The Beagles Steal Two Matches

John and Billy Bowman are affectionately referred to as the Beagle Boys in honor of the thieves in the Scrooge McDuck cartoons. This reference is based on both their similarity in appearance and on their consistent ability to thieve at the bridge table.

With the Senior team in tough yesterday and needing some big wins the Beagles pulled out 2 sizable victories on the last hands of Round 14 and 15.

Round 14 Board 16

North
S: A
H: KQ
D: JT74
C: AKT542

West (Billy) _____ East (John)
S: 98754 _______ S: KQT6
H: T762 _______ H: AJ984
D: - ___________ D: KQ8
C: 9863 ________ C: Q

South
S: J32
H: 53
D: A96532
C: J7

With EW vulnerable and West the dealer the bidding went:
P = 1C = X = 2D
P = 5D = all pass

After the preemptive 2D followed by 5D John managed to go quietly in the bidding. Billy led the H2 to the A and John smoothly shifted to the CQ. Declarer now worried about the potential club ruff played a diamond to the A and had to go down one losing the KQ of diamonds. With their teamates making 3D+2 in the other room, the Beagles had a 5 imp pickup instead of a 6 imp loss en route to a 19-11 win over Morocco.

Round 15 Board 16

North
S: QJ
H: Q62
D: AKQ9762
C: 9

West (Billy) ___ East (John)
S: KT8432 ____ S: 97
H: AJ ________ H: KT985
D: 85 ________ D: T43
C: 743 _______ C: T62

South
S: A65
H: 743
D: J
C: AKQJ85

With EW vulnerable and West the dealer the bidding went:
P = 1D = P = 2C
P = 3D = P = 3S
X = P = P = XX
P = 3N = P = 4N
P = 5S = P = 6C
P = 6D = P = 7N
X = all pass

After Billy doubled for a spade lead at the 3-level, the Polish squad promptly rolled into 7NT which as can be seen has 13 tricks on any lead but a heart. Billy was in there with a second double to announce that he was kidding about the spade lead and that something else was required. John led the heart ten for a quick down 2 and a win of 13 imps, with their teammates in 3N+4, en route to an 18-12 win over Poland on the last board of the day.

On the same hand in the Open event Joey Silver, West, led a spade against 3N and declarer quickly made 13 tricks. Joey, always the comedian, promptly told his partner, John Carruthers that he should have led the HA from his AJx allowing John to stew over the potential beat for the rest of the evening. It was only later in the evening at Busby's that he the joke was discovered...