Greetings from Bangkok

By Brian Senior

This is the first European Team Championships that I have failed to attend in some capacity or other for almost twenty years. However, when the opportunity came along to edit the bulletins at the 41st PABF Championships in Bangkok instead of going to Salsomaggiore it was difficult to turn down.

The least that I felt I could do in the circumstances was to send you a hand a day so that I could say that I was really working on two bulletins, many thousands of miles apart, at the same time. Your illustrious editor and I agreed to exchange Hand of the Day articles between the two events for the week or so when they are running concurrently, and this is my first contribution. Actually, it is a bit of a cheat as the hand in question was written up by Richard Solomon of New Zealand. Still, I have never minded letting other people do my work for me so….

No Quick Revenge

by Richard Solomon

Chinese Taipei's Open match against New Zealand did not start too well. After a few boards their mini no trump opening was doubled and restricted to two tricks which, even though not vulnerable, was despatched for -1100, a poor score with game the limit for their opponents. The very next hand was Board 4:

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

West	North	East	South
Reid	S L Lee	Newell	Huang
1NT	Dble	All Pass

The lead was the six of spades and Peter Newell put down a rather better than his opponent had done on the previous hand. When the [J scored at trick one, Martin Reid had six tricks. He proceeded to cash his four heart winners, on which North pitched the {9 and }7. Martin exited with a diamond and the defence now cleared the [A, but another spade from declarer left North with four inescapable winners and, at the end, an inescapable loser (to declarer's }K). Plus 180 earned New Zealand 7 IMPs and put them on their way to a great start in the event.