|
The following message is doing the rounds
and perhaps some visitors to this site will already have come across it.
Bridge friends:
I am at an utter loss to understand how Chip Martel could make Four Hearts
on Board 6 of the match between US I and US II. He has four unavoidable
losers. At the time he supposedly made his claim (according to the Vugraph)
he had already lost one trick and had two sure spade losers in his hand
and another club, with South's high queen of clubs still out. He was in
his hand and could not get to the good jack of diamonds on the board.
What happened??? At the other table Zia went down in the same contract.
Something is wrong. Please respond. Thanks,
Jim Beck.
The deal in question comes from the round
robin stage of the Bermuda Bowl, held in Bermuda during January 2000.
The following extract from the World Championship Book explains why Martel
made his game. Note that he had not cashed the K ,
and this was the key to his success.
Board 6.
Dealer East. E/W Vul.
| |
|
A 6 5 |
|
|
|
8 6 5
2 |
|
|
K Q 3 |
|
|
A 8 5 |
 |
Q 3 |
|
|
10 9 8 7 4 |
 |
K J 10 9 4 3 |
|
A Q |
 |
4 |
|
A J 8 6 5 |
|
K J 10 9 |
|
2 |
| |
|
K J 2 |
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
10 9 7 2 |
|
|
Q 7 6 4 3 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Soloway |
Rosenberg |
Hamman |
Zia |
| |
|
1 |
Pass |
| 2 |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
| 3 |
Pass |
4 |
All Pass |
Michael Rosenberg led the K,
taken by Paul Soloway with the ace. Soloway then played a club
to the king and Rosenberg's ace. Rosenberg got out with a trump to dummy's
queen and Soloway's king. Soloway then played the J,
running it to Zia Mahmood's queen when Rosenberg followed low.
Soloway had to lose two spade tricks and finished down one.
At the other table:
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| Martel |
Meckstroth |
Stansby |
Rodwell |
| |
|
1 |
Pass |
| 3(i) |
Pass |
4 |
All Pass |
| (i) Natural and invitational. |
Jeff Meckstroth led the Kto
dummy's ace. At trick two, Chip Martel led a club to the jack and
ace. Meckstroth got out with a trump which Martel won in dummy. He ruffed
a diamond, ruffed a low club and ruffed another diamond. He then ran trumps,
reaching this position:
| |
|
A 6 5 |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
- |
|
|
5 |
|
Q 3 |
|
|
10 9 8 |
|
J |
|
- |
|
- |
|
J 8 |
|
K 10 |
|
- |
| |
|
K J 2 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
- |
|
|
Q 7 |
On the play of West's last heart, South was in trouble. He had to hold
onto a club to keep Martel's 10
from being good, so had to pitch a spade. No matter which spade South
let go, it would result in ten tricks for Martel, whose plan was to exit
with a low spade. If South had discarded the 2,
he could win dummy's ten with the jack but would have to play another
spade to keep Martel from taking another club finesse for the contract.
If South's last spade was the king, North
would have to overtake with the ace to avoid the club endplay, but then
North would have to give West the free club finesse or put him in dummy,
where the spades and diamonds were good. If South discarded a spade honour,
Martel would be able to build a spade trick on power, with the club finesse
a constant threat against South. Plus 620 was worth 12 IMPs to
USA 2.
The same swing occurred in the Orbis Venice
Cup clash between Great Britain and China. Both Wests declared 4.
The Chinese declarer went one down when she cashed the club king, while
Heather Dhondy of Great Britain followed the line taken by Martel
to earn her side a 10-IMP swing.
If you have a question for Brian, please
contact anna@msoworld.com
|
