My Goofy Partner Forgot the Convention Once Again

Greek pair, Panagiotis Kannavos and Kostas Kapayannides, had a fun board during their Open Round 21 match against Switzerland.

Session 21. Board 4. Dealer West. All Vul.
	ª K 10 8 6 © J 10 9 7 6 4 ¨ - § A 5 3
ª A Q 9 5 © A K Q 5 2 ¨ 7 § 9 8 7		ª J 7 4 © - ¨ Q J 9 8 6 5 3 2 § Q 4
	ª 3 2 © 8 3 ¨ A K 10 4 § K J 10 6 2

West	North	East	South
Kannavos		Kapayannides
1©	Pass	1ª	Dble
4¨	All Pass

Four Diamonds was explained on both sides of the screen as being a splinter with a spade fit.
North asked the meaning of 4¨ and was rather satisfied that Kapayannides passed. South also smiled happily after he heard the appropriate explanations from Kannavos and waited to collect the dollars from heaven.
Just this once, Kannavos waited for the dummy to appear before screaming, as he was ready to do after seeing his partner's pass.
After a heart lead, the contract was just one down. Needless to say that 4ª doubled would have been a real bloodbath for East/West.

A stepping stone squeeze endplay

By Svend Novrup

Rarely did a Danish team in the Open Series experience such a black Sunday. In three matches they achieved only 31 VPs. Taking a look at the standings they realised that with 22 VPs more they would have been 5th and maybe on their way to Bali.

One of the players, however, had a hand which could keep him warm on a cold day. He would forget all the calamities and think about board 17 from the match against Turkey in Round 19 (12-18):

Dealer North. None Vul.
	ª 8 © K J 6 5 2 ¨ J 6 3 2 § J 9 5
ª Q 9 7 © Q 9 7 3 ¨ A Q 7 4 § 7 3		ª K J 10 6 5 3 © 10 8 ¨ K 9 § K 10 6
	ª A 4 2 © A 4 ¨ 10 8 5 § A Q 8 4 2

West	North	East	South
	Pass	1ª	2§
Dble	3§	Pass	Pass
3ª	All Pass

Henrik Caspersen - Tom Noergaard of Denmark East - West. The double was negative. Henrik Caspersen realised that the stepping stone squeeze endplay was on.

South cashed ©A and continued the suit to ©Q and ©K. A club switch would have been deadly but even if North played a third heart you would have difficulty in finding a way to nine tricks. Caspersen ruffed with ª10, and South discarded ¨8 - a card which Caspersen would take care to remember well.
He played trumps, South won the second with the Ace to play a third round, taken in hand with ªK. Caspersen now ran his remaining trumps, and the position ahead of the last one was:

	ª - © K ¨ J 6 3 2 § J
ª - © 9 ¨ A Q 7 4 § 7		ª 3 © - ¨ K 9 § K 10 6
	ª - © - ¨ 10 5 § A Q 8 4

The ª3 squeezed North out of his life saving line, the club. The lay-out was an open book to Caspersen who just had to hope that South had one more diamond higher than the six. He cashed ¨K and ¨A noting with pleasure the fall of ¨10. Then he used North as a stepping stone, playing ©9 to North's ©K, and North was left to lead away from ¨J6 into dummy's ¨Q7!
A brilliant piece of declarer play which may well be considered to be one of the best of the championships.
It was only fair that the same contract failed by one trick at the other table for a Danish win of 5 IMPs.

Strange But True

In one of Monday's matches the following bidding sequence occurred on the same deal at both tables.

West	North	East	South
		1§	Pass
Pass	Pass

Remarkably at both tables the player in the West seat called for a Director and asked for permission to replace his Pass with a different call.
At one table this request was refused but at the other it was granted.
Do you know why?

At one table West had failed to notice his partner's opening bid, so he was passing because he did not have the values to open the bidding. Applying Law 25(a) the Pass was not inadvertent, so West was not allowed to change his call.
At the other table West did see the opening bid, which was a Strong Club. He had been thinking about how the auction might develop and forgot to respond. As his partner had not yet bid again, Law 25(b) could be applied and he could change his call.