sept2016

English 54 Board 6, Dealer East, Vul E/W ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ T764 K9 A83 AQ43 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ J J3 972 KJT8752 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ Q52 AQT87 KQJ5 6 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ AK983 6542 T64 9 West North East South Lubinsky Bareket Mark Lengy 1 ♥ 1♠ Pass 2 ♥ Dbl 2♠ 3♣ 3♠ All Pass South's light overcall (7 HCP) is quite normal at this level with a good suit and favorable vulnerability. West started with a Pass , then showed his clubs. North cue-bid opener's suit, inviting a game in spades, but eventually settled for a part-score. The defense started well with the ♥J. East took North's king with his ace and switched to the ♦K. Declarer took dummy's ♦A and played ♠A. After the fall of West ♠J he took the correct view according to the Principle of Restricted Choice, finessing against East's ♠Q to make the contract. West North East South Barel D. Yadlin Zack I. Yadlin 1 ♥ 1♠ 3♣ 3NT All Pass At the other table Barel's system allowed him to bid 3♣ directly as a preempt, putting North under some pressure. Doron Yadlin could invite a spade game by bidding 3♥, but after upgrading his well-placed ♣AQ he thought he could do better by bidding 3NT, thereby guarding his ♥K. It was possible to infer from the bidding that West was unlikely to ever gain the lead. Indeed, this was the case. Yaniv Zack led the ♦K. Doron held up his ace for one round only. He continued by finessing clubs and taking the right view in spades. The rest was not difficult: after cashing eight tricks declarer endplayed East in diamonds, forcing him to lead away from his ♥AQ at trick 12. The following deal, played midway through the match, was crucial: Board 8, Dealer West, Vul None ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ T8 K43 JT95 AQT7 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ K9743 JT9 82 632 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ Q62 A82 Q7643 K8 ♠ ♥ ♦ ♣ AJ5 Q765 AK J954 West North East South Lubinsky Bareket Mark Lengy Pass Pass 1 ♦ Dbl 1♠ 1NT Pass 2NT Pass 3NT All Pass Yuval Lubinsky decided to respond lightly to his partner's opening after South's takeout double, prompting a small spade lead against 3NT (An unusual lead of the ♠Q was much better, but it required a lot of foresight). West won his ♠K at trick one, but there was no point in continuing the suit, so the net effect of the lead was to develop an early spade trick for declarer. Eventually Ilan Bareket was able to collect nine tricks. (to be continued)