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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

High stakes : Good Timing.

With the exception of a Seniors’ Team for the Asia Pacific Bridge Federation (APBF) Championships in Hong Kong in June, our Open, Women, Mixed and Seniors' international teams have all been announced. Yesterday saw the announcement of our three international teams to Hong Kong.
Congratulations to all involved but especially to those making their international debuts:

Kinga Hajmasi and Candice Smith                 Women’s team

Sam Simpson                                             Mixed Team

Fuxia Wen and Ian Berrington                      Mixed Team


Today, we feature a hand recently well played by Sam Simpson, against one of the pairs who qualified for our Mixed Team going to Marrakech, Clair Miao and Wayne Burrows.

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North Deals
Both Vul

10 6 2

Q 9 8 4

A Q J 5

Q 9

   

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

A J 7

K J 7 6

6

K 10 8 5 3

 

West

North

East

South

 

Pass

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

2 

Pass

2 

Pass

3 

Pass

4 

All pass

 

 

 

 

Plan your play to 4Heart-small. The above is a Precision auction with 2Club-small a standard Precision opening and 2Diamond-small an artificial game try enquiry.

West leads Club-small2 to East’s Club-smallA with East returning Spade-small4 ducked to West’s Spade-smallQ. West continues Club-small4 won by your Club-smallQ in dummy. You play a trump to East’s Heart-small2 and your Heart-smallJ and West’s Heart-smallA. West exits with Club-small6. Over to you.

You have to hope that East has Spade-smallK as you have already lost a trick in spades, hearts and clubs. In addition, you have to establish your remaining clubs as winners, fine if the suit breaks 3-3 but less appealing with a 4-2 break as the fall of Club-smallJ from East suggests.

Sam was up against a canny opponent in Wayne Burrows as this was the full lay-out:

North Deals
Both Vul

10 6 2

Q 9 8 4

A Q J 5

Q 9

Q 8

A

K 10 8 7 4 2

7 6 4 2

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

K 9 5 4 3

10 5 3 2

9 3

A J

 

A J 7

K J 7 6

6

K 10 8 5 3

 

West

North

East

South

Wayne Burrows

Jo Simpson

Clair Miao

Sam Simpson

 

Pass

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

2 

Pass

2 

Pass

3 

Pass

4 

All pass

 

 

 

 

Wayne was trying to give his partner a club ruff from the start, the initial club lead, the continuation when in with Spade-smallQ and yet again when in with Heart-smallA.

However, Sam foresaw that and when the third club came from Wayne, he ruffed with dummy’s Heart-smallQ and followed up with Heart-small9, playing low when Clair followed with Heart-small3. Next came Heart-small8, taking a certain this time finesse of Heart-small10.

Had Clair covered, Sam still had Diamond-smallA on the table to return to dummy. As it was, he could now take a spade finesse to finish in hand to draw Clair’s last trump with his Heart-smallK. Club-smallT, Club-small8 and Diamond-smallA provided Sam with the last three tricks and 10 in all.

A nicely defended board but declarer was up to the task of making his contract.

At the other table, 4Heart-small was also made with a much friendlier lead of a diamond from the East hand. Also, the stakes were lower as declarer was only in 2Heart-small

“Upping the ante”

West Deals
N-S Vul

   

K

K 10 4

K J 10 7 6 2

7 5 4

 

N

W

 

E

S

   

 

West

North

East

South

3 

Dbl

Pass

6 ♠

All pass

 

 

 

Well, you did! Mind you, so did South. However, now it is your lead. Well?

Richard Solomon

 

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