Simon Stocken
August 27, 2019
In the first set of the semi-final between the Californian SIVY team (U26 Gold Medal) against the UK Natt team (U26 Bronce Medal) .
Board 10 U26 Semi-Final Session 1
Game All Dealer East
K 10 9 7 5
4
7 5 2
J 8 6 4
A
A 9 7
Q 10 8 4
K Q 10 9 7
Q 8 3 2
Q 6 3 2
A K 6 3
3
J 6 4
K J 10 8 5
J 9
A 5 2
The auction:
West
North
East
South
Kennedy
Youngquist
Ye
Duffie
1
1
2
Pass
2NT
Pass
3
Pass
3NT
Pass
4
Pass
5
All Pass
Lead: 4
The English pair did well to find the only making game on this hand. The auction was straightforward: South’s overcall is routein although it would guide declarer to the winning line.
South led 4 taken by dummy’s A and declarer crossed to A before leading a club towards dummy. South elected to withhold A and dummy’s Q won the trick.
Ye continued with 10 discarding a spade from hand, won with A by South who exited with J won with dummy’s Q. Now declarer cashed K and continued with a club, trumping out North’s J.
Declarer trumped a spade and played the winning club off dummy, trumped by North and overtrumped. Declarer trumped a spade, stripping South of any safe exit. South had let go two low hearts and so Ye played7 to South who tried the K but could not avoid conceding the 11th trick.
Had North held a singleton J or 10, East will playQ and South will be end-played.
At the other table, South also ducked theA and declarer ruffed out the A to end with 11 tricks. If South does rise with A, then declarer can prevail by drawing trumps and cashing A and then playing clubs, leaving North on lead with J with only spades left in his hand, and very likely to hold K with South having led the suit at trick one.
K 10 9 7 5
4
7 5 2
J 8 6 4
