Spingold Final - Part 1
The Spingold Final was effectively decided in the last seven boards of the first half. These seven broads produced a 58-0 run by the Jansma team.
Let's first look at board 26, 27, and 29 (28 was a push, down in no-play games):
On board 26, in the open room Ekeblad used Stayman, then Smolen (3H showing exactly 4Hs, longer spades, game force), then transferred to spades with 4D to reach 4S by the strong hand.
North led a heart, and declarer cleverly played the heart eight, which got South to play the jack. Declarer won this, cashed the other top heart, and then played three rounds of diamonds, discarding the club king from dummy. There was no way to beat it at this point since dummy's spade spots were just good enough. If South returns a trump, declarer can use dummy's heart spots to make an overtrick.
In the closed room, East, Alan Sontag, used Stayman, then bid 2S. This showed an invite with 5 or more spades. West jumped to 3NT and East decided to rest there, even with a shapely 6-4.
The contract had no play but declarer was encouraged by a heart lead. However even with the friendly diamonds, when declarer gave up a spade, North promptly played club ace and another to pick up 12 IMPs.
On the next board, in the open room the Meltzer team got to a quiet 4S, and made five on the club king lead. In the closed room there was more action:
We don't know the meanings of all these bids, though 4D was a slam try in spades, and 4H negative (much like Optional Roman Blackwood in ETM systems), and 4NT seems to be keycard for spades. The 2C and 2H bids were likely game forcing relays finding out hand type before setting spades as trumps. Helness had the key decision on the hand - whether to double 5C for the lead or not. His problem was he didn't know, on this auction, whether his partner was going to be on lead. By not doubling, the opponents got to slam that is down off the top. However by not doubling, partner didn't find the club lead, and the slam made for 11 IMPs.
On board 29, Sontag-Helness got to 4S quickly.
This had play, but declarer misguessed diamonds to lose a heart, a club, and two diamonds - declarer doesn't know both club honors are slotted right and thus, with trumps 3-1, wanted to make the best play for three diamond tricks, but South's diamond discard might have been a clue to getting it right. The auction by Ekeblad-Rubin the Open Room was 1C(big)-1D(negative);-1S(4+Ss, forcing)-2S(minimum raise) for +140 on the same diamond misguess and 6 IMPs.
The Spingold Final was effectively decided in the last seven boards of the first half. These seven broads produced a 58-0 run by the Jansma team.
Let's first look at board 26, 27, and 29 (28 was a push, down in no-play games):
On board 26, in the open room Ekeblad used Stayman, then Smolen (3H showing exactly 4Hs, longer spades, game force), then transferred to spades with 4D to reach 4S by the strong hand.
North led a heart, and declarer cleverly played the heart eight, which got South to play the jack. Declarer won this, cashed the other top heart, and then played three rounds of diamonds, discarding the club king from dummy. There was no way to beat it at this point since dummy's spade spots were just good enough. If South returns a trump, declarer can use dummy's heart spots to make an overtrick.
In the closed room, East, Alan Sontag, used Stayman, then bid 2S. This showed an invite with 5 or more spades. West jumped to 3NT and East decided to rest there, even with a shapely 6-4.
The contract had no play but declarer was encouraged by a heart lead. However even with the friendly diamonds, when declarer gave up a spade, North promptly played club ace and another to pick up 12 IMPs.
On the next board, in the open room the Meltzer team got to a quiet 4S, and made five on the club king lead. In the closed room there was more action:
We don't know the meanings of all these bids, though 4D was a slam try in spades, and 4H negative (much like Optional Roman Blackwood in ETM systems), and 4NT seems to be keycard for spades. The 2C and 2H bids were likely game forcing relays finding out hand type before setting spades as trumps. Helness had the key decision on the hand - whether to double 5C for the lead or not. His problem was he didn't know, on this auction, whether his partner was going to be on lead. By not doubling, the opponents got to slam that is down off the top. However by not doubling, partner didn't find the club lead, and the slam made for 11 IMPs.
On board 29, Sontag-Helness got to 4S quickly.
This had play, but declarer misguessed diamonds to lose a heart, a club, and two diamonds - declarer doesn't know both club honors are slotted right and thus, with trumps 3-1, wanted to make the best play for three diamond tricks, but South's diamond discard might have been a clue to getting it right. The auction by Ekeblad-Rubin the Open Room was 1C(big)-1D(negative);-1S(4+Ss, forcing)-2S(minimum raise) for +140 on the same diamond misguess and 6 IMPs.
posted by Glen Ashton @ 2:56 PM
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