Boards from the Roth Open Swiss

The last big event of these Nationals is the Roth Swiss teams. 131 teams are on the starting list on Friday, 66 teams will qualify for the Saturday and 36 for the final on Sunday. The first day is acceptable for us, finishing 39 and qualifying for the second day. On Saturday we lose the first match slightly against Patricia Cayne´s team. In the second match we have strong opponents again, Kit Woolsey, Bart Bramley, Steve Robinson and Peter Boyd. The first five boards we are doing well, leading with 12-2. After the sixth board we are not in the lead anymore.

My six diamond bid was not a good choice. Not just because my clubs are so much better than diamonds. But if I bid six clubs and Boyd happens to have a diamond void and doubles, I can run to six diamonds. My bad choice was severely punished, when Boyd made the Lightner double, Robinson duly led a club and the defence got their two ruffs and the Ace of hearts, two down and -500. At the other table West opened one strong club and East was bidding one no-trump showing clubs. Sadik was pre-empting with three hearts, West splintered four hearts, Melih supporting with five hearts and East was ending the bidding with six clubs. Easy twelve tricks, 1370 and losing 19 IMPs. Somebody should have sacrificed against this slam, six hearts going only two down.

Later when discussing about the board with our opponents, Robinson told me that he would have sacrificed against six in a minor, if partner is not doubling.

If I would have bid six clubs, Boyd told me that he would double that contract as well! This psychic Lightner would have worked nicely as well. Being certain that South has a diamond void, I would run to six diamonds. South is doubling again and it shouldn´t be too difficult for Robinson to find the correct opening lead.

In the third match we have some easier opponents, but still we lose again. Despite the following nice three no-trump hand.

Hudson started with the seven of spades to the East´s nine and the Vesa´s Queen. What would be your line of the play?

If diamonds are 3-3, there´s no problem. But if they are 4-2, you have to establish the suit for the eights trick. But then there is no chance to try to establish for the ninth trick, because defenders will cash out four spades for one down. You should know that the defender´s spades are 5-2 and not 6-1, because East didn´t open the bidding with a weak two in spades. From the bidding you should know that west might have the most stopper’s in the remaining suits. The key play is to try to cut the defender’s communications. By playing another spade West might feel the pressure to keep stoppers in the remaining suits when East is cashing his spade winners. It is no good for East not to cash his spades as he has no entry to his long suit after the second round of spades. In the actual board West could not find a discard for the fifth spade. East squeezes his partner in three suits. The whole board was:

Actually, in the ending declarer needs to guess if West started with CKxx or CJxx if West discards one heart and two clubs for the spades. In the actual play West did not discard two clubs so the play was easier.

At the other table 3NT went -1 after a heart lead and a nice 10 imp win. Unfortunately, the rest of the Saturday games did not go that well. We did not qualifie to the final day so we need to play one session Swiss event on Sunday. The results can be found:

http://live.acbl.org/event/NABC182/OSWS/4/qualifiers

   

Boards from Monday - Wednesday games.

The two-day knock-out teams starting on Monday has always quite an easy field. All the ambitious teams are starting the main event, in the Summer Nationals the Spingold, so we go easily thru the two matches of the first day. In the semi-final on Tuesday it was not so easy anymore. We start well, however, scoring 10 IMPs in the very first board.

My two heart bid showed a five card suit including at least three of the five highest cards. I was planning to bid four diamonds, if Vesa would bid three no-trumps, showing nicely my distribution. But after four diamonds I couldn´t find a scientific approach anymore. 

Radu Nistor, a Romanian born pro from NYC, started with the King of spades. Vesa took the trick with the Ace and played back another spade, two, Jack and a ruff with D8. Vesa took the diamond 9 continuation with the Ace, followed by club Ace and a club ruff. Spade ruff to hand, club ruff with dummy´s last trump and another spade ruff. When Vesa was running all his trumps, West was keeping her King of clubs and had to discard three hearts, leaving only a singleton heart in her hand. The moment of truth was now reached.

Vesa made the right decision not to play for a squeeze, but simply took the heart finesse for twelve tricks. Why? Because West was the client of the team, an average standard player, who would be showing her suffering, when the last trump was played. Against a top class defender the choice would be much more difficult, specially if the last discard would be the Jack of hearts. The whole board:

The rest of the match is not going our way, losing the match with 45-63. Melih decides not to play the one session Swiss teams in the afternoon, so we are enjoying our free evening with some movies at our apartment.

On Wednesday we started another two-day knock-out team tournament. The first match is an easy win against surprisingly weak local team. But seeding for the next round can´t be worse for us, we have to play against French open team captained by Paul Street. The first half is bad, and we are down 14-41 at the halfway. In the first boards of the second half the gap is closing with some IMPs, but after the next board is was all over. All red, Vesa opens 14+-17 no trump, RHO doubles showing points and I have 7, QJ75, AKJ86, 964. I redouble, showing strength, expecting opponents to run into a spade contract, and then wondering can I pass if partner doubles. Nobody is running anywhere, however, and at the same time I’m hopeful but very worried as well. The opening lead is the King of spades.

East makes his five spade tricks plus two Aces, one down and -400. Not a great result, five diamonds being a laydown contract. At the other table Melih and Sadik are ending up in four spades doubled. Cedric Lorenzini makes no mistake of “looking at the table” with the Ace of diamonds. After that opening lead we would have won the board with nine IMPs! Instead he leads a trump and after the second round of trumps the contract goes two down, -500 and 14 IMPs to the French team.

Later we had some discussion about my redouble. Much safer action would be to show a strong distributional hand with two no-trumps. But on the other hand, Vesa might have a good four card or any five card spade suit, and then we could kill the opponents in any contract. And only five boards left, knowing that you are about 20 IMPs down, some desperate actions are in order! The results: http://live.acbl.org/event/NABC182/302A/2/summary

http://live.acbl.org/event/NABC182/012A/2/summary

Some boards from the Sunday swiss

On Sunday we played a one-day Swiss team tournament. An easy start against Canadian Juniors (20/0) was followed by not so easy continuation against the French open team, captained by Paul Street (7/13). Third match we are winning slightly and in the fourth round we are playing against our Icelandic friend Svenni Eiriksson.

Vesa starts with the three of diamonds (3/5), dummy plays low and declarer is winning my eight with the ten. Next declarer cashes the Ace of clubs, Jack, eight and two. Then he continues with a small club to the ten, partner discarding an encouraging five of diamonds. Take it over from here.

It seems quite natural to take the trick with the Queen and continue thru dummy´s weakness with a heart. The only question being, should I show three cards with a switch to the three or should I play the seven, attitude, denying strength in the suit?

But before continuing with any heart, let´s try make some picture of the whole hand. Declarer´s jump to 2NT showed a 18-19 balanced hand. The opening lead tells that partner has the five of diamonds. Vesa must have four hearts as well. With 5-5 in reds he wouldn´t double and if Vesa has three diamonds, declarer would have five and he would have opened one heart. So, partner has 3-4-5-1 and declarer 2-4-2-5. Can partner´s hearts be good enough, that my heart switch could beat the contract?

Not really, only if Vesa has KQ109, we could establish the needed tricks from the heart suit. Is there any other chance?

Yes, if declarer´s spade doubleton is precisely K9. So be it! The whole hand:

I played a low spade and Vesa was winning the King with the Ace. Vesa continued with the Jack to dummy´s Queen and I was so happy to see declarer following with the nine! Later, after cashing the Ace of diamonds, Vesa was able to play a spade and the contract was one down. Declarer didn´t do his best in this board. If he ducks the second round of spades, the contract is unbeatable.

At the other table Melih was playing the same contract from North´s hand. The lead was a low spade to the King and the Ace. Melih ducked the continuation of the Jack of spades and took the third round with the Queen. The ten of clubs ran to West´s Jack and Melih won the continuation of a low diamond. The eight of clubs was covered with the nine and the Ace. West won the diamond continuation with the Ace, but now he was endplayed and had to give an entry to declarer´s hand for the club finesse. Nine tricks, 10 IMPs, the whole match being 19/1 for us, so we went for the lunch break in a good position.

The afternoon session started too badly. Losing two matches against not high-level opponents and we could say goodbye for any end position to be proud of. The 20/0 victory from the last match was a slight comfort.

In this last match I had a very good hand: AQ542, KQJ754, A, K. First hand, all red, I open one heart and partner is bidding three diamonds, which shows 10-12 and four card support. My RHO doubles showing diamonds. What next?

All I need for a grand is the King of spades and the two missing Aces. With RKCB I can find out the number of Aces, but I need some control bidding to find out the possible King of spades. If I control bid now four clubs, partner bids four in the red suit. And what then? I have to ask aces but then it´s not anymore possible to find out the spade control. But what if I redouble three diamonds?

Then partner might bid three spades with the King. So, redouble it is and Vesa starts to think.

At the same time I start to fear for the worst. In some sequences, if opponents are doubling our conventional bid, like Stayman or transfer, redouble shows that suit and willingness to play this contract. What if Vesa thinks I have a good five card diamond suit and passes?

That would the disaster of the decade! To go down about three in diamond partscore, -1600, instead of collecting 2210 from a grand slam in hearts. To my big relief Vesa bids anyway, jumping to four hearts, which I take as minimum. I check the keycards with four no-trumps, Vesa promising two without the trump Queen, and then I invite to grand with five no-trumps. When Vesa is slowing down with six hearts, I decide to settle for a small slam and pass.

South started with a low diamond. How would you proceed?

If North has the King of diamonds, as expected, the contract is almost 100% sure. I won the diamond lead, crossed to the dummy with a heart, both opponents following, and played Queen of diamonds. North covered (didn´t make any difference), I ruffed, unblocked the King of clubs, played a heart to the ten and cashed the Jack of diamonds and the Ace of clubs. A club ruff was followed with the third round of trumps ending dummy. In the four-card ending dummy had 1087 of spades and one heart and I had AQ5 of spades and one trump. North didn´t cover the seven of spades, I played the five and South was endplayed. If North would cover the seven with the Jack or the nine, I just play the Queen and the contract is assured. The whole hand:

At the other table our opponents bid all the way to the grand slam. That contract needs KJ doubleton onside. Lucky us, no miracles and we won 17 IMPs. The results: 

http://live.acbl.org/event/NABC182/29TA/2/summary

http://live.acbl.org/event/NABC182/012A/2/summary