plays a trump from dummy and hands you his cards, while East, Passell, goes up with the ♠A and continues with the ♥9. West ruffs with the ♠6 and switches to the ♦J. How do you play? |
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Solution
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Have your cake and eat it?** |
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Friday, 22 January 2010 07:00 |
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Until 2000 the Swedish-English pair Gunnar Hallberg - Colin Simpson was mostly known for their good results in English rubber bridge. But they won the English trials and surprisingly came as far as the semi finals at the 2000 Olympiad in Maastricht, in which they had to admit defeat to the later champion: Italy.
In that semi final they faced high pre-emptive bidding by De Falco - Ferraro. Take Simpson's (North) seat and see whether you match his good bidding. | W/- | | | ♠ | 9 4 3 | | | ♥ | - | | | ♦ | A 10 7 6 2 | | | ♣ | A J 8 7 4 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| De Falco | Simpson | Ferraro | Hallberg | | pass | pass | 2♦1 | double2 | | 3♠3 | ?? | | |
1 Multicoloured: most often a weak two in either hearts or spades
2 Either balanced with minimal opening strength, or any strong hand
3 Pre-emptive: asks East to pass with a weak two in spades and bid 4♥ with a weak two in hearts (so west has a better holding in hearts than spades) What would you bid? |
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Solution
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Tuesday, 12 January 2010 07:00 |
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At the end of 1970 four US teams engage in the final qualifying matches for the 1971 World Championship teams (contesting the Bermuda Bowl).
Take the seat behind Steve Altman, who is West. Immediately on the first deal he faces a tough high level bidding decision: | E/NS | | | ♠ | 2 | | | ♥ | A K 5 | | | ♦ | A K 8 3 2 | | | ♣ | K J 3 2 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Altman | Feldesmann | Stuart | Grieve | | - | - | pass | 2♣1 | | pass2 | 2♦ | pass | 2♠ | | double3 | redouble4 | 5♥5 | 6♣ | | double | 6♠ | pass | pass | | ?? | | | |
1 Strong, conventional
2 No choice: any bid would show a weak hand; a double would show a good club suit
3 Take out
4 Some strength, spade fit
5 Pre-emptive. In desperation Altman turns to you. What would you bid? |
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Solution
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