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18th World Youth Teams Championships

A Second mixed day at the World Youth Championships.

Day 2 at the World Youth Championships was somewhat a repeat of the opening day with two wins and two losses for the NZ Under 21 team. Yet, three of the four opponents on this day are right up there on the leaderboard. So, our team could be particularly pleased with their victory over Japan who had averaged over 19 vps per match on Day 1. It was also nice that all five team members experienced success on this second day. The victory over Japan was shown on BBO.

These are the Day 2 scores:

                             imps             vps

Israel                    6-49             1.24

Japan                  39-28           13.23

Singapore            45-29           14.42

France                16- 42            3.62

This leaves New Zealand 16^th in the 20 team field though very much in touch with the six teams above them.

Today’s deal comes from the win over India on Day 1. 

 

1NT was 15-17 and 5NT said simply “pick a slam, please, partner”. 6 seemed a particularly good choice. Presumably, if North had chosen a major, they would have played 6NT.

How would you play this contract on 10 lead? Trumps break 3-2.

 
Ryan (left) and Zachary (far right) in action..or inaction!

The declarer was Zachary Yan in the North seat. He won A and cashed KQ and then played a diamond to his ace. He then cashed K, K, and then played a heart to Q, West discarding a spade. Next came AQ (both defenders following) discarding two clubs from the South hand. He was down to this four- card ending:

He played  A and a second club to East’s J…and then? Zach commented afterwards:

“I thought and decided to play Q. Even if I lose to doubleton Kx,  I'll make my contract. However upon speaking to other players, ducking the J is much better. No player can play the jack in that situation in tempo from KJx or Jxx so West must have the K. But also after the jack is played, I can nearly guarantee the contract by ducking  as if East has Jx as on the actual hand, he is endplayed unless West overtakes with the king. If East has Jxx, his partner will also win the king and I will make 12 tricks.

 

Before Zach played A, he knew that West held 2 hearts, 2 diamonds and at least 4 spades (one was discarded on the third round of hearts). He also knew that East held at least 3 spades, had 5 hearts and 3 diamonds. Thus, East could not have more than two clubs.

West was therefore likely to hold K. On the actual lie, he could have succeeded by playing 9 not the ace and if East covered with J,  by playing his Q end-playing West. When he cashed his A, East could/should have anticipated an end-play by playing J under the ace. However, as Zach pointed out, when East did not unblock, his correct play was to duck the J, with East known to have no more clubs.

This board offered a real opportunity for a pick-up as at the other table, India played in 6 where there were two near inescapable trump losers. A flat board, therefore, but New Zealand won this match by 32 imps (17.34 vp) whereas making 6 would have given New Zealand 2 further vps.

 

Day 3 sees New Zealand play 4^th placed England, mi-table Hungary and Netherlands and bottom placed Ireland.

Richard Solomon

 

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