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Daily Bulletin Number 3

Swings and Roundabouts
Round 5 - Women Series
Egypt v South Africa
Part 2

Board 6
E/W Vul
Dealer East

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Morcos	Hulett	Sarwat	Adrain
		Pass	Pass
Pass	1	2	Pass
3	All Pass

Did anyone open Two Hearts with the East cards?

It takes a trump lead to defeat Three Hearts and with a singleton in partner's suit that was asking a lot of South. Declarer took the queen of spades with the ace and returned the suit. She could not be prevented from ruffing a spade in dummy and that was +140.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mansell	Maud	Modlin	Lily
		Pass	Pass
Pass	1	2	Dbl
2	2NT	4	All Pass

Having both passed originally it is difficult to see why East/West should imagine they had any realistic chance of making game and so it proved.

Board 7
All Vul
Dealer South

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

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Morcos	Hulett	Sarwat	Adrain
			1
Pass	Pass	1NT	Dbl
Pass	2	All Pass

There is a case for North passing 1NT doubled - that contract would certainly have been defeated - although East might have removed herself to Two Clubs and probably escaped unscathed as North would almost certainly bid Two Hearts.

With things lying well declarer soon recorded +170. A swing did not look likely but it is dangerous to make predictions in bridge.

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mansell	Maud	Modlin	Lily
			1NT
Pass	2	Pass	2NT
Pass	3	Pass	3
Pass	4	All Pass

When South showed a maximum with 4-3-3-3 North retransferred and then boldly went on to game. I wonder if she remembered Jeff Meckstroth's rule that if your six card major is freely supported then you should bid game?

Four Hearts did not win the admiration of the VuGraph commentators but it did win 10 IMPs!

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

Open Room
West	North	East	South
Mansell	Maud	Modlin	Lily
Pass	Pass	1	Pass
2	Pass	4	All Pass

The 4-1 heart break meant Four Hearts had to go one down, -50. East might have rebid 2NT and then passed West's inevitable raise to 3NT but there is no compelling reason to do so. Still it not easy to see how East/West could avoid playing in hearts.

Closed Room
West	North	East	South
Morcos	Hulett	Sarwat	Adrain
Pass	Pass	1	Pass
2	Pass	2NT	Pass
3NT	All Pass

As you can see it was all so simple, West's use of Drury keeping hearts out of the picture.
Declarer mysteriously collected only nine tricks, still good enough for another 10 IMPs.

Egypt now had a handy lead but South Africa came back over the remaining deals to force a draw.