SNS Bank Matchpoints Pairs 2000

Maastricht, Festi Village, April 30

Session 02, boards 01-07

Board 01
N/-


WEST		 NORTH
ª 6
© J 2
¨ A K T 8 4
§ K 9 7 6 5



EAST
ª A K Q 9 2
© K 9 6 4
¨ J 6
§ A J


SOUTH		 ª J T 4 3
© A T 8
¨ Q 7 3
§ Q 8 3
ª 8 7 5
© Q 7 5 3
¨ 9 5 2
§ T 4 2

NS score

Freq

mp NS

mp EW

100

1

72

0

50

2

68.9

3.1

-140

1

65.8

6.2

-170

5

59.6

12.4

-200

2

52.4

19.6

-420

16

33.9

38.1

-430

2

15.4

56.6

-450

3

10.3

61.7

-500

1

6.2

65.8

-590

1

4.1

67.9

-800

2

1.1

70.9

Adjusted scores:
Pair 60:

46.3

(A60%)
Pair 72:

28.8

(A40%)

Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- 1¨ pass pass
dbl 2§ 2ª pass
4ª pass pass pass.

East bids voluntarily, so West would be very chicken not to bid game. East takes 11 tricks, unless South leads a § at trick one. If North gets after trumps have been removed, he can't do harm in © or §, so East gets the timing to set up ¨Q.

Board 02
E/NS


WEST		 NORTH
ª T 5
© 6 3 2
¨ K Q J 7 4
§ 9 8 3



EAST
ª J 9 3
© A K Q J 9
¨ T 9
§ 7 5 2


SOUTH		 ª A K Q 8 4 2
© 8 5
¨ - - -
§ A K Q 6 4
ª 7 6
© T 7 4
¨ A 8 6 5 3 2
§ J T

NS score

Freq

mp NS

mp EW

-510

4

69

3

-1010

24

41

31

-1440

1

16

56

-1510

6

9

63

-1770

1

2

70

-2240

1

0

72


Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- --- 1ª pass
2© pass 3§1 pass
3ª2 pass 4§3 pass
4©4 pass 4NT5 pass
5¨6 pass 5NT7 pass
7ª9 pass pass pass.

1: High reverse, forcing to game.
2: Picks the trump suit.
3 and 4: controls bids, include Kings and singletons; 4© bypasses 4¨, so denies ¨-control.
5: Roman Keycard Blackwood.
6: 0 or 3 out of 5 Aces (1403-variation).
7: Asking for specific Kings.
8: With solid ©, worth 3-4 Kings. West has an excellent excuse to take over.

No need to discuss the play. What is -2240? Sounds like 7ª, vulnerable, making 14 tricks. This is not even possible after an established revoke by NS.

Board 03
S/EW


WEST		 NORTH
ª 7 5 4
© 6 3
¨ Q T 8 5
§ K Q 7 5



EAST
ª K Q
© A 8 7
¨ J 7 6
§ A 9 8 3 2


SOUTH		 ª 6 3
© K Q J T 9 5 2
¨ K 9 4 2
§ - - -
ª A J T 9 8 2
© 4
¨ A 3
§ J T 6 4

NS score

Freq

mp NS

mp EW

790

1

72

0

590

2

69

3

500

3

64

8

420

1

60

12

200

3

56

16

140

1

52

20

100

9

42

30

-50

2

31

41

-100

4

25

47

-170

1

20

52

-200

1

18

54

-500

2

15

57

-620

5

8

64

-650

1

2

70

-790

1

0

72

Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- --- --- 2¨
3§ pass 4© pass
pass pass.

When West overcalls Easts multi-2¨ with 3§, East wants to play 4©, and nothing else. Even a ©-lead to the Seven can't beat this game. East dumps a spade on §A, ruffs a §, crosses to ©A, ruffs a §, leads a ª to South's Ace (he can't refuse), discards a ¨ on ªK, ruffs another §, crosses to ©8, pitches a ¨ on his fifth §, and leads a ¨. If North fails to insert ¨T, East even makes an overtricks.

Board 04
W/A


WEST		 NORTH
ª A K
© Q T 7 2
¨ Q J 9
§ A T 9 5



EAST
ª Q 7 5 2
© J 5 4
¨ 4 3
§ J 6 3 2


SOUTH		 ª J T 8 4 3
© K 8 6
¨ K T 7
§ 8 4
ª 9 6
© A 9 3
¨ A 8 6 5 2
§ K Q 7

NS score

Freq

mp NS

mp EW

690

9

64

8

660

18

37

35

630

10

9

63


Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
pass 1NT pass 2§
pass 2© pass 3¨
pass 3NT pass pass
pass.

3¨ is forcing to game. If North doesn't have a 5-card ©-suit or an adequate ª-stopper, it could still be 5¨, and even 6¨ could be on.

East leads a ª against 3NT. North can afford to lose one finesse before his last ª-stopper is knocked out, so he plays ¨Q for King and Ace, and small to Nine and Ten, after which East removes ªA. North unblocks ¨J, crosses in §, cashes his established ¨ and high §, which force EW out of all of their ª*. Now North parts with §T, knowing he only needs to guess right on the ©-return for 11 tricks.

* West is already squeezed out of ª on the fifth ¨. If he unguards his ©J to hold on to a ª, North may crush it with his Queen, which will lead to a disaster for EW:

©QT  §AT9

ª7  ©J  §J63                                                          ªJ   ©K86  §8

©A93  §Q7


North goes to hand with §A. Now, if East covers ©Q, the rest will be taken with ©T, §Q and ©9. If West ducks, North runs ©T, and crosses with §Q to ©A. If West covers ©T, dummy is good, of course. This way, North totals 12 tricks. If East unguards his ©K on the third ©, he declarer to crush it with his Ace, and still cash the Queen for his 11th trick.

Board 05
N/NS


WEST		 NORTH
ª Q T
© A T 6 3
¨ J 8 4
§ A 9 7 5



EAST
ª J 9 5 3
© Q 8 5 2
¨ 9 5
§ Q J 6


SOUTH		 ª A K 7 6 4
© 7 4
¨ 7 2
§ T 8 4 3
ª 8 2
© K J 9
¨ A K Q T 6 3
§ K 2

NS score

Freq

mp NS

mp EW

1370

1

72

0

800

1

70

2

720

2

67

5

690

3

62

10

660

2

57

15

650

7

48

24

600

10

31

41

500

1

20

52

300

1

18

54

170

2

15

57

150

2

11

61

130

2

7

65

100

1

4

68

-100

2

1

71

Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- pass 2ª1 dbl
pass 3ª2 pass 4¨3
pass 5¨ pass pass
pass.

1: Muiderberger weak-2: 5ª, 4+ of a minor, 5-10 hcp, called after the hometown of Onno Janssens, market leader of
    bridge software in the Netherlands.
2: General game force. This time, North needs ªJxx or better for 3NT.
3: South must be too strong for an initial overcall of 3¨.

East takes his ª and exits in ¨. One more ¨, §K, §A, §-ruff, ¨8, and §-ruff mark East with 5224. West started with a 4-card ©-suit, so after ©K, South runs ©J.

Board 06
E/EW


WEST		 NORTH
ª A Q J 4 3
© Q 4 3
¨ K
§ Q 9 8 4



EAST
ª T 6 2
© A J 6 5 2
¨ A 9 8 2
§ 6


SOUTH		 ª 5
© K 9 8 7
¨ Q J 3
§ T 7 5 3 2
ª K 9 8 7
© T
¨ T 7 6 5 4
§ A K J

NS score

Freq

mp NS

mp EW

750

1

72

0

480

5

66

6

450

16

45

27

420

8

21

51

230

2

11

61

200

2

7

65

170

1

4

68

-50

1

2

70

-300

1

0

72


Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- --- pass pass
pass 1ª pass 3©
pass 4ª pass pass
pass.

On South's splinter, North grades off his stiff King. His fast arrival shows a very minimum, and turns South off. If North wastes time needed for ª-ruffs, even taking 11 tricks may become a problem.

Board 07
S/A


WEST		 NORTH
ª 2
© Q T 3
¨ K 8 7 6 2
§ Q 9 7 6



EAST
ª J T 9 8
© A K J 9 2
¨ 5
§ K 8 4


SOUTH		 ª K 5 4
© 8 6 5
¨ A Q 4 3
§ J 5 3
ª A Q 7 6 3
© 7 4
¨ J T 9
§ A T 2

NS score

Freq

mp NS

mp EW

300

1

72

0

200

5

66

6

120

1

60

12

100

10

49

23

-110

6

33

39

-120

1

26

46

-140

5

20

52

-150

1

14

58

-200

4

9

63

-400

1

4

68

-500

2

1

71

Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- --- --- 1ª
2© dbl1 rdb2 pass3
pass4 3¨5 dbl6 pass
pass pass.

1: Negative double, this time based on length in both minors.
2: Support redouble, showing 3-card ©-suit.
3: Having told his story, South allows North to pick his best minor.
4: "Come and get me, fellows!"
5: His best minor.
6: Expecting to beat North by a number.

After a © to the King, ¨ to the Queen, ¨A, ¨ to the King, ¨8, ª to the Queen, © to the Ace, © back to the Queen, §Q to the King, ª ruffed, § to the Ten, and 2 black Aces, North is only short a trick, but -200 at matchpoints is a number, indeed.

West's conversion of East's support redouble is a bit optimistic, but it works out well. After a ª to the Queen, ªA, ª ruffed, § to the Ace, and another ª ruffed, defense is exhausted. If North returns a ¨, West hooks the King, discards a §, draws trumps, and cashes §K for +840. We havn't found a better line of defense yet.

Go to boards 08-14

Copyright © 2000 by Michel Franssen