NEC CUP: ROUND SEVEN Bd: 9 North Dlr: North K Vul: E/W K986 J108643 65   West   East    A1097 J543    AQ107432 J    - 52    74 AJ10932 South Q862 5 AKQ97 KQ8 It's difficult to see the bidding ending at 3NT on this one, but that's what happened in the CHINA vs TATAI Open Room, where Liu finished plus 430 from the North seat on the lead of the 10. I can't imagine how Maeda-Hayashi must have felt about this result, but picture the conversation: Maeda (East): "Say, Nobu, how many of those hearts did you have anyway?" Hayashi (West): "Five ... or so ... why do you ask?" Maeda: "And four spades too, right?" Hayashi: "Yes, yes, yes." Maeda: "Can't we make something our way?" Hayashi: "I don't want to think about it any more." And, yes, the contract in the Closed Room was 4 by West (Ju), plus 620. 14 imps to CHINA, 28-18. It was more comprehensible in USA vs YAMADA and PABF WOMEN vs YOUTH, where both East/West pairs went one down in 5, usually doubled. Naito/Moriyama doubled 4 but didn't beat it (even if North leads the K, the spade ruff doesn't materialize: A, low heart to the jack, diamond ruff, A, Q to the king, club switch, ace, diamond ruff, draw trumps, concede a spade and a club). Plus 790 for Nagasaka-Takano, and 12 imps to TAKAYAMA, 21-31. If you're looking for excitement (sweetheart), consider the events in GREAT BRITAIN vs PABF OPEN, where the twins allowed Teramoto to make 5 doubled (plus 550) while Miyakuni-Imakura did worse, going minus 800 at 5 doubled. 6 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 33-29. This one had all the makings of a slugfest from its inception and was showing no signs of easing up. Bd: 11 North Dlr: South 86 Vul: None A9752 AJ A1062   West   East    AKQ54 J973    3 KJ4    Q10952 K87    QJ 853 South 102 Q1086 643 K974 4 was made at both tables in NAITO vs TAKAYAMA and PABF WOMEN vs YOUTH, and failed at both tables in CHINA vs TATAI. In USA vs YAMADA, Cappelletti-Lipscomb defeated 4 while Itabashi-Simpson were permitted to make an overtrick; USA 27-16. The twins (believe it or not) missed this game. The fact that you can't make it and might go down in three are not valid excuses. But right they were. Their plus 170 brought in 6 imps for GREAT BRITAIN when Hackett-Armstrong defeated 4 at the other table. The Brits were ahead 42-29. If North is not really marked with the A on the bidding, he might well duck it when the suit is led by declarer (sparing declarer the guess is weak bridge, you know), but even if declarer steals the K, he has to guess diamonds. If North has bid, declarer will lead the first diamond through him. Is that a 2 overcall in your circles, dear reader? Bd: 12 North Dlr: West Q109 Vul: N/S 109432 95 963   West   East    AK5432 J7    5 Q7    K762 QJ103    AK Q8542 South 86 AKJ86 A84 J107 Mizuta-Tanaka doubled Ohta in 4 and held her to 590. 5 imps to NAITO against TAKAYAMA, 40-21. Takahashi-Kaz Yamada missed game against the USA, who gained 6 imps to lead 33-16. Bd: 13 North Dlr: North 10865 Vul: Both Q A97 KQJ85   West   East    Q743 AJ92    K532 A8    J643 1082    A 10972 South K J109764 KQ5 643 2 was the popular spot on this one. It was made more often than it failed, but it should not have been difficult to defeat, West getting two club ruffs and East having no reason to lose his A. Teramoto took ten (count 'em) tricks against the twins, who will not include this one in their scrapbook of defensive gems. Meanwhile, Miyakuni-Imakura got all their tricks against Armstrong, so PABF OPEN gained 7 imps, 36-42. The overtricks were flying fast and furious at both tables of TAKAYAMA vs NAITO and PABF WOMEN vs YOUTH, but in USA vs YAMADA, Itabashi-Simpson beat 2 while Takahashi-Kaz Yamada did not. 7 imps to USA, 40-16. Fu-Ju defeated 2, but the contract at the other table was 2 by Maeda-Hayashi, East/West. It looks as if Maeda might have maed (sic) it, but he too was down 100. 5 imps to CHINA, 33-19. Bd: 16 North Dlr: West A2 Vul: E/W 62 KQ42 KQJ54   West   East    J1043 9876    AQ108 K73    953 876    A2 1098 South KQ5 J954 AJ10 763 In four matches, 3NT was played at both tables. In each of those matches, one declarer made it and the other was defeated when West shifted to a low heart (or perhaps the queen, which is not as good if you're trying to beat 3NT rather than hold it; East might hold king-and- one). There were four 11 imp swings, thanks to the good work of Imakura-san, Takano-san, Itabashi-san, and Hayashi-san. In the other match, Masamura-san found the vital heart switch to defeat 3NT but Akama-Furuta inexplicably stopped at 2, plus 150, so YOUTH gained only 5 imps to lead 25-16. Bd: 17 North Dlr: North 865 Vul: None A94 J653 875   West   East    QJ AK10943    KQ852 -    AKQ108 92    J AKQ109 South 72 J10763 74 6432 It is not always easy to show a void in your partner's main suit, and this deal proved to be a difficult one for East/West. Our guys had a chance after: West East 1 2 3 3 3 ? If West had bid 4, an advance cue-bid for spades (don't ask what happens when West is 7-6 in the reds), East might jump to 5, Exclusion RKCB, find the A, ask for the Q, and have West show it, along with the K. In practice, West used RKCB over 3 and reached 6 when East did not show his void. Forgivable, certainly. In the other room, Takahashi/Kaz Yamada also missed seven, but our North guy doubled, presumably for a heart lead. He ran into a redouble this time, got his heart lead, and soon chalked up minus 1820 on his private score. Gee, doesn't the grand slam score only 1510? We don't call him Junior for nothing. 13 imps to YAMADA, 30-51. Two pairs did bid this grand slam, but one of them (Miyakuni-Imakura) tried it in notrump. This time North's (Papa Bear's) lead-directing double made a lot of sense. Down 100 and 15 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 58-47. The other grand slam was bid by Sakamoto-Toyofuku for PABF WOMEN, and they chose the right strain. No one doubled, so the swing was 10 imps, 26-25. The score suggests that the bridge in this match was a lot better than it was in the other matches, and I think that the score reflects reality on this occasion. Bd: 18 North Dlr: East 76 Vul: N/S Q108 AJ932 Q105   West   East    108 AK952    932 J754    Q7654 8    K98 AJ2 South QJ43 AK6 K10 7643 East/West usually declared 2 (or 2) and failed, but Akama-Furuta and Hackett-Armstrong overbid to 3NT, down 200 with the North/Soiuth cards to turn over 6 imps apiece. Naito-Moriyama bid and made 2NT with the North/South cards to bring in a couple of imps for NAITO against TAKAYAMA, 44-32. Bd: 19 North Dlr: South 9 Vul: E/W 10873 AJ10987 75   West   East    AQ7 K10543    KQJ65 A42    5 Q42    K1093 42 South J862 9 K63 AQJ86 It's normal for East/West to reach 4 or 4, but although the A is onside, both majors break four-one and there is a serious control problem in either contract. This is the sort of deal that tends to produce swings because the defense can proceed in different ways and game might be made legitimately or otherwise. That doesn't account for Nishida-Ohno stopping in 3 (down one), of course. Or the twins competing to 5 (down three, undoubled) over 5 while Miyakuni-Imakura doubled the diamond sacrifice at the other table to add another 300 to the pot. 12 imps to PABF OPEN, 65-58. Takahashi made 4 doubled against Cappelletti-Lipscomb on the lead of the 9 (maybe we're tired and missing something obvious, but that looks like pretty good work by declarer); plus 790. If ten tricks looks very good, consider that Itabashi took twelve in the same contract (not doubled) only to lose 3 imps. USA over YAMADA, 51-35. Ju also made 4, against Hirata-Hara, giving CHINA 12 imps and a 51-31 lead against TATAI. Bd: 20 North Dlr: West - Vul: Both K932 QJ97432 43   West   East    AQ42 KJ987    A87 654    65 108    QJ105 A86 South 10653 QJ10 AK K972 If North/South happen to wander into 5, perhaps as a save against East/West's doomed (two down) 4, they will find that the contract is cold. That is how Messrs Mizuta-Tanaka gained 12 imps for TAKAYAMA against NAITO to tie their match at the eleventh hour. Everyone else played 4 and made five or 4 down 200. The results in VPs IMPs CHINA over TATAI 19-11 51-31 USA over YAMADA 18-12 51-37 PABF OPEN over GREAT BRITAIN 16-14 65-60 PABF WOMEN over YOUTH 16-14 32-28 NAITO tied TAKAYAMA 15-15 44-44