THE NEC CUP: ROUND THREE

Bd: 13 Dlr: North Vul: Both North J975 KQ1085 2 642 West A82 96 AQ1095 A95 East KQ1043 74 4 KQ1083 South 6 AJ32 KJ8763 J7

Seven of ten East/West pairs achieved the normal result, plus 650 in 4. Liu-Zhang for CHINA emerged with only plus 300, defending 2 undoubled. We presume: Pass-1-2-All Pass. NAITO gained 8 imps but were still far behind, 15-38. The other two anomalous results came in YAMADA vs YOUTH. Akama-Masamura found their way to 3NT rather than 4 and lost the first five tricks in hearts for minus 100 while Kohno-Harada doubled Takahashi-K Yamada in 4 and allowed 12 tricks; plus 1190. 15 imps to YAMADA, who closed to within 3 imps of YOUTH in the match.

Eight of ten North/South pairs thought this was game in spades. Correctly. The other two thought it was slam in spades. They were fortunate that the other pair with the same perception happened to be at the other table in their match. Had clubs come in for four tricks, both Ino-Chen and Nagasaka-Takano would have made their 6 contracts without a heart lead. Just another push in paradise. "I'm sure there's no such score!"

Bd: 15 Dlr: SouthVul: N/S North Q10743 AJ64 K7 Q2 West 98 K10732 QJ42 43 East 62 Q9 109853 AJ65 South AKJ5 85 A6 K10987

This is not an easy combination for East/West, but most pairs managed to stay relatively low. Three North/South pairs bought the auction in spades. Ino-Chen for PABF OPEN were permitted to play in 2, down three, minus 150, a 2-imp loss to TAKAYAMA in their tight match. Cappelletti-Lipscomb achieved the same minus 150 for USA, but were pleased to discover that they had gained a cool 14 imps when Itabashi-Simpson brought back plus 1100 against 4 doubled (down five); 43-15, USA over PABF WOMEN.

Bd: 16 Dlr: W Vul: E/W North K94 AQ52 853 Q76 West 10875 3 AK10974 A9 East J KJ1076 6 KJ10853 South AQ632 984 QJ2 42

Bd: 17 Dlr: North Vul: None North 109 J1072 A54 AK82 West 7 Q9653 KQJ1087 Q East KQ54 K8 632 7654 South AJ8632 A4 9 J1093

Might East overcall North's 1 with 1? Some would consider that a normal action. Which goes to show that the Apocalypse may well be upon us (who needs the Clinton impeachment trial when we can feast upon a 1 overcall in our own back yard?). Four North/South pairs played 4 undoubled and made it. Fu-Ju were doubled by Sekizawa-Ohta and made five. Shimamura-Fukuda got 500 against their opponents' 5 sacrifice (it might have been 800 on a trump lead, or a trump switch if North had not led the K). Naito-Moriyama missed game, so CHINA gained 10 imps. YAMADA's Shimizu/-irata collected 500 against 3 doubled, for a 2-imp gain. Their match with YOUTH was just about even. The odd men out on this one were all in GREAT BRITAIN vs TATAI. The contract at both tables was 3 by West. Hirata-Shimizu were doubled by Hackett-Armstrong but they took eight tricks for the same minus 100 as the twins, who were down two undoubled.

What would you bid with the West hand after 1-Pass-1-? If you're a two-suited person, you will double or use a toy, but if you're a tactician, you might settle for a jump to 3. Interested parties are invited to conduct a survey. We will publish the results.

Bd: 18 Dlr: EastVul: N/S North K9842 1096432 7 A West AJ - KQ1093 Q97654 East 1073 QJ87 AJ J832 South Q65 AK5 86542 K10

The best East/West results were recorded by Shimizu-Hirsta of TATAI and Takahashi-Kaz Yamada of YAMADA, who both made 5 doubled (a spade lead will beat it, and Kyoko Shimamura found it against Itabashi-Simpson of USA to gain 7 imps for PABF WOMEN when 4 went two down at the other table). Shimizu-Hirata gained only 2 imps because theitr teammates conceded 500 in 4 doubled, but Takahashi-Yamada gained 12 imps when their teammates bought the auction at 2 and made 4. There was a new leader now in that match. Ino-Chen went for 500 in 5 doubled to wipe out a sound plus 130 by Imakura-Miyakuni, those 9 imps giving TAKAYAMA the lead. In CHINA vs NAITO, Naito-Moriyama got out for minus 200 in 5 doubled while Fu-Ju conceded 500 in 4 doubled. 7 imps to NAITO.

CHINA produced another five undertrick special against NAITO (two of them vulnerable) to gain 8 imps. PABF OPEN struck back against TAKAYAMA when Ino-Chen made 120 with the North/South cards while their teammates collected 300 against Nagasaka-Takano's 2 doubled on their three-three fit; 9 imps. The other results were normal enough, Hackett-Armstrong being the only pair to go plus against 2 to gain 5 imps. YAMADA scored again vs YOUTH by making partscores in both rooms.

Bd: 19 SouthVul: E/W North A106 J7 A1073 QJ92 West KJ AK10942 QJ 875 East 98742 6 K964 A63 South Q53 Q853 852 K104

Bd: 20 Dlr: West Vul: Both North Q94 74 10832 KJ106 West A10873 QJ QJ7 872 East K5 106532 K94 AQ4 South J62 AK98 A65 953

This deal decided TAKAYAMA vs PABF OPEN, when Mizuta-Tanaka made 1NT with the East/West cards while Miyakuni-Imakura went down in 2. Those 5 imps gave TAKAYAMA a 3-imp victory. YOUTH played in 1NT at both tables, down one in both, doubled when South declared. Those 7 imps completed a strong comeback for YAMADA, who won the match by 19 imps, outscoring their opponents 27-0 over the last four deals. "I love to make him happy."

THE NEC CUP: ROUND FOUR

Bd: 1 Dlr: North Vul: None North J84 Q432 KQJ1083 - West 73 AJ1085 75 A963 East KQ1065 976 2 KQJ2 South A92 K A964 108754

4 is a fair contract for East/West, but North can get two club ruffs to set it two tricks. 5, on the lie of the cards, is a worthwhile contract for North/South; declarer has five entries to the South hand to establish the long club and cash it, and if he ducks one spade, the defense is cut off from its second spade winner when declarer knockouts out the A. The only declarer to bid and make 5 was Paul Hackett, who was doubled; plus 550. That combined with the twins' plus 170 in 3 for first blood to GREAT BRITAIN over USA, 12 imps. Yoshida went down undoubled in 5 for YOUTH, but Harada made 4 at the other table; YOUTH gained 9 imps against TATAI. If our records are correct, Miyakuni went down doubled in 5 from the South side while Ino-Chen went one down in 3, so the first swing, 4 imps, went to PABF WOMEN over PABF OPEN. In TAKAYAMA vs CHINA, both North/Souths went plus in a diamond partscore. The same two contracts were declared in YAMADA vs NAITO but Akihiko Yamada was doubled in 4, which he made with an overtrick on the lead of the K; plus 610. 10 imps to YAMADA.

The West hand is not an easy one to bid over a 1 opening from partner. If you start with 1, you will never get the black lengths right, and if you start with 2, intending to show an invitational one-suiter, you won't find always find spades. It's worse for strong 2/1 systems that don't build a one-suited minor invitation into the system. Perhaps you should start with 2, bid your spades, and force to game. And what of North, who has a strong notrump? He might try 1NT over 1 - or double 1NT if that shows high cards (with an artificial 2 available as takeout of spades), but really, he ought to pass.

Bd: 2 Dlr: East Vul: N/S North Q5 AJ94 AQ52 K73 West AJ94 - 1096 AJ10954 East K6 KQ10863 K84 62 South 108732 752 J73 Q8

Cappelletti-Lipscomb won 5 imps for USA against GREAT BRITAIN by reaching 2NT, plus 150, while the twins went one down in 2. Kohno-Harada did just as well for YOUTH, playing 3, plus 130, while TATAI's Maeda-Hayashi went one down in 3; 14-0 for YOUTH. Sakamoto-Toyofuku won 5 imps for PABF WOMEN for 2NT, plus 150, while Ino-Chen went minus 50 in 2; 9-0. YAMADA's Shimizu-Hirata also won 5 imps against NAITO by playing in 2; plus 130, while Amano-Sekizawa went down a trick in 3NT. You can imagine making 3NT with the combined 21- count; it's that close.

Bd: 3 Dlr: South Vul: E/W North K10974 62 AJ765 3 West AQ2 J9 Q94 KQ852 East J65 AKQ85 K32 A10 South 83 10743 108 J9764

6NT from West's side is not horrible, single dummy. It needs clubs to come in (low to the ten is the percentage play) and either five heart tricks or the spade finesse. Only one pair (Maeda-Hayashi of TATAI) bid it. They were minus 200 to give YOUTH another 13 imps and a 27-0 lead after three deals.

Bd: 4 Dlr: West Vul: Both North 1065 93 KJ10954 Q7 West QJ32 K108 AQ8 A84 East 987 AQJ542 3 1092 South AK4 76 762 KJ653

3NT is no worse than the diamond finesse and 4 is a bit more complex, with possibilities of a spade ruff that might not establish the long card in West. In practice everyone played in hearts, with only one pair missing the normal game. The twins, of all people. Big loss? Nah, 4 went down at the other table, played by East. Spade ace, club shift beats it legitimately. TATAI's Hirata found the fine lead of the Q to defeat YOUTH's Harada (perhaps Shimizu bid the suit), making it 12-27 in the match. CHINA's Zhang went down 200 from the West side, playing to make after the A was dislodged. Everyone else made it. TAKAYAMA gained 13 imps against CHINA, the first real swing in the match.

Bd: 5 Dlr: NorthVul: N/S North Q5 K8764 942 A82 West A87632 105 AK75 4 East J4 J93 QJ8 QJ1093 South K109 AQ2 1063 K765

This was a normal cold 2 for East-West, but Maeda-Hayashi sold out to 2 for a double partscore loss. 7 imps back to YOUTH against TATAI, 34-12. Sakamoto-Toyofuku got too high for PABF WOMEN, turning over 4 imps to PABF OPEN. Liu-Zhang for China sold out to 1NT, which they couldn't beat, TAKAYAMA scooping in another 6 imps, 19-1.