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Rhodes, the 1996 Bridge Olympiad. During the round robin Denmark plays Chinese Taipei (the political correct name of Taiwan). Liao ignores the adage the five level belongs to the opponents by 'bidding one more' to 5♥. The task for the Danes is to defeat this contract. | S/EW | ♠ | A Q 8 6 5 2 | | | | ♥ | J 8 7 | | ♦ | 8 7 3 | | ♣ | K | | | |  | ♠ | 9 4 3 | | | | ♥ | 9 | | | | ♦ | A Q 10 5 4 | | | | ♣ | 9 5 3 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Christiansen | Liao | Blakset | Hengk | | — | — | — | 1♥ | | 2♣ | 3♣1 | 3♦2 | 4♥ | | pass | pass | 5♣ | pass | | pass | 5♥ | pass | pass | | pass | | | |
1 Heart fit, 10+ points
2 'This is where my strength is' (East plans to support clubs later, and so he does) Suddenly Blakset remembers an urgent appointment in another part of the island. Even before his partner's lead, he presses his cards in your hand and hurriedly leaves the premises.
You take his East seat and see partner West lead the ♦K. How do you imagine the defence should go? |
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Solution
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Should South accept partner's invite for game? |
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Round Robin of the 1995 Woman's World Championship Teams (contesting the Venice Cup). Australia plays Venezuela. Both teams are still in the race to qualify for the quarter finals.
Bourke (Australia) picks up as South: | W/All | | | ♠ | 10 9 7 6 4 3 | | | ♥ | A 6 4 | | | ♦ | A K 7 | | | ♣ | J | |
| West | North | East | South |
|---|
| Hirschaut | Beech | Smith | Bourke | | 1♦ | pass | pass | 1♠ | | 2♣ | 3♣1 | pass | ?? |
1 Spade fit, inviting to game
Bourke reviews her hand. True, she has honour cards in the side suits, but the quality of her spade suit is miserable. She can't come to a decision and hands you her cards. What would you bid? |
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Solution
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Just another penalty double or...? * |
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Beijing, the 1995 semi-final of the World Teams Championships (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) between Sweden and Canada.
Bjerregård, South, picks up: | W/NS | | | ♠ | K Q J 8 5 4 3 | | | ♥ | K J 9 | | | ♦ | 7 4 | | | ♣ | 10 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Molson | Morath | Baran | Bjerregård | | 1NT1 | pass | pass | 2♠ | | 3♣ | double | pass | ?? |
1 15-17
After having seen his partner pass, the 1NT opener will usually not bid voluntarily again. But here, over South's natural 2♠ overcall fourth in hand, West, Molson, battles on with 3♣. North comes to life with a double. What should South do?
Bjerregård ponders but cannot come to a conclusion, so he hands you his cards. What would you do? |
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Solution
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The Final of the 1991 World Teams Championship (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) in Yokohama, Japan. Iceland plays Poland and you are seated behind Icelander Arnarson, South. He has: | Z/— | | | ♠ | 9 5 3 | | | ♥ | Q 10 9 4 2 | | | ♦ | 7 4 | | | ♣ | 9 6 4 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Martens | Jonsson | Szymanowski | Arnarson | | — | — | — | pass | | 1♣1 | double | 1♦ | pass | | 1♠2 | pass | pass | ?? |
1 Polish Club, three possible types of hands:
a. either 12-14 balanced
b. or 15-17 unbalanced, 5+ clubs
c. or 18+ any distribution (but not 18-20 balanced: with that hand he would rebid 1NT)
2 Ruling out possibility b, leaving a or c (but if c, then limited, 18-20, and, since West doesn't bid 1NT, unbalanced) South was too weak to bid 1♥ voluntarily over 1♦. The subsequent bidding stays at a low level, however, and over 1♠ South has to decide once more: bid or pass?
He doesn't know and hands you his cards. What is your decision? |
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Solution
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The year is 1988. The second Statenbank World Top Tournament (in later years known as Cap Gemini) is played in The Hague, Netherlands; the venue is Hotel Des Indes. In the earlier editions of this fantastic (every single participant is still sad that it doesn't exist anymore) invitation tournament for world class players, the only Dutchmen taking part were Leufkens – Westra. This young pair held its own remarkably well against the world's top players.
What should Westra, North, open on this hand? | W/All | | | ♠ | A J 10 8 5 3 2 | | | ♥ | 10 7 2 | | | ♦ | K 9 | | | ♣ | 9 | |
| West | North | East | South |
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| Nickell | Westra | Hamman | Leufkens | | pass | ??
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Clearly he is going to open spades. One, two, three or four? |
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Solution
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In the World Championship 1962 (contesting the Bermuda Bowl) the USA take on the then virtually invincible Blue Team. This legendary Italian team consisted of (amongst others) Belladonna, Garozzo and Forquet.
We are watching the Americans Coon - Murray as they face Garozzo - Forquet.
The Americans have taken an early big lead, but have only 10 imp of it left when this board is to be played. Coon holds as west: | E/EW | | | ♠ | 8
| | | ♥ | A J 10 6
| | | ♦ | A J 8 6 5
| | | ♣ | A 9 4
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| West | North | East | South |
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| Coon | Forquet | Murray | Garozzo | | - | - | pass | 1♠ | | double | 4♠ | pass | pass | | ?? | | | |
Coon ponders for some time and then hands you his cards. What would you bid?
Suppose 4♠ becomes the contract: what would you lead? |
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Solution
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