april_19

2019 אפריל | 250 גיליון 54 West North East South Romanovska Lorencs 1 ♦ Pass 1♠ Pass 3 ♦ Pass 4 ♦ Pass 4♠* Pass 6 ♦ Pass Pass Pass * cue-bid Many experts would be loath to jump-rebid such a poor diamond suit. Indeed, at the other table North opened 1NT, killing off any slam ambitions. It turns out that 3 ♦ was a systemic bid for the Latvian pair. The play Polish Club (opening a three-way 1♣ with any 18+ hand), so they don’t need a 2NT rebid to show 18-19 HCP with a balanced hand. They use 2NT to show six diamonds with 15-17 HCP, while a three diamonds rebid shows six diamonds as well as three spades. When North cue-bid four spades, denying a heart control, South assumed she must have something in clubs as well and bid the slam. The normal ♥ J lead made it easy, but even after a more challenging club lead declarer would have been OK since the spade doubleton and trump singleton are in the same hand, so he has time for a club discard on the fourth round of spades even after failing to guess trumps. Finally, first-place Sweden skillfully bid the following slam with merely 24 HCP. Board 10. Dealer East. Vul All 73 KJ87 AT98 T85 AKQ954 T62 - T962 KQ62 3 Q76 AKJ94 J8 AQ543 J754 32 West North East South Ekenberg Clementsson Pass Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣* Pass 4 ♥ ** Pass 4NT Pass 5♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass * drury ** void splinter The key bid was West’s jump to 4 ♥ (after East agreed spades), showing a void – good to have such an agreement. Now East realized that her hand was golden (no wasted values in hearts, a diamond singleton and a source of tricks in clubs). The only problem was trump quality, but after West’s 5♠ keycard response it was clear that all bases were covered. Of course, making twelve tricks was easy.