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Daily Bulletin Number 2

Match of the Day
Open Series
South Africa v Reunion
Part 1

The first match to be shown on the new VuGraph featured one of the favourites, South Africa, and a team that had performed well in the last Zone 4 Championships, Reunion.
The boards were full of drama and the South Africans put on an impressive show.

Board 3
E/W Vul
Dealer South

			J 9
			10 7 6 5
			7 5 3
			Q 10 6 3
	7 5 4	N W E S			A K 8 3 2
	8 3				A J 9 4 2
	A Q J 9 8 6 4				2
	5				A 9
			Q 10 6
			K Q
			K 10
			K J 8 7 4 2

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Blanc	Mansell	Drieux	Gower
			1
1NT	Pass	2	Pass
2	Pass	3	Pass
3	All Pass

West's 1NT overcall was 'comic', either a good hand or a weak single suiter. That method can produce the odd good result, but is generally out of favour because it is considered better to be able to make an immediate jump with a weak hand, thereby putting the opponents under more pressure.

East enquired with Two Clubs and then made a game try when West showed the weak variety. When West felt he could not do more than bid Three Diamonds, the good game had been missed.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Eber	Vidal	Donde	Telegone
			1
3	Pass	5	All Pass

That simple sequence got the job done nicely for East-West and South Africa were off to a good start with a vulnerable game swing.

There was a neat point to the play when our next featured deal was played in the Closed Room.

			A Q 10 4
			10
			5 3 2
			A 9 7 4 2
	K	N W E S			7 5 3 2
	A Q J 6 5 2				9 8 7 4
	A Q 9 8				7 4
	K 8				J 5 3
			J 9 8 6
			K 3
			K J 10 6
			Q 10 6

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Eber	Vidal	Donde	Telegone
			Pass
1	Pass	Pass	Dbl
Redbl	2	2	Pass
Pass	2	Pass	Pass
3	All Pass

North led a diamond for the king and ace, and Neville Eber, who kindly supplied the details of this board, set out on a voyage of discovery by playing the king of spades. This would not only help him to place the cards, but also started to break communications between the defenders.

North took the ace of spades and continued with the queen. Declarer ruffed and laid down the ace of hearts, noting the fall of North's ten. He now cashed the queen of diamonds, ruffed a diamond, ruffed a spade, ruffed a diamond and ruffed a spade.

He exited with the queen of hearts and South won with the king and returned a club.
Reflecting that South had turned up with the jack of spades, king of hearts and king jack of diamonds, it was clearly impossible for him to have the ace of clubs for he had passed as dealer. Declarer played low for an excellent +170.

			8 3 2
			A Q 5
			Q J 10 7
			10 8 2
	J 9 7 5	N W E S			K Q 10 6 4
	7 3				9 8 4
	5 3				8 6 4
	9 6 5 4 3				Q 7
			A
			K J 10 6 2
			A K 9 2
			A K J

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Eber	Vidal	Donde	Telegone
	Pass	Pass	2
Pass	3	Pass	3
Pass	4	Pass	4
Pass	5	Pass	6
All Pass

The problem for North/South is to find a way to play in diamonds, where, providing the trumps break 3-2, 13 tricks are available irrespective of the position of the queen of clubs.

North's first response promised a red ace but diamonds were never in the picture.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Blanc	Mansell	Drieux	Gower
	Pass	Pass	2
Pass	2	Pass	2
Pass	3	Pass	3
Pass	4	Pass	4NT
Pass	5	Pass	5
Pass	5NT	Pass	6
Pass	6	Pass	7
All Pass

This time North's first response was two-way and when he bid Three Hearts at his next turn he showed a positive with heart support. Three Spades was a serious slam try and Four Diamonds was a feature. Then RKCB established that North held the top hearts, no side king and the queen of diamonds. South suggested that Seven Diamonds might be the top spot and North was happy to agree.

That was a brilliant effort after hearts had been agreed and this might be a contender for the annual Romex Award for bidding. It earned South Africa ten IMPs.