Bridge World Sampler
TOURNAMENT REPORTS
The Bridge World regularly provides detailed analyses of the interesting and crucial deals of major championship events. Coverage includes the world team championships, the major United States national knockout team tournaments, and occasionally other international, national (including Canadian) and special events. The article below is the concluding installment of Edgar Kaplan's report on the nerve-shatteringly close match in the final of the 1992 Team Trials, which determined American representation in the 1993 world championship.

Trials Final
by Edgar Kaplan

   After 96 of the 128 boards in the closely contested final of the 1992 Trials, SPINGOLD (Wolff, Hamman, Rosenberg, Deutsch, Meckstroth, Rodwell, Morse NPC), having overcome a halftime deficit of one imp, held double that lead over REISINGER (Root-Pavlicek, Passell-Glubok, Kay-Kaplan, Alder NPC), 176 to 174. SPINGOLD was willing to accept a concession, but REISINGER insisted on playing on.

Fourth Quarter


   The fourth quarter started well for REISINGER.

East dealer
North-South vulnerable

NORTH
S K 3 2
H 10 9 6
D K J 8 6 5 3
C 9
WEST
S A Q J 10 9
H J 5
D Q 7 2
C Q 10 9
EAST
S 6 4
H 9 4 3
D 9 4
C A K 8 7 6 2
SOUTH
S 8 7 5
H A K Q 7 2
D A 10
C J 4 3


SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
RootM'strothPavlicekRodwell
------3 C
3 H3 S4 H(All Pass)


SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
HammanKayWolffKaplan
------Pass
1 H1 S2 H3 C
3 H4 C(All Pass)


   Root, at Table 1, was pushed into game by the preempt. West led the ten of clubs to the ace, won the spade return, and played a second spade to dummy's king. Declarer came to the heart ace, cashed the king, ruffed a club, returned to the diamond ace, and ran his trumps. Finally, he finessed the jack of diamonds: plus 650.

   East's Table 2 four-club contract went three down. However, 650 against 150 gave 11 imps, and the lead, to REISINGER. That lead did not last long.

North dealer
North-South vulnerable

NORTH
S Q 7 3 2
H K 8 7 6 5
D A 3
C 8 5
WEST
S J 10 8
H A 4
D 7 2
C K 9 6 4 3 2
EAST
S A 6 5 4
H Q
D 6 5 4
C A Q J 10 7
SOUTH
S K 9
H J 10 9 3 2
D K Q J 10 9 8
C --


SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
RootM'strothPavlicekRodwell
----Pass1 D
1 H2 C3 C5 C
PassPass5 HPass
PassDouble(All Pass)


SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
HammanKayWolffKaplan
----Pass1 C
2 NT*Double4 HPass
Pass5 C5 HPass
Pass6 CDouble(All Pass)
*red suits


   The six-club sacrifice at Table 2 was not very expensive. Declarer, East, guessed right in spades, to lose only two diamonds and one spade, down 300. But would five hearts make?

   At Table 1, Root, South, won East's seven-of-diamonds lead in hand; jack of hearts, four, . . . ? West very likely had the heart ace for his (questionable) double, but it was also likely that West had led a singleton, in which case his pattern was probably six clubs, three spades (no negative double), one diamond, three hearts. So, declarer let the jack ride, which was wrong in practice; maybe in theory, too, since West, with three-one in the reds, could win the second round of trumps, and, alerted by two discards from partner, find the spade play, to get his ruff. Anyway, minus 200 meant that SPINGOLD won 11 imps instead of losing the same number.

   SPINGOLD went further into the lead when Hamman made a game that Root misguessed. Then,

WEST
S A Q J 9 7
H A K 10
D Q J 9
C A 6
EAST
S 2
H Q 6
D A K 10 8 7
C K 10 9 7 2


PavlicekRoot
2 C  (2 H)3 D
3 S4 C
4 D4 NT
5 C5 H
5 S5 NT
6 DPass


WolffHamman
1 C*1 NT**
2 S3 D
5 NT7 D
Pass
*artificial, 17 pts. upwards
**artificial, 4 controls




   Neither declarer had any difficulty in winning all the tricks: 1390 to 2140, 13 imps to SPINGOLD.

   A few boards later,

North dealer
Both sides vulnerable



NORTH
S K J 6 5
H 10 7
D 9 3
C 10 9 8 6 2
WEST
S 9 8 7 2
H K Q 8 3
D K 10 2
C A K
EAST
S A 4
H J 9 6 5 2
D 8 7
C Q J 5 4
SOUTH
S Q 10 3
H A 4
D A Q J 6 5 4
C 7 3


SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
RodwellRootM'strothPavlicek
----PassPass
1 NT*PassPassPass
*15 to 17


SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
KaplanHammanKayWolff
----PassPass
1 DDoublePass2 H
Pass4 H(All  Pass)


   Rodwell's preemptive notrump opening stole the pot at Table 1, but he might have been forced to pay a fair penalty. However, West got the defense off on the wrong foot with the nine-of-spades lead: jack, ace, three. With a heart switch here, the defense would probably still have collected four hearts, four clubs, a spade and a diamond, down 400, after declarer finessed in diamonds; no, East continued spades, playing partner for queen-ten-nine-fourth. So, declarer made his bold contract with an overtrick. Plus 120 added to plus 620, for the cold four hearts at Table 2: 12 imps to SPINGOLD. And SPINGOLD led by 39 imps with 16 boards to go.

   That looks like an insurmountable lead, particularly since the boards in the last set were not very swingy. However, REISINGER started off with a pickup when a one-diamond opening proved more preemptive than one spade:

WEST
S A K 6 5
H Q J
D J 10 6 5
C Q 9 3
EAST
S J 9
H 8 7
D A Q 10 2
C K 10 7 6 2


HammanWolff
1 S1 NT
Pass (2 H)Pass (3 H)
PassPass


PassellGlubok
1 D2 D*
2 NT3 D
Pass
*inverted




   Three hearts scored 170, while three diamonds scored 110: 7 imps. A lot of imps can change hands on "small" deals.

   Then, Root guessed a normal four-heart contract, while Meckstroth misguessed: 10 imps more. A few boards later, the auction went one notrump--three notrump at both tables; Pavlicek and Rodwell had to lead from,
S Q 9 6   H 10 8 5   D A 9 8   C Q J 5 3.
Pavlicek chose the six of spades, which gave nothing away (partner had jack-ten-fourth). Rodwell led the three of clubs (partner had two small, declarer the ace-king-ten), giving declarer the ninth trick: 10 imps more. After eight boards, SPINGOLD's lead was down to 8 imps.

   The only wild deal of the set:

West dealer
North-South vulnerable



NORTH
S A 10 8 5 4
H Q 5
D 7 5 3
C 10 6 5
WEST
S Q
H 4 3 2
D A Q 8 6
C Q J 4 3 2
EAST
S K J 7 6 3 2
H J 7
D K 10 9 4 2
C --
SOUTH
S 9
H A K 10 9 8 6
D J
C A K 9 8 7


Table 1



SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
WolffPavlicekHammanRoot
--1 DPass1 S
2 HPassPass4 D
4 HPassPass4 S
5 CDouble5 HDouble
PassPassPass


Table 2

SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
PassellRodwellGlubokM'stroth
--1 DPass1 S
Double2 CPass4 D
4 HPassPass4 S
PassPassDoublePass
Pass5 DDouble(All Pass)


   At Table 1, West led a trump against five hearts doubled, to protect his club tricks. Declarer drew trumps, then tried clubs, hopefully. No, he had to give up two clubs: down one, minus 200.

   At Table 2, North led the queen of hearts against five diamonds doubled. South overtook, cashed a second heart, then switched to the jack of trumps. Declarer won in East, played a spade to the queen and ace, won North's trump continuation in dummy, ruffed a spade, ruffed a club, ruffed a spade, ruffed a club, drew trumps and claimed--dummy's spades were good. At this table, and perhaps at the other also, a forcing defense might have led to a heavier set; still, 100 and 200 added up to 7 imps. REISINGER, having rallied strongly, now trailed by only 1.

   On the very next board, nonvulnerable against vulnerable, Glubok opened a weak two-bid as dealer with,
S 9 8   H A J 10 7 3   D K 6   C J 8 7 6.
Two hearts went down three. At the other table, this hand passed, but Wolff opened partner's hand,
S A K J 10 5 3   H 6 4   D 9 8 5 4   C Q,
with three spades in third seat, down only two. However, Wolff was doubled, minus 300, while Glubok was not, minus 150: 4 imps. REISINGER was in the lead!

   A few minor swings had increased the REISINGER lead to 7 imps, going into the last board of the match at Table 1:

North dealer
Neither side vulnerable



NORTH
S J 7 4 3
H A 8 4
D K Q 8
C K J 8
WEST
S A Q 9 2
H 7 6 3
D 10 7
C A 10 9 7
EAST
S 10 8 6 5
H K 9
D J 4 2
C Q 6 4 3
SOUTH
S K
H Q J 10 5 2
D A 9 6 5 3
C 5 2


Table 1

SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
PavlicekHammanRootWolff
----1 CPass
1 HPass1 NTPass
2 D*Pass3 HPass
4 HPassPassPass
*new minor forcing


Table 2

SOUTHWESTNORTHEAST
RodwellGlubokM'strothPassell
----1 DPass
1 HDoubleRedouble*1 S
3 HPass4 H(All Pass)
*three-card support


   The board had already been played at Table 2, where West had led a trump to partner's king. Back came a spade to West's ace, then a second trump. Declarer, Rodwell cashed king-queen of diamonds, drew the last trump, then led a club from hand towards dummy. He put up the king, of course, guided by West's takeout double: plus 420.

   At Table 1, West led the ten of diamonds. Declarer, Pavlicek, won in dummy to lead a spade to the king. West continued with a second diamond; when East came in with the king of trumps, he gave partner a ruff--the club ace was the setting trick. Actually, Pavlicek was going down anyway, once Hamman had passed throughout, since the misguess in clubs was a near certainty. Down 50, 10 imps to SPINGOLD, whose nose was in front at the wire.

   The final score was SPINGOLD 248, REISINGER 245. Dan Morse's team of Seymon Deutsch, Bob Hamman, Jeff Meckstroth, Eric Rodwell, Michael Rosenberg and Bobby Wolff would represent the U.S.A. in the '92 Olympiad.

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