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Pay attention!***
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?
Read on
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Rhodes, the 1996 Bridge Olympiad. During the round robin Denmark plays Chinese Taipei (the political correct name of Taiwan). Liao ignores the adage the five level belongs to the opponents by 'bidding one more' to 5♥. The task for the Danes is to defeat this contract. | S/EW | ♠ | A Q 8 6 5 2 | | | | ♥ | J 8 7 | | ♦ | 8 7 3 | | ♣ | K | | | | | ♠ | 9 4 3 | | | | ♥ | 9 | | | | ♦ | A Q 10 5 4 | | | | ♣ | 9 5 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Christiansen | Liao | Blakset | Hengk | | — | — | — | 1♥ | | 2♣ | 3♣1 | 3♦2 | 4♥ | | pass | pass | 5♣ | pass | | pass | 5♥ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
1 Heart fit, 10+ points
2 'This is where my strength is' (East plans to support clubs later, and so he does) Suddenly Blakset remembers an urgent appointment in another part of the island. Even before his partner's lead, he presses his cards in your hand and hurriedly leaves the premises.
You take his East seat and see partner West lead the ♦K. How do you imagine the defence should go? |
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Solution
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Belladonna finds it hard to evaluate his hand ** |
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Monte Carlo 1976: the final of the World Teams Championship (contesting the Bermuda Bowl). Slowly the era of the famous Italian Blue Team was coming to an end. During twenty years the Italians had been totally superior to their opponents but their lead was getting smaller and in the end disappeared completely.
Still, in this final against the USA the Italians (not the complete line-up of those twenty successful years, by the way) got off to a good start and when the following deal hit the table, they were leading by 60 - 15 IMPs.
Belladonna, North, has: | E/NS | | | ♠ | 10 6 5 4 | | | ♥ | 9 7 6 2 | | | ♦ | A 9 6 | | | ♣ | K 3 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Soloway | Belladonna | Rubin | Forquet | | — | — | 3♣ | 3♥ | | 4♣ | ?? | | |
Belladonna peers in his hand. He doesn't know and in the end hands you his cards. What would you bid? |
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Solution
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Should South accept partner's invite for game? |
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Round Robin of the 1995 Woman's World Championship Teams (contesting the Venice Cup). Australia plays Venezuela. Both teams are still in the race to qualify for the quarter finals.
Bourke (Australia) picks up as South: | W/All | | | ♠ | 10 9 7 6 4 3 | | | ♥ | A 6 4 | | | ♦ | A K 7 | | | ♣ | J | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Hirschaut | Beech | Smith | Bourke | | 1♦ | pass | pass | 1♠ | | 2♣ | 3♣1 | pass | ?? |
1 Spade fit, inviting to game
Bourke reviews her hand. True, she has honour cards in the side suits, but the quality of her spade suit is miserable. She can't come to a decision and hands you her cards. What would you bid? |
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Solution
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Just another penalty double or...? * |
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Beijing, the 1995 semi-final of the World Teams Championships (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) between Sweden and Canada.
Bjerregård, South, picks up: | W/NS | | | ♠ | K Q J 8 5 4 3 | | | ♥ | K J 9 | | | ♦ | 7 4 | | | ♣ | 10 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Molson | Morath | Baran | Bjerregård | | 1NT1 | pass | pass | 2♠ | | 3♣ | double | pass | ?? |
1 15-17
After having seen his partner pass, the 1NT opener will usually not bid voluntarily again. But here, over South's natural 2♠ overcall fourth in hand, West, Molson, battles on with 3♣. North comes to life with a double. What should South do?
Bjerregård ponders but cannot come to a conclusion, so he hands you his cards. What would you do? |
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Solution
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The Final of the 1991 World Teams Championship (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) in Yokohama, Japan. Iceland plays Poland and you are seated behind Icelander Arnarson, South. He has: | Z/— | | | ♠ | 9 5 3 | | | ♥ | Q 10 9 4 2 | | | ♦ | 7 4 | | | ♣ | 9 6 4 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Martens | Jonsson | Szymanowski | Arnarson | | — | — | — | pass | | 1♣1 | double | 1♦ | pass | | 1♠2 | pass | pass | ?? |
1 Polish Club, three possible types of hands:
a. either 12-14 balanced
b. or 15-17 unbalanced, 5+ clubs
c. or 18+ any distribution (but not 18-20 balanced: with that hand he would rebid 1NT)
2 Ruling out possibility b, leaving a or c (but if c, then limited, 18-20, and, since West doesn't bid 1NT, unbalanced) South was too weak to bid 1♥ voluntarily over 1♦. The subsequent bidding stays at a low level, however, and over 1♠ South has to decide once more: bid or pass?
He doesn't know and hands you his cards. What is your decision? |
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Solution
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