Daily Bulletin no. 6

DAILY BULLETIN 6 - d
Friday, February 12, 1999	Editors: Eric Kokish, Richard Colker

Bd: 8	North
Dlr: West	QJ653
Vul: None	64
	J3
	AQ75
West		East
A10		742
KJ9		AQ8
A10986		72
864		KJ1092
	South
	K98
	107532
	KQ54
	3

Open Room

West		North			East			South
Ju		Justin H			Fu			Jason H
	1NT		2	^*		Pass			2
	Pass		Pass			2NT	^*		Dble
	3		Dble			Pass			Pass
	3		Pass			Pass			Dble
	Pass		Pass			3NT			Dble
All Pass

Closed Room

West		North		East			South
Armst		Zhang		Paul H			Liu
	1		1		Dble	^*		2	^*
	Pass		2		3		All Pass

Busy busy busy little twins. I would have put my money on Ju to make 3

doubled (it loooks as if 2NT was a puppet to 3

), but perhaps there was some doubt about what Fu might have. 3

Doubled was likely to fail, and 3NT? Well, Justin led a low spade so the defense was in command. Ju lost four spades and the

A for one down; minus 100. 2

showed spades and another suit and Jason was hoping for a better hand for the direct intervention over a weak notrump.

Sooner or later, I'll find out about the Hackett-Armstrong negative double style. This time, Papa Bear landed in 3, which he made; plus 110. 5 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 38-25.

Bd: 9	North
Dlr: North	J86
Vul: E/W	6
	KJ52
	AK865
West		East
K94		2
AQJ1074		K9532
Q74		A10863
Q		J9
	South
	AQ10753
	8
	9
	107432

Open Room

West		North			East			South
Ju		Justin H			Fu			Jason H
			1			Pass			1
	2		Dble	^*		2	^*		4
	5		Dble		All Pass

Closed Room

West		North		East			South
Armst		Zhang		Paul H			Liu
			1		Pass			1
	2		Dble		4	^*		4
	5		Pass		Pass			5
	Dble	All Pass

I confess that I much prefer Papa Bear's 4 (if it was a fit-showing jump) to Fu's cue-bid, but it didn't seem to make much difference at the table. I can see no reason why the twins should have considered themselves forced on their auction, or why Justin should have doubled 5 in any case. That double must have been a pretty strong statement to get Jason to leave it in with his huge double fit, and somewhat remarkably, tha t proved to be the right thing to do. Ju played the diamonds correctly - low to the nine, queen, and king, finesse on the way back - to get out for one down; minus 200.

The bidding looks much more reasonable in the Closed Room, where Zhang did nothing to dissuade his partner from bidding what he saw in front of his nose. Reasonable or otherwise, 5 doubled (we must double those non-vulnerable upstarts when we are vulnerable and were expecting to have a good run at making ours, right?) seemed due to go one down without incident. However, after the lead of the 4 to the jack and ace, Paul decided that the lead was likely to be a singleton after Armstrong's double. Back came a diamond. Away went the heart. Making went the contract.

Plus 650 for Liu. 10 imps to CHINA, 35-38.

Bd: 10	North
Dlr: East	963
Vul: Both	AJ85
	5
	AK843
West		East
AQ42		8
Q10		7432
963		QJ874
10762		QJ5
	South
	KJ1075
	K96
	AK102
	9

Open Room

West		North			East		South
Ju		Justin H			Fu		Jason H
						Pass		1
	Pass		2	^*		Pass		2	^*
	Pass		2	^*		Pass		3
	Pass		3			Pass		4
	Pass		4		All Pass

Closed Room

West		North			East		South
Armst		Zhang			Paul H		Liu
						Pass		1
	Pass		2			Pass		2
	Pass		2	^*		Pass		2NT
	Pass		4			Pass		4NT
	Pass		5			Pass		6
All Pass

Liu-Zhang use RKCB, there's not much justification for Liu's jump to 6

, off a key card and the trump queen. There's work to do in 5

too, but he would have made that. Down 100 against the 650 at the other table. 13 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 51-35.

Bd: 11	North
Dlr: South	103
Vul: None	AQJ1083
	854
	82
West		East
AKJ8		Q7642
92		K54
AJ72		K10
1065		K73
	South
	95
	76
	Q963
	AQJ94

Open Room

West		North		East		South
Ju		Justin H		Fu		Jason H
							Pass
	1NT		3		3		Pass
	4	All Pass

Closed Room

West		North		East		South
Armst		Zhang		Paul H		Liu
							Pass
	1		3		4	All Pass

Jason led a heart to the ace and Justin returned the 8. Fu put up the king and went one down in a hurry. Minus 50.

Zhang found the lead of the 8, ducked to the jack. Liu continued with ace and another club to give Zhang a ruff. The A set the contract. Down 50. No swing.

Bd: 12	North
Dlr: West	10
Vul: N/S	Q86432
	AJ1064
	3
West		East
QJ93		A42
107		A9
82		9753
AQ654		J1092
	South
	K8765
	KJ5
	KQ
	K87

Open Room

West		North			East		South
Ju		Justin H			Fu		Jason H
	Pass		2	^*		Pass		3	^*
	Pass		4		All Pass

Closed Room

West		North			East		South
Armst		Zhang			Paul H		Liu
	Pass		2	^*		Pass		2NT	^*
	Pass		3	^*		Pass		4
All Pass

Justin's 2 showed an undisclosed two-suiter (not minors) and Jason's 3 invited game in a major. Zhang's 2 was (I believe) hearts and a minor, and 3 showed a maximum with diamonds. Both North/South auctions made it virtually impossible for East/West to find their save in 5. A push at plus 620.

Bd: 13	North
Dlr: North	42
Vul: Both	AKJ8
	982
	KJ62
West		East
Q85		AKJ1063
653		Q2
J765		K
Q94		A1075
	South
	97
	10974
	AQ1043
	83

Open Room

West		North		East		South
Ju		Justin H		Fu		Jason H
			1		1		2NT	^*
	Pass		3		3	All Pass

Closed Room

West		North		East		South
Armst		Zhang		Paul H		Liu
			1		1		Pass
	Pass		Dble		Rdbl		2
	2		Pass		Pass		3
	Pass		3		3	All Pass

Papa Bear made 3 easily on the lead of the 8; plus 140. Justin's 1 got Jason off to a more effective lead. Justin took two hearts and led a third. Fu ruffed and exited with the K to the ace. Jason switched to a trump, but Fu eventually led a club to the queen and king and later used the Q to enter dummy to run the 9; plus 140. No swing.

Bd: 14	North
Dlr: East	54
Vul: None	2
	Q9863
	Q10932
West		East
983		AKQ76
A9		KJ107
AKJ74		2
A65		874
	South
	J102
	Q86543
	105
	KJ

Open Room

West		North		East			South
Ju		Justin H		Fu			Jason H
					1			Pass
	2		Pass		2			Pass
	2		Pass		3			Pass
	4		Dble		Pass			Pass
	4		Pass		4			Pass
	4NT		Pass		5	^*		Pass
	6	All Pass

Closed Room

West		North		East		South
Armst		Zhang		Paul H		Liu
					1		Pass
	2		Pass		2		Pass
	2		Pass		3		Pass
	4		Pass		4	All Pass

is reasonable but certainly no bargain. Fu, who was in it, got the lead of the

K from Justin. He won the ace, threw a club on the second diamond and led a third, discarding his last club when North followed. Jason threw his remaining club and now a club allowed him to overruff for the setting trick. Fu got out for one down by winning the trump return, extracting the remaining trumps, and playing on hearts, the ruffing finesse becoming marked; minus 50.

Hackett-Armstrong quit at game and Liu led low from his doubleton diamond. Hackett won the ace, drew trumps, and lost two tricks; plus 450. 11 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 62-35.

Board 15 was a routine 4, making 650 for North/ South.

Bd: 16	North
Dlr: West	AQ32
Vul: E/W	AKJ94
	9
	1095
West		East
987		K105
76		1053
AQJ32		K10854
A73		K6
	South
	J64
	Q82
	76
	QJ842

Open Room

West		North		East		South
Ju		Justin H		Fu		Jason H
	Pass		1		Pass		2
	Pass		2		Pass		3
All Pass

Closed Room

West		North		East			South
Armst		Zhang		Paul H			Liu
	1		1		2	^*		Pass
	3		Dble		Pass			3
All Pass

With East/West on for 3

North/South were playing with the house's money in 3

. At both tables, East led a diamond (Papa Bear the king) to West's ace for a spade switch, ducked to the king. Papa switched to king and another club for a quick down one; minus 50. Fu switched back to diamonds. Justin ruffed, played two high hearts, then a club, as he had to do to have a chance. Fu won the king and arranged his club ruff for one down; minus 50. No swing.

GREAT BRITAIN won the set 59-35 at the table, and with the carryover factored in, led by 27 imps, 62-35.

Second Quarter (Boards 17-32):

Bd: 17 North

Dlr: North 63

Vul: None KJ9

A1054

AK42

  West East

   A82 QJ9754

   AQ104 632

   Q8 K97

   QJ65 9

South

K10

875

J632

10873

At both tables, North's 1NT opening ended the auction. Declarer was going down at least two after a spade lead through the king, but Ju discarded the 10 while Justin parted with a club and three diamonds. Fu switched to a heart an Justin played the jack under Ju's ace. When a heart came back he put in the nine and had five winners; down 100. Liu threw two diamonds, a club and a heart, so the defenders were able to give him a heart while building another winner for themselves. Down three; minus 150. 2 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 64- 35.

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