Search MSO Worldwide

Tournament Report

The EBU Great Northern Swiss Pairs

The Great Northern Swiss Pairs tournament was held over the weekend of October 7 and 8 at the AEA Conference Centre, Risley, near Warrington.

Over the two days, the large field played 11 x 8-board matches of Swiss Pairs, with pre-duplicated boards. The competition attracted an excellent entry including a good number of top players, proving once again the popularity of this format with the bulk of players.

The Conference Centre offers good playing conditions and reasonable priced snacks and meals. Its only drawback is that it is a bit in the middle of nowhere, so that it is awkward to reach other than by car, and there is no accommodation or alternative option for eating within walking distance.

The competition at the top was close throughout, but stretched out a little at the finish, with John Holland and Ollie Burgess winning with 167 Victory Points.

Ollie Burgess is only 16. He represented England in this year's European Under 20's Championship. John Holland is an experienced England Camrose Trophy player.

This deal from the second session rewarded those declarers with a good technique:

Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.

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

West	North	East	South
			Pass
1	Pass	1	Pass
3	Pass	4	All Pass

Four Hearts was the popular contract and South normally led a spade from his sequence. How should declarer plan the play?

After the spade lead, there are at least four losers - two trumps, a spade and a club. To attempt to draw trumps immediately would therefore not succeed as the defence could take their tricks on gaining the lead. Before giving up the lead, declarer must try to reduce his number of losers to three only.

There is only one way in which to reduce the number of losers, and that is to attempt to discard all three small spades from hand on dummy's diamonds. That will require some good fortune, of course. Several declarers won the spade lead and played the ace of hearts then set about the diamonds. Though that one round of trumps did eliminate one defender's trump holding, the line of play was not good enough. Declarer got rid of two spades on the second and thirds diamonds, but North ruffed the fourth diamond low and declarer was forced to over-ruff and play a trump, praying that the missing hearts were now splitting one-one. When that did not prove to be the case, they were down. Cashing the ace of hearts only rated to be useful if the trumps were 4-1 and the hand with four trumps also held four or more diamonds - not very likely.

The correct line, found by a number of declarers, but less than who failed, is as follows: After winning the first spade, start on the diamonds immediately. Overtake the jack and continue the suit from the top. On the fourth round, North finds himself in a no win situation. If he ruffs in with an honour, declarer throws his last spade and, on regaining the lead, cashes the ace of trumps. The fall of the bare king means that he will have only one more trump plus the A to lose.

Alternatively, North may ruff the fourth diamond low. Now declarer over-ruffs and plays a heart to the ace. Some declarers got this far but then fell from grace, playing a second trump in the hope that the suit was now splitting evenly. When the remaining hearts were together, the contract was down one. But the even trump split is a mirage. Even if the trumps do fall together, there will still be a club and a spade to lose, holding declarer to ten tricks. But when the remaining trumps are 2-0 the contract fails. Instead, after winning the trump ace, simply play dummy's fifth diamond and throw the losing spade away.

If the trumps are 1-1, the defenders make them separately but their only other trick is the ace of clubs - declarer comes to ten tricks. And if the trumps are as in the actual deal, again the defence can only come to two trumps and a club. The play of the fifth diamond guarantees the contract, while the play of a second trump loses when the hearts are 2-0 and never gains. So now we see the point of not cashing the ace of trumps at trick two. The A is required as an entry to dummy to play the fifth diamond. It is not the fourth diamond which is the key to pitching the last spade loser, but the fifth, and declarer needs to appreciate this before playing to trick two.