SNS Bank Matchpoints Pairs Maastricht, April 30, 2000

SNS Bank Matchpoints Pairs 2000

Maastricht, Festi Village, April 30

Session 02, boards 15-21

Board 15 S/NS WEST	NORTH ª K T 9 8 © K J 6 5 ¨ J 9 4 § 6 3	EAST
ª Q 3 © A Q T 9 8 7 3 ¨ A 2 § K J	SOUTH	ª 6 4 2 © 4 2 ¨ K 6 5 3 § 9 7 5 4
	ª A J 7 5 © - - - ¨ Q T 8 7 § A Q T 8 2

NS score	Freq	mp NS	mp EW
800	1	72	0
650	1	70	2
620	1	68	4
500	3	64	8
300	6	55	17
170	2	47	25
140	1	44	28
100	9	34	38
50	3	22	50
-100	2	17	55
-200	3	12	60
-300	1	8	64
-470	3	4	68
-500	1	0	72

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	---	---	1§
dbl	1©	pass	1ª
pass	2ª	pass	3ª
pass	4ª	pass	pass
pass.

Lucky West is too strong to overcall at the 1-, 2-, 3- or even 4-level. He doubles, intending to mention his good suit later, but North's 1©-response shuts him out for the rest of the auction. If 3ª is preemptive, South must try another way to invite. Some partnerships still play 2-way game tries here: 2NT as a short suit relay, and 3§, 3¨ and 3© as long or help suit trials, or they other (2-)way around.

If defense starts out with ¨A, ¨K, a ¨-ruff and a ª to the King, South has an easy play: ªA, dump a § an ¨Q, §A, ruff a §, draw last trumps, and play § from top. A §-return at trick 3 doesn't help either. West is sort of endplayed from the beginning.

Board 16 W/EW WEST	NORTH ª - - - © K J T 7 5 4 ¨ A T 6 3 § A J T	EAST
ª A Q J T 4 © A Q ¨ K J 9 8 7 § Q	SOUTH	ª K 9 6 3 © 6 3 ¨ 4 2 § K 7 6 5 3
	ª 8 7 5 2 © 9 8 2 ¨ Q 5 § 9 8 4 2

NS score	Freq	mp NS	mp EW
420	1	72	0
200	3	68	4
100	2	63	9
-100	3	58	14
-140	1	54	18
-300	3	50	22
-380	1	46	26
-500	2	43	29
-620	8	33	39
-650	11	14	58
-680	1	2	70
-990	1	0	72

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
1ª	2©	2ª	pass
4ª	pass	pass	pass.

This time, North is endplayed from birth. Say he leads §A and §J to the King. West dumps ©Q, hooks ¨Q, wins ©-return, plays ª, ¨K, ruffs ¨ high, ª to the Ten, ruffs another ¨ high, ruffs § in hand, draws trumps, and makes ¨9 for the overtrick.

Board 17 N/- WEST	NORTH ª T 4 © T 3 2 ¨ A 8 7 5 § K Q 6 3	EAST
ª A K 9 © A 9 8 6 ¨ K 9 2 § 9 7 2	SOUTH	ª 7 2 © K Q J 7 4 ¨ T 6 § A J 5 4
	ª Q J 8 6 5 3 © 5 ¨ Q J 4 3 § T 8

NS score	Freq	mp NS	mp EW
170	1	72	0
100	1	70	2
50	6	63	9
-300	4	53	19
-400	2	47	25
-420	21	24	48
-450	1	2	70
-460	1	0	72

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	pass	1©	2ª
4©	pass	pass	pass.

South just qualifies for a non-vulnerable weak jump overcall (6-card suit, 5-10 hcp). West could care less. He wants to be in game, even with a minimum partner like this East. West wins the ª-lead, plays ©K, ©Q and ©A, and leads towards §J. North must split, for he doesn't know who has the doubleton. The Ace wins, and now, a ª to the Ace and a low § back, ensure West of 11 tricks, owing to §T doubleton in South.

Board 18 E/NS WEST	NORTH ª 6 5 © A T 9 ¨ A 6 3 § K 5 4 3 2	EAST
ª T 9 8 4 © K 3 ¨ K T 9 8 5 2 § 8	SOUTH	ª Q 7 3 2 © J 6 5 4 ¨ 7 § A Q J T
	ª A K J © Q 8 7 2 ¨ Q J 4 § 9 7 6

NS score	Freq	mp NS	mp EW
670	1	72	0
630	1	70	2
600	1	68	4
500	1	66	6
300	1	64	8
180	2	61	11
150	2	57	15
120	4	51	21
110	2	45	27
100	1	42	30
90	2	39	33
-100	12	25	47
-200	3	10	62
-300	2	5	67
-400	1	2	70
-800	1	0	72

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	---	pass	1§
pass	3§	pass	pass
pass.

Although trumps break badly, South makes his contract on the likely ¨-lead: ¨J, §9 to the Ten, © to King and Ace (South must guess right here), ªA, § to the Jack, ª to the Jack (South must pass this last test), § to the Queen, and now South knows were ©J resides, he only has to lose a trump to the Ace.

Partnerships that have adapted inverted minors, will bid like this:

West	North	East	South
---	---	pass	1§
pass	2§	pass	2NT
pass	pass	pass.

2§ shows 4⁺ support, 10⁺ hcp, and denies 4-card suits in the majors. 2NT guarantees shows in all of the outside suits, and 12-13 hcp. This play can easliy go as follows: ¨ to the Jack, §9 to the Ten, ª to the Jack, § to the Jack, ª to the King, § to the Queen, ªQ to the Ace, © to the Ace, ©T to the King, ªT, and West is endplayed. East can cash his §A after winning §Q, but after a ª to the Ace, a © to the Ace and §K, West must let go of his ªT, and after a © to his king, he is endplayed again. If East tries to protect his partner by holding on to his ªQ, Declarer crosses in ¨, gives up a §, and after cashing ªQ, East himself is endplayed in ©.

Board 19 S/EW WEST	NORTH ª 6 3 © Q T 8 7 2 ¨ T 8 6 4 § 8 5	EAST
ª Q J 7 5 2 © J 6 ¨ Q J § A J 9 2	SOUTH	ª A K T 9 8 © A 5 4 3 ¨ 7 3 § T 6
	ª 4 © K 9 ¨ A K 9 5 2 § K Q 7 4 3

NS score	Freq	mp NS	mp EW
200	7	65.8	6.2
100	10	48.3	23.7
-50	4	33.9	38.1
-100	2	27.8	44.2
-140	2	23.7	48.3
-170	3	18.5	53.5
-300	5	10.3	61.7
-500	1	4.1	67.9
-620	2	1.1	70.9

	Adjusted scores:

Pair 29:	29		(A60%)
Pair 52:		28.8	(A40%)

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	---	---	1¨
1ª	pass	3¨	pass
3ª	pass	pass	pass.

A jump cue opposite a major should be played as invitational or better. West has to downgrade his ¨-holdings to zero. That leaves him win a minimum overcall. North starts ¨ to the King. South also cashes ¨K, and shifts to ©K. Dummy wins, but loses a © and a §..

Board 20 W/A WEST	NORTH ª K J 5 © K 9 5 ¨ Q T 3 2 § J T 2	EAST
ª 9 7 3 © Q T 8 7 6 4 ¨ 9 7 6 § Q	SOUTH	ª A T 6 4 © A J 3 ¨ K 8 5 4 § A K
	ª Q 8 2 © 2 ¨ A J § 9 8 7 6 5 4 3

NS score	Freq	mp NS	mp EW
1100	1	72	0
670	3	68	4
500	3	62	10
400	1	58	14
300	3	54	18
200	5	46	26
130	1	40	32
100	9	30	42
-90	1	20	52
-110	2	17	55
-170	1	14	58
-200	4	9	63
-620	3	2	70

Recommended bidding sequence:

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

In 3rd and 4th chair, it's usually wise to open 2NT on a balanced 19-count, especially when your normal 2NT-range is 20-21 hcp. Wests stiff Queen can hardly be called an asset, so he passes 3©. East wins the §-lead, dumps a ª on his other §, and tries a ª to the Nine. North wins and returns a ¨ to the Jack. South returns a ª to the Ace. East ruffs another ª, plays ©Q, © to the Jack, ©A, and dumps a ¨ on his high ª, so he doesn't have to find ¨A-doubleton to set up his tenth trick. These excellent breaks do not justify bidding game at matchpoints, though that would not be a technical crime.

Board 21 N/NS WEST	NORTH ª J 9 © A 6 4 ¨ Q J 6 3 § K J 9 7	EAST
ª K T 6 3 © 8 ¨ A K 8 5 2 § A 8 2	SOUTH	ª A 7 2 © Q J T 5 2 ¨ T § Q T 5 3
	ª Q 8 5 4 © K 9 7 3 ¨ 9 7 4 § 6 4

NS score	Freq	mp NS	mp EW
160	1	72	0
150	3	68	4
100	6	59	13
50	8	45	27
-110	6	31	41
-120	2	23	49
-140	1	20	52
-150	1	18	54
-170	1	16	56
-180	2	13	59
-300	2	9	63
-400	2	5	67
-430	1	2	70
-700	1	0	72

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	pass	2©¹	pass
2NT²	pass	3§³	pass
pass	pass.

1: Muiderberger weak-2: 5©, 4⁺ of a minor, 5-10 hcp.
2: Forcing relay. Hopes to find East with 4⁺ ¨ or 5⁺ §. East will show 5-card minors with 3© and 3ª for § and ¨,
respectively.
3: Too bad, only a 4-card §-suit. Fortunately for West, 5332-Muiderbergers have been barred by WBF in 1995.

South leads a ª to the Ace. After ¨K, ¨A, ªK, © to Ten and King, § to the King, § to the Eight, and a cross ruff, East gets away with down one.

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