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A Tough Day of Pairs.

That would sum up the first three rounds of the European Youth Pairs played in Veldhoven yesterday by the Kiwi pairs. There are 6 rounds of qualifying spread over 2 days with the first 3 x 15 board sets played yesterday.

In the Under 21 event, Alice Dravitzki and Ramon Quennell have a lot to do on Day 2 after averaging only 36.85% in the first three rounds. Leon Meier and his Australian partner, Sebastian Langdon – McMillan, had 2 rounds over 50% but averaged only 48.94% for the day to finish 18th in the 40 pair field.

Zachary Yan and Ryan Song had to play in the Under 26 competition and in the 39 pair field finished the day in 24^th place with a 47.50% average.

If there was one theme to the following 2 boards, it would be “keep your mouth shut” if you have nothing really to say.

What would you bid as North in this auction:

 

or as East in this one:

 

2 was Game Force with 4 a cue-bid. 4 was to play and 5 showed 1or 4 key-cards.

Well, in both cases, the player chose a lead-directing double and in neither case did they end up with a good result.

In the first example, North may have thought his opponents were heading for 3NT and that getting a club lead was rather a good idea. Really, I would have thought North would have been happy with any suit chosen by their partner, even a heart.

However, the bidding did not finish the way North envisaged:

 

As West, if I were to bid slam after North’s double, I would have chosen 6NT, fearing a club lead at trick 1. However, that contract was doomed to fail even with the diamond finesse working. North’s double would have been brilliant had South chosen to lead a small club. They could not, however, be blamed for laying down their ace.

East won the club continuation and played a spade to their jack, a heart to the ace and a second high spade, discarding a club from their hand. They needed and took the diamond finesse, to be followed by two more rounds of diamonds, K discarding dummy’s club, a heart ruff, KQ and a spade ruff at trick 13 for 12 tricks for an 89% score for Leon and Sebastian.

And with no double? If West did bid the diamond slam, they had to have K. A time perhaps to under-lead your ace? It would seem no other lead is going to be successful.

 

 
Warming up? Ryan certainly is as Leon watches on. 

What then of our double on the second auction. Obligingly, West led a low club:

 

It was all too easy on a club lead. Declarer could win trick 1 and lay down A. Cross to dummy with a diamond, take the marked trump finesse and claim 12 tricks, just losing A.

The only South who went down in slam received the A lead and presumably a heart continuation. Declarer needs entries to dummy, more than they might initially imagine. The slam is indeed cold at that point unless either defender has all 4 trumps: no play if it is West but makeable if East and South plays K under the ace.

Yet, if the trump break is friendlier, there is no need to risk the club finesse since Q can be discarded on the J. Unlucky for South if they play a trump to the ace at trick 3.

Also, the slam is not going to make if West leads a diamond. Declarer can win in hand (after West’s 3 bid), lay down a high trump and now cannot get to dummy twice to take both black suit finesses. Again, winning in dummy to take the club finesse seems an unneccesary risk. Also, if South plays K at trick 3, West can give their partner a heart ruff by ducking one round.

So many possibilities of beating this slam, except on a club lead. East would hardly mind if their partner started with A and a second diamond. Even though that was not the case here, East gave their partner a losing option with their double. With most tables not in slam, Zachary and Ryan won a 94% board for making their slam.
     The playing area

 
  Can you spot the Kiwi flag?

 

Rounds 4 -6 of qualifying are on Friday. We will tell you how the Kiwis fared on Monday or else go to this link yourself over the weekend. http://db.eurobridge.org/repository/competitions/23Veldhoven/microsite/Results.htm

Richard Solomon

Our JIN Club hands will return next Friday.

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