Daily Bulletin

----- Saturday, February 15, 1997 -----
Bulletin Number 7 - 3

Bd: 49 NORTH DLR: N 10962 VUL: None AKJ64 KQ2 6 WEST EAST KJ87 54 3 Q1092 AJ76 985 A1098 K743 SOUTH AQ3 875 1043 QJ52	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Abe Armstrong Chen 1 Pass 2 DBL Pass 3 Pass Pass 3 All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Jason H Hisatomi Jastin H 1 Pass 1NT DBL Pass 2 Pass Pass 2 Pass Pass 3 All Pass
Everyone went two down. Everyone might have been doubled, but no one was desperate enough just yet. Plus 100 at both tables gave Great Britain 5 imps and the lead, 129-128. Great Britain would have been content to have the match end right then and there, but there were still fifteen boards to play.

Bd: 52 NORTH DLR: W 9652 VUL: Both A863 AK83 9 WEST EAST AQ87 104 KJ 975 Q J7654 KQ10432 J87 SOUTH KJ3 Q1042 1092 A65

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Abe Armstrong Chen 1 DBL Pass 2 All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Jason H Hisatomi Jastin H 1 DBL Pass 2 2 3 All Pass It did not help the defenders to get an early spade ruff in the Open Room and Chen scored up plus 140 without incident. Teramoto drove the twins to 3, which was too high for Justin against passive defense. One down; minus 100. 6 imps to Hisatomi, 135-130. It was 135-131 when Board 54 issued Great Britain a severe body blow ...

Bd: 54 NORTH DLR: E 108764 VUL: E/W 1032 K9 KJ5 WEST EAST AKQJ92 53 A65 Q987 AJ32 Q84 --- A962 SOUTH --- KJ4 10765 Q108743

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Abe Armstrong Chen Pass Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 Pass 6 DBL All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Jason H Hisatomi Jastin H Pass 3 DBL 4 Pass Pass 4 All Pass

Teramoto was not really inconvenienced by the twins' preemption and he finished in 4, which he expected to make easily. As it happened, he got home by leading a diamond towards the queen; plus 620. At the other table, Papa Bear really did too much - Armstrong had shown the A and suggested with 5 that he held some secondary honours. Papa was perhaps a bit unlucky that someone could double 6 and he went three down; minus 800. That was 16 imps to Hisatomi, extending their lead to 20 imps, 151-131.

Bd: 55 NORTH DLR: S J3 VUL: Both K10763 AKJ6 K5 WEST EAST K98 A765 QJ8 A954 Q1098 2 J107 A982 SOUTH Q1042 2 7543 Q643

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Abe Armstrong Chen Pass Pass 1 All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Jason H Hisatomi Jastin H Pass Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2 All Pass Your editors are divided on the advisability of responding to 1 with a hand like South's. So were the gladiators. Abe went quietly minus 200 at 1. Jason went plus 90 at 2, in no small measure due to the fact that Hisatomi underled the A at trick one and Teramoto put in the eight. 7 imps back to Great Britain, 138-151.

Bd: 56 NORTH DLR: W A109762 VUL: None 8 A83 K102 WEST EAST J3 Q54 J1094 73 1095 KQJ6 8764 Q953 SOUTH K8 AKQ652 742 AJ

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Abe Armstrong Chen Pass 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Pass 6 Pass 6 All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Jason H Hisatomi Jastin H Pass 1 Pass 2(FG) Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 Pass 4 Pass 4NT Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

Both N/S pairs reached 6, a contract with plenty of promise, even on the most threatening lead of the K. Both declarers rejected the simple line - club ruff in dummy, king of trumps, then hearts to discard diamonds - reasoning that there were too many ways to go down (the third heart being ruffed from two trumps, or from three trumps, with an uppercut/promotion to follow in clubs). Both Jason and Abe played A, K, then three rounds of hearts. East ruffed and exited with the J, West keeping a diamond honour to protect the suit if necessary. Jason ran all his trumps but one, then decided to play West for the Q. One down; minus 50. Abe-san played the same way, but East threw two clubs and now West was caught in a showup squeeze in hearts and clubs in the endgame, Abe playing all the trumps. When Paul followed low to the J, Abe knew his last card was the high heart, so he had no trouble dropping Armstrong's Q for plus 980. That was 14 imps to Hisatomi, making it 165-138 halfway through the final set. The next three deals were quiet, Great Britain recouping 2 imps to make it 140-165. Then, a ray of hope ...

Bd: 60 NORTH DLR: W AK6432 VUL: N/S Q87 A52 3 WEST EAST Q107 J98 A64 K1093 KQJ3 1064 AKQ J106 SOUTH 5 J52 987 987542

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Abe Armstrong Chen 2NT Pass 3(1) Pass 3(2) Pass 3(3) Pass 3NT All Pass (1) 5-card Major Stayman; (2) 4 or 3/4; (3) 4 Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Jason H Hisatomi Jastin H 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3(1) Pass 3(2) Pass 3NT (3) DBL All Pass (1) No 5-card Major; (2) How many spades? (3) Not four

In the Open Room, where Abe learned that West could hold as many as four spades, it was not quite as attractive to double 3NT as it was in the Closed Room. Both declarers took seven tricks, and Great Britain won the board plus 300, minus 100. Those 5 imps brought them within 20 imps at 145-165. The next two boards were flat, so Great Britain was down to the last two deals with a lot of ground to make up ...

Bd: 63 NORTH DLR: S AK865 VUL: N/S AQJ87 6 AJ WEST EAST 2 QJ9743 106 K942 9743 K8 KQ9865 2 SOUTH 10 53 AQJ1052 10743

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Paul H Abe Armstrong Chen 3 Pass 3NT 4 Pass Pass DBL Pass Pass 5 DBL All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Jason H Hisatomi Jastin H 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Great Britain is a team with great solidarity. On every other deal, it seems, the team chooses a suit, and both pairs make a supreme effort to play in it. This was a fairly dramatic example, but no more so than others in their dossier. Poor Jason played 4 very nicely to get out for two down; minus 200. Can we understand the auction? Perhaps if we close our eyes and concentrate hard. Armstrong would have had to play 4 doubled very nicely himself, but he was deprived of the privilege by Papa Bear, who rode in from the West, like Young Lochinvar, to rescue the fair maiden (sic) to 5. Depending on which authors you choose to paraphrase, this was either a bid that showed great flair, or it was anarchastic. Poor Papa went down 1400 and Hisatomi gained 17 imps, a fitting nightcap. Oh yes, 3NT would have made. Hisatomi won the fourth quarter 54-21 and the remarkable match 182-145, moving on to the final to meet the Indonesians, who had survived by a fingernail against Chinese Taipei.

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The NEC Cup Final: Showdown in Shinjuku

Indonesia started with a 1-imp carryover advantage. If their semifinal match was any indication, they might well need that imp against the sizzling Hisatomi team. Eddy Manoppo was permitted one trick more than Tadashi Teramoto in a routine 2 on Board 1, so Indonesia doubled its lead to 2 imps. Then, something more substantial ...
Bd: 2 NORTH DLR: E 1076432 VUL: None 7 863 K54 WEST EAST Q9 A85 J109 A54 J10 KQ75 A98632 QJ10 SOUTH KJ KQ8632 A942 7	Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Asbi Hisatomi Sacul 1NT 2 2NT(1) Pass 3 All Pass (1) Puppet to 3 Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Manoppo Tatai Lasut Hara 1NT 2NT(1) DBL Pass Pass 3 Pass Pass DBL 3 DBL All Pass (1) Good Major plus a minor
If you're not going to bid and make 3NT with the E/W cards, you'd like to do better than the plus 110 achieved by Teramoto-Hisatomi in the Closed Room for a reasonable, conservative decision. The opportunity for a better result presented itself to Lasut-Manoppo in the Closed Room when Teruyoshi Hara committed his side to the three-level with the South cards and bought a poor fit. Manoppo was able to double the conventional 2NT to show general strength, and that got Henky Lasut involved. Eddy doubled 3 himself and was delighted with the result. He led the A, and switched to the J, ducked. A second diamond went to the ace and Hara conceded a third to the queen. The low trump switch went to the king (jack from Manoppo), and Hara got off play with his remaining diamond, Manoppo discarding a spade. Lasut cashed the A and gave his partner a spade ruff with the nine, but now Hara could lead the Q to pin the ten, getting out for a mere three down; minus 800. 12 imps to Indonesia; 14-0.

Bd: 4 NORTH DLR: W 953 VUL: Both AK43 K84 Q86 WEST EAST KQ 10642 Q1052 98 A10762 Q95 K9 10742 SOUTH AJ87 J76 J3 AJ53

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Asbi Hisatomi Sacul 1 DBL Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2 Pass 2NT Pass 3 Pass 3NT All Pass Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Manoppo Tatai Lasut Hara 1 1 Pass 2 Pass 2 All Pass We're not sure what there is about that North hand that makes it attractive for vulnerable intervention over 1, but both our Norths were beholders of a certain beauty in those angry hills.

Denny Sacul's takeout double got him all the way to 3NT, where he finished minus 300 on a diamond lead to the ten and king. Kikuo Tatai's equally ugly overcall got him to 2, where he had a better chance after a diamond to the ace and a second diamond. He won the king, ruffed a diamond, and led a low club from dummy, a good start. Manoppo went in with the K to return a club to the queen. Tatai cashed ace-king of trumps, and reverted to clubs, and could not be defeated; plus 110. 9 imps to Hisatomi, 9-15.

Bd: 5 NORTH DLR: N QJ1043 VUL: N/S KJ5 A985 5 WEST EAST K75 9 AQ1043 8762 J7 K6432 Q76 AK4 SOUTH A862 9 Q10 J109832

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Asbi Hisatomi Sacul Pass Pass Pass 1 1 2(1) 4 Pass Pass DBL All Pass (1) Heart fit, limit or better Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Manoppo Tatai Lasut Hara 2(1) Pass 3 All Pass (1) Spades and a minor, weak

Tatai's two-bid combined with a preemptive raise shut out Lasut-Manoppo altogether, something that is not generally easy to do. Lasut cashed the K and switched to his trump. Tatai put on the ace and led a heart, but Manoppo went in with the ace to clear trumps. Tatai might have won in dummy to ruff a club and lead a diamond, but he won in hand, continuing with a diamond to the ten and jack. With only one entry left in dummy, it was safe for Manoppo to play a club now. Tatai ruffed, played king of hearts, heart ruff, and ran the Q, losing to the king. One down; minus 100. At the other table, Taufik Asbi passed the North hand but came in later. Sacul took an advance save at 4 and Hiroshi Hisatomi, with plenty of defense, doubled for penalty. He too led the K, but he switched to the 6, trying to force dummy in order to shut out the clubs. Teramoto won and continued hearts, but Asbi put in the jack successfully and discarded a club from dummy. He ran the Q to the king, won the diamond return with the ace, threw the Q on the king of hearts, and crossruffed his way to ten tricks; plus 790. 13 imps to Indonesia, 28-9.

Bd: 6 NORTH DLR: E Q43 VUL: E/W 1064 K6 K9654 WEST EAST 6 AKJ10 J9872 K3 AQJ3 98754 A72 Q3 SOUTH 98752 AQ5 102 J108

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Asbi Hisatomi Sacul 1 Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2(2) Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 4 DBL 4 Pass 5 All Pass (2) 4th suit forcing Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Manoppo Tatai Lasut Hara 1 Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 2(2) Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3 Pass 3NT All Pass (1) Precision, 2+ cards; (2) 4th suit forcing

You may not agree, but we believe this to be a very difficult construction for E/W. It's hard to find fault with the Teramoto-Hisatomi auction that finished at 5, but that contract went two down when Hisatomi elected to duck the natural opening lead of the J. He lost a club, a diamond, and two hearts for two down; minus 200. Manoppo won the board for Indonesia when he tried the effect of a "last-minute" 3NT, hoping that Lasut would not pass when it was wrong to do so (weak spades, singleton club). Tatai led a club and the queen won. He continued clubs when he won the K, but Manoppo took the spade finesse and soon had ten tricks; plus 630. 13 imps to Indonesia, 41-9. All the rest of the deals in this set save one involved nothing more than inexpensive overtricks and undertricks. That board was ...

Bd: 15 NORTH DLR: S 987 VUL: N/S A105 KJ109 A93 WEST EAST 65 AKQ4 J87 K9 AQ32 7654 J1082 K74 SOUTH J1032 Q6432 8 Q65

Open Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Teramoto Asbi Hisatomi Sacul Pass Pass 1 1 Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2NT All Pass 2(1) Closed Room WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH Manoppo Tatai Lasut Hara Pass Pass 1NT DBL Pass Pass DBL(2) All Pass (1) Majors?; (2) Takeout

Teramoto had no chance in 2NT, even after a diamond lead around to his queen. He ran the 10 to the queen and the defenders cleared hearts. Teramoto knocked out the A and the defenders cashed out for one down; minus 50. At the other table, Lasut-Manoppo went out headhunting after Tatai's weak notrump, doubling the escape to 2 without much in trumps. Manoppo led the J, ducked to the king, and a second club went to the queen. A trump to the ten lost to the king and Lasut, hiding his spades, played a third club to dummy's ace. Hara drew trumps and led a diamond up, but Manoppo went in with the ace and had a safe exit with the fourth club. It was time, at last, to play on spades, and there was no way that Lasut could avoid giving Hara a seventh trick. Down one; minus 200. 6 imps to Indonesia, who had much the better of the first stanza, 53-12, and with the one-imp carryover, led 54-12 after sixteen deals. That's all for today. We'll finish our report on the final in tomorrow's bulletin.

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