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Crazy
Hand
Crazy Result
Polish
open Trials 2008
This crazy hand from the Polish
open trials produced a big
swing to one side
Closed
Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Martens
|
Zawislak
|
Jassem
|
Pazur
|
|
|
2C
|
2H
|
Pass
|
|
3H
|
Dbl
|
Rdbl
|
Pass
|
|
3NT
|
All
Pass
|
|
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The bidding was a bit strange in the closed room
2C Showed at least 5/4 in the majors and less than
opening values
I have no idea what 2H was but it must have shown
minors. West bid 3H (again no idea what it meant)
and the final contract of 3NT was reached.
Unfortunately for North he chose the wrong major
to lead when he chose a small heart which declarer
let run to his Queen.
Dummy was entered with a club to the King to run
the Queen of Diamonds,Diamonds were continued then
the Jack of clubs to the Ace and Ace of Hearts brought
his total to nine tricks
No doubt West may have thought it was a good board
for his side but it was not to be
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Kwiecien
|
Gierulski
|
Jagniewski
|
Skrzypczak
|
|
|
1S
|
2NT
|
3C
|
|
5D
|
5S
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
|
6C
|
6S
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
|
7D
|
Dbl
|
All
Pass
|
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The bidding and stakes were much higher in the Open
Room
North felt his hand was worth an opening bid and
so opened 1S
East bid a normal 2NT to show both minors, and now
West refused to be outbid going all the way to 7D
which was doubled by North.
Again North led a small Heart which declarer ran
to his Queen
A spade was ruffed high, and a high Diamond was
lead and ran when South played low, trumps were
drawn.
Now a club to the King and the Jack of clubs led
and ran picked up that suit also to land his doubled
grand slam.
+ 1630 for a very well bid and played hand
and
15 IMPS for his side
Multi
two Diamonds,
Strikes again
Vanderbilt
Quarter-Final 2008
Closed
Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Jaggy
|
Sontag
|
Allegaert
|
Bates
|
|
|
|
Pass
|
1D
|
|
Pass
|
1S
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
|
2D
|
2S
|
All
Pass
|
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In the closed room the quiet auction above led to
a normal contract of two spades by North which made
nine tricks +140
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Helgemo
|
Bathurst
|
Helness
|
J
Lall
|
|
|
|
2D
|
Dbl
|
|
Pass
|
3H
|
Pass
|
3NT
|
|
Pass
|
4H
|
All
Pass
|
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When
top players in the world, playing in one of the
worlds top tournaments have a major bidding misunderstanding
the rest of us mere mortals tend to smile and take
comfort.
This hand from the Vanderbilt Quarterfinal 2008
was one such hand
When Tor Helness opened this hand with a Multi 2
Diamond he surely never expected what happened next
North bid 3 Hearts which was meant as a transfer
response (showing spades) but South responded 3nt,
North again tried to transfer to spades by bidding
4 hearts, but south passed and their they played
in their 2 - 2 fit
The contract finished seven down -700
and 15 IMPS away
Spades,
Diamonds, Clubs
or No Trumps
This hand from the British open trials was interesting.
What contract would you play
this hand in if playing with your favourite partner
Looking at all four hands you can see that 6NT is
unbeatable if played by East however neither room
found their way there
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Armstrong
|
McIntosh
|
Holland
|
Hallberg
|
|
|
|
1C
|
Pass
|
|
1S
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
Pass
|
|
2C
|
Pass
|
2D
|
Pass
|
|
3D
|
Pass
|
3NT
|
Pass
|
|
4S
|
All
Pass
|
|
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In the Open room East West, Armstrong Holland bid
as shown to 4 spades which made 11 tricks after
a diamond lead
Closed Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Townsend
|
Hackett
|
Gold
|
Waterlow
|
|
|
|
1C
|
Pass
|
|
1H
(1)
|
Pass
|
2D
|
Pass
|
|
3D
|
Pass
|
3NT
|
Pass
|
|
4D
|
Pass
|
4H
|
Pass
|
|
4NT
|
Pass
|
5D
|
All
Pass
|
| |
|
|
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The
auction in the closed room was a little different.
The 1 heart response by Townsend showed spades,
they found their diamond fit investigated slam and
then settled for game when two key cards were missing.
South lead the
Ace of hearts then switched to a spade.
Gold won in hand and had to decide how to tackle
the trump suit
In
the end he played a diamond to the ace and a diamond
to the Queen, unfortunately it was not his day and
the contract was down one and 13 IMPS away
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How
is your
declarer play
This
hand found declarer wanting, however their was a 100%
line available and all good declarers should make this
slam
Are you up to the task
The contract is six Hearts and west lead a trump
Declarer has
eleven top tricks 6 Hearts 2 spades 2 Diamonds and a club
and a winning finesse in any suit will bring his total
to 12
Declarer played two rounds of trumps and not wanting to
take the wrong finesse played the king and ace of spades
and ruffed a spade hoping to bring down the queen in three
rounds no luck. he then turned his attention to diamonds
and finessed the jack again no luck and finally tried
the club finesse and when this failed claimed he was very
unlucky
It is true he was unlucky to find west with all the missing
cards but his partner was quick to point out that their
was a 100% line available
After drawing trumps play the King and another spade and
cover whatever spade East plays.
If West wins he is endplayed in three suits and any return
hands South his slam.
Even after playing three rounds of spades south could
have recovered by coming to hand with a trump and leading
the 10 of spades and discarding in dummy.
West wins but is again endplayed and forced to lead a
minor suit solving all declarers problems
More high level judgement
Cayne v Garozzo
Internet match 2007
This
hand from an internet match produced a a swing of 16 IMPS
how would you have fared in the west seat
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Fantoni
|
Weed
|
Nunes
|
Stewart
|
|
1S
|
4H
|
4S
|
5H
|
|
5S
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
|
All
Pass
|
|
|
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In
the Open room East West, the world famous pair Italian
pair of Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes bid on over five
hearts, were doubled and went for 800
Closed Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
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South
|
|
Reisig
|
Simpson
|
Garozzo
|
Cayne
|
|
1S
|
4H
|
4S
|
5H
|
|
Dbl
|
All
Pass
|
|
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In
the Closed room USA WGM Richard Reisig chose to double
in the West seat and picked up +500 for his side when
the contract
went down two
800 plus 500 =
a gain of 16 IMPS
How
is your high level judgement
English Open Trials 2007
This
hand from the English open trials produced a swing of
15 IMPS how would you have fared
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Robson
|
Armstrong
|
Allfrey
|
Holland
|
|
|
Pass
|
1H
|
1H
|
|
4S
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All
Pass
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|
|
In
the Open room East West were allowed play in four spades
North lead a heart to the King and Ace
South did not find the club switch but instead continued
hearts ,so declarer's Diamond loser disappeared on the
Heart Queen
South was on lead again with the King of spades but again
failed to find the club switch this time leading the Ace
of Diamonds, declarer ruffed drew trumps and claimed 10
tricks + 420
The Closed room saw N/S bid on to the five level and were
doubled
Closed Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Hackett
|
Forrester
|
Waterlow
|
Bakhshi
|
|
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
2H
|
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4S
|
5H
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DBL
|
All
Pass
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West
lead a Diamond which caused declarer no problems
He won with the Queen ruffed a club played a spade to
his King
ruffed another club, cashed the Ace of spades discarding
his losing Diamond and ruffed a spade to hand
It made no difference what East played (he actually discarded
a club)
Declarer now ruffed his last club in dummy and claimed
11 tricks +850 to
add to the 420 in the other room for a gain of 15 IMPS
Find the lead
Naturalists v Scientists
2007
This
hand from a match of two top class teams one using natural
bidding system and the other using scientific methods
proved a big winner for the naturalists
Closed Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Hallberg
|
Dmitri
|
Brogeland
|
Hargreave
|
|
|
|
1D
|
P
|
|
1H
|
1NT
|
2D
|
3C
|
|
3H
|
3NT
|
4C
|
P
|
|
4H
|
|
All
Pass
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|
In
the closed room East West for the naturalists ended in
4H doubled on the auction shown, and after an unfortunate
Ace of club lead by North ruffed by declarer he simply
discarded his spade loser on the Ace of diamonds and ruffed
his other club loser in dummy before drawing trumps and
claiming 12 tricks and plus 1190 for his side
The open room saw a different auction
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Motley
|
Robson
|
Wolfson
|
Zia
|
|
|
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1D
|
P
|
|
3H
|
3NT
|
4H
|
5C
|
|
5H
|
6C
|
P
|
Pass
|
|
6H
|
Dbl
|
All
Pass
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|
This
time Zia and Robson for the Naturalists bid on over 4H
and again over 5H and doubled the final contract of six
hearts
This time there was no accident on the lead as Robson
lead Ace and another trump to
ensure a two trick defeat for the slam and another 500
points to add to the 1190 in the other room for a gain
of 17 IMPS
Zia
magic
Bermuda Bowl 2007
USA1 V USA2
This
hand from the 2007 Bermuda Bowl saw Zia Mahmood bid and
make a slam which was not bid by other top teams in the
competition
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Rodwell
|
Garner
|
Meckstroth
|
Weinstein
|
|
|
3S
|
DBL
|
4S
|
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5D
|
All Pass
|
|
|
In
the open room East West ended in 5D on the auction shown
and made exactly eleven tricks
Things were a bit different however in the closed room
Closed Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Zia
|
Hamman
|
Rosenberg
|
Lall
|
|
|
2S
|
DBL
|
3S
|
|
dbl
|
Pass
|
5C
|
Pass
|
|
5D
|
Pass
|
5H
|
Pass
|
|
6D
|
All
Pass
|
|
|
This
time Bob Hamman only bid 2S with the North hand and the
auction proceeded as shown
North lead a spade which Zia won in dummy and found the
brilliant play of a small heart to the 9 at trick 2
Slam made
Elsewhere in New Zealand
v Brazil
New Zealand played in 5D+1 Brazil 3NT+1
China v Argentina
China played in 5D while Argentina played in 3D+3
Netherlands
v Denmark
2007
This
innocent looking hand from a recent match between the
Netherlands and Denmark produced a 14 IMP swing to the
Netherlands despite Denmark bidding and making a game
in one room
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
|
1H
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
Pass
|
|
4H
|
All Pass
|
|
|
In
the open room East West had an uncontested auction to
4H which made easily for eleven tricks
Things were a bit different however in the closed room
Closed Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
|
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
|
1H
|
Pass
|
1NT
|
DBL
|
|
Rdbl
|
All
Pass
|
|
|
This
time South passed as dealer but doubled on the second
round and stood the redouble when it came back
North lead the jack of hearts which did not cause declarer
much trouble. Declarer won and continued hearts losing
the fourth round to North who switched to diamonds, King
from dummy to the Ace and South switched to a club, declarer
won in hand cashed two winning hearts
South who by now must have regretted their entry into
the auction had to find a lot of discards and with the
king of spades right for declarer ended up with 11 tricks
for +1360 and fourteen IMPS
Just
another "push" board
Springold Semi Final
Nickell v Henner-Welland 2007
This
hand from the Semi Final of this years Springold
saw one of the most remarkable auctions repeater at both
tables
Open Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Wrang
|
Meckstroth
|
Nisson
|
Rodwell
|
|
Pass
|
1S
|
2H
|
4S
|
|
5C
(1)
|
All Pass
|
|
|
1
Lead directing
Wrang in the west seat bid 5C as a lead directing bid
against a possible 5S, however his partner was not on
the same wavelenght and decided to pass
When 5C came around to Rodwell he obviously knew there
had been an accident in the bidding but could not be sure
that 5S could make so decided to take the certain plus
in 5C
This contract drifted off 6 tricks for +300 to North South
and we sat back and waited for the action in the closed
room
Closed
Room
|
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
Nickell
|
Sementa
|
Lall
|
Henner
|
|
Pass
|
1S
|
2H
|
2NT
|
|
4H
|
4S
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
|
5C
(1)
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
|
5H
|
Pass
|
Pass
|
Dbl
|
|
All
Pass
|
|
|
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Again
North- South arrived in 4S and again west bid 5C as a
lead directing bid against 5S and again remarkably east
passed.
This time however south doubled and Nickell lost no time
in running to 5H which again south doubled.
This contract drifted 2 off also for +300 to north-south
and a remarkable flat board
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