Third Quarter (Boards 33-48): Bd: 33 North Dlr: North Q86 Vul: None J86 AJ982 103   West   East    KJ9 A10432    A94 7    10 Q765    AKQ542 987 South 75 KQ10532 K43 J6 Open Room West North East South Zhang Justin H Liu Jason H Pass Pass 1NT ! Dble Pass 2 Pass 3 3 4 Pass 5 Dble All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Armst Fu Paul H Ju Pass 2 Pass 2NT * Pass 3 * Pass 4 All Pass   Not the worst slam you'll ever be in. You might make 6 without guessing the Q if North leads the A. Declarer ruffs his hearts and ruffs out the K en route (as you will see when you read about the other match), and even 6 requires only the spade guess. We can only assume that Papa's bidding actually described the hand he held if that Armstrong fellow is to be given the respect he's earned in the school of hard knocks. Papa won the heart lead, passed the J, and soon had 12 tricks; plus 480. Perhaps 2 wasn't really a joke, but Jason's 1NT can't be passed off as anything else. Justin, unwilling to be toyed with, doubled 5 because his opponents hadn't bid it as if they could make it. The good news is that he made his Q. The bad news was that this prevented Zhang from making an overtrick; plus 550. Just 2 imps to CHINA, but it was a start, 53-101. Bd: 34 North Dlr: East 632 Vul: N/S 10984 Q5 KQ108   West   East    A9 KJ74    J65 AKQ3    AJ84 109762    J962 - South Q1085 72 K3 A7543 Open Room West North East South Zhang Justin H Liu Jason H 1 Pass 3 Pass 5 All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Armst Fu Paul H Ju 1 Pass 1NT Pass 2 Pass 3 All Pass   Four-card majors don't always work well. Papa took eleven tricks on a spade lead. He won the nine, played ace and another diamond and was delighted to see a second spade come back; plus 200. A club lead would have held him to three. Liu-Zhang conducted a straight quantitative auction for diamonds. 5 made six with trumps two-two; plus 420. 6 imps to CHINAS, 59-101. Bd: 35 North Dlr: South A72 Vul: E/W K832 K8 K872   West   East    QJ96 K85    AQ954 J6    J10 9742    A10 Q963 South 1043 107 AQ653 J54 Open Room West North East South Zhang Justin H Liu Jason H Pass 1 Pass 1NT * Pass 2 All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Armst Fu Paul H Ju Pass 1 Pass 1NT * Pass 2 All Pass   Two unlovely auctions. 2, the textbook rebid in forcing notrump systems, might have convinced Liu to return to 2, but he had a poor hand and was pleased to get out as soon as possible. Down 200 on a trump lead to the jack and ace. Armstrong wanted to bid again since Papa might have held up to 11 points for his nonforcing notrump response, and he preferred to show extra length in hearts. Fu led king another diamond, Ju winning to lead back a low diamond. Armstrong threw his club and was now able to drive out both the A and the K for plus 110. 7 imps to GREAT BRITAIN, somewhat randomly, 108-59. Bd: 36 North Dlr: West 1042 Vul: Both 96 87632 AJ8   West   East    Q763 AK5    74 AKQJ82    94 K105    KQ1096 3 South J98 1053 AQJ 7542 Open Room West North East South Zhang Justin H Liu Jason H Pass Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 4 All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Armst Fu Paul H Ju Pass Pass 1 Pass 1 Pass 3 Pass 3NT Pass 4 All Pass   Although both Souths led a club to the king and ace and a diamond came back to the king and ace, South switched to a spade to allow the overtrick. Flat at plus 650. Bd: 37 North Dlr: North 8 Vul: N/S 10762 54 975432   West   East    AQJ107642 K953    A4 K93    J86 AQ72    - 86 South - QJ85 K1093 AKQJ10 Open Room West North East South Zhang Justin H Liu Jason H Pass 1 2 2 4 4 5 6 Pass 6 Pass 6 Pass 6 All Pass   Closed Room West North East South Armst Fu Paul H Ju Pass 1 Pass 2NT * Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass   This is not the sort of slam that is missed very often but Papa-Armstrong might have paid a price here for their style of light initial action and bidding majors before minors. A 1 opening would normally give West reason to hope for values in the suit. Plus 980 vs plus 480. 11 imps to CHINA, 70-108.