On Friday morning, 52 pairs were present at the start of the last stage of these Championships: the Final of the Open Pairs. It took some time before the boards had woken up, but once they had, some good and some nice stuff was in the air.

On board 10, the average score was -110 when EW made 3§. Before they arrived there, they had already missed a chance, as this was the auction at one table:

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

West	North	East	South
		Pass	Pass
1§	Pass	1¨	1ª (!)
Pass	2ª	Dble (!)	Pass
3§	All Pass

Anyone for sitting the double and lead the ©K?

3§ makes because on the draw of the trumps North is caught in a red-suit squeeze.

On the next board, the popular score was +450 as only three Easts led diamonds. Nobody made 12 tricks, however, but the chance was there when East led the ªQ.

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

If you guess the lead to be a singleton, 12 tricks are there: overtake the ©Q, discard the diamonds and finesse the trumps. Pairs is a nervous game.

Take for example the next board, another useful 6-6:

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 10 2 © 8 6 5 4 2 ¨ 9 3 § J 9 7 3
ª K 9 6 © A 10 7 3 ¨ 10 7 5 § K 10 4		ª Q J © K Q J 9 ¨ J 4 § A Q 6 5 2
	ª A 8 7 5 4 3 © - ¨ A K Q 8 6 2 § 8

As usual on this sort of wild hands, simply scoring +620 in 4ª was way under average – just 13 M.P. The most spectacular bidding sequence on this hand we probably saw on Vugraph:

West	North	East	South
Quantin	Levy	Abecassis	Bessis
Pass	Pass	1NT (!)	2¨ (!)
3NT	Pass	Pass	4ª
Dble	All Pass

2¨ showed spades and diamonds and so proved an excellent description of the South hand – just one mistaken little club. The real virtue of this convention, however, is that it is not forcing. Don’t worry, someone will always bid again, it’s pairs. In the end, justice was done and an nearly average score reached (only 31 M.P. for scoring +790).

On board 15, one strange score appeared: -480. What had happened?

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Vul.
	ª 6 2 © 8 7 ¨ Q 9 8 5 3 § A K 9 3
ª A K Q J 9 8 4 © A J ¨ 7 4 § J 7		ª 10 7 5 3 © K 9 5 4 3 ¨ A 6 § 6 5
	ª - © Q 10 6 2 ¨ K J 10 2 § Q 10 8 4 2

Did someone forget to cash the §AK first? Yes.
Did declarer dare to finesse the ©J immediately? Yes, as there had been an easy clue: a second-round take-out double by South after 1ª - Pass - 2ª.
Well played, Doron Yadlin.

A few boards later, the squeeze specialists could shine again:

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

The optimum contract is 3NT (or even 6NT) in West. Win the §Q lead with the king and play a heart to the queen. North takes and continues clubs. Win the ace, unblock the ©Q, cross to the ªK, throw a diamond on the ©A and play all the spades. You have to decide to finesse the diamonds or play for the squeeze in the end. Yet, there was just one 490 on the score sheet.

Overcalling on tram tickets has to be practised in pairs from time to time, but on the board below, West was caught speeding at eight tables and had to pay 800.

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

It all happened very easily:

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

On the last board of the session, a very aggressive overcall after 1NT brought a very good score to the overcallers:

Board 26. Dealer East. All Vul.
	ª 7 6 5 3 2 © K 9 5 3 ¨ - § K J 3 2
ª 8 © 10 8 2 ¨ Q 10 8 7 5 4 2 § A 4		ª A Q 10 © A 6 ¨ A 9 3 § Q 10 9 7 5
	ª K J 9 4 © Q J 7 4 ¨ K J 6 § 8 6

West	North	East	South
	Gotard		Piekarek
		1NT	2§ (!)
2¨	4ª	Pass	Pass
5¨	Pass	Pass	Dble
All Pass

2§ showed majors (of any sort, apparently) and the final double settled the issue at 45 M.P. for NS for one down. In fact, 4ª played by North even makes if the defenders don’t lead hearts to prepare their heart ruff.