Dastardly defense

                         By Maureen Dennison

 

Tom Carmichael, in his last year as a USA Junior international,

found a nice defense in the Swiss.

 

Dlr: North                  S  K 9 5

Vul: None                   H  6

                            D  K J 9 5 2

                            C  A Q 5 3

             Blair Seidler               Tom Carmichael

             S  J 8                      S  Q 10 7 6

             H  A Q 9 5 4                H  K 10 7 3 2

             D  8 7 4                    D  10

             C  K 10 8                   C  9 4 2

                            S  A 4 3 2

                            H  J 8

                            D  A Q 6 3

                            C  J 7 6

 

In the other room Tom's teammates bid the diamond partial and made

10 tricks.

 

Against Seidler and Carmichael the contract was the very reasonable

Moysian 4S played by South. Seidler led ace and another heart, ruffed

on the table. Declarer came to hand with a diamond and took the club

finesse. If that failed she would have to go for broke and play for

spades to be 3-3.

 

When the queen won declarer drew two rounds of trumps and played on

diamonds. Carmichael carefully discarded his two clubs, ruffed the

fourth diamond and exited a heart. As Carmichael could now ruff the

CA there was no means of reaching dummy for the fifth diamond and the

contract was down one. Thoughtful play countered by thoughtful

defense.

 

 

                         Patience is a virtue

                         By Maureen Dennison

 

In one set of wild boards in an early round of the Vanderbilt there

were four slam decisions, two small and two grand. This was the most

interesting.

 

Dlr: West                  S  A J 10 9 7 6 5 2

Vul: None                  H  K 8

                           D  A

                           C  A 5

              S  Q 8 4                 S  3

              H  5 4 3                 H  Q 10 7 5

              D  6 5 4 3               D  J 9 8 7

              C  10 6 4                C  9 7 3 2

                           S  K

                           H  A J 9 2

                           D  K Q 10 2

                           C  K Q J 8

 

For Bobby Wolff's team, Mark Lair and Ron Smith explored for the

grand but, finding that they were missing the SQ, they settled for

6S. Against Wolff and Dan Morse, the opponents were more ambitious

and bid to 7NT played by South.

 

West led his top diamond to the ace. Declarer unblocked the SK and

started on clubs. However, in dummy with the CA he prematurely cashed

the SA and had to make a decision on what to discard. When the SQ

didn't appear the contract was doomed.

 

See what happens if declarer exercises some patience and first

cashes the clubs. Now he reaches dummy with the HK and cashes the

spade. East has to release control of one red suit and, providing

declarer discards from the other, the heart finesse will see him

home. A wonderful example of timing.