Marathon of Sittard Imps Pairs

Sittard, Euregional Sports and Convention Center


August 25, 2001


Session 02 - Boards 13-16

Board 13
N/All


WEST		 NORTH
ª K 5
© K 6 4 3
¨ T 9 4
§ A K Q 5



EAST
ª 7 4 3 2
© 5
¨ A 7 6 5 3
§ 9 6 2


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

NS score

Freq

Imps NS

Imps EW

990

1

12

-12

650

3

7

-7

620

13

6

-6

200

1

-4

4

-100

3

-10

10

-650

1

-14

14

-790

1

-15

15

-990

3

-16

16

Mean

NS score

360

Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- 1NT pass 2¨
pass 3© pass 4¨
pass 4© pass pass
pass.

3© = Rejecting the transfer with 4+ ©H-support and maximum hand. North has only 15 hcp, but they are of excellent quality and very well placed.
4¨ = 1st or 2nd round control of ¨, denying such controls in the black suits.
4© = If South comes up with with ©HAxxxxx or ©HAQxxx, and 1st round control of diamonds, slam still depends on a reasonable break in trumps and a ª-finesse. North has done enough by rejecting the transfer, and leaves further initiative to South.

The train stops right in time. If West overtakes the obvious lead of ¨K, and returns a spade, even 5© will fail.

Aggressive users of Multi Landy, Cappelletti or DONT will not allow the vulnerability to stop them from entering the auction:

West North East South
--- 1NT 2ª 4¨
4ª 5© pass pass
pass.

2ª = 5+ ª and 4+ of a minor in Multi Landy and Cappelletti. DONT includes hearts for the other suits, if spades are longer than hearts. If hearts and spades are equal, DONT players overcall 2©.
4¨ = Texas transfer, promising 6+ ©-suit. A natural 4©-response would leave the side suits wide open, especially the spades East has promised.
4ª = Expecting East to have something for his vulnerable interference, in which case 4ª is unlikely to be costful.
5© = Plus100 or minus 100 makes little difference, when it could be +620 and -620 at the same time.

East has an easy play for 4ª, so -100 is the best NS can do, once EW have found their game. The +990's, -790's and -990's, and the extra 5- or 6-imp swings involved, prove how unwise it is to double just for down one.

Board 14
E/None


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



EAST
ª T 9 8 7 4 2
© A 5 4
¨ 3 2
§ 5 4


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

NS score

Freq

Imps NS

Imps EW

430

1

9

-9

420

1

8

-8

400

1

8

-8

300

1

6

-6

170

2

3

-3

150

1

3

-3

130

3

2

-2

110

1

2

-2

100

2

1

-1

50

5

0

0

-50

1

-3

3

-110

3

-5

5

-140

2

-5

5

-170

1

-6

6

-590

1

-12

12

Mean

NS score

60

Recommended bidding sequence:

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

2© = Weak jump overcall, i.e., 6+ suit and 5-10 hcp.
Dbl = West may be 'trapping': having a lot a spades, hoping for a re-opening double, in order to pass it out for penalties.

North should certainly take action if he has one more heart, or opposite a vulnerable overcall, but now it is probably safer to allow West to play 2ª.

North leads ¨K. West ducks to cut NS communications, upon which North shifts to ©T for jack, queen and ace. West leads a spade to king and ace. South cashes ©K, and allows North to score his queen of trumps. North establishes a §-trick by returning his king, so South's ªJ becomes the setting trick. West can avoid this misery by running his ªT, instead of leading towards king and ace. That way, he can overruff North's queen with his king, and limit his losses in trumps to 2 tricks.

If NS end up in 4©, it takes accurate defense to defeat them: ¨3 to jack and ace, ¨T back to the queen, © for queen and ace, § to the ace, and a ¨-ruff by West.

Board 15
S/NS


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



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


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

NS score

Freq

Imps NS

Imps EW

100

1

4

-4

50

16

3

-3

-110

1

-2

2

-130

1

-2

2

-380

1

-8

8

-400

3

-8

8

-430

2

-9

9

-1400

1

-16

16

Mean

NS score

-60

Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- --- --- pass
1§ pass 1ª pass
2§ pass 2NT pass
3NT pass pass pass.

1ª = Walsh approach, bypassing a 4+ ¨-suit when not strong enough to reverse.
2NT = Balanced hand, 11 hcp, hoping for adequate ©-stoppers in West.

South starts ©8 for the ten; North returning a low heart to the king. East realizes, that he will not have time to set up his clubs. NS will knock out ©A, get in again with a high club, and cash ªA and another heart for down one. So after ©K, East cashes ¨A, and finesses successfully with ¨J, and leads towards ª9, the key play. North gets in with the ace, but can do no more harm. If he returns a red suit, East unblocks ªK, comes to hand in clubs, and cashes ªQ and ªJ for his contract. Should North return a club, East ducks, gets in with §A next, crosses in spades, gives up another club, and will either score 2 more clubs in dummy, or 2 more spades in hand. If North shifts to a heart after the king of clubs, East will unblock ªK, cross in clubs, and cash ªQ and ªJ again.

Board 16
W/EW


WEST		 NORTH
ª A 6 4 3 2
© A
¨ 8 6
§ K Q T 8 5



EAST
ª 9
© T 7 6 4
¨ 9 7
§ A J 7 4 3 2


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

NS score

Freq

Imps NS

Imps EW

590

2

5

-5

450

1

1

-1

420

22

0

0

-50

1

-10

10

Mean

NS score

420

Recommended bidding sequence:

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

4§ = Splinter: 4+ ª-support, singleton or void in clubs, and enough strength to give game a fair chance when North is on minimum values.
Dbl = Indicating a §-lead.
4© = 1st or 2nd round control of hearts, denying such control in diamonds.
4ª = South must sign off, for EW can take 2 ¨-tricks off the top.

North draws trumps and gives up §K to ensure himself of 10 tricks. He should only try the complete cross-ruff when he happens to end up in 5ª.

Go to Session 02, Boards 17-20

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