|
Defending is counting...*** |
|
We are seated behind Raymond Brock, playing for Great Britain against Sweden, during the Round Robin of the 1987 World Teams Championships (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. Brock is West: | | ♠ | J 4 | | | | ♥ | K J 4 2 | | ♦ | 10 7 6 2 | | ♣ | K 10 5 | | ♠ | 10 8 3 2 |  | | | | ♥ | A | | | | ♦ | A K 5 4 3 | | | | ♣ | A 6 3 | | |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| Brock | Fallenius | Forrester | Lindkvist | | 1♦ | pass | 2♦ | 2♠ | | double | pass | 4♦ | pass | | pass | 4♠ | pass | pass | | double | pass | pass | pass |
Brock leads the ♦A, declarer ruffing. Brock now hands you his cards, requesting you to defend as he did.
Declarer advances the ♣J from hand. Win or duck? If you duck, you must do it smoothly, so there isn't much time...
How do you defend? |
|
Solution
|
|
Double: penalty or not? *** |
|
During the Generali Masters individual tournament two Americans meet as partners for three deals. This means they will understand each other's bidding better than two players from different countries (especially since in the US there is much more common agreement about bidding methods than in for instance the slightly more anarchistic European countries). Let's take a seat behind Freeman, West. With his temporary partner, fellow American Hamman, he faces an Italian and a Chinese. | W/NS | | | | | ♠ | A 9 | | | | | ♥ | J 5 4 | | | | ♦ | K 9 8 5 3 | | | | ♣ | K 8 5 | | |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| Freeman | Jin | Hamman | Sementa | | pass | pass | 1♣ | pass | | 1♦ | pass | 1NT | 2♣
| | ?? | | | |
What would you bid? |
|
Solution
|
|
The 1995 European Championship for Pairs (MP-scoring). Philippe Cronier and his partner Maurice Salama are trying to qualify for the final. After an exciting auction, with all players participating (typical for MP-play), Salama finds himself playing a sky-high 5♦ contract (not a typical MP contract, but this time no trump really wasn't an option...). | E/— | ♠ | J 7 | | | | ♥ | A 9 7 4 | | ♦ | 8 5 2 | | ♣ | Q 10 4 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | — | | | ♥ | K 6 5 | | ♦ | K J 10 9 6 4 | | ♣ | A K 7 3 |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| Crestey | Salama | Maarek | Cronier | | — | — | pass | 1♦ | | 2♠1 | pass | 4♠ | double | | pass | 4NT2 | pass | 5♦ | | pass | pass | pass | |
1 Weak
2 'Choose from the other suits; my club suit is longer than my diamond suit' (with a longer diamond suit or equal length in the minors North would have bid 5♦)
West leads the ♠A.
Cronier ruffs, crosses to the ♥A and plays a diamond from dummy. East wins with the ♦A (West contributing the ♦7) and continues with the ♥Q. Cronier wins with the ♥K and decides to play a third round of hearts: West discards a spade, East wins and persists with another heart. South ruffs with the ♦6, West discarding another spade. Cronier knows how to continue and hands you his cards. Please proceed to make the rest. |
|
Solution
|
|
|
Pay attention, think logically and believe 'their' signalling*** |
|
The European championship for club teams is a rather new championship. In 2004 it is held for the second time. The venue is in Barcelona.
Andy Robson plays this 3NT contract for The All-England Bridge Club. | E/All | ♠ | 9 8 | | | | ♥ | A Q J 9 7 | | ♦ | 10 2 | | ♣ | A J 3 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | Q J 2 | | | ♥ | 5 | | ♦ | A K Q 8 5 4 | | ♣ | 9 8 4 |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| Wladow | Bakshi | Elinescu | Robson | | — | — | pass | 1♦ | | pass | 1♥ | pass | 2♦ | | pass | 3♣ | pass | 3NT | | pass | pass | pass | |
West leads the ♠4, fourth best. East wins with the ♠K and returns the ♠3. On South's ♠Q West contributes the ♠7. West's lead and East's return both suggest the spade suit is 4-4, therefore.
Robson quickly finds the best line of play. He hands you his cards, expecting you to do the same. Do you? |
|
Solution
|
|
During the 1987 World Championship Open Teams (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) Great Britain plays Venezuela.
South, Briton Jeremy Flint, shows himself a brave man. | W/All | ♠ | A 9 4 2 | | | | ♥ | 4 3 | | ♦ | A Q 9 7 | | ♣ | Q 5 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ♠ | Q 8 7 6 5 3 | | | ♥ | K 10 9 | | ♦ | 2 | | ♣ | A 6 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| Caponi | Sheehan | Hamaoui | Flint | | 3♥ | pass | pass | 3♠ | | pass | 4♠ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
That South doesn't have a lot to spare for his 3♠ bid, is an understatement (especially since three of his points, the ♥K, are unfavourably placed), though many players wouldn't like to pass 3♥. Then again, an overcall fourth in hand (after two passes) can be made on much less than directly over the opening bid.
West leads the ♥A and continues with the ♥Q. East follows suit to the second trick, so South is relieved to make the ♥K. He plays a spade, (West discarding a heart) to the ♠A and then another spade. East wins with the ♠K (West pitches a diamond) and exits with the ♠J to South's ♠Q (West pitches another heart).
Flint has lost two tricks and faces two possible club losers. How should he continue? |
|
Solution
|
|
Bocchi and Drijver disagree *** |
|
Semi-final European Cup for club teams 2006. Dutch team 'De Lombard' (from Rotterdam) faces the strong Italian team 'Allegra'. In all earlier editions of this European Cup Italian teams came out victorious, so 'De Lombard' is in for tough opposition.
On this deal, from the beginning of the match, the auctions at both tables start off identically. | E/NS | | | ♠ | J 8 | | | ♥ | 10 9 7 3 | | | ♦ | 9 3 | | | ♣ | A Q 6 5 3 | |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| De Wijs | Bocchi | Muller | Duboin | | Ferraro | Drijver | Vivaldi | Brink | | — | — | pass | 1♥1 | | 1♠ | ?? | | |
1 At least five-card suit
Both North players considered three possible bids:
2♥: 6-9 points, three-card heart support
3♥: pre-emptive, weak hand, four-card heart support
2NT: invitational (or stronger) to 4♥, four-card heart support (for American visitors: similar to the 2NT Jacoby support-bid North could apply without West's overcall). |
|
Solution
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 Next > End >>
|
|
Page 1 of 4 |