Yes, it’s the annual battle of the Oxfordshire titans in the President’s Cup. Seven years running, Smith has been drawn against Robinson in the quarter-final or the semi-final, and the winners of this encounter have gone on to win the final. Most years, the result has hinged on the 32nd board at one or both tables, with the lead changing hands in the final moments of the struggle. This year was to be no exception. My team won the cup three times in four years between 2006 and 2009 but the retirement of Richard Lonsdale in 2009 has seen a slight swing in the balance of fortunes. Meanwhile the partnership of Piper/Angus has joined Procter/Robinson and performed impressively. This year it was our best-of-seven decider but perhaps in 2013 it will be best-of-nine. I hope so because it is teams bridge in its purest and most nail-biting form.
Judging from the “problems” I have assembled, the standard of bidding and play wasn’t terribly high this year. Naturally, I have picked the deals where there were swings and something went wrong for somebody. None of the eight players comes out of these deals terribly well and I’m sure the other seven would reject quite a bit of my analysis but, without fear or favour, I shall name names and tell it as I see it. Enjoy!
Problem 1
It is Board 1 (Love All) and you are West
|
None Vul
Dealer N |
♠ 10 7 4
♥ 10 8 5 ♦ A K 10 9 6 ♣ A 5 |
|
|
♠ A K 9 2
♥ A Q J 7 2 ♦ 2 ♣ K Q 7 |
♠ -
♥ 9 6 4 3 ♦ Q 8 7 5 4 ♣ J 8 4 3 |
|
|
♠ Q J 8 6 5 3
♥ K ♦ J 3 ♣ 10 9 6 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Robinson | Wilson | Proctor | Smith |
| 1♦ | Pass | 1♠ | |
| 2♥ | 2♠ | 3♥ | 3♠ |
| 4♥ | Pass | Pass | 4♠ |
| ?? |
On the doubtful assumption that you agree with the bidding so far, what do you bid now?
Let us say you opt to bid 5♥. This is passed out – now you need to make it.
North leads ♦K on which South plays the Jack. North then switches to ♥5 which runs to the 3, King and Ace. What is your plan from there?
I’m not sure I would have made the same decision as Mike Robinson to go on to 5♥, holding spades like that. Actually, I’m sure I wouldn’t have done so. A double of 4♠ looks quite attractive to me, although dummy’s intermediates in diamonds mean that the contract does not go too badly awry. But 5♥ is also a reasonable contract, and I think it should make when the trump finesse works. Bidding 5♥ should have been the winning action as the cards lie.
After Alan has led ♦K and switched to a trump, declarer can ruff a spade, play a trump back to hand, take a 2nd spade ruff, return with a diamond ruff, draw trumps and concede ♣A. There is not much that can go wrong with that line.
Perhaps because it was the opening deal (or because he thought he was only in 4♥?), declarer missed the line, preferring instead to draw trumps in three rounds. Now it was only possible to ruff one spade and declarer ended up hoping that clubs were 3-3 so that he could pitch his other spade loser. But clubs were 4-2 and the 12th trick went to my ♣10. One off.
Declarer might also recover from the initial error by squeezing me in the black suits for his 11th trick. It looks automatic, but somehow the timing went awry.
Even without the helpful ♦K lead, I think there is no defence to beat 5♥. On an initial trump lead, say, declarer can ruff a spade at trick 2, cross to ♥Q and ruff a 2nd spade. You are short of an entry to hand to draw the final trump but if you lead a club to the King, you will get there soon enough.
This enabled us to gain 8 IMPs because the auction at the other table was as follows:
| West | North | East | South |
| McPhee | Angus | Cooper | Piper |
| 1NT | Pass | 2♥ | |
| 3♥ | Pass | 4♥ | 4♠ |
| Double | All pass | ||
Stuart McPhee (W) comments: “I scarcely gave a moments thought to bidding 5♥. I thought I was sure to lose one diamond, at least one club and ♥K is odds-on to be offside if partner doesn’t have it”. 4♠ doubled went two off
