Daily Bulletin no. 6

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

Bd: 18	North
Dlr: East	109
Vul: N/S	-
	AK109432
	8654
West		East
J762		KQ84
K8643		QJ1092
7		Q6
KQJ		93
	South
	A53
	A75
	J85
	A1072

Open Room

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

Closed Room

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

Justin's 2 (over Ju's somewhat eccentric double) showed a club fit, and Jason judged well to bid game, placing his partner with short hearts. Ju thought Fu might have a trick for his invitational 3, so he doubled 5, but couldn't beat it; plus 750.

At the other table, where Liu's 2 didn't promise the earth, Zhang's double seemed to be the best he could do to get his sdide involved; 5 would have been a wild shot and he had too much to pass, non-forcing. It looks as if Liu thought the double was pure penalty, and perhaps that's how they play it. 4 doubled was down; minus 100, and GREAT BRITAIN gained 12 imps, 76-35.

Bd: 19	North
Dlr: South	J8
Vul: E/W	K964
	AQ974
	53
West		East
K1054		3
875		AQ1032
J8		K32
A1096		Q742
	South
	AQ9762
	J
	1065
	KJ8

Open Room

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

Closed Room

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

Ju led the

5 against Jason's 2

, ducked to the queen. Fu switched to a trump, destroying Ju's ten. Ju won the

K and switched back to hearts. Jason ruffed, led a diamond to the jack, queen, and deuce, cashed the

J, ruffed the

4 (the nine would have built a heart trick), and drew trumps before ducking a diamond to Fu. Back came ... the

Q. Nine tricks for Jason after he covered; plus 140.

Papa Bear led his singleton trump against Liu's short-sided 2 (the encouraging-for-hearts response to the Multi 2 opening), ducked to the eight . The J ran to the king and Armstrong switched to the 8, ducked to the king. Back came the 2, a good play. No one leads from the queen in thgis position, thought Liu, who called for the king. Armstrong won the ace and returned the J and Liu could not get to dummy to draw trumps. When he led a heart, Papa won the queen and gave Armstrong his diamond ruff, killing the suit in the process. Now a heart exit forced dummy, and the defenders got two clubs in the end for two down; minus 100. Very pretty indeed. 6 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 82-35.

Bd: 20	North
Dlr: West	64
Vul: Both	Q1093
	65
	KQ732
West		East
K1085		AQ93
AJ5		K742
10743		AJ82
85		6
	South
	J72
	86
	KQ9
	AJ1094

Open Room

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

Closed Room

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

4 was the normal contract on this one, but Fu-Ju missed it and sold out to 3. That was a good result for them because 3 was a routine one down, minus 100, while the good major suit game was also one down (minus 100) when Liu never touched hearts (K, diamond switch to the queen, club to force dummy, draw two trumps, heart finesse, diamond back). 5 imps to CHINA, rather fortunately. Papa's 3 was a fair representation of his assets. GREAT BRITAIN, 82-40.

Bd: 21	North
Dlr: North	974
Vul: N/S	Q10
	98742
	A93
West		East
K6		AQ1082
9		K854
KQJ10		53
QJ8764		105
	South
	J53
	AJ7632
	A6
	K2

Open Room

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

Closed Room

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

Fu's light 1

got him to game when Ju created a force. Diamond to the ace, diamond to the king, club to the ten and king and a low spade back, tangling declarer's communications. Justin won the second club and switched to the

10. Ju put up the king but the hearts were blocked and the defenders got two of those for one down; minus 50. Note Jason's failure to overcall on a hand that would be completely normal for most pairs. It's only opening bids and weak two's and three's that are wild.

In 2, Papa received ace and another heart from Zhang. He ruffed in dummy to drive out the A, Zhang taking the second to play a third heart. Papa ruffed with the king and threw a club on the third diamond. Zhang ruffed, gave Liu a heart ruff, then ace of clubs and a diamond promoted the J. One down; minus 50. A curious push.

Bd: 22	North
Dlr: East	1098
Vul: E/W	J987
	5
	AKJ53
West		East
A2		QJ653
532		AK104
QJ10972		K6
92		104
	South
	K74
	Q6
	A843
	Q876

Open Room

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

Closed Room

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

It's close between 3, pass, and 2 at West's second turn. Ju's 3 worked well, he was cold for 110 and in practice made an overtrick; plus 130. Armstrong passed 2 and Zhang led a club to the king. Back came a heart. Papa put in the ten, and the queen won. A second trump knocked out the king, and the K was led and ducked. Zhang withheld his ace a second time, so Liu ruffed the second diamond and exited with his last trump. With spades three-three, Papa had only one more loser; plus 110. There was a telescoped trick in there somewhere, but if the defenders don't get the trumps out, declarer can finesse spades, ruff out the suit, and make the hand in a different way. 1 imp to CHINA, 41-82.

Bd: 23	North
Dlr: South	A84
Vul: Both	KJ1085
	A5
	KJ10
West		East
10762		KJ
AQ62		73
Q76		J9432
Q6		7532
	South
	Q953
	94
	K108
	A984

Open Room

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

Closed Room

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

Ju's truly ugly Precision 1

opening did not inconvenience the twins, who reached game sensibly. Liu's strong notrump simplified the auction and the same contract was reached easily. In the other semifinal both Norths opened 1

and raised 1

to 2

, ending the auction. The cards were friendly for North/South this time and both declarers took ten tricks; plus 630. Jason received the lead of the

7, ducked to the king , and a diamond switch, eight, queen, ace. The rest was easy. Liu got a diamond lead, put in the eight, and was also in good shape. No swing.

Bd: 24	North
Dlr: West	QJ10
Vul: None	74
	Q106
	109764
West		East
53		764
1086		AJ
A87543		KJ2
K5		AQJ32
	South
	AK982
	KQ9532
	9
	8

Open Room

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

Closed Room

West		North		East			South
Armst		Liu		Paul H			Zhang
	2		Pass		2NT	^*		3	^*
	Dble		3		5			5
	Pass		Pass		Dble		All Pass

After South's bidding, both Wests were going to make 5

by picking up the trump queen, so North/South were right to save. Jason Had time to ruff out the hearts for one down, but Liu had been forced twice and decided to cross-ruff to be sure of nine tricks; down 300 for a 5-imp loss. GREAT BRITAIN, 87-41.

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Bd: 25 North

Dlr: North 43

Vul: E/W Q108

5

AK98753

  West East

   J82 Q965

   J75 K62

   KJ8743 Q10

   J Q1064

South

AK107

A943

A962

2

Open Room
West North East South

Ju Justin H Fu Jason H

1 Pass 1

Pass 2 Pass 3NT

All Pass

Closed Room
West North East South

Armst Liu Paul H Zhang

3 All Pass

5 is a very good contract for North/South, but the bad trump break beats it; plus 130 for Liu. 3NT is not nearly as good as 5, but the quality of the contract was of little import to Jason, who got a low spade lead from Ju to the queen and ace. He ducked a club, which Fu overtook to return a spade. Jason won the king and led a heart to the eight and king. Fu switched to the 10 and Jason rose with the ace, went to the Q (not the ten) to cash the high clubs, discarding diamonds. When he took the high hearts, Ju parted with ... the J! Ten tricks for Jason; plus 430. 7 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, 94-41.

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