Semi-conscious

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday September 13, 2008

Ron Klinger

At the end of the round-robin stage, New Zealand headed Open Section A ahead of China. Two Australian teams headed Open Section B. First was HORWITZ (Helen Horwitz, Ishmael DelMonte, Peter Gill, Murray Green, Andrew Peake), with OTVOSI second (Ervin Otvosi, George Bilski, Kennet Christiansen, Barry Noble, Paul Gosney, Michael Prescott).

In the 48-board Open semi-finals, the leading team played the second-placed team in their section in three 16-board segments. After 32 boards, New Zealand led China by 68-40. In the third session, one that New Zealand will want to forget, China scored 63-5 to win the semi easily.

This was the biggest swing from that set:

Bd. 45: East dealer : Both vulnerable

West North East South

Newell Jianming Reid Lixin

--- --- 1H (1) 2H

3S (2) 4D Pass 4H

Pass Pass Pass

(1) 4+ spades, 9-13 points

(2) 4+ spades, limit raise Lead: SQ

Which spade should East play at trick 1? East has no real idea how the defence should continue and so should play a low spade, encouraging a spade continuation if possible. That allows West to indicate the best defence to East. If West wants a club switch, the S2 comes next. With, say, a diamond void West might continue with the S10. After the SQ holds, West might find the killing defence of the DK shift.

If declarer wins and plays HA and another heart, the defence score two spades and two hearts. If South takes the DA and plays a heart to the ten, jack, queen, West plays a spade to East, who gives West a diamond ruff.

That is the theory. In practice East overtook the SQ with the SK and cashed the SA. Thus ended the defence.

At the other table:

West North East South

Zejun Mayer Haojun Jacob

--- --- 1S 2H

Dble (1) Pass 2S Pass

Pass 3D Pass Pass

3S Pass Pass Pass

(1) Spade raise

Lead: D9

North won and switched to the H9, ten, ace. East won the heart return and ruffed a diamond. Declarer was able to ruff his diamond losers and had +140 for 13 Imps to China.

In the other match:

West North East South

Green Gosney Peake Chr'sen

--- --- 1S 2H

2NT (1) 3D 3S All pass

(1) Spade raise

Lead: D3

Here declarer set up dummy's clubs

for nine tricks, +140.

West North East South

Prescott Gill Bilski DelMonte

--- --- 1S 2H

3H (1) 4D Pass 4H

Pass Pass Pass

(1) Spade raise

West led the SQ: three - nine - seven

and switched to the C2: ten - six - three.

End of the defence. Perhaps the DK switch is too hard to find.

Declarer played the H9: ten - jack - queen, won the club return with the CA and played another heart, king, ace. On the run of the hearts East threw two diamonds and so South made eleven tricks for +650 and +13 Imps.

There is a curious feature about the above four auctions. Can you spot it?

In the Womens semi-finals, New Zealand made 4S doubled and 4H for a 16-Imp gain, while China made 4H in one room and defeated it in the other for +12 Imps.

Seniors: Australia made 3S E-W and defeated 3D by North for +6 Imps; Thailand made +170 in 3S for +5 Imps as the board was passed in at the other table. (Wow!)

Youth: 3S was played at all four tables. It failed once and made three times, once doubled.

The unusual feature about the four auctions is that each West raised spades in a different way. Odd.

The world cares very little about what a man or a woman knows; it is what the man or the woman is able to do that counts.

(Booker T. Washington)

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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