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OBA SWISS TEAMS JUNE 20 1999

The OBA/EBU Swiss teams event was held in Oxford on June 20th this year.  55 Teams took part.  I played with John Clifford along with Mike Brown and Richard Bird (Wallingford).  We won 4 matches and finished about halfway.  There were lots of interesting hands during the day, but the two I remember most were these-

You pick up as East at love all-

void
KQJ1097653
K954
void
Good init!  Its not often you pick up a 9-card suit!  Anyway you hear the bidding go as follows-
N                 E               S                 W
                                                                                  1S               pass
                                             2S                ?
Well, what do you bid?  I didn't see the point of bidding 4H, the chances of playing there are slim - so I bid 5H!  LHO goes into a trance and passes.  Then its partner's turn to do the same (I can imagine JC's thoughts - why do I play with this guy?) but eventually this bid is passed out.  Partner puts down-
J1076
A8
AQ106
Q52
The heart suit breaks 1-1, the diamonds are four to the Jack on your right, so you make 13 tricks!  You are not looking forward to the post-mortem when you go to score up with your team mates, but low and behold there is no swing - the bidding taking a slightly different route via 4H - 4S and double from West and a pull to 5H.  Ah well!  On to the next!!  (4S makes - we won the match).

The next involves a hand played against the local rivals (Paul Belton and Geoff Nicholas (Aylesbury), Pete Baxter and Debbie Roberts).

You are in 4H as East after the bidding

N                  E                 S                W
                                                                 1H              1S               2C
                                            pass              2H             pass             4H
                                           all pass
John puts down (hands rotated for convenience)
K103
754
KQ
AJ754
You hold-
J65
AKJ86
A752
63
Paul Belton leads the Ace of Spades, sees the 2 from Partner (attitude) and switches to the 9 of Diamonds.  What now?  Well I cashed KQ of diamonds, came to hand with a heart to the Ace (all following), trumped a diamond in dummy and led a heart towards my KJ.  Geoff Nicholas has played the 2 followed by the 10 of hearts.  Do you finesse for the Queen and risk a spade ruff if it loses to Qx?  Has GN really played the 2 followed by the 10 with 10x(9?)2 of hearts? Where is the Queen of Spades?  If the Q is onside for you then it doesn't matter.  Has Geoff got Q2 of spades?  Have you ever felt that whatever you did you were going to get it wrong?

Well I played the K of hearts which seemed to combine a few chances, the Q didn't drop and I played a spade towards the K10.  I think for a while - I just have this feeling that Geoff has the stiff Queen?............................. I played the 10.  Down one and the heart is finesse right!  How am I going to explain this to my team-mates?

Well, Pete Baxter had the same problem, except that he had the Ace and another spade lead, so he had to make the decision at trick 2.  When he got that wrong, he too declined to take the heart finesse - flat board!!!!  (we lost the match!)
 

report by Clive Keep 27/6/99