Better Bridge in Barry County June 19 2014

Better Bridge in Barry County

By Gerald Stein

 

 

	North ♠  10 7 3  ♥  7 3  ♦  A Q J 10 9 3 ♣  8 5
West ♠  Q J 8 6 ♥  8 5 ♦  7 6 4    ♣  A Q 9 3		East ♠ K 4 ♥  Q 9 6 2 ♦  K 2   ♣  J 10 7 6 4
	South ♠  A 9 5 2 ♥  A K J 10 4 ♦  8 5   ♣  K 2

 

 

Dealer: Vulnerable: Lead:

West Both 6♠

 

North   2♦ (1) 3♦(3) Pass     (1.) Weak Two Bid (2.) Forcing 2NT Asking for a Feature (An ace or a king) (3.) No extras	East   Pass Pass Pass	South   2NT (2) 3NT	West Pass Pass Pass

The 28^th Annual World Wide Bridge Contest was held recently with duplicate bridge clubs from all around the world competing in a one-day event. As part of the mission of the World Bridge Federation, a commitment to Youth Bridge is their foremost goal. The future of bridge lies in the hands of young people, and the World Wide Bridge Contest provides bridge tournaments for the express purpose of raising funds to further Youth Bridge programs. Local clubs from around Michigan and the United States competed with clubs in the United Kingdom, including England, and many other worldwide bridge-playing countries. Today’s hand was taken from this 28^th Annual World Wide Contest.

After a pass from West, North chose a Weak Two Diamond bid, promising at least six diamonds with most of her points in the diamond suit. North had six diamonds and seven high-card points in the diamond suit and nothing else. A pass from East provided South with a choice of bids: a pass here and play the contract in diamonds or be brave and bid on. South chose to bid on, and used a partnership agreement of 2NT, a forcing bid, to ask North if she had a Feature, a king or an ace in a side suit. North responded by rebidding her diamonds that she had no such luxury, and South placed the contract at 3NT in the South. Good luck, South!

The lead was the 6♠, fourth card down from her longest and strongest suit for West. South played low from the board, and he won the trick in his hand with the A♠ when East put up the K♠. The plan for South was to lead from his hand with the 8♦. If it won, he would do it again. With five diamonds out, South’s hope was that the diamonds would split 3-2, and that the K♦ would win, setting up all of the rest of the diamonds. Accordingly, South let the 8♦ ride all the way to the East hand, and East with only two diamonds, including the K♦, decided to take the trick.

Back came a spade to West’s J♠ and Q♠, leaving South with a spade winner with the 9♠. Seeing not much of a future in spades, West led a small club, and South won that trick with the K♣. After that, it was easy to lead to the good diamonds, winning five diamond tricks, the A♥ and the K♥ as well as the 9♠ for ten tricks in no trump. This was by far the best score of the tournament for the North/South team on this hand. With a top score of 630, North and South were happy that they had the Weak Two Bid as part of their partnership agreement. Without the bid from North of the diamond suit, and South’s asking for a feature, it would have been easy to play this hand in diamonds for a rather poor score.

Congratulations to the North/South team for playing in the 28^th Annual World Wide Bridge contest. It is not often that bridge players can say that they competed in bridge with international players. With the funds going to the Youth Bridge programs, it is certainly a commendable way to spend an afternoon playing bridge as well as helping provide encouragement to youthful bridge players for many years to come.

Gerald Stein

June 13, 2014

Number of words: 765

 

Bridge Notes: If you are interested in finding out more about the World Wide Bridge Contests, go to www.ecatsbridge.com for excellent and entertaining commentary on each of the hands played in this year’s contest. Eric Kokish of Canada fame has long provided this commentary for each of the hands played in each year’s contest. Take a look to see what kind of bridge is being played not just in Barry County but around the world.