Jeff Meckstroth and Eric Rodwell are among the most recognized pairs in the bridge world. In Menton, they are trying to add to their large collection of trophies with a victory in the Open Pairs at the 1st European Open Bridge Championship.

In the second semifinal session of the Open Pairs, they took a giant step toward their goal with a 65.92% game, enough to lead at that point.

Some luck is required for a game of that standard, of course, but you don’t achieve the status of Meckstroth and Rodwell without excellent play as well. The second board of the session is a good example.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª 10 2 © 8 ¨ A Q 10 8 § A Q J 10 4 3
ª A Q J 8 © A 9 5 4 ¨ J 7 5 2 § 6		ª 7 4 3 © K Q 6 ¨ K 9 3 § 9 7 5 2
	ª K 9 6 5 © J 10 7 3 2 ¨ 6 4 § K 8

West	North	East	South
	Rodwell		Meckstroth
		Pass	Pass
1©	2§	2©	3§
All Pass

East started with the ©K, switching to a trump at trick two. Rodwell won with dummy’s §K to play a diamond to the queen and king. East could have scuttled the contract by returning the §9, but he exited with a low club, putting Rodwell in dummy again. It was a break, but Rodwell still had to play perfectly to land the contract.
Rodwell finessed the ¨10, then ran all his clubs, putting unbearable pressure on West, who could not afford to discard a diamond at any time. This was the position when Rodwell led his last club.

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

On the §Q, Rodwell discarded dummy’s ª6, and West was done. If he discarded the ªQ, Rodwell could simply duck a spade, establishing the king. Whether West returned a diamond or a heart, Rodwell would have two of the last three tricks. Plus 110 was good for 82.39 out of 118 matchpoints.

Successful matchpoint players are often on the edge of disaster only to emerge in triumph. Here’s a case in point.

Board 5. Dealer North. N/S Vul.
	ª Q 10 4 © 5 ¨ Q 9 § A K 10 6 5 3 2
ª A 9 8 7 5 © A Q 7 6 ¨ 4 § Q 7 4		ª 6 2 © K 10 9 3 2 ¨ J 10 8 7 2 § J
	ª K J 3 © J 8 4 ¨ A K 6 5 3 § 9 8

West	North	East	South
	Rodwell		Meckstroth
	2§*	Pass	2¨
Pass	2ª*	Pass	2NT
Pass	3NT	All Pass

The 2§ bid was natural and limited; 2ª denied a four-card major.

Had West led a heart, there would be no story except for minus 200 for North-South. West’s spade lead, of course, would be made by most players. That was small comfort, however, when the smoke cleared. Meckstroth won the ª10 in dummy, cashed the §A, noting the fall of the jack, then ran three rounds of diamonds. When he played the §9 and overtook with dummy’s 10, he had 11 tricks for plus 660 and 107.81 matchpoints.

While Meckstroth and Rodwell seem to thrive on super-light opening bids, the opponents don’t always do so well. Just ask East in the following deal.

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

West	North	East	South
	Rodwell		Meckstroth
1ª	Pass	2§*	Pass
2ª	Pass	3NT	All Pass

Meckstroth led a low club, ducked to Rodwell’s king. A club was returned to the ace, and declarer erred by playing the ª10 from dummy. This went to the jack, king and ace, and Meckstroth cashed three more clubs. The dispirited declarer discarded two hearts from dummy, so Meckstroth got out with the ©8. Dummy’s ªQ 9 were good, but Meckstroth still controlled the suit. East played a diamond to his queen and, hopeful of sticking Rodwell in with the ©K for another diamond play (South’s 8 looked like top of nothing), he played the ©Q from hand. Meckstroth won and cashed the ª8 for three down and 116.97 matchpoints.

The Americans got another gift on the next board when East-West doubled Meckstroth in 4ª and forgot to beat it (that was 115.95), and they got away with proverbial murder on Board 10, preempting the opponents out of their heart game, going one down in 3ª for 92.56 matchpoints.

Meckstroth and Rodwell got most of the matchpoints on Board 11 because of their typically aggressive bidding and a favorable lie of the cards.

Board 11. Dealer South. None Vul.
	ª J 10 4 2 © K Q 5 ¨ 10 9 8 7 § 8 5
ª 9 8 5 © A ¨ K J 4 2 § 10 9 7 6 4		ª Q 7 6 © 10 9 7 3 ¨ Q 6 5 3 § A Q
	ª A K 3 © J 8 6 4 2 ¨ A § K J 3 2

West	North	East	South
	Rodwell		Meckstroth
			1§*
1©*	Dble	2¨	2©
Pass	4©	All Pass

Meckstroth’s 1§ was strong and artificial, and West’s 1© was explained as showing heart shortness. Rodwell’s double showed 6-7 high-card points with any pattern. After the heart fit was found, Rodwell like his hand more, so he bid the game.

A low diamond went to the 7, queen and ace. It would not have helped for East to play low. Meckstroth always had the spade finesse in reserve.

Declarer won the ¨A and played a low heart, taken perforce by West, who started a forcing defense against Meckstroth by playing the ¨J. Meckstroth ruffed, played a heart to the queen and got off dummy with a club. East went in with the ace and played back a diamond. Meckstroth could not afford to ruff, so he discarded a low club. West won the ¨K, but there were no more tricks for the defense. A club was return to the queen and king, and Meckstroth played a heart to dummy to discard a spade on the ¨10. Few pairs bid the game – in America, such a contract is often described as “filthy” – so Meckstroth and Rodwell earned another 108.83 matchpoints.
The following deal shows how a pair can get on such a roll that anything they do works out well.

Board 14. Dealer East. None Vul.
	ª J 10 8 7 6 3 2 © 3 ¨ J 10 § Q 10 4
ª A K 4 © J 8 ¨ 8 4 2 § A J 8 7 6		ª 9 © A Q 7 4 ¨ K Q 9 7 5 § K 5 2
	ª Q 5 © K 10 9 6 5 2 ¨ A 6 3 § 9 3

West	North	East	South
	Rodwell		Meckstroth
		1¨	1©
2§	2ª	3§	3ª
Pass	Pass	Dble	All Pass

East-West had the preponderance of the high-card points, but North-South had trumps. Rodwell had only seven tricks legitimately, but even down two for minus 300 was going to be a good score because East-West have an easy game in 3NT.

East started with a low club to the ace, and West defended well by switching to a diamond to the jack, queen and ace. Rodwell took his last chance for a play in clubs, leading low to his 10. East won the king and switched to a trump. West took out both of dummy’s spades before playing another diamond to the 10 and king. A third diamond was ruffed and Rodwell led a low heart from his hand.

East could have assured a two-trick set by playing the ©A, but he played low. Rodwell went up with the king and moments later was claiming down one for minus 100 and 103.48 matchpoints. Of some consolation to East is that taking the ace would have saved only 4 matchpoints. They had lost the board in the auction.

A 65% game is outstanding, but that means 35% of the matchpoints got away somehow. Here was one where a light opening meant a very good score to the Americans’ opponents.

Board 18. Dealer East. N/S Vul.
	ª 8 4 3 © Q 10 9 6 ¨ A 10 8 § A K 4
ª 10 5 2 © 8 7 5 ¨ J 9 2 § J 10 3 2		ª K © A 4 3 2 ¨ K Q 6 5 § 9 8 7 6
	ª A Q J 9 7 6 © K J ¨ 7 4 3 § Q 5

West	North	East	South
	Rodwell		Meckstroth
		1¨	1ª
Pass	2¨	Pass	2©
Pass	3¨	Pass	3ª
Pass	4ª	All Pass

Good bidding to get to the game, but the opening 1¨ bid did the trick for the defense. On any lead but a diamond, South has time to knock out the ©A and claim 12 tricks. After the diamond lead, 11 tricks is the limit, so the Americans had to settle for 32.56 matchpoints.

Their worst round occurred when an Italian pair judged very well stop in 3© when many pairs would be in game. Nine tricks were the maximum, and minus 140 was a mere 26.46 matchpoints for Meckstroth and Rodwell. The same East-West pair judged well again on the next board to bid an excellent slam. The fact that 45 other pairs also bid it helped Meckstroth and Rodwell somewhat, but they still received only 46.59 matchpoints.
The next-to-last board, however, helped make up for the disappointment of the previous round.

Board 23. Dealer South. All Vul.
	ª 10 6 2 © J 7 6 5 2 ¨ 8 § A J 7 3
ª 4 3 © A 9 ¨ 10 6 § K 10 9 8 6 5 4		ª A K J © 10 8 4 3 ¨ K Q J 9 5 4 § -
	ª Q 9 8 7 5 © K Q ¨ A 7 3 2 § Q 2

West	North	East	South
	Rodwell		Meckstroth
			1ª
3§	Pass	3¨	Pass
Pass	3ª	Dble	All Pass

West could have assured defeat of the contract with any number of leads, including the §K (East doesn’t even have to ruff). Say the §A wins in dummy, South unblocking. Declarer will want to get the hearts going, so he plays a heart to the king and ace. West returns the §10 and South must cover. Now East ruffs and cashes the high spades. Declarer can unblock the ©Q and ruff a diamond in dummy, discarding another diamond on the ©J, but he still has a diamond loser for down one.

If declarer wins the §A in dummy and does not unblock the queen, when West comes in with the ©A, West must switch to a trump. East plays three rounds, and South is left with three losing diamonds.

This defensive plan is easy looking at all the cards, so it is not surprising that West started with the §10, and Meckstroth could not be defeated. He ducked the opening lead, unblocking the queen when East ruffed with the ªJ. East tried taking two spades out of dummy with the ace and king, but when he continued with the ¨K, Meckstroth won and played the ©K. West won the ace and Meckstroth claimed. No matter what West played back, Meckstroth could use the §A and ©J to pitch losing diamonds. Plus 730 was worth 109.85 matchpoints.
Two of North America’s most famous players were still in the hunt for gold in Menton.