Pursuits: Bridge
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Your support makes all the difference.LEARN FROM Stars by Mark Horton and Tony Sowter (Batsford, 9.99) is not an introduction to astrology but a collection of intriguing deals, old and new. Many are familiar and I certainly remember this hand, having watched it live (well, on Bridgerama) in 1990 and been mildly amused by the commentator's remarks. You will appreciate that we could see all four hands.
North opened One Club, East overcalled with One Heart, and South tried 2 No-trumps. North raised to game and West, Bobby Goldman of America, led !9 and South held #A as well as his two winning hearts but, reasoned declarer, perhaps there was the outside chance of being able to play the clubs for five tricks.
After winning the third heart lead, declarer crossed to dummy with a spade and led 2Q. East covered with the king but, under the ace, Goldman dropped the jack! "Routine!" said the commentator. "Quite right if his partner had started with 2K 10, but now he has just given away an overtrick."
Not so at all. Convinced that East must have started with 2K 9 4, declarer crossed to dummy with another top spade and finessed 28. West won unexpectedly with his nine and got off lead with a spade. South now had only eight winners and, when he finally played on diamonds, he was annoyed to find that it was West who held #A all the time. What was worse, West now cashed the lowly 46 for the setting trick.
Bridge News
The final results of the World Championships in Lille are as follows:
The Vivendi Rosenblum cup was won by Italy (Lanzarotti, Versace, Sementa, Angelini, Lauria & Buratti). The Louis Vuitton McConnell Cup went to Austria (Sylvia Terraneo, Maria Erhart, Doris Fischer, Terri Weigkricht). The Societe Generale Open Pairs went to Michal Kwiecien and Jarek Pszczola of Poland,; the Louis Vuitton Women's Pairs was won by Jill Meyers and Shawn Quinn, US. The most spectacular win was in the Senior Pairs by Irvine Gordon and Boris Schapiro of Great Britain. Boris first won a world championship (unofficial) 60 years ago; he is now 89. The partnership led throughout, winning by a large margin.
Love all; dealer North
North
4A K 8
!7 2
#K Q 6
2Q 7 6 5 3
West East
46 4 3 2 49 7 5
!9 8 6 !K Q J 5 4
#A 10 7 5 #J 3 2
2J 9 24
South
4Q J 10
!A 10 3
#9 8 4
2A 10 8 2
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