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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.

 

 

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

West leads 2 to East’s A with East returning 4 ducked to West’s Q. West continues 4 won by your Q in dummy. You play a trump to East’s 2 and your J and West’s A. West exits with 6. Over to you.

You have to hope that East has K 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 J from East suggests.

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

 

 

Wayne was trying to give his partner a club ruff from the start, the initial club lead, the continuation when in with Q and yet again when in with A.

However, Sam foresaw that and when the third club came from Wayne, he ruffed with dummy’s Q and followed up with 9, playing low when Clair followed with 3. Next came 8, taking a certain this time finesse of 10.

Had Clair covered, Sam still had A 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 K. T, 8 and A 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, 4 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 2. 

“Upping the ante”

 

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

Richard Solomon

 

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